Academy's Explorative Studies! (Open)

[Chikamatsu Shin]

The day was warm and the sky was beautiful. It was such an odd sensation to be in a region with so much moisture naturally in the air. The farmlands were filled with life on the outskirts of the city and within the walls trees and flowers adorned the cobblestone paths. To say the least this village was beautiful. The soft sky's light would almost reflect off of the growing blond Yamanaka hair. Each golden strand becoming longer than he had worn it before, so he hoped those close to him would still recognize him. Step after step the young boy would smile and wave at the many natives to the land as he adorned a new outfit for the special ocassion. The blue cloak and cloth had the universal symbols of a Medical Shinobi and he wore them over an all light blue long sleeved outfit. His black boots clicked softly against the stones beneath him as his carmot earring shined from the light coming down. The purpose of his arrival to this section of the city before the tourney began was to meet with a few students and help them learn about this wondrous lands before the festivities truly began. There were a few students he had hoped to see, Mi-chan being the main one, but it had been more than a month since he saw his pupils so he was hoping to see as many as he could. A lot can change in a couple months, hell he and Kohana were starting to learn more about each other.

Shin wasn't really sure who she was but he could sense that was her name, at least that was the name he had given her. She was an angry soul that he could feel and he was starting to gain the ability to manifest her at will, even though she couldn't keep a physical form for long. Unfortunately she still didn't seem to be a fan of the boy and would often take over his body when his emotions became to strong and she would use that opportunity to lash out like she did with incident involving the Princess, Teke. Letting out a sigh the boy could feel the weight of her hatred still and he could sense her following behind him invisible to all others except for himself. This was the same with all of the Shadows he saw behind every person around him, but they seemed to be more like duplicates than whatever Kohana was.

Stopping in front of a small coffee shop the boy smiled. This was the address left on the fliers he hung up in the academy to meet for an extracurricular opportunity in the Land of Tea. As he walked in he could see that the shop wasn't too busy and there was a cleared section for his reservation to the right of the entryway. Walking to the barista working he would order a simple soy latte and a veggie wrap. Taking a seat the young teen would wait for the rest of the group to arrive.

 

[Ginyama Senshiro]

Arriving just a few minutes ahead of schedule, the entity known to most as Oshiro Tetsushi paused just outside the threshold of the quaint coffee shop as he closed his brown eyes and ran his pale fingers through his disheveled black hair. Despite his mother's best efforts to prime his outfit for the field trip prior to leaving Sunagakure-no-Sato, the boy had already managed to sully his once pristine clothes long before he arrived.

Not that he wished to earn the ire of the boy's parents; after all, Damashi did not want to not raise any further suspicion regarding his true persona, and in his own lifetime he had always considered himself a sharp-dressed fellow even at a young age.

As the boy's body entered the coffee shop and ordered a robust cup of strong black coffee, the astral manifestation of his inner psyche--the Sentama Outrage--followed close behind. Although neither Damashi nor Soma could see the shade at this moment, neither could forget having to confront the untamed aura begging to burst forth from its peculiar skull-shaped helmet.

Both of the minds residing within Tetsushi's corpse already knew that Chikamatsu-sensei was well-aware of this aspect and thus their situation, at least regarding Tetsushi and Damashi. As he scanned the room for the familiar face, he saw the instructor sitting not too far away and sighed before approaching him.

"Hello, Chikamatsu-sama," Damashi greeted his sensei with a casual wave. "I trust all is well for you?"

 

[Mitsunari Akagi]

The trip down to the Tea Country hadn't been difficult, after all Akagi had gotten use to moving around Suna. It had become relatively easy to navigate the hot exhausting days, along with its cold bitter nights. This travel had become trivial to the point that the trip was simple and inexpensive. Bringing quite the wallet of money since Akagi knew what he was getting himself in for after the tournament.

However, before the tournament had began, Akagi had heard talk of one of his close friends chaperoning a tour around the city. Akagi had planned to drop in, but deciding that his schedule called for an investigation elsewhere. Sporting his classic maroon longsleeve shirt, black harem, and sandals to match, Akagi had prepared himself for his everyday routine. This routine while in the country would consist of him doing weight training in the morning and chakra control in the afternoon. In between the two, Akagi would ask around the locals to find out where the shady part of town was. He had planned on searching for a piece of invaluable information since he was scarce with luck in Sunagakure.

Today was a seperate day from the normal routine. Akagi had woken up and instead of training started to mope around his rented room. His sadness persisted its way into his heart the more he thought about why he was there. His sadness had grown to the point where he was half-assing just about everything he did. Today was a strange day indeed.

Walking down a city street, Akagi had been searching for a place to find food for the last hour. His morning had been rough as his moping resulted in his entire look being a bit scruffy. His hair dirty blond hair was messy, his eyes were baggy, and his demeanor was sulking. His walk had diluted to a slouching stroll, his usual smile now a uninterested stare. Passing stores while swimming though his own head, would be the only way to describe how zoned out Akagi was. Up until he snapped to his senses at the smell of coffee.

Opening his eyes and taking in what was in front gave a slight reaction of joy before residing to his uninterested look. Not realizing immediately who was at the shop, Akagi walked to the front searching the menu for food before the corner of his eye caught Shin. Now remembering back that today must have been the day all the students were meeting. With all his might, Akagi would attempt to make a slight smile, walking over to where Shin was sitting. While approaching Akagi realized he had to attend to his hidden agenda, and not lose sight of his focus. However, the temptation to let loose and forget about things for a single day was too enticing. With his approach Akagi gestured a wave accidentally dropping his smile, "Hey Shin...". There happened to also be another boy with him, Akagi not recognizing him, dismissed him as another student and continued his approach.

 

[Karasu Mika]

Post 1:

OoC: With only the ‘Camera’ app in my hands, I present to you...
Mika had been going off to her next class in the Academy when she spotted a few fliers that were hung up on the white walls. There were students hanging around it, looking at the fliers and some taking them for themselves. Some of the students were girls, who were the ones in the front of the crowd. There were many whispers and the chattering of the students as they looked at the flier. Getting a little closer, Mika could read the blurry words: “Explorative Class with Kumogakure! Meet me in Kurosawa (Country of Tea)!”

“Oh, wow... I heard sensei was young but I didn’t expect him to be this young...” a male student murmured. There was a bump as several students collided with each-other with Mika trying to see the flier better (and possibly snatch one to take the class). She wanted to see what the sensei looked like, as the male student had stated that he was very young. There was a dreamy sigh from a group of girls as they looked upon the picture of the sensei.

“And cute!” one of the girls squealed and there were several sound of agreement, which were actually more squealing.

“Shin-sensei is as hot as the desert!” There was no laughter as all the students turned to the female who had blurted the statement. Mika’s eyes were wide, not at the statement, but because now she suddenly had a clearer look of the teacher... Shin... There it was, a picture of the blonde boy himself on the flier. The half-eaten strawberry in her hand, which was basically dripping juice down her fingers—eww, sticky—from everyone pushing against the girl, dropped to the ground. No one noticed, of course, as they were all focused on the female Academy student who had blurted out the previous statement. As the words the female had said seemed to have gotten to her, her face burst into a bright red color. Spluttering in embarrassment, the girl turned tails and dashed away. Before moving on to her next class, Mika grabbed a flier and dashed away from the area hoping to never experience the horros of fangirls (and fanboys!) again.

And that was how Mika had learned of Shin’s class. She hadn’t known about him graduating, so it must have happened not too long ago. She would need to congratulate him on it... As the girl continued walking, her eyes strayed to the areas in the city of Kurosawa, searching for the blonde boy. Now, just where was he? Was he hanging around in a flower shop? Or was he in a field of flowers, the place he might teach the class? Many questions, many not answers. Sighing, the girl pulled at the skirt her mother had managed to get her daughter to wear. It was part of a outfit that consisted of a black thin sweater cover a white shirt. Black stockings almost reached up to her knees, with shiny black buckle-on shoes at the bottom. Oh, and there was her red scarf. Her mother had begged for Mika to wear it, as it was something that the woman had worn when she was younger. Mika was relucent about wearing it, but not wanting to further upset her mother, decided to wear it.

Maybe there was a clue of the peice of paper? Taking it out quickly, she read the text over and over again. She couldn’t find it! Where was the address? As she starsd at the peice of crumpled paper, she noticed something strange. ”Kai,” the girl whispered and looked down at the revealed text. Folding the paper into tiny peices, Mika placed it away in her pouches—did you really think she was going to abandon her weapons while being in a new area?—and watched around for the coffee shop. Stopping in front of the coffee shop, the warm and delicious aroma caused her mouth to water; she had gotten up earlier to escape the everyday eggs her mother made so she had not had any breakfast. Walking inside, the young girl could see that there was a space to the right, where Shin(!), who was casually eating some food, a student with messy black hair, and Akagi(!) were at. The girl walked up to the front and ordered a cupcake and a cup of coffee. Grabbing her order after paying, the young girl walked over to the three people.


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[Kanmuri]

Between school and assignments, Kanmuri had his hands full. In fact, he was surprised that he was even able to get training in. Three months had passed since the last class, but Kanmuri still remembered the face of his classmates and sensei. Although, whether or not they would recognize him was the question. The training he did resulted in his body undergoing some changes. For starters, he now had a tattoo on the front of his right hand. The tattoo was a beautiful mix between a fox head and what seemed like the moon behind it. However, that was the least of his changes.

To start things off, he was extremely lean. Three months ago, his body had adapted to taking on taxing jobs, but there was no need for that according to both his father and instructor. The muscle mass may have been great, but it would take away from his speed. He needed to maximize his strength and speed. The best way-especially for a young boy his age-was to lean up, and now, he was shredded. In fact, he went from 90 pounds of muscle to about 65 pounds. Though, that wouldn’t be known to others unless they had an eye for identifying body types. For the most part, his clothes covered up any signs of his results. The only hints would be his nicely toned arms as he wore a black t-shirt with white markings along with white shorts. The last, and probably second most noticeable difference was his change in hair color. Prior to his training and physical development. Kanmuri sported hair that was sakura-esque in color. Now, his hair was completely white without a single trace of pink to be found. Anyone who had known hair would know that his hair was not bleached, even the roots were white as snow. The only physical form of identification that stayed the same was his red, blood ruby colored eyes. Eyes that almost seemed to glow.

For all intents and purposes, Kanmuri was strolling along in Tea Country looking for something. It was obvious as his eyes scanned left and right, but his attention would be hooked by something else. He squinted his eyes as he thought ...Is that...Chikamatsu-senpai? Along with… He moved his head forward a little more before continuing ...Tetsushi? There’s also some guy there who looks to be a little older or around the same age as Chikamatsu-senpai. Not to mention, there’s some girl there as well…

Kanmuri rubbed his hand through his hair while closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. I might as well go and say hello Kanmuri said to himself. He made his way into what seemed like a coffee shop before greeting his sensei with a wave. “Good morning, Chikamatsu-senpai” There was an extremely subtle, pervading feeling of death and dread surrounding the boy, but whether the others would feel this was unknown as Kanmuri himself was unaware, though his father and instructor had mentioned it a few times.

 

[Chikamatsu Shin]

The cute little barista lady would come back a few moments later and set the latte on the table, which had the design of a leaf in the froth, and the veggie wrap beside it. With a grin Shin would thank the woman for her service and then pick up the veggie wrap. The shell felt moister than any he had felt in Suna, which in all honesty wasn't hard to do thanks to the environment he grew up in, and it seemed to be filled with leafy greens, red tomatoes, and what appeared to be cucumbers. He was excited as fresh produce like this wasn't very common in the desert and being a vegan meant that he had to eat the lesser options around. Don't get me wrong, Shin loved his food back home, often eating fruitful cacti and decadent melons but garden fresh greens could never be beat. These were even almost as good as the produce his mother grew in the Greenhouse. A soft blow through his lips he would cause the leaf like pattern in his foamy latte to distort as he attempted to cool it down ever so slightly. He was taking a sip, minding his own business when something from the corner of his eye grabbed his attention.

A wave of rage came flooding his senses as his mind could sense the presence of a dark soul. Almost instinctually Kohana would appear beside Shin, though not in her manifested form, as Shin would continue to sip on his latte. She had a sword in hand, but for some reason she still kept it in her sheath. "Da... ma... shi..." She would say, though only Shin was capable of hearing her words. "Tetsushi is here?"<i></i> The boy responded mentally. Looking over to the direction of the outraged presence Shin would see his pupil walking towards him. Raising a hand to return the wave Shin would smile before speaking. "Take a seat Damashi-san. Yeah, everything is going pretty well. How's things going for you? Adjusting to the Academy life well?"<i></i> Talking to the student like a peer may be odd for most sensei's but Shin knew who was actually in charge of this body and he did not want to cause offense to him. Gesturing to his cup he would continue. "Would you like something? The barista here makes a rather nice coffee."<i></i> As he finished speaking he raised the cup to take another blissful sip.

Not much more than a few minutes would pass, perhaps long enough for Damashi to get something if he so desired to order, that Shin's attention would also shift to a newcomer. This time the Mednin was actually shocked by who entered the room. "Oh, hi Akagi. I didn't expect to run into you here of all places."<i></i> As he spoke he would send a more private message to him via thought. "Are you okay? You don't seem like you normal self. Anything I can do?"<i></i> The boy swirled his halfway empty cup of now semi-hot coffee. He was excited to see who else would be showing up. A busboy came by and picked up the empty plate that held his veggie wrap asked if he needed a refill. Gesturing his hand over the cup he shook his head as to not bother anyone with bringing him more. Most likely everyone else would be arriving soon and they would be off on their way through the village.

Another few moments passed when Shin would smile to see an approaching girl with a soft warm smile and a cupcake of all things. "Hello Mi-Chan! I'm glad you could make it, you look nice today."<i></i> As he spoke a warm smile would be given to his childhood friend before finishing off his latte. It was almost time to get going when he saw another familiar presence enter the shop. The boy looked vaguely familiar but it wasn't until the Phantom Lord's eyes fell upon the child's Shadow that he knew who this child truly was. Kanmuri, the child with a vaguely familiar aura, now had white hair and a thinner build. It had been a while since he saw his student last due to his job in the Omni Prime Medical Complex, so it wasn't surprising that his appearance was changing, especially with the age the boy was at. "Well hello Kanmuri-kun..."<i></i> His gaze quickly looked around the group. A smile lit up his face before he continued. "...So, who is ready to explore this village?"<i></i>

 

[Ginyama Senshiro]

"It's not the student life itself, per se," Damashi replied to Shin's inquiry as the same barista served him their potent brew of coffee. After dismissing her with a simple nod and taking a prolonged sip, Tetsushi sighed. "I was once a student myself, and I remember those days fondly.

"No, what I find issue with is that I am so far away from my wife and son in Kumogakure no Sato, in a body unfamiliar to me." The boy's expression soured as the shade's aura began to engulf the skull helmet, granting the once expressionless shadow a menacing visage--one that was eager to manifest itself through Damashi's emotions.

Realizing how close he was to succumbing to his inherited outrage, Damashi clenched his empty fist and closed his eyes before calming down.

"I suppose it can't be helped, however," he finished cryptically just as another boy around the same age as Shin and in as much of disheveled state as Tetsushi's body was. Despite his unfamiliarity with his normal routine, this particular person had a mood too forlorn to be his usual--or so it seemed to Damashi.

His free hand tentatively reached up to pat the mopey boy on the back before coming to his senses and realizing that he was no position to do so. Quickly retracting his hand before making contact, he bowed slightly and allowed the two enough privacy to converse.

He was half-way done with the coffee before another--a young girl, presumably a student--arrived. Although the girl was cute in her own right, Damashi had been a happily married, full-grown man in his own life and, despite his circumstances, was still faithful to Kirie. As such, he greeted his fellow student with an uninterested wave as he continued drinking his coffee. After a moment or so, a fourth person arrived, this one vaguely familiar to him; in fact it was Kanmuri--a much leaner Kanmuri, but still Kanmuri. But between the ominous dread creeping up his spine upon his peer's arrival and the boy's altered appearance, Damashi would have never had guessed it was Kanmuri until Shin addressed him as so.

Before he could introduce himself to those who didn't know him, Shin asked if the group was ready to venture onward. Taking a moment to finish the last few sips of his coffee, Tetsushi nodded once more.

"I am ready, Chikamatsu-sensei," Damashi accepted the offer, maintaining his facade for the other three's sake.

 

[Mitsunari Akagi]

Akagi with a submissive response to Shin's mental message, "Yeah, everything is all good. I am gonna take the day off and follow you guys around if thats alright. Making sure nothing goes a rye." With that Akagi would turn away toward the exit as Akagi saw Mika and another boy with white hair approaching the table. Akagi would nod to Mika quietly speaking, "Hey Mika..." passing the two by and warping outside the coffee shop.

Akagi had now lost all motivation with his original intention and decided it would be more uplifting of an experience to just watch Shin tour the students around town. To make sure nothing went wrong, Akagi would keep to the rooftops and make sure that everyone was with the group and nobody went astray. With this Akagi warped to the top of the coffee shop dangling his legs off the side of the roof. Awaiting the group to make there move, Akagi would string together a hand seal, summoning two clones. Akagi would point in two different directions as the clones, leaped from rooftop to rooftop accordingly.

Laying back and looking at the sun Akagi raised his right hand, holding it over the sun, then clenching his fist.

 

[Karasu Mika]

Post 2:

As Mika appraoched the other people and sat down at a wooden chair, the blonde boy greeted her. As the girl gave a smile and bit into her cupcake, when another student came in. The white-haired boy seemed to be around the black-haired girl’s age, if not younger. ”Good morning, Chikamatsu-senpai.” Her gray eyes strayed towards the boy, taking in his appearance. He was wearing a black-shirt—it had some white markings on it, resembling that of a tiger’s stripes—and white shorts. Although she couldn’t see any weapons on the boy, yet, he seemed to carry a dangerous aura. Unknown to her to if the other students felt the same, she shook her head mentally and gave the boy a small smile. Seeing Akagi here, although she was confused of to why he was here, a smile made its way onto her face. The girl gave a wave, in which the boy replied in a quiet voice. He was acting somewhat strange, but the girl shrugged it off. He might be having a bad day, the girl thought. (He looked the

The boy warped outside as he spoke the few words to Mika and she turned her attention to Shin-sensei as he spoke, ”So, who is ready to explore this village?” The girl finished off her cupcake and threw it away, before starting on her coffee. ”I-I don’t mind go-going now,” the girl spoke as she took a sip of the delicious, warm liquid and making sure her weapons were on her.

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[Kanmuri]

Upon hearing his old sensei ask about touring the village, Kanmuri’s eyebrows jumped in surprise. He had no intention of actually going anywhere with them, he only walked in the coffee shop to greet them all; however, fate would say otherwise. Not to mention, it would seem odd to decline the offer after everyone accepted.

Looks like I don’t have a choice. Kanmuri thought to himself before quietly letting out a sigh. I would rather look around the city myself, but I guess it won’t hurt hanging around with these guys for a while...It’s been a while since I last saw them.

Having made up his mind, Kanmuri responded saying "I would like to tour the city as well."

Until I’m bored of you all that is. The scarlet-eyed boy thought to himself.

Kanmuri looked around as he noticed that there were two new faces. Beside his old sensei was another boy, who looked to be in his teens, that was much taller than Kanmuri. Not only was the new teen older, but also bigger and presumably stronger than Kanmuri. Armed with brown hair and a charming face, the new boy looked to be someone who was good with the ladies.

Besides the boy, there was a girl who was shorter than Kanmuri, but seemed to be around the same age if not older. She gave off vibes of innocence, but she seemed to be the shy type as she stuttered when speaking. As much as Kanmuri would have loved to meet them, he didn’t come to Tea to be with them, so they weren’t going to get his attention or time.

 

[Kagetsu Yuii]

Yuii, Sennin of Kumogakure, wanted to explore, and explore, and explore until every sight, smell, taste and sound in the land of Tea has been discovered. Until every alleyway had been peered down, every plant had been studied, every strange new fruit had been eaten. Until the hunger in her heart for the outside world was sated and her burning desire to leave the land of lightning was calmed back to burning coals. It had taken her thirty years to be allowed to leave, after all, how could she expect to ever have another chance again? Kumogakure needed her leaders, its shinobi needed guidance, and she had an expert team of diplomats to send out into the world. No, there would be few more chances; it was time to seize the day.

The boat had landed, her students and Genin had been given their rooms, everyone had their chance to drop their belongings and the tavern below had helpfully few them all toast, tea and a fruit that looked covered in scales and peeled away into the texture of an eyeball but was sweet to eat. Yuii had found Kaji and had deposited their baby into his care as daughter and father had missed each other dearly. With basic care covered, the next natural step was to fulfil the promise of exercise for her boat bound brats. Even the best-behaved child had been ready to pull out hair and scream at the ocean after such a long trip. They were shinobi, they needed to train, their bodies literally demanded it but for most, it had been too dangerous to allow more than the basics. Even Yuii had abstained from her daily rituals, though she had gotten plenty of exercise keeping track troublemakers and degenerates like Ikko.

And so, after a bit of yelling, a recap of the rules from the ship, and more than a few sour teenage looks, Yuii had managed to gather a half dozen students who were either excited to go on a tour with her or hadn't run away fast enough. Either way, they were in for a great day because Kagetsu Yuii was in a generous, good mood.

At least she had been.

It was hot. It was damp. The air was ablaze as if a thousand pyros had lit up the sky. The gods had abandoned this land, there was no other explanation for how sticky her skin was. Her blue mop of hair was beginning to frizz in the moisture. Her snowy complexion was turning pink and they had only gotten three blocks from the Inn. She had already stipped to her lightest leggings and her thinnest shirt but that did nothing to cool her body. The heat hadn't been so bad on the ship but the buildings blocked the sea breeze here and the shade they offered was superficial at best. How were they supposed to enjoy a new place when its very environment was trying to suck the life out of them? Never again would Yuii scoff at southerners complaining about the cold; they knew true hell.

"To your right, you'll see more boiling hot street." Yuii droned, dragging on foot forward over another, her hand flopping uselessly as an attempt to fan her face. "Please watch out for the man trying to pickpocket your lunch money," she warned, proving that even while suffering, she hadn't lost awareness of their surroundings. It could have been easy to be charmed by new surroundings, but Kurosawa was a city that did not try and hide its depravity. The sooner her students remembered they weren't 'safe' here, the better they would be. The young man who had been hovering just a bit too close scooted away, caught in the act.

Bleary-eyed, the sennin swung her gaze to the opposite street. "To your left, you will see a cafe... where they probably serve hot tea so that your insides can boil with your outsides. " She signed heavily and contemplated the door. Maybe there was something cold to drink? A new cake to eat? But if they entered and the building inside was as hot and horrid as the street, she was never going to make it. That would be the end; they'd have to carry her home. Her funeral would be a mockery.

"Students, I have a mission for you," she announced, blue eyes fixed on the cafe door as she dug deep into her pockets to reveal handfuls of coin she held aloft for taking, "The person to bring me the most delicious pastry and most refreshing pastry gains wins my favour and free pass to leave the inn whenever they like. Go."

---- Kumogakure's finest to enter the topic.

[Hello! Sorry for the wait!]

 

[Kita Shiori]

Shiori trudged alongside the gaggle of students, keeping her head down as she focused on placing one foot in front of the other. She had been doing that for what seemed like an entirety, what with the water-walking scandal and the long trek to the inn, and she was nearly certain her calf muscles were going to disintegrate into jelly any moment now. This was far worse than Fumiko-sensei’s ‘conditioning’ drills, and the thirteen-year old could only look back on her early-morning death marches with a sort of nostalgic musing.

The brief layover at the inn had been just long enough for her body to cry uncle and her bleary wish for a bed to grow into something more of a necessity. Even so, coated in grime, sea water, and slick from the humidity, Shiori hadn’t so much as blinked when Yuii directed her charges to their feet and back out onto the streets. After the display on the boat, she wasn’t sure she would ever find it in herself to say no to their chaperon.

The woman might as well have been telling them to shove each other off a cliff, and Shiori would have just nodded dumbly and promptly complied. The gangly teen was pretty sure that should be more of a disturbing thought than it was, or that she should at least report herself for an increased risk of future insubordination, but the Sennin was the only authority figure around. So she’d hopped off her stool and melted into the great big mass of chattering students as they plunged back into the literal sea outside without comment.

The group shuddered to a halt, the middle haft bunching up as students ran into each other with the abrupt transition, and Shiori slid sideways to avoid an inadvertent elbow to the stomach. Straightening her long flowing sleeves, she flicked a fluffy strand of hair from her cheek and planted her feet. Sometimes she really hated being so tall and so much older than the rest of her classmates, because it meant she couldn’t pretend not to catch Yuii’s eyes as the woman scanned her motley crew. Licking her chapped lips, Shiori tilted her head, eyeing the tea shop in a predatory manner at odds with her naturally smiling features.

On the onset it wasn’t a particularly appealing mission, and she had little desire to draw more attention to herself. But… surely if she succeeded, if she could win the Sennin’s regard on this small but vital matter, surely the woman would be less likely to accidentally strangle her or blame her second-hand from whatever her peers got up to next. It was a flimsy protection, but any armor was always better than none at all, and all she had to do was infiltrate the pastry shop before the other children mobbed the counter.

Her decision made in a split-second, Shiori narrowed in on the target. Quick as a flash, she plucked a few coins from Yuii’s hand, a quiet thank you fleeing her lips as she hurtled towards the café’s interior. Refreshing was such a particular word. How was she to know what the Sennin would consider refreshing? Wasn’t that a bit subjective? Single-minded in her approach, she couldn’t help but notice the cluster of youth in colorful garb off to the side of the entrance. It was a strange assortment, and the glint of metal and a few hitai-ate shining dully here or there made clear that they’d inadvertently stumbled upon some other visitors to Tea.

Shiori lowered her head, not wanting to start anything, as she rushed for the counter. Scanning the menu plastered behind the pastry and food showcase, she smiled weakly at the cashier while thanking the priestesses for having taught her about tea. “Yes, thank you. Could I order a pitcher of chilled mugicha, please?” Slapping her coins down a bit more forcefully than necessary, Shiori slumped in a wilted manner. The cashier nodded, processed the order, and gestured her to a waiting area away from the food. Taking refuge, the young girl bit at her lip and began to second-guess her choice while not so covertly studying the strange ninja across the room. Part of her hoped some other students would take up Yuii's challenge and find a pastry to accompany her drink order, but the rest of her wasn't sure if the sudden riot would be considered provocation or not.

 

[Harou]

Waves of heat seemed to scorch the earth as the class arrived into the city of what seemed to be blistering heat. The boat ride was uneventful, the rocking motions were different but overall tolerable, and the great expanding sea was marvelous with its crystal blue color. The heat and damp climate, an unfamiliar feeling to Gattsu as he felt his skin burn in the blistering waves the sun seemed to produce on this land. His life remained mostly secluded in the Mountains of Monumentum Deo, as such he was use to the freezing temperatures and snowy region he acclimated too. The heat was unfamiliar, however he tolerated it well enough without a complaint or word. Silence was his friend after all, the peculiar laughter and fun that his classmates seemed to be involved in were not of interest to him, he had difficulty understanding their carefree demeanors.

Ever since his transfer into the Academy, Gattsu has spent most of his time in solitude in training. His demeanor made it difficult for other students to approach him, most choosing to either ignore, avoid, or speak ill of him. This was his first official class event that he had participated in. He did not have much experience with the Sennin Kagetsu Yuii and as such remained quiet and following instructions without a real care. He didn’t possess many items, not having to really drop anything off into his assigned room as he waited patiently listening halfheartedly to the instructions being given to the class.

The teenager listened to Sennin Yuii’s explanations and descriptions. Noting the sarcasm in her description of the café, he wondered silently what could have happened to annoy her so intensely that it was obvious in her physical and verbal expressions. The concept that excessive heat bothered most people never entered his mind, having it been his first experience after all. Despite her obvious suffering, he noted the details and how guarded she was, ”Not a single opening has presented itself, is this what the rank of Sennin carries?”<i></i> he thought to himself.

While continuing the tour and listening to the Sennin’s words, he studied his surroundings carefully. Looking for possible escape paths, watching for potential attacks. Though lacking the experience of high leveled Shinobi, he was determined to make this instinctual. He was unaccustomed to having to watch for people and their intentions, normally he was the ambusher or simply hunting wildlife for dinner. ”This is training.”<i></i> he thought to himself. If this was to become an instinct, it would have to be regularly practiced after all.

The mission she barked out was odd, he failed to understand what a pastry was, the lack of diverse food on the mountains were to blame. He silently took some coins and looked around. He had yet to experience shopping in any form and was left bewildered on what to do next. He noted the tall girl with rose hair enter a shop and followed Kita Shiori into the shop to see the transaction take place. He himself was tall for his age and seemed to be one of the older ones, in combination with his lack of social communication skills, it made him stand out like a sore thumb often. Following her order and taking cues, he walked up to the cashier who stared oddly at him and asked if there was anything he would like to order. ”Most delicious pastry you have.”</I><i></i> he responded forcefully. The cashier went down the recommendations as Gattsu stood there expressionless and repeated once again ”Most delicious pastry you have.”<i></i>. The cashier sighed and gave him the best-selling one they had as Gattsu walked out after paying. Shopping was easier than he thought.

<I>Entering Topic​

Word Count: 620|Post: 1/5

 

[Fujiwara Masaki]

This was beyond belief. Never in all of his life would he have imagined that he would be in a different country, let alone one so far away. Tea Country had proved to be a wondrous place filled with wondrous, foreign people, objects, and décor. Also it was UNGODLY hot. Though he had remained quiet and out of sight for the majority of the boat ride, even during the fireworks and yelling, he almost wished he was back on that boat. At least then there would a breeze from the ocean and the smell of sea and salt. Here? It just smelled of heat and…his fellow students and Genin. At least back at the tavern where they were staying it wasn’t AS bad as it was out here.

I don’t know how anyone can handle this heat, though I suppose with how cold it gets in Cloud they could say the same about us…

Thankfully, Masaki had packed lighter clothing to wear upon the boat and it certainly paid well for their time here. Simple cargo shorts and a t-shirt was well enough for this sort of weather—however he had wished he had those open toed shinobi sandals the Genin wore. The shoes he wore certainly weren’t cutting it when it came to keeping him cool. It was miserable. That much was obvious from the way the Sennin in charge, Yuii, was acting. He already knew her as a loud and brash individual, but apparently also quite intolerable of anything of inconvenience.

Didn’t she just have a baby? Maybe that’s why.

In her general banter and pointing out, sarcastically, the burning streets, heated weather, and how displeased she was, she did point out a pick pocket that had been hovering back near them. Of all of them, Masaki assumed he was the least experienced, after all, he was drafted into the Academy and shortly after shipped off to Tea. He would have likely been the pickpockets’ target. “We must really seem quite vulnerable, especially as children. Shinobi or student, it matters not I guess.”

His words were quiet, more hushed. Anyone walking directing next to him could have potentially heard him, but he generally wanted to keep to himself. Everyone here, from what he could judge on the boat, seemed to know one another—or at least know OF each other. How unfortunate it was for him to be drafted so late. Pulling him from such thoughts was the exasperated request, mission request at that, via the Sennin.

A pastry. Something refreshing to help perk her back up in this perilous heat. Ah yes. The heat.

Squinting his eyes and running a hand through his violet locks, he stared up briefly into the sky with a scowl beginning to form and pull at said squinting eyes. Looking back to Yuii, he followed suit as two others had done before him. Gingerly taking some coin from his superior’s hand, he too made it over to the café. Inside it was a little more bearable. Nothing too extravagant mind you, but it was quaint and it was somewhat cooler than being under the beating sun. Masaki looked around, a bit oblivious as to what the Sennin would even enjoy let alone what he would enjoy to use as a base to pick something. Most of this sort of shopping was left to his sisters.

After looking around and reading some descriptions of different pastries, Masaki settled on one he would have thought his mother would like. It was a flakey puff pastry with filling cut into slices like one would with a cake. There was vanilla fluff holding the pastry together with a red layer in-between; a thin layer of vanilla fluff was on top the bottom half of the pastry followed by, what he read to be, a layer of sweetened raspberry, and then the rest of the vanilla fluff filling the pastry was atop that. It looked quite good. Quickly catching the cashier’s attention, he would buy the pastry without much more thought put into it.

Hopefully this does the trick. Even if this isn’t exactly an official mission, it would be nice to receive a little recognition so early in my academic career.

WC- 705 Post- 1

 

[Chikamatsu Shin]

"I can understand the frustration, but there are a few within the village who would not respond kindly upon learning about that past. Though time may change it is probably the best course of action to maintain this new life for some time longer. There may yet be a chance for that reunion, don't count it out. I have started to research for you, but it will take some time still..."<i></i> Shin would carry on the conversation with his student, who in all fairness shouldn't be a student of Shin's but that was a long story and it's very much too complicated for a TLR insert within my description. Continuing on as Akagi arrived Shin would respond telepathically through his Mind Thread Jutsu. "Thanks, if anything is suspicious let me know, I'll leave this connected for now"<i></i> Shin would tap temple lightly, almost as if moving some hair as he wasn't looking at his friend to gesture to the thread that connected them and allowed for conversation, but before long it would appear that Akagi was starting already as he warped out of the room.

Turning to face Mi-Chan a warm smile stretched onto his face as she checked her weapons. "Mika-chan..."<i></i> He would shift his view to Kanmuri and then to Tetsushi. "... Kanmuri-kun, Tetsushi-san. Make sure you stay near me, we never know who we will run into out here thanks to the tournament. There will be Shinobi from all over the world in this city, some may be dangerous, but other will most likely be friendly. Though this is the case keep a sense of caution and don't wander off too far."<i></i> As Shin spoke he would sense more shinobi enter the shop. It was easy for him to detect the difference between pedestrians and shinobi, even academy students, as the auras released from their Shadows were much more intense than the frail shells that followed the average citizen. Turning to view the children Shin would raise an eyebrow.

Paying them no mind the boy would rise from the table, re-adjusting the cloak which identified him as a Sunan Med-Nin. Gesturing to his students to follow the young sensei would make his way out of the building. At fourteen years old it was extremely uncommon for someone to be a fully fledged Med-Nin let alone a Sensei at the academy. Fate must have had a different plan for the Yamanaka as he looked out the door he would see a woman who was clearly from Kumogakure. This was the perfect time to introduce his students to the intervillage socialization that was needed to not only befriend those from other villages but to learn from them.

As Shin approached the woman a smile would be on his face as he stopped a few feet from her and dropped into a quick bow. "Hello..."<i></i> As he spoke he would rise back up into the upright position. "...It's nice to see that the other Hidden Villages are starting to arrive."<i></i> He would look over his shoulder slightly as back towards the cafe. "I assume that they are yours?"<i></i> He looked back to the woman before him. Extending his hand to shake her's he would continue. "The name is Shin, Chikamatsu Shin. Med-Nin of Sunagakure. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."<i></i> As he spoke to her he could see Kohana standing just behind her with her sword drawn. HIs invisible Persona had become very protective of the boy and she did not trust anyone.

 

[Ginyama Senshiro]

Tetsushi nodded; Shin was right after all. His current existence was not only somewhat of a paradox, but also a threat to everyone, including himself, and if those that were less than trustworthy ever learned of his real identity as Damashi, he would no doubt be at the center of a power struggle between his former and current villages. Not that he wished to be resurrected in another body; he'd much rather enjoy his remaining years growing old with his wife Kirie, watching as their son and any other children they would have had grow up in Lightning Country. Instead, he had to suffer a second life so far from his old one. So when he followed Shin outside--taking note of the three other children entering the cafe and ordering a variety of pastries--his eyes widened with astonishment as they fell upon the Sennin from his homeland.

"Raiden sure has a sense of humor."

"Sensei . . . " he meekly whispered to Shin when his conversation with Yuii provided the opportunity. "They are from Kumogakure, aren't they?" The boy started to sweat as much as the woman, though he was suffering from anxiety as opposed to the heat of Kurosawa.

---

EDIT: Removed divbox for readability in Dark Mode
EDIT: I have a feeling I'm going to have to drop this habit as soon as I had picked it up hehe.

 

[Mitsunari Akagi]

Releasing the grip of his fist and raising his upper body, Akagi would yawn and wipe his eyes with his sleeves, looking down to the bustling street. Rubbing his left hand through his dirty blonde hair Akagi would spot a group of what appeared to be kids, lead by a single woman. Paying no mind at first till Akagi looked closer at the group, watching them halt at the coffee shop, and began approaching it.

Wincing as the sun began to bother his vision, Akagi raised his right hand to block the suns light and lowered his left to his side. Akagi would take a much deeper interest in the group as Shin, Akagi's best friend, approached the woman in front and appeared to begin talking to her. Now inspecting the woman up and down Akagi quickly realized that it must be another shinobi. Since he hadn't recognized her immediately Akagi assumed she was from another village, which enticed him even further. Seeing this as an opportunity to meet shinobi from other villages Akagi would have to resist such a temptation and continue his overhead watch deciding to not make an entrance just yet.

With composed figure he would rise from his seat and watch below as the kids of the newly arrived group dashed in to the shop for an unknown reason.

 

[Karasu Mika]

Post 3:

The girl would then slip a kunai knife into the sleeve of her long-sleeved shirt, just in case, before pausing as she heard Shin begin speaking. She would slip another kunai knife into her sleeve as she half-listened to what the blonde boy was saying before switching her full attention to it during the half of his speech; what he was saying seemed to be importance and she did not want to miss out on anything and embarrass herself. She had already stored two kunai knives in her sleeves and could put more later on, so she listened quietly. As the blue-eyed boy would stop speaking, the bell signaling that a person was coming in would let out a jingle. The girl would glance over, seeing several kids walk in and towards the counter. It was a bit funny, how everyone was crowding around the one lady to buy something.

As she would look away, she would see Shin begin walking away, signaling her and the other students to follow him. The girl would take another sip of her coffee before catching up to the blonde boy. As she would follow him, she would notice the lady standing not too far from the Coffee shop. She's a shinobi, the girl would think as she took on a nervous look. Shin, seeming to notice that the woman was a shinobi too, walked up to her and started talking. The girl, not wanting to interrupt, would stay away and simply wait for the talk to finish.

wc: 254

 

[Kagetsu Yuii]

This was it, this was the end. Yuii was never going survive to see the end. She would never get to see Umeko grow up, live into old age with Kaji, spend her meticulously saved retirement exploring the world. She could barely stand anymore.

The door was mocking her. It's odd wooden design, its cheerful little bell that screamed a cheerful warning to the world when her students filed into the shop. The lack of assurance that it wasn't a thousand degrees inside. It both promised and refused to tell her was she could find beyond. 'Salvation inside!' it screamed as more people filed out, 'Or hot doom! Perhaps I've eaten your students. Bwhaha! Won't you find out?' Villainous, evil door.

"You fiend, I'll avenge them all!" she yelled weakly at it, body dripping from sweat, "Or die."

Or perhaps she was already dead? How was the ghost walker to tell when she slipped from life to death when it all felt the same? Some of the ghosts she had spoken to had told tales of heavenly spirits that even her eyes were blinded to guiding them down the narrow path into the spirit realm. They were supposed to be golden-haired, beautiful little creatures exactly like the one approaching her at that very moment.

Oh shit.

"Oh gods no, a golden-haired angel sent to take me to the afterlife. I'm already dead aren't I?" she wailed, dropping to her knees it delirious and overly dramatic mourning, "Kaji is going to be pissed I died! No way he'll want to spend eternity with me now! What have I done!!" She didn't cry, not exactly, but curled and bowed her head dramatically to the ground as if she were. Her hands reached for, then recoiled from touching Shin's boot as she wished to beseech the little angel for mercy but not offend him with her touch, "I want to liiiiive."

The cheerful little bell rang again, no longer an ill omen but a sign from the deities that her wish had been granted. Yuii could hear it, the affirmation that she would survive. Her head snapped up, and like many holy nights her little students filed from the cafe with life given sustenance. Yuii would live!

"Hurrah you're all alive! I was 95% certain you weren't all doomed." She cried, moving at lightning speeds from the ground to hug each should they allow it, even the little sand nins and their sunshine haired teacher, "Thank-you little angel for seeing them safely from the gates of the afterlife!!"

There was no time to lose though. Before the heat drained her of her last will to live, Yuii needed to eat! "Show me what you found! Quickly, quickly!" she exclaimed, snatching at food and drink with sweeping cat-like swipes. Their purchases were as unique as the youngsters who had bought them. First down was the 'Most delicious' turned out to be a pastry filled with fruit Yuii had never laid eyes on before, but the taste was amazing. Then came the drink which she took to be some kind of tea, a drink Yuii wasn't particularly fond of on normal days, but it was cool and quenched the delirium causing thirst that plagued her. It would easily be her new favourite tea. Then, onto the mashing of sweets like only her dreams saw, Leave it to a kid to put together a bunch of amazing sweets. Down it all went, food alternated with the drink in an amazing but mildly horrifying display of mashing teeth and noises she reserved only for cake and her husband. "Yesssss, you all pass! Freedom for you all" she declared, as the last crumbs were licked away from her hands, "Mission complete."

It was about that point, as her hungry belly and her overheated mild were eased, that it clicked that not all of the children in attendance were her students, and the blond angel was very real. "Oh no, I'm so sorry!" she gasped, then with enthusiasm and sparkling eyes, "Look how adorable you all are! Sand shinobi? Are you here for the tournament? Who have you come to cheer on?" The only good answer was Okada Kaji, of course.

Food had renewed her vitality and her enthusiasm for exploration and adventure. No longer was Tea a sweaty hell hole. Now was the time to seize the day! Learn new things! Find another place for delicious cool drinks! "Ehh... this city isn't very safe for kids. I've decided! You can join us on our... whatever this is as a thankyou for divine luck!" she chimed, making grabs to hug Chikamatsu again, "What were we doing.... oh yes! Training! We're trying to find a place for training! There must be some kind of space around here? Do you know?"

 

[Kita Shiori]

Shiori watched her classmates exit the shop, wiggling with anxious energy as she craned her neck to look for her order. Should she have asked for a pastry instead? Would the Sennin base their grades on speed? What if she didn’t like barley tea? Chewing her bottom lip, she focused on holding still, too tired to waste herself on endless fidgeting. After the second student had run off with his pastry held high, Shiori sighed emphatically when the waitress came into view. Dipping her head in quick succession, she grabbed hold of the carafe of chilled tea and made a beeline for the group lingering outside.

The group from earlier was still there, bunched up, a few even looking at her in passing, and she trained her gaze on the path. Merging with the students from Cloud, she edged closer to Yuii, pausing at the sight of the fallen Sennin. Shiori opened her mouth, but no sound escaped, before her teeth clacked shut. Yuii was moaning, her cries high-pitched and almost pitiful, and it was an image completely at odds with the woman’s fearsome aura the rest of this trip. Shiori’s instincts told her to keep her distance, afraid that this was some ruse and the minute she acknowledged the strange behavior Yuii could grow teeth like a youkai and rip her head off.

So, instead, she huddled with the others. Straightening her shoulders, she stared at the foreign group that had come like flotsam to brush up against the Cloud’s assemblage. Yuii was still crying, her delirious rambling latching hold of the blond-haired ninja and refusing to budge. As the Sennin rocketed to her feet, Shiori flinched, keeping a cautious distance from those lightning-fast hands. It was all for naught, as Yuii grabbed for the pastries, and Shiori realized that perhaps their chaperon’s behavior wasn’t actual insanity but rather a lack of sustenance. Had she seen Yuii eating at the hotel? Wasn’t it important to eat more after giving birth?

“Here, Kagetsu-sama,” she held up the tray, holding still as Yuii snatched the carafe. Barley tea wasn’t the most delicious, it was a little bitter, really. But it was the epitome of refreshing, especially in weather like this. And it would cut the sweetness from the pastries. Or so Shiori hoped.

Before she could pull back, Yuii had finished the drink and was wrapping her arms around the tall student, pulling Shiori in for a tight hug. Freezing, the thirteen-year old didn’t dare to breath let alone blink, her mind shuttling to all the various ways this woman could end her life this close. The Sennin released her though, going on to hug everyone else, even a few of the Sand ninja, and Shiori hovered at the woman’s elbow.

“Kagetsu-sama, ah…” the woman stood tall, seeming to regain some of her senses after the refreshments. Shiori inclined her head respectfully towards the Suna ninja, hoping that whatever this was would be over with soon before Yuii started an international scene. “We were going to train, in the new setting, ma’am,” she lowered her voice, trying to prompt their protector.