Open Day 14: To Sow the Seeds of Family [Req. Chikamatsu Clan]

[Chikamatsu Suisen]

Sora was now two weeks old and she was asked by her father to begin to meet and mingle with the other members of her clan She had only met her father and her aunt up until now, even the other members of the Inner Court of the Chikamatsu Clan were strangers to this young girl. That didn't bother her though she was still going through plenty of testing and her father wanted to make sure she was stable as he often told her that she was one of a kind and a true marvel in medical progress. She knew that he was just complimenting her amazing skills, but she was curious who else was in the most powerful can in the world.

The newly renovated Arboretum was built as an attachment to the Omni Prime Medical Facility, which was essentially the hub for the clan's activities as many of the Chikamatsu worked as Medical Shinobi. Beautiful glass walls adorned the edges of this massive forest size greenhouse which allowed the numerous plants within access to the bountiful Sunan light but protected them from the truly arid climate that was the Land of Wind. Stepping through the doors the humidity of the Arboretum was an intense contrast compared to the outside world and the smell of the pollen and vegetation was to die for. Exotic and foreign trees lined the inner workings of the Arboretum and winding paths allowed for the Chikamatsu Clan to tend to the various plants and insect life dwelling within. It was after all their sacred duty to promote the life and usage of every species growing within these walls. While the Arboretum was originally given to the clan centuries ago, the newly renovated location was above ground and many of the sprouts and saplings growing here were the offspring of the grand trees that could still be found in the Ruins of the old Sunagakure within the catacombs of the underground network.

Sora sat at one of the small green house outposts where a small variety of dried herbs and ingredients to make various teas and medicines would be resting. She would spark the flames needed to heat the kettle of water and with a smile on her face she would wait to meet her family and provide them with a freshly brewed tea.

MFT:387

 

[Chikamatsu Toyoko]

Toyoko is finally getting settled in to her new life as a member of the Chikamatsu Clan. It's relatively easy, for the most part. She is just expected to help out around the Omni Prime Medical Facility, such as changing sheets and other menial tasks. This doesn't really bother her, as she gets to perform most of these by herself. When she does encounter other people, though, she has to practice smiling at them and being nice. Which, so far, hasn't worked out very well. Her smile seems more like a grimace, and the people she greets are happy to get away from her as soon as possible. It was during one of these encounters that one of the many employees of the Omni Prime approached Toyoko and delivered a letter from Shin, asking her to go to The Arboretum.

She had yet to set foot inside there yet, as she hadn't been given permission before now and didn't want to step on any toes in the process of her adoption. While grateful for the change of pace, she also knew that Maho's threat still hung over her head. At any moment, if she did something wrong, she could very easily be found guilty of murder and thrown in jail without a moment's hesitation. So she dutifully collects her stuffed teddy and makes her way down to The Arboretum, not knowing what to expect when she enters inside. So imagine her surprise when she enters and the first person that she sees sitting inside is none other than Sora. Begrudgingly, she approaches the other girl, a scowl on her face. "What the hell is the meaning of this? Did you fake a letter from Shin to lure me here for another fight? All you had to do as ask, and I'd gladly take you on."

 

[Chikamatsu Suisen]

Sora's eyes go wide as she stares down Toyoko's approach. "Why are you here you peasant? Don't you know this Arboretum is cared for by the Chikamatsu Clan? My clan." She states very `Matter of Fact`ly towards Toyoko. Her eyes narrow at the girl who was now her sister, despite the fact that Sora was not informed of this change in her family dynamic. "If you could do me a favour and fall down a well on your way out that would be wonderful. Father told me to come here to meet the rest of the clan and that is exactly what I plan on doing, and you're not welcome here.' She would take a this moment to pour herself a cup of hot water and she sprinkled some fresh herbs into it before stirring it with a spoon she had laying beside the blue and white ceramic saucer that her cup had been resting on.

She let out a sigh looking Toyoko over. "If you don't plan on leaving then how about you be descent and sit down and be quiet. I don't have the time or patience to deal with you today." She hesitated with an arrogant grin on her face. "Afterall, I am the daughter of the Overseer who is not only in charge of this Arboretum, but is also the Medical Chief, so if you don't do what I say my father will hear about this." As if she was some young Malfoy smarting off to a Potter child she would make sure she made it clear that she thought she was better than Toyoko.

MFT:268

 

[Chikamatsu Toyoko]

Toyoko's left hand grips her teddy tightly, and she has to restrain herself from launching the weapon at Sora to wipe the smug look off of her face. Clearly she wasn't informed of the change in family dynamics, and Toyoko was going to take great pleasure in drawing this out. She walks over to where Sora is seated, grabbing the cup and saucer from beside the other girl and taking a sip from her tea before setting it back down and making a face. "You plan to serve that to the family members that show up here? Ha. Clearly you haven't got Shin's genes for making tea or coffee, that is merely hot leaf water. It tastes absolutely dreadful. Makes me wish that I hadn't bothered to pick it up in the first place. As for why I'm here? Well there's a simple explanation for that. Chikamatsu Toyoko, at your service."

Toyoko bows to Sora, then does a little spin in place, watching the other girl's face for any surprise that she may exhibit. "You are more than welcome to complain about my presence to our father, but how would he react when I tell him that my dear sister was so rude to me and wished me harm? That's not following the principles of the Chikamatsu Clan, now is it? We are supposed to spread light and joy to all who we meet, especially here in the Omni Prime Medical Facility. Now then, I wonder who else will be joining us today? I would love to see Maho again to thank her for her help in getting my adoption handled so quickly."

 

[Amaterasu Hina]

Hina always loved being surrounded by plants. She finds herself deep in the brand new arboretum. Everything here feels so new. Before, she knew each and every corner of the arboretum. She would wander for hours among the leaves, always circling back to her favorite section, the poisonous plants. She could spend hours of her day, tending to them, making sure they lived a happy life, and then experimenting with their different properties when they were at their finest quality.
The familiar scents still permeated the area, and she was able to find most of what she was looking for with ease, but the new life wasn't as vibrant quite yet. The people here were different. Everything was….new. New isn’t always bad…new is just new.
As Hina sat, grinding together a mixture of eggshells and orange peel for fertilizer, she couldn't help but look over her shoulder. She knows she wont see it, she doesn't even know if she wants to see it. For a moment her memory flashes and she thinks maybe the two large mounds of dirt were actually still there, but no. Now she looks over her should and sees a beautiful higanbana patch. They are beautiful flowers, highly poisonous of course. One of her mothers favorites.
Hina stares at the flowers as sorrow begins to fill her mind, when suddenly she begins to hear voices.
Ok….I think thats Sora….
Hina thinks to herself.
And I think thats Toyoko? Shin’s children. They sound like they are fighting?
Hina is happy for the distraction. She tucks herself farther into the corner, attempting to make sure she remains unseen. She continues on with her work as she listens closely to the conversation happening a few rows of plants away.

 

[Chikamatsu Suisen]

"Hot leaf water?! How dare you insult me like tha-" Her face dropped as she processed the information she was provided with. Father had adopted this street rat? Visibly upset at this information the young girl's face contorted into horrible expressions of anger then denial and understanding. The fakest smile appeared on the young girl's face as she rose to her feet to look at her sister closer, almost eye to eye.

Almost as if in pain she spoke. "Oh, what. is. this? Maho-sama? Is that so? I am soooooo happy to hear this, little sister." Trying to assert dominance she claimed to be the elder of the two since she had been in the clan the longest. Taking a deep breath the red eyes of the homunculus twitched with fury.

She gestured to the tea set and spoke through a clenched jaw. "By all means, perhaps you can show me how it is done. Though be careful, it would be a shame if you splashed that hot water all over you smug little face." She took a step back and looked away. Her face was visibly red with anger before an idea popped into her head.

"I guess if charity is needed so be it, but know Father has me tending the Yurei Orchid, which means I will be the next Overseer." She looked over her shoulder at her sister with a devlish grin. "And when that happens that means I will be your boss." She was lying of course, she hadn't cared for the Orchid, let alone seen the orchid before. Show boating like this would have been fine, if an actual caregiverof the Yurei Orchid was hidden away eaves dropping on this conversation without Sora knowing.

 

[Amaterasu Hina]

The second the words left her mouth Hina froze.
Father has me tending the Yurei Orchid, which means I will be the next Overseer.
Those words played in Hina's head for what she could only imagine was 1000 times in the matter of a moment. So many more questions ran through Hina's mind.
Had Shin Sensei really let Sora watch over the Orchid? When did this happen? Is she lying to get a rouse out of her new "sister?" Is Shin Sensei replacing me? Shin wouldn't make that decision behind my back...would he? Is the Orchid ok? I have watched over the Orchid my whole life, why would he let her tend it? Did she do anything to the Orchid? She's not even Yamanaka blood, she's not even blood at all she's just a creation. I have to check on the Orchid, my parents would check on the Orchid. Sora will pay If anything is wrong with the Orchid....
As the fear and anger and confusion grew inside Hina's mind, she was suddenly snapped back into reality as the terra-cotta pot she had been holding came smashing to the ground with a loud clank. Soil, smashed ceramics, and crushed flowers came crashing to her feet. Hina gasped loudly, startled by her own clumsiness. Stunned, Hina pause a moment, knowing for a fact that the two other girls a few rows down had surely heard her. She glanced in the direction she knew Sora and Toyoko to be, and without another moment of hesitation began to dart through the arboretum towards where she knew the Yurei Orchid to be.
In her rush, Hina carelessly tromped through the broken pot, not even bothering to put her shoes back on. She barely even noticed as a jagged piece of dirt and root covered terracotta pierced deeply into her flesh. Nothing else mattered in that moment to her. All she cared about was getting to the Orchid and making sure it was safe. She felt the pain, and knew the danger, but that could wait for later.

 

[Chikamatsu Toyoko]

Hearing Sora refer to her as "little sister" had Toyoko fuming, as she knew that the construct was merely weeks old. But Kohana's warning was still fresh in her mind, as was Shin's odd behavior, so she simply swallowed her pride and stepped forward to pour the tea for herself. It did, however, make her happy to see the other girl's face flushing with anger. Clearly she hadn't been told that Toyoko was being adopted, and being left out of the loop appeared to anger her. This was an advantage that she planned on using, pressing the thorn deeper and deeper into Sora's side. "As a matter of fact, it wasn't just Maho. I was brought before Shin and Kohana themselves, who both approved of my adoption without any qualms. If anything, Shin was tripping over himself to make sure that I felt safe and happy here. How would he feel to know that you are making me feel uncomfortable and unsafe in my new home? Perhaps I should go run along and tell him that his own creation is threatening his daughter? Perhaps he'll reset you, since it appears that you are malfunctioning. That would be a pleasant update to your current personality. As for this orchid, I know nothing of that. So I honestly don't give a damn about who is the next Overseer or not. There is plenty of time for Oto-san to change his mind about you being worthy and select someone else to take his place."

Before she could continue on her rant and insult Sora even further, she hears the shattering of a pot behind her then the sound of feet smacking against the ground running through the Arboretum. Quickly drawing out Teddy, she rushes forward towards the sound, seeing Hina running down the paths. Toyoko sends Teddy flying towards her, attempting to trip her up, not realizing that Hina is a member of the Chikamatsu Clan and is the true guarding of the Yurei Orchid. She just remembers that her job is to protect the Arboretum against intruders, and in this moment, the girl fleeing seems to be very suspicious.

 

[Chikamatsu Shin]

The teddy flying through the air would be quickly deflected before it were to trip the Guardian of the Yurei Orchid. Seemingly coming from no where the three children could see Kohana and Shin standing before them. Kohana's blade drawn as it was used to prevent Toyoko's attack.

"I see some of you had made your way to the Aboretum, and I am glad to see you all here. I asked you all here for a specific reason." He smiled and looked over to Hina. "Sora and Toyoko, you are both new to the clan and because of that there are many secrets that have yet to be revealed to you, that is what I am here to share with you. The Secret Techniques and traditions of the Chikamatsu Clan that have been passed on for generations."

"Secret Art: Floral Fields." As Kohana spoke the flowers and buds in the arboretum would begin to grow larger. Any and all exposed soil would become fille with small flowering plants and the pollen count in the air would increase. "While two of the three of you do not carry the Chikamatsu Blood it is important for you to at least know of our techniques even if you do not possess the necessary traits to perform the jutsu."

"Correct, Floral Fields is a unique style of Ninjutsu that encourages growth of plants centered around you. The usefulness of this Jutsu is expanded with the Floret Forensic jutsu and he Pharmecutical Seal jutsu. These two jutsu will allow you to identify any plant you come across and the Pharmecutical Seal allows you to convert plant matter into capsules, which is helpful to create herbal remdies or consumable poisons."

Shin let out a sigh before gesturing for the students to follow him. "But we can go more into those later, I need you all to see what Amaterasu Hina has spent her life guarding, just as I did before her." He would begin to walk to the center of the Arboretum waiting for a moment to see if the children would follow.

 

[Chikamatsu Suisen]

"Perhaps I should go run along and tell him that his own creation is threatening his daughter? Perhaps he'll reset you, since it appears that you are malfunctioning. That would be a pleasant update to your current personality.”

Sora’s eyes go wide as Toyoko spoke to her. As Toyoko would suggest that Sora could be ’reset’ like she was some sort of machine. The young girl’s face would sullen and her head would tilt down slightly to hide her face underneath the large hat she often wore to keep her synthetic body warm. She stood there, not uttering a single word as Toyoko would react to Hina’s presence.

Sora stood alone as Toyoko ran off to chase down Hina. Tears would drip from the homunculus’s eyes and patter on the stone floor beneath her feet. She stood there silently as she felt the hateful words of what she was sink into her skin. Like a searing iron placed on livestock this was the first time in her life that Sora felt as though she was being branded as something ’other’. The first time someone had insulted what she was and not who she was.

As she hears her father… or rather her creator, and her aunt speak she would make her way to them and listen to what they had to say about what was to happen next.

 

[Amaterasu Hina]

Hina abruptly stopped as seemingly out of nowhere Shin sensei appeared. Hina quickly noticed Shin was not alone and made a mental note. She doesn’t know what startled her more, the tiny teddy bear puppet that appeared in front of her or Kohanas blade deflecting it mere inches in-front of her.
Hina was out of breath, partly from the short sprint, a big part because of the scare, and slowly, as the adrenaline faded away, from the pain welling up in her foot.
As Shin spoke, Hina stole a glance down at where the pain came from. Until now she really hadn’t noticed she was bleeding, but sure enough a small pool of blood was forming around her feet.
“ I need you all to see what Amaterasu Hina has spent her life guarding, just as I did before her."
Hina looked up as she heard her name spoken. So Sora was just trying to get a rise out of Toyoko! I knew Shin wouldn’t have gone behind my back! Hina felt a sense of relief wash over her. She was still nervous….She knows as members of the Chikamatsu clan and Shins daughters they had the right to see the orchid, but Hina was still very protective of it….
As Shin would start to lead the way, Hina would wait for the other girls to pass before she followed along. For one, she would want to show them respect and give them a chance to go first. Her true reason, she didnt want anybody to know how reckless she was. The cut in her foot was deep, she could tell. She pushed the welling tears away with a fake smile, just long enough to let the others pass. She would compose herself while everybody listened to Shins lesson and then she would tend to her wounds privately. Hina could only hope these lessons didnt last too long…..

 

[Chikamatsu Toyoko]

Toyoko would quickly pull Teddy back to her chest, gripping it tightly as it is deflected from tripping up Hina. She didn't know why Kohana had done that, when this girl was running through the Arboretum wildly, without a cause. It was her job to protect it, and Sora was being as useless as usual. What the hell was wrong with her?! She glared at her sister as she walked past her, towards where Shin and Kohana were standing. When Shin smiles down at the other girl, Toyoko flushes in embarrassment. Perhaps she was supposed to be here, and Toyoko was going to get in trouble for attacking her? She didn't know! It was an honest mistake. Hanging her head, she misses the jutsu that Kohana uses and wordlessly follows along behind the others as Shin leads them towards what the other girl, Hina, has been spending her life guarding.

As they walk together, she leans over to Hina and whispers to her. "I'm sorry for the confusion. I didn't realize you were part of the Chikamatsu Clan, I just saw someone running through the Arboretum and acted on instinct. Please forgive me for almost tripping you up. It seems that you are hurt, did I do that? Please, let me heal your foot for you."

[OOC: If Hina allows her, Toyoko will use Mystical Hand to heal her foot]

 

[Amaterasu Hina]

Hina kept her head down as she walked. One thing she did not expect was for Toyoko to lean in and speak to her. She thought she was the one who injured me? Hina couldn't help but feel bad, she never wanted Toyoko to think this was her fault.
"Oh that...that wasn't you. Shin....or Kohana? Im not really sure which one...They deflected your puppet. Plus, you were just trying to protect the Arboretum. That's a good thing!" Hina did her best to keep her voice down, whispering back to the other girl and trying not to draw any attention to herself. "I heard something that spooked me and in my carelessness stepped on a broken pot. A pot that I broke actually....I should have handled myself better. You don't have to worry about me though, I will be ok...It was my own fault anyways," Hina stumbled over her last words, feeling ashamed of everything that happened. She really should have controlled her emotions better, the cut in her foot was the punishment from her behavior. Hina desperately wanted her foot healed by Toyoko in this moment, but she felt so bad about causing a ruckus. Accepting Toyoko's help would be distracting and rude at this point. "It's really not that bad anyways. Thank you for your concern though."

 

[Chikamatsu Shin]

Shin would grin as he heard he children speaking to one another kindly, he was also incredibly proud that his daughter's first reaction was to protect the Arboretum. It seemed as though Toyoko was slowly making herself feel more at home within these walls.

Stepping up to a large locked door Shin would place his hand on the center seal, a series of sigils that spiraled out like the tattoo on the nape of his neck in the formation of a flower. And as he did the seal recognized his chakra signature and opened up. "As you know, I am the Overseer of the Chikamatsu Clan, and while that may sound as though I lead the clan that is not the case. Our clan has no one leader, instead we operate under a council of members. We are referred to as the Inner Court Members, as all of the Chikamatsu Clan and extended families are the Outer Court Members. While the Outer Court is responsible for interacting with the village and world around us, the Inner Court's responsibilities consist of guiding, protecting, and traching the members of the Clan."

As the students came inside they would see the other four members of the Inner Court. "Hello, my name is Seikatsu. I am responsible for the Medical Education of the Chikamatsu Clan and I serve as the High Priest for the Clan." "I am Kohana, Sister of the Overseer and his personal guard." "I am Kayaku, I deal with Combat education for those who do not wish to enroll in the academy." "I am Maho, I am the Guardian of the Chikamatsu Clan's Secret Techniques and Traditions, and I manage affairs that deal with those outside of the Clan." As Maho spoke she looked at Toyoko briefly. "I am Seishinko, I care for the Kodama which are the spirits that dwell within the Arboretum that live amongst our trees. I am also responsible to grant proper burial rites."

"And as you all know, I am Shin, I am the Overseer. I bear the Seal of the Yurei Orchid which connects me to each of the Inner Court Members. At any and all times I have portions of not just their minds, but their souls dwelling within me. It is through me that the Chikamatsu CLan's Inner Court members can commune, regardless of their distance a part from one another, and it is through me that decisions are made. I am the conduit of power for the Clan as well, capable of bringing forth any member of the Chikamatsu Clan's inner power thanks to the gift bestowed upon me from the Yurei Orchid."

Shin hesitated for a moment. "What questions might you have about the Inner Court?"

 

[Chikamatsu Shin]

((OoC: With 2 of the 4 Chikamatsu children gone now, I’m going to drop this thread as this storyline is no long being ran for Hina))

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