Open Walking through town

[Rin Naomi]

Naomi had just bought some groceries that she was now bringing home. It was about nighttime as she was bringing stuff for dinner. They were going to have some steak with mashed potatoes and green beans all slathered in gravy. Just the thought of it made her own mouth water. She was a fresh new Genin so she had to help out around the house with bills and such. The death of her father had hit the family hard as even her own mother had to step away from the modeling business for a while to collect her own thoughts.

The young Genin would shake her head as she tried to push the thought out of her mind. Other Sand ninja have convinced her that it wasn't her fault, that she didn't know. But another part of her still blames herself for what had happened. Could she have saved her father if she was more careful? Could the Medical ninja got to him in time to at least find a way to stabilize him? All these questions that she entirely doesn't know the answers to.

Her hands were full with the groceries as she continued to walk in silence. Eventually, she would set the groceries carefully down as her hands and arms were getting tired of holding them. She let out a sigh. She needs to learn to get better, how to become a ninja and get stronger on her own terms. Flexing her fingers and cracking her knuckles, she would pick up the grocery bags and continue walking home.

 

[Kyuji]

The day that could change the fate of Sunagakure and Wind Country was fast approaching. It was going to be an interesting time; hopefully we would be able to put the Baron Twins and their plans to rest and not have a long, drawn out conflict that saw many people give the ultimate sacrifice for our home. From the Council of Clan Heads the other day, it appeared that we all were all under the same understanding that our probability for success was not looking good and the able bodied shinobi in the meeting were willing to risk it all if they needed to including myself. Only time would tell what would happen to us all.

For now though, I was taking a stroll within the village in one of the many parts of the Residential Districts. I was only going on a walk to stretch my legs and allow myself to get acquitted with the village itself since I had been stuck at home for quite some time due to an unforeseeable incident that occurred in the Red Light District - one that I would re-investigate when I had more time and we were not facing a crisis as a village. As I continued my stroll, I would see a blonde woman roughly the same height as me in the distance with what appeared to be a bag or two sitting on the ground near her feet which could be a wide range of items from food to drinks to illegal substances to something that could destroy this whole area - how interesting and fun!

At the very least, I would need to make sure that the individual was safe for the village and herself. With a friendly wave and smile on my face, I would approach her and say: "Hi there! What is a young lady like yourself doing out this late alone?"

 

[Yamashiro Ryuni]

Ryuni, done with his duties for his father today would find himself just strolling. Thinking about everything that had transpired recently, the fight with Yuuto and the monkey. Beginning to learn more about his teammates, growing closer to them in a way he never felt like he would with anyone at this time. He was becoming close with a Renmei of all clansmen. It was amazing. But, also he worried for the future, with everything seemingly going his way he couldnt help but to think that this could be the calm before the inevitable storm. A Storm that would brew with the Twin Barons and the rumors that mulled about the village and amongst the shinobi. What would become of this ordeal? What would become of Ryuni if he didnt become stronger? His bond with Kobi was becoming stronger too... the pangolin summon had spent time trying to get him stronger in will to be able to push his body but to also heal him fro pushing too far.

It was all so much... So many spinning wheels on this wild ride his life would begin going down. Yet, it was all very exciting.

The different ways his life could go from here would be crazy... so many ways he could go. So many routes and decisions to be made. Twists and Turns. Ebbs and Flows. Ryuni was prepared for it... or was he? Was he ready for the days, months, years to come? Would he lose people close to him? His father? His Team? Hell what would he do if the Kage had been hurt? Lord Shin. A Man that had shown him such a great kindness... someone he respected... It was so much to worry about. He was so young. His body was strong, but was his mind? Could he make the decisions to help move his clan, team, village forward? Who knew... but right now... He knew he was in the right place.

And that made him happy.

Under he stars in the night sky... the boy wearing his Yamashiro robes, with his hands tucked behind his head, strolled without anything he needed to do particularly. He was simply out maybe he would grab a bite to eat, being that he took on some solo missions around the village. Alot of merchants needed a steady hand to help with their wares and valuables which would cause them to employ cheap but strong labor to ensure they were properly taken care of and thats what the young boy would do. Taking care of things like protecting the bazaar, or hunting silly people who thought they could get away with the five finger discount. It helped him pay for things around his house, but also allowed for him to begin taking care of himself when it came to food and his dwellings.

As he would stroll tonight, under the moonlit and starry sky, Ryuni would spot a familiar sight. Kyuji, his team leader. His sensei. The Champion. With another blonde girl? He didnt recognize the girl... Maybe because he was coming from behind her, but he knew many of the people from the academy. Seen them around the village or inbetween classes. However, she had set her things down. 'Those look heavy...' Ryuni'd think as he'd step quickly into the clearing to join the duo. 'Maybe its Kyuji-sama's daughter? She didnt say it but maybe she did have a secret kid... Juicy juicy~'

"Oioi! Kyuji-sama! Do you ladies need help getting this home?" he would smile as he stepped forward looking to Kyuji then to the other girl, pausing for a moment as he looked at her. His heart stopping for a moment. 'The heck was that.' he thought, "I can carry these, if you need ma'am." He would state before attempting to help her. "I'm sure your arms must be tired from carrying these from the shops down the way..." the lessons from his mother to always carry what he could for women. Be the best version of yourself for anyone you meet... He didnt always follow that but, he tried. He was getting better about it these days... maybe it was the help of being around Rika and Kyuji. He had many people h was pulling from to help him from day to day. He appreciated that... so many people helped him.

He was a blessed guy. He wouldnt take any of it for granted.

{Topic Entered]

 

[Rin Naomi]

Just as she was about to start walking off back to her house, someone stopped her and started talking. Naomi turned around and gasped, "Oooh, you're so pretty lady." She would compliment the woman before giving her answer, "I'm just bringing home some groceries for my mom and two brothers. We're about to have some steak, mashed potatoes, and green beans. All covered in gravy!"

She would then look fully at the woman. "Oh my gosh, you have such a cute bow in your hair, I'm actually jealous!" She would smile at the woman. Naomi was just about to ask if she wanted to walk along with her when a young boy would show up and start talking to the woman, who goes by the name Kyuji. With the honorifics, Naomi would think that Kyuji must be a teacher or a squad

leader to the boy.

The boy would ask Naomi if she needed help carrying her groceries. She never really thought about getting much help. After all, she had done a lot of shouldering work and the like to help her mother. Her own two brothers, whilst are older than her, don't posses chakra so they could only get normal jobs which aren't as high paying as even a Genin ranked ninja.

"Um... Sure! And thank you!" She would hand some of the bags over to the boy. "My name is Rin Naomi." She would introduce herself, bringing out her empty hand to shake for the boy to introduce himself as well. She would then turn to the woman named Kyuji. "And you must be Kyuji. I guess I'm the stranger in this meeting, haha." She would let out a small innocent laugh to try and break the ice with these two people that she has just met. They sure seem nice enough.

"So what brings you all here?"

 

[Kyuji]

It would appear that any investigating that I was going to be able to do through talking would not be coming to fruition tonight as a familiar face would surface in the name of Yamashiro Ryuni, one of the Genin assigned to my squad and I met the other day. He seemed to be doing well considering everything that was looming in the coming days and also looked to be in a better state of mind overall which could have been due to being familiar with me or he had a young, pretty girl in front of him. He was around that age that people began to use their heart in the ways of love, sex, and experimenting. There was nothing wrong with that as it was a natural occurrence that happened to most people as they went through their teenage years - I had gone through it and I had seen Yanjirou, my son, and Kyushiko, my daughter, also go through it although more recently. Still, it brought a warmth to me as young people learning about themselves is what I loved about being a sensei or mentor to the younger generation.

My kouhai would help the blonde beauty with her bags, but not before she commented on my appearance calling me pretty and complimenting my bow. I was not used to receiving those compliments or praise outside of the Byakko Clan typically from my love, Lady Yanshi. It caught me off-guard as I blushed slightly and turned my head due to being flustered. Thank Byakko, Ryuchi was here to distract her slightly so I could gather my composure from her nice comments and allow myself a moment to refocus. Her laughter did lighten the mood for all of us or at least for me as I could feel tension release. She was harmless and had food in her bags - nothing suspicious or harmless with that, but uncommon for many of the clans in the village. We were "special." Still, that did not make us any better than a clanless shinobi or even a common citizen. We all had a vital part to play in the village.

After a few moments, I would smile at her and speak: "You would be correct, Lady Naomi. I am Kyuji, Byakko Kyuji of the Byakko Clan. However, you can address me as simply Kyuji as honorifics, while appreciated, are not something that I feel are required. But if you want to use them, I won't stop you as I know we all are raised differently and some people do it out of respect while others feel obligated to do so." My attention would then turn to the young, hotblooded young that was under my tutelage. "Fancy meeting you, Ryuni. You look well and it looks like you may have put on some muscle since we spoke a few days ago. I guess you did train hard after that meal and have been keeping up with it daily." A tilt of my head and a smile to him. It was nice to see someone who I was responsible for taking care of themself and looking to be doing well overall - he would need to be as the Baron Twins would require all hands in the village including the Genin if we were going to be able to stop them and possibly put an end to their madness once and for all.

 

[Yamashiro Ryuni]

'Rin Naomi' Ryuni would think for the moment looking to the girl for the moment. His heart fluttered at the thought, but why? He was unsure of what the meaning but a smile crept across his face as he would reach his hand out to her own for a shake, "Yamashiro Ryuni. You can call me Ryu though." his golden eyes gazing to her... lingering for a moment before shaking his head and picking the groceries up and hoisting them up with minimal effort. He was a physical guy. And like Kyuji stated his muscles were growing by the day because of his physical activity. They rippled under his meager clothing. Meager in the sense that they were poor in the look and texture, but not as much as they normally would normally be seen. He was... on his way at least... to getting simple missions to be able to eventually step out on his own one day. Maybe still within the confines of the Clan complex but a place of his own? Maybe.

"Aye, I have been working out near endlessly... but tonight I'm taking a break. Thought to get some fresh air. Why not be a gentleman and help a young lady with her groceries, Eh? This is the way you would like me to be towards young ladies, is it not?" he would question to Kyuji. Then looking to Naomi his eyes would bounce with amusement. "How far is your house from here Miss Naomi?" another question arising from the boy. He was interested. Quite interested. Unsure as to why, but his body language spoke of a boy that was eager to learn about this young lady.

An adventure to behold.

He was getting to quite the inquisitive age, especially with his eyes lingering to the anatomy of certain beings around him. As many did when they were coming of age, Ryuni didnt know he was interested... as interested as he was becoming. Cheeks would flush. Temperatures would rise. And Ryuni, like many young men his age was silently discovering those of the opposing gender. It was... sweet to some. Gross to others. However, all would cross this fork in the road and make a decision. How would they be guided through this. Ryuni didnt have his father to talk to, the man was quite distant these days... but he was also very religious in how he thought. Not the best to gain advice with. So who could the young boy turn to? Maybe he would talk to Lord Takeru? No... that would be the same as talking to his father. He couldnt talk to his mother because that was weird enough...

Oh well.

[MFT}

 

[Rin Naomi]

Naomi's face would flush with red. "Lady? Miss? Gee, I'm not used to any kind of honorifics thrown my way." She would smile at them both, "A surprise, but a pleasant one I guess." She thought about what the older woman had said about honorifics. That they are all born and raised differently. It is understandable that everyone has their own dialect that sets them apart from everyone else.

She would do a slight bow to Kyuji, "Well it is nice to meet you Lady Kyuji. Hope you have some time to walk with me and Ryuni if I am not taking you away from anything important." Naomi would ask. While she lived in Sand Village her entire life, she hasn't really interacted with much people here. She had her own small group of friends and lived a peaceful life up until she has awakened to the power of chakra in the most tragic way possible. Now, as months have passed since the incident that she took her father's life, now that she has stepped fully into the world of shinobi, she realizes that she needs to do as much as she can to make her dream come true. Master the celestial powers that reside within her. Not like she could forget, every time she looks in a mirror she is reminded of it by her ruby like eyes.

Her mother, being a clothes model had told her one of the most important things you can do is start networking. Build relationships with everyone that you meet because you don't know just how far you will get unless you have help. She wondered if the same rang true for ninja. She feels that it would make the most sense for shinobi to also utilize networking to their fullest potential as well.

She would smile at Ryuni, "I must say, I'm not really used to having a gentleman around. I used to take care of my father until he passed away..." Her voice trailed off. She took a deep breathe. Why did she bring that up? The one moment in her life that made her cry herself to sleep for nearly two months... She shook her head and tried to change the subject a little bit, "Then there are my two brothers. I love them to death but they don't really know much about manners. They did help me learn a thing or two about making good come backs if someone insults me though, so there's that, haha."

She walked ahead of them to mask the emotions on her face. "We're only fifteen minutes from my house." Her hands her interlocked with each other behind her back as she walked. There was a brief moment of silence until she turned around to face them, her sadness hidden behind her smile to tell them that everything is alright.

 

[Chikamatsu Ayaka]

'I shouldn't be out this late.'

The thought circled through Ayaka's mind as she hurried through the Residential District, a small basket clutched against her chest. Inside were carefully wrapped bundles of dried herbs—chamomile, valerian root, and lavender—that Elder Chiyo had requested for her insomnia. Normally Ayaka would have delivered them hours ago, but she'd gotten distracted in the Arboretum and lost track of time. Her heart was racing at the idea of disappointing a Sennin of Sunagakure!

Her golden eyes stayed focused on the ground as she walked, the white flower in her hair shifting slightly with each step. Then she heard voices ahead and slowed, spotting three figures in the dim light. An elegant woman, a boy around her age, and another blonde girl who had just turned away from them.

'Just walk past. Don't get involved.'

But something in the blonde girl's posture made Ayaka pause. The way her shoulders were just slightly too tense. The careful smile. The hands clasped behind her back.

'She's sad.'

Ayaka knew that stance. She'd worn it herself countless times.

Before she could talk herself out of it, she found herself stopping a respectful distance away, her voice barely above a whisper.

"E-excuse me..."

Her fingers tightened on the basket handle as she forced herself to continue, golden eyes fixed somewhere near the blonde girl's shoulder.

"I'm sorry for interrupting. I just... if anyone needs anything for headaches, or trouble sleeping, I have some herbs. From the Chikamatsu Arboretum. They're safe, I've been studying medicinal plants since—"

She was rambling. Her voice had gotten even quieter.

"Sorry. I'm Chikamatsu Ayaka. From the medical branch. I was just delivering some things and I..."

Her free hand found her sleeve, twisting the fabric nervously as the yurei orchid symbol disappeared into the folds.

'Why did you stop? Now they all think you're strange. You always do this. Why did you interrupt their perfect evening to be so... to be so—so annoying?'

[Topic Entered]

 

[Kyuji]

Standing there, I was taking in the sights and sounds of the evening as the village was getting quieter around us as the conversation was picking up. After my introduction to Rin Naomi and noticing my kouhai, I allowed the two of them to speak freely. It was very obvious to me that Ryuni had gotten to that age that boys and girls start to feel a certain way about romance and their hormones begun to get out of control, resulting in some interesting end results that would not be notated here as they all resulted in babies being made in the end. It was cute to see and the obliviousness of young shinobi was always a fun comical thing for me as I was also the same way back in Earth Country back eons ago. It was good however to see that Ryuni was taking his role as a Genin, possibly Chunnin now, seriously and was not letting natural talents or fate decide what his direction or ending was. He was going to be my next one to test after Rika most likely unless one of the more experienced shinobi would request a sparring match to keep their senses sharp - everyone needed to be ready because once that fateful day occurred, we either were going to come out of it with our heads raised high or many of us were likely to be captured, tortured, and like executed.

I would hear both of them, but feel a presence nearby before they appeared and were barely talking over a whisper. Fortunately for me being a descendant of Lord Byakko and taking his oath, I was able to hear her with no issues as she was telling us that she had herbs before introducting herself as Chikamatsu Ayaka of the Medical Branch. I would tilt my head at her comment of the medical branch as I had never seen her anywhere, but she could be new or that was her plan to go when she was older and she was already set on it. Either way, I would walk over to the smaller female than I and kneel down beside her, looking at her and giving her a smile. For reasons that I cannot explain, I would put my hand on her head and give her a gentle pat as I spoke where she was the only one that could hear me: "You do not need to be nervous or scared, Lady Ayaka. You must be related to the Kazekage Chikamatsu Shin, right? He is a former student and medic in training under me and he would be happy to know that one of his family members is safely with his sensei. If you aren't comfortable, I won't force you to stay but those two over there are harmless." I would give her a smile as I stood up: "It is your choice, Lady Ayaka."

As I took a few steps away from her to let her have space and also come to a decision on her own, I would return my attention to the other two and crack a joke: "Ryuni, you must be a lucky man tonight as you have three blondes with you. A feat that used to rarely occur in this village when I first became a shinobi here as most of us had darker hair and the pigment in us adapted to the environment. But with us being under a dome now, that seems to have changed things!" Earlier, I did hear Naomi's voice trail off when speaking of her father and how her body language showed how she actually felt, but I was going to allow that to pass as people handled death and grieving differently. If she had wanted to talk about it, I would have allowed her to, but she changed the subject which meant I was going to go along with what she said until she was ready to say her goodbye to us and go home. However, I did respond to both of them starting with Naomi, who could be a daughter of mine based on appearance alone, with a smile of course: "You are not taking me away from anything important. While being busy as a shinobi is good for one's self and the village, we need to also understand when to take a step back and allow ourselves to relax and recharge. You cannot keep pushing your mind and body every single day or eventually you will blow out like a candle." After I finished and allowing a moment for all three of them to digest what I said, I would look at Ryuni and address him: "It is very gentleman-like to help others that need it or could use some assistance regardless of them being a beautiful lady like she is. I would hope you would do the same with the elderly, your family, your squadmates, any and all villagers and of course, myself. Having courtesy, respect and compassion for others are admirable traits and will help you go far in life."

I stood there after and smirked internally. Apparently, I was a sensei even when I was trying to relax for a night by giving sagely advice to help the younger generation. I deserved some cookies or slices of cake for that one. Maybe, I would get some when I went home later and saw my wife, Lady Yanshi.

 

[Yamashiro Ryuni]

One thing was for certain, Ryuni was not just a meathead. He worked out his body but also his brain. He would listen to his mother talk about boy etiquette when it came to the handling of young ladies. He would try to be a gentleman but he was also a boy, learning girls was quite the task and he didnt understand everything about it but he would try to take his mother's words to heart. At the mention from Naomi about him being such, he'd smile, even pushing his chest out alittle bit, "Ah, its no problem. I'm happy to help... anytime!" he'd look at the girl for a long moment once again before shaking it off and looking away. Though, he'd mutter,

"Your brothers should help you with things. Its the last they can do since you're going out of your way to cook for them, no? Need me to straighten them up?" he'd chuckle but he would if she asked. Why? Because they should help. Ryuni helped with cooking and cleaning. He was poor but he wasnt stupid. If his mother hadnt taught him the ways... he might might be lost when he was out on his own. It also helped that the young boy was willing to learn. He did catch her short comment about her father having passed. He didnt know the feeling he still had both his parents... for now. Though, it could and would eventually happen. Them passing. He hadnt thought about it, but the thought of not having them made his stomach sink a bit. It was, of course, apart of their lives. Being warriors. His parents werent, especially not his mother, but his father was a ritualistic being in the Yamashiro. He did many in his life and prepared the clan for their tribal dances.

She would then walk ahead of them, and another young blonde girl would come into the clearing, a Chikamatsu? Relation to the Kazekage? There were certainly alot of them roaming around. They were seemingly as plenty as the Toraono. They multiplied similarly to bunnies. Alas, he would watch as she would speak about headaches, and remedies? Was there something he was missing? She was directing her questions to Naomi but she seemed fine just a moment prior. Looking to Kyuji for the moment as his sensei would chime in, he'd follow up, "I'm honored, more so than lucky." the boy would shine a moment but his tone would be confident. He believed in his words. He was very much a boy that would speak his mind regardless of it people listened, but he spoke in such a way that you had no choice but to believe in his words because they sounded like he believed them, as crazy as they would come out at times.

"Tch, the elderly and my family? Sure. Anytime. My squad can take care of themselves. Tsumugu-kun is a rich boy that has everything. Rika is... Well I dont know, but she wouldnt take my help even if I offered it..." he'd pause for a moment before continuing, "Which I wouldnt!" exclaiming at the end. He'd turn to Naomi then Ayaka, "Oioi! Is everything okay? Why did you ask if she needed medicine?" His questioning coming out abruptly, but with concern within his tone.

 

[Rin Naomi]

Naomi would let out a small laugh, "Well if it helps you fell any better, I have the easier job of helping my mom cook. My brothers are in charge of keeping the house clean which is a lot for us four." Upon hearing a small voice, the girl would turn around and see a younger girl. Her voice was barely audible as she spoke to her. She would smile softly at the younger girl before saying "Thank you... I think I'll take you up on that offer." Her voice was more calm trying to not frighten the girl who seemed uneasy.

Upon closer look of the girl, Naomi couldn't help but look at the dress. Her eyes sparkled as she got excited. "Wow! Your dress is so beautiful! Is it custom made? What am I kidding, it has to be. The design. The detail! It' so GORGEUOUS!" She would stop herself and take a breath, clearly getting excited. After a while, she would calm down and give Ayaka a sheepish look, "Sorry.... I got a little excited there. My mom is a clothes model so I usually see a lot of different styles of clothing and yours is so unique and cute." She would offer her hand to shake, "My name is Rin Naomi. We can be friends. We can have sleep overs, do each other's hair, do each other's make up." She realized that she was making assumptions on if the girl would even like to be friends with her.

"That is, if you want to." She would finally add before looking to Lady Kyuji. Her face went a little red when the older woman was implying something. Maybe because she was older she had an idea what the older woman was hinting at. She turned away from the group until she was sure that the color in her face went back to normal. Kyuji made another comment about taking her away from anything.

"Well if that's the case, I'm happy to have the company on the walk over." She would wrap an arm around one of Ryuni's and then offer Ayaka to wrap her other arm around hers as well. Upon Ryuni asking Ayaka why she was asking Naomi if she needed medicine, she would interject for the girl, "Maybe she seen that I looked a little light headed. I did forget to drink water today so that's probably why." She lied. Partly because she didn't want to touch back on the subject on her father. Partly because from the small interaction that she has had with Ayaka, she feels like she is doing the girl a favor by diverting attention back to Naomi."