Open The Beginning of a Legend: Treading Where She Shouldn't!

[Yotta Ryusui]

The Forest of Death​

---

"Oh Mister Johnny Trebeck, how could you be so mean?
I told you you'd be sorry for inventing that machine.
Now all the neighbors' cats and dogs have never more been seen.
They've all been ground to sausages in Takahashi's machine!

There was a famous Mist Man, his name was Takahashi,
he made the finest sausages, sauerkraut, and sushi!
He made the finest sausages the world had ever seen,
until the day he invented that horrible sausage making machine!
La, La, La, La... La, La, La, La!"​

She giggled as she was skipping along and singing her song. She didn't wasn't sure where she was, but she honestly didn't care. Her large floppy hat bounced as she was entranced with song, well that was until the loud sound of a growl echoed in the distance. Stopping in her tracks she started to realize where she was. She was standing on the outside of the gate that led into The Forest of Death. She grinned. "Do I dare?" She raised a brow and began to look around. She didn't see any Chuunin, and aside from them who would be guarding The Forest of Death? They had to be exaggerating with that name, right? Like if this place actually killed people there wouldn't be exercises in here, because like that would be stupid. Why would we train our kids where they would die? That's dumb

Yuki giggled slightly as she approached the gate. Taking the stick that she was using as a music baton, she threw it through the gate before tucking her arms crossed behind her back. "Oh noooo.... My umm... That's ummm, a family heirloom? My uh, my grandpa's ummm stick thing..." Slowly side stepping the young girl would grin with a devilish smile. Should she? Did she dare? She slowly raised a single hand to cover her mouth. She would stride the line that teetered the inside and the outside of the border to The Forest of Death, she hesitated, just for a moment.

[MFT:329]

 

[Ōtakemaru]

He learned a few, new Jutsus. Nao-sensei’s water-walking training had brought the swordsman courage and strength to carry on and advance as a shinobi. Something about the meeting previously… they expected great things from him. From him of all people…

He hadn’t even told his mum yet. Sure, she told him to inform her if he was assigned any missions, and technically this special procedure was to be a sort of ‘mission’, but the clarification of the task wasn’t what kept him from telling her. It was Take whom we were talking about… he didn’t have it in him. Just reminding him of what he had kept secret from his mum up until this point made his heart so damn heavy.

Burn it away. With a handful handseals, he attempted to sear his doubts away with a Fireball Jutsu, making a charred mess of the training trunk in front of him. His improved chakra control had allowed him to master a couple more Fire Release Jutsu, but his own self-loathing kept him from appreciating just how much stronger he was getting. A double-edged sword; he was humble enough to stay low, but he never believed in himself…

That was, until it was about Yuki. He had known his sweet but awfully energetic cousin for years, ever since they first met as mumbling toddlers back at the Onmyōryō. To think that she had recently enrolled into the Leaf as an Academy Student... he could’ve sworn that she- that her parents- argh, he didn’t even know the details. His father never got into that topic with him.

Either way, having a family member in his company was soothing, but... she was way too good at socializing with the other Academy Students. Take already felt alienated, as if he was just butting in at this point, as if he was just being a bother and should just leave her alone for her own good... no, stop that, Take...

...

...

When she was side-stepping in her own silly stupor, Take stood right next to her and didn’t bother to move or utter a word. He was just letting her knock into him, hopefully not falling back down to the dirt. He was thinking of a way to greet her, but his throat had choked on silence for a good few seconds. If anything, this way of showing up without saying a word was rather common for him, and she’d remember all the times he arrived without warning like this. Only this time, he was strapped with a fancy katana and a shorter blade on his left hip, still a fully active Genin with weapons and stuff.

[MFT] WC: 443

 

[Yotta Ryusui]

A scream echoed through the city of Konohagakure. Yuki jumped back before grabbing her broom and started swinging. "MONSTER!!!" Her eyes were clenched shut and her aim was horrible. Someone with any type of ninja training could dodge these pitiful "attacks", if you could even call them that. After about ten quick swings of her broom Yuki would crack open a single eye before realizing who was in front of her.

"Take-kun!!! You scared me!"

Then it dawned on here. He was a shinobi... She was trespassing in an area she wasn't supposed to be. Jumping back and taking a combative stance she grinned. She pointed a finger at Ōtakemaru before making a declaration. "You came to arrest me didn't you, Ōtakemaru-Senpai!? Treating me like some sort of low life thug now huh??? Mr. “Big Shot Ninja” come to take his little cousin off to jail. How tragic!

Yuki covered her mouth with her hand before unsheathing a wand used in her Onmyodo practice and allowing a grin to slip out from behind her hand. Take was one of the few members in the clan that treated her as she was, a person. She never felt like he only saw her as a tool destined to be used by the family’s traditions. Though they haven’t spent large amounts of time playing together as children, as most cousins do, she was hoping he could catch along with her jovial antics. ”You’ll have to kill me before I let you do that! AVADA-“ She began waiving the ceremonial wand around like a Wizard but stopped mid sentence. A loud crashing sound came from within the forest. It was close, and it was moving.

Lowering her wand and speaking softly now, ”T-Take-kun… wh-what was that?” Fear could be heard in her voice while a murder of crows flew away from the Forest of Death.

 

[Ōtakemaru]

Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow-

Take made no attempts at dodging the hits. A subtle reminder of his mental state, possibly overseen by the priestess who lashed out in paranoia at him. Still, the hits didn’t actually harm him – he completely shook the landing slaps off without any scratches left on his face. First when she realized who he was did the hits stop flying at him… and somehow, he was the culprit who ‘scared’ her. All fault on Take… siiiiiiiiiiiigh…

Take wanted to be happy and proud of having a cute cousin such as her, but he was an emotional wreck hidden behind those dull eyes. Still, one day, he’d be able to lighten up a little… hopefully…

Somehow, it all turned into a skit. Now, Yuki was convinced that he was out to arrest her, even though he didn’t have the authority to do so – she hadn’t done anything illegal, had she? Wait, had she?!? That would reflect very badly on her studies as an Onmyōji, and her parents definitely wouldn’t approve of her having a damn record in crime! Yet, her words sort of left the swordsman utterly lost for words, his hands swaying in the air as he tried to reason with her.

“I-I can’t take you t-to jail… only crim-,” he tried to convey to her, but she was all in on that victim-of-circumstances role at the moment. Her covering her mouth made him lose a bit of seriousness in this whole ordeal… uhm… maybe if he played her game, then she’d calm down.

“… I-I… I’m tasked with… c-c-c-capturing you! That’s right, yes… p-pay your fine, or s-s-serve your time!” he tried to enter the role of a damn hunter, a silly ANBU role that he imagined in his head. Although, he was blushing out of his mind – that was sooooooooooooooooo embarrassing! Why did he have to play along like that?! He probably looked so dumb and goofy, oh just kill me already!

The crashing sound from the forest drew both their attentions toward it. Take looked yet as monotone as ever, but Yuki… the sound had startled her, definitely. “M-Maybe there are beasts living in that forest… like a sort of test of courage. Chūnins must have courage, too,” he explained to the best of his ability. That was when it dawned on him…

Yuki was here. Right at the fence. Thinking herself to be a criminal. And if Yuki was good at something, it was at sneaking around. Conclusion-

“… Y-Yuki-chan, did you plan to g-go in there? You’re not even a Genin yet, though! I-I’m worried that you might get hurt…!”

WC: 440
[MFT]

 

[Minamoto Daisuke]

Duty on the interior was never something that Daisuke found himself overly fond of; in truth he hadn’t found himself overly fond of anything since the incident with the rogue shinobi that had battered both himself and the main branch Sennin. The memories of the utter destruction around the Hokage Mansion and his inability to stop this unknown figure had continued to haunt him day and night - but he rarely let it get in the way of his duties. No matter how mundane.

At this point in the day the Minamoto boy had been tracking and eliminating targets for well over five hours in a scheduled solo training regiment - it had been relatively smooth sailing apart from the odd slip up thanks to the clouds of subtle despair and frustration that occasionally drifted into his consciousness. Yet, despite the setbacks that he faced, the teenager was still quite far ahead of his allotted schedule. So far ahead that he allowed himself to take a break and wander the treetops closer to the perimeter - that was when he caught wind of the voices. With his face covered by his signature mask and his body draped in the dark hooded robes of the ANBU, he felt it would only be right to inspect the source - after all, he was the only one scheduled to be inside the compound for the next two hours.

Masked by the rustling of leaves in the wind, Daisuke shot from the shadow of one branch to another, clearing the distance between himself and the source of the conversation that had now begun to form. He slowed as it became more apparent that there was little other than verticality that separated himself from the now visible pair of young shinobi that stood teetering on the edge of The Forest of Death. The ANBU’s pearlescent blue eyes looked down over the nose of his mask and onto the duo, analysing them as much as he could from what little was going on - though it was clear they held an element of inexperience both as individuals and as potential shinobi partners. Despite this, their chemistry was something that couldn’t be brought from only a couple of interactions, these two knew each other reasonably well.

Daisuke took a few silent steps backwards, placing his back against the rough trunk of an ancient tree. His form almost seemed to become enveloped by the shadows cast from the thick foliage and canopy above, but that was fine, they didn’t need to know he was here. Judging by the increasing noise emanating from the forest, he wouldn’t have to wait long until he could get to know what each of them was capable of. Of course, there was no risk to their lives, but that may not be the reality that the two young shinobi perceived should they decide to venture into the area considered off limits to those of lower rank. Only time would tell what was to happen. Were they to be brave, stupid, cowardly, sensible, or a combination of all four?

[Topic entered all stealthy like]

 

[Ōtakemaru]

[Topic Left due to Inactivity]