Private water your garden

[Shinrya Sachiko]

A shape unnatural to be so unmoving held itself to the best of its ability - but just as water down the rocks, her legs kicked despite herself. She never looked this small; but here, in the halls of Raikage's administrative building, she couldn't appear any larger. For her graces she made no sound. She waited, staring straight ahead. The green of a kept aquarium's moss - a focused, unflinching gaze - bore into the brown pane of a door, and it was troubled not for any sound or movement that sought her attention otherwise. She had let whatever assistant on duty know she was here to see her mother, the Raikage, and then precariously placed herself in the most efficient location to catch her the chance she was given. She held something in her thin hands, and played over it with a begot childishness unbetrayed by the rest of her appearance.

A single red apple, unblemished to the point of reflecting the building's light. It shined. In the darkening dim of the evening this stood the brightest testament against it. The day wasn't over yet. Mother wasn't done with work - and she hadn't received her present. Mm. Mmmm. Sachiko took a moment to hum to herself, thinking of the rewarding expression she'd receive for coming up with this on her own. Her jaw twitched, tousling a lock of red from behind her ear that she moved immediately to rectify. Yes, Mother would be pleased with her. It'd be only months since her birth, if that, and this had been her first chance to show her own initiative outside of her requisite shinobi classes. That was a good thing. This was a good thing. She was doing a good thing.

An idea for herself.
Another for her mother.

"Hello, mother." She spoke easily, practiced as if it needed to be, when the door eventually opened to receive her. Her eyes beamed with affection in the way they only could for Kitsune. "I've brought you something. It's a gift. Would you want to guess what it is?" And lo, it remained on display.

 

[Shinrya Kitsune]

Kitsune had been informed (via text of course) by her secretary that Sachiko was waiting outside her door, and that she was carrying something looking like an apple. Kitsune had chuckled a bit to herself, then finished the last bit of paperwork she had been procrastinating about for the past while. Now she had something more important than mere paperwork to take care of. She got out of her big leather chair and stretched, making her back go pop in a few places, and a sigh escape her lips. Now that was satisfying.

She went over to the door, opening it while pretending to not know Sachiko was there, so Sachiko could get the satisfaction of a surprise well executed. She gently patted Sachiko's head and smiled "What a lovely surprise to see you here, my little one~" she said, beaming, "Oooh. What did you bring? Is it... Perhaps... An apple?" she asked with a playful wink, having been told what it was beforehand. She accepted the apple carefully, looking closely at it, finding it to be absolutely flawless. "This is perfection in a fruit, I'd say." Kitsune, in fact, did say and smiled to the youngling.

"Come, my dear." Kitsune commanded gently, carefully taking Sachiko's hand and bringing her into the office. "Go grab a seat by my desk." she said, giving a gentle gesture towards the sizeable desk towards the back of the room. Meanwhile, Kitsune would make a cup of tea for her daughter, of a new blend of tea leaves that'd go fantastic with milk and sugar. Of course, she'd also make a cup for herself, and then carry both of them over to the desk, carefully placing down the cups and sitting in the chair next to the one Sachiko'd sat down in. "Be careful, it's hot." she said, taking a sip of her own tea, "You're such a clever cookie." she said with a warm smile, "Thank you for the apple."

 

[Shinrya Sachiko]

It took very little for Shinrya Kitsune to amaze her daughter. The mere sight, an imposing figure belaying gentle words, and Sachiko was putty in the shape of adoration. The light in her eyes turns in a flash, feet hitting the floor to bound up and off into a straight-standing position. A galaxy alights one by one again as stars in the reedy pool of her eyes. They were a sea that could merely reflect the skies above; oh, but how they shown. "Mother," and she had said it again just to say it, her normally dull expression breaking into the same show of light. A smile like that couldn't be contained by any force of will. She beamed, her laughter as soft as breath. "Hello, mother. I hope you've had a nice day at work." That seemed appropriate a dream.

"Mmm. The surprise is foiled. You got it in one." She turned the apple over in its basket, holding it out for the other. Even in heightened joy, the deadpan delivery of her thoughts left too much gap on how much was meant to be playful and how much was simply unfiltered. She did, generally, lean towards a tendency to speak her thoughts as they formed. "That's okay. You're brilliant, after all. I hope it can still help." There was again another childish quality; the almost distinct whimsy to the shifting of her feet, eagerness built too much to stay still even as she expressed her proper posture: and a further, ecstatic response to Kitsune's apparent gratitude. "Do you like it? You do? Thank goodness."

Her shoulders shook in a sigh of relief, uncharacteristic but further growth in empathy. "I heard that it would keep the doctors away. I know you as the smartest medical mind in the village, mother. I wouldn't want them to intrude if you were to get sick." A smile, and she's led inside without resistance. She seats herself with grace, hands on her lap, and watches Kitsune's every movement around the room - not an attempt to be creepy, but to observe, learn and enjoy. Her face had settled into a soft happiness, her feet still kicking at a muted rhythm just above the floor. She makes a grateful noise with her throat as she's presented with the tea, following instructions precisely with a blow across the top to rid it of some of its danger. A brush of her lips against the edge, simply breathing in its steam and the scent of its leaves. "It's always wonderful. Thank you, mother. I love you."

A small sip, earning a crease along her eyes in the simplest of joy responses. "You're welcome. You work so hard, for me and the village. It felt ...," how does this go? What was it? "It felt important to give you something back. You are appreciated." Yes, that was it! Her teeth would show in this smile before returning beneath calmed lips. "I thought it would also be applicable as a field exercise. I am still finding my footing as a Shinobi student. I spent twelve daylight hours to find the perfect one. I'm very happy you like it. Yes, I'm happy." A pleasant tilt of her head, looking pleased into the tea.

 

[Shinrya Kitsune]

Internally, Kitsune was squeeing with glee over how cute Sachiko was. She was just too precious for words, that's what Kitsune decided was fact, and nobody could change her mind on that one. On the outside, she was smiling like a proud mother would when their child did something amazing. She put her cup of tea over on the table and gave Sachiko a gentle pat on the head, and light ruffling of her hair. "Twelve hours, eh? That's a fair chunk of time. But you did achieve your goal, and that's what matters. And knowing you, you learnt a whole lot during the process." she said with a bright smile "But speaking of being a student. How are your classes going, my dear?" she asked, wondering if Sachiko needed any assistance with assignments, or homework.

She hoped that everything was well for Sachiko, that she'd made a friend or two, and that she learnt a lot. If Sachiko needed help with her studies, Kitsune'd be more than happy to lend a hand with that. She'd taught at the academy before, and she was more than capable of helping Sachiko with her studies. She'd even help her with her training if she needed it. Anything to help her cute daughter succeed in life. Well, within reason, of course. It wasn't like Kitsune was going to spoil her rotten, as that'd be... bad. But she'd help her where she could, and with what she could. She'd done the same for Miyako after all.

 

[Shinrya Sachiko]

Sachiko laughs. It's a joy-filled, rare sound, yet astoundingly less so around Kitsune. It stumbles from her lips with childlike awkwardness, her small body adjusting still to the rumble that passes through it. Even her legs, curled up near the edge of the chair, kick despite herself. Such little quirks. Such quiet wonder. It was as if her mother unlocked something - her heart, so young and full of peculiar whimsy, with Kitsune at its center - just by her presence and the warmth upon her. A flower, Shinrya Sachiko was. A single flower in this garden of Kumogakure no Sato, warmed by the sun that was its Raikage and her progenitor, and so very special she felt. In that moment, especially, but equally at all times around her. Her giggling continued until her smile looked like it might split a face unused to such a display. She beamed up at Kitsune from beneath her hand, twiddling her fingers around the cup at her lips. "It's nothing compared to what you do, Mother. I just wanted to lessen your worries." That's right, isn't it? That's okay? "You don't have to worry about me, and you don't have to worry about anyone else bothering you. I'll look after you, Mother. Okay?"

Her tone weighed with affection and its solemn vow. "I'll make sure everything's okay for us. That's why I'll get better at school, too. I'm ..." Mm. "Mmm. I'm working really hard. There are things I'm not good at and things I am. I'm told that's normal. I know I want to be like you, more than anything, Mother, so I focus on my Medical studies. I'm good at that. I'm not as good at fighting. ... Mmm. No. I'm sorry, I don't think I said that right." She tutted at the edge of her glass, taking another sip with a curious furrow of her brow. "I'm good at fighting. I'm not good at pacing. The other kids don't like sparring with me. I think I hit too hard, and I use a lot of chakra really fast."

She found her mother with her eyes again, an honest question in sea-green. "How do you manage your strength, Mother? You're the most powerful person in the world. I want to be strong like you. I don't know how to do it ... mmm ... right." She didn't want to hurt things, she wanted to protect them. Herself. Kumogakure. Kitsune. It was such a fine line to find with natural strength.