What's happened and where do we go next? (open)

[Ko]

Days had started to blend into one with all the time spent inside the tunnels of Sunagakure. It was amazing how a civilisation could live down here without losing their eyesight and becoming mole people. Without the day and night cycle of the sun and moon it was any wonder how many people could live down here. What about sunlight? What about the warmth on the skin and the wind under your arms and legs? Why stick to a village that seemed so condemned? Then again… the stories of Leaf and Mist made him wonder what would have happened had they fought back.

Katsuro was an odd one for sure; for his body and his demon were aligned to the moon in the sense that as the moon controlled the sea currents as did it control Katusro’s powers. Certain times of the day he definitely felt much weaker and other parts of the day he was hyper and ready to make adventure.Right now though he felt a little off since he couldn’t actually see the moon and judge how his chakra would ebb and flow through his body. A river winding around his body and he was at the mercy of nature more than he cared to be. His eyes felt a little weary, he wasn’t able to really manipulate chakra too well without having to rely on Akumao and sometimes he felt a little seasick.

Nothing to him made him feel all that better as while he was feeling all stuffy and weird, his demon seemed to have gone silent on him and refusing to communicate at all. Was it something he said in the rage of being down here? Maybe he was plotting or possibly just asleep? Who cared though because Katsuro needed to walk and get some of that “lovely” cave air.

So Katsuro decided to amble around the village, if you could call it that. It sprawled for miles and many people living in homes as if they were still going on with their daily lives. The tenacity was admirable but he didn’t really know what drove them to continue living their lives similar to what it was above the ground. His green eyes would watch people going past to shops and stalls like it were any other day and he couldn’t help but feel… confusion. Naivety to the outside world yet so accustomed to the life down here made him figure why foreign ninja were so trustworthy at this point. No one in a generation must have attacked them.

”This place is so bizarre” he muttered to himself while he looked around the stalls a little to see all kinds of goods. Foods that he couldn’t recognise, toy trends that he was way too old to understand, clothes that seemed to represent what Sunagakure was or still is; he wasn’t too sure anymore. It all seemed a little odd to him that in times of tragedy the people would continue their lives down here like nothing had happened.

The Jinchuuriki would continue to ponder at the stalls some more, trying to figure out if he should eat and if he did then what. Being a missing-nin on the run hadn’t quite given him the funds to spend without working and while he was looking for missions here; it felt like he was doing the same work as he was in Stone. Better to not be poor then to die of starvation no?

He would put a finger on his chin, crossing the other arm over his jacket and under the first arm to support it while he looked around. Even if he wasn’t hungry now it was better to grab it while he still had the chance.

[MFT 623 words]

 

[Michi]

OC: I have not had ninja coffee in a few weeks. Unless you want everything to go wrong, in which case, same old same old. Not much to say, but eh... you should not be left alone. There are terrors in the night.

IC:
Shiori lived in one of the great many houses in Sietch Zensunna, she shared it with her cousin Sousuke. It was strange how such a big house with the constant influx of guests and hobbies could be so lonesome. Shiori preferred to spend her days outside the Takahashi household and regretted requesting a shared residence with her dearest - her sentiments were utterly unrequited. It was something Sousuke had made painfully clear to her yet she refused to tear herself away, although the rejection was causing her resentment to slowly grow. It was like a bitter bile at the base of her throat. as if she was going to vomit whenever she thought about it. She did not understand what she lacked, what made her so... banal in his eyes. None-the-less, Shiori was persistent despite the secrets and the lies. She did not need to be here, not any more. She could take what she wanted with a word, but she tarried now. That was the only impetus to keep her here still that remained.

Shiori was looking for something, she had already forgotten what. A bauble perhaps. She enjoyed shiny things, but whatever she was in search of left her mind when the scent of fried meats wafted through the air. They attracted her to a small storefront that sold meat on a stick. She was not sure what the meat was, nor why it was served skewered on a long toothpick only that it smelled like heaven if there was such a heaven for carnivores. She leaned into the store and bought a pair of meat-sticks. She munched on the end of one, savoring the sticky yet crunchy-sweet meat. Was it vulture? Dune Hare? Probably fuzzy bunny -- they always taste good.

Nom Nom Nom....

 

[Asari Rei]

Seira was a wanderer, hesitant to find a home anywhere she stayed. She had been to many places, and so when a grand tour was given she made sure she did not miss out on the biggest question anywhere; Where do the locals shop? Thankfully in the underground caverns there were clear divisions of class by area. Not wanting to shop in the slums, Seira always headed to what was the equivalent of the middle-class shopping district. The tour had been given to her a couple of days ago, and she had been living off of gifts from the gracious welcoming villagers and her own rations of food. Now, however, with not much yen in her pocket, the woman set out to find what she could.

Life the past few years had been nothing less than a hardship by most other's standards. Her clothes were replaced only if needed, and food was small meals of what was available to her. Work was hard to come by in the villages where shinobi were not common. Of course she could have, and did at times, expose herself and help the village with its plentiful problems. This was a great way of living, in theory, but most villages around did not trust a shinobi as far as they could throw them; from her experience. Instead, life was much more pleasant in the shadows, right under everyone's noses.

For the first time in a long time, she stayed at a village who were no strangers to the shinobi ways. Of course, this village was underground and not to mention it's less than pleasant state of what seemed like war, from Seira's peering eyes. She had strolled past many things on the tour in, and not all pleasant. This village had a dark side, but eerily enough Seira was not bothered by this. Although the slums existed, and there was many places in ruin, it seemed like life went on for the average Sunagakure villager. She was greeted with the utmost respect and great hospitality upon entrance to the village; the best she had been treated anywhere visited yet. Along with the fruit offerings and water jugs, they even had damp cloths for her upon arrival, it was wonderful.

Seira walked to the streets of the market, she had dressed in her white top and blue skirt as she had for all of her travels. Her current attire was dirty, and had small tears in a few places from the rough journey. She thanked her lucky stars for having the assortment of coins, but knew that she would be looking for work very soon. As she reached the main market area she saw the beautiful colors of Sunagakure all around her. Her brown eyes took in all of the beautiful garments at a particular stall for a few moments longer than the others, and she stopped her walk to gaze at the colorful clothes. She was tempted to ask for something, but decided to continue the walk and come back if it ended up being the better option.

However, that being said, there was a long stretch ahead of her that had countless other, also unique, clothing stalls to choose from. Some were for the other gender, some stalls were food, but almost all stalls held their own interest. "There's just so many options. . ." A sigh followed her words, and she continued her walk. She walked and walked, many shops could have held the perfect outfit, or meal, but nothing really called out to her; until she saw it. The perfect, all-in-one shop with a great selection was standing proudly before the kunoichi.

It had a selection of fruit by the register, and a long mirror in front of the clothing area. She saw they actually had outfits that were pretty and, while traditional, it had shinobi options hidden beneath the bright colors. Seira decided to stop and start to browse through the clothes, and she was not shy to pull an outfit and hold it in front of her reflection in the mirror as she gazed, trying to make a decision as to which would be the better purchase.

The attendant approached her, and she sent him away with a simple browsing response. She sorted through the majority of the stall's selection, and finally she decided that to purchase a red dress. She went to the other part of the stall, where the fruit was sold and also the cash register was, and picked herself a nice-looking bright fruit she had started to prefer in this area. She paid the majority of her coins to the vendor, and turned to look at all of the shoppers out today, was it night or day? So hard to tell in the underground city.

[Topic Entered]
[MFT: 797 Words]​

 

[Ko]

So many kinds of foods in one place and the adept couldn’t really seem to pick from just looks. The smell of fried foods clouded his thoughts as he felt his stomach do a complete 360 flip with sadly no no-scopes. Instead he was feeling as he was on a boat caught in the middle of Mizuchi’s rage. Sloshing around like no tomorrow and his chakra coils felt like he was a student again. Weird to think how the planet really did decide how he felt.

The Jinchuuriki would wash his hands with a basic rinse off water jutsu and splash the rest on his face to make him feel a little better. The pale face returned to have a slight more colour and his stomach started to settle a little. Sighing softly before looking to see confusion from the vendor. The reaction could only be replied by a smile, a soft chuckle and a quick turn to run from him to move to another stall as if not to draw attention to the fact he was kind of acting weird.

Something about being a completely new place was starting to through Katsuro off. He needed to work out what was actually edible in the stores, and not actually drinking poison. Someone had to be around to tell him what was actually good to eat here. The Jinchuuriki would constantly look around to see if anyone knew what was actually edible.

He noticed a red haired lady taking a bite of what seemed to be some kind of weird thing on a stick. What the Sunan people ate seemed to be very odd and he was worried that what he was going to eat might actually poison him. But none the less he really needed to find something to eat or he may as well just starve to death. He had better be prepared to try some of the worst kinds of foods in existence.

Katusuro walked a little slowly to the woman, trying not to cause alarm before going to ask his question. Gods… why was it so hard to talk to a stranger about the local food that they eat? The culture shock was getting to him now and he could feel his stomach starting to go on the half pipes once more. A kick flip, ollie into a manual and then grind into bailing out half way down the pipe. If only he had tried the food before.

”Excuse me... miss?” he asked, trying not to cause much alarm, ”I’m kind of new here and I don’t exactly know what the food is like here. You seem to know your way around and I wanted to make sure I was eating food and not biting into a toy or local potpourri.” How naïve was it of him to go up to people about such a dumb topic. But his stomach was grumbling and he couldn’t tell what was fish or meat or fruit. Everything near him smelled friends and coated in oils. What was up with this place?

The boy started to look a little weak from the hunger and the weird chakra cycle he had in relation to the moons position with the earth. As much as he liked have a natural affinity to the water it did sometimes cause him a lot of grief. Good thing he was pretty tenacious or there would be more hospital appointments than the ones he had when he was younger.

OOC: This is Katusro here. The avatar doesn't really help all that much.

Spoiler

 

[Michi]

Oc: Not a great post, posting from my cell during break since I am in the midst of several longshifts and grossly sleep deprived. Forgive my spelling and limited vocab as well as potential nonsensical'ness.

Ic:
The setting of Sunagakure was strange, a subterranean empire where the makers tried to replicate surface life. There was a "sky" made of lies, a painted ceiling and technology Shiori did not care to understand that mimicked the cyclic passage of day into night. It was not even close to the same thing to Shiori, one so closely attuned to her element it felt more like a mockery of nature rather than an appreciation thereof. With time and edification not only of what was but also what she was has left her stewing in discontent. It was not dangerous or disastrous, not yet at the very least. Humanity had changed her, perhaps for the better in many ways, it gave her a passion and made her yearn to be more than she was.

An inquiry was made to Shiori, a strange one... to some perhaps even offensive considering the fact that the inert and edible seemed too similar to differentiate according to the stranger. Shiori did not take great offense, she might have a year ago when Sunagakure was all she knew, before she remembered a time before. The food in Sunagakure was odd to her as well now, humans and ancients certainly had acquired tastes. Brother Mikaboshi of the Deep had an acquired taste for souls. Even in Shiori's prime she never cared for their bitter taste, the soul tasting only as pure as the victim's heart. She ate what she had to survive and to mend, but the desert was not about taking life. "Bunny, I think..." Shiori announced shaking the kabob in her hand and tearing the meat off the stick with her teeth. There was something about putting food on a stick that made it taste better, one if those mysteries of the world and existence. "If it is hot, you can eat it I am pretty sure" she added. Being blind and of a different species entirely it was difficult for her to determine what was in fact edible. Before she regained her sight, eating her cooking was a dangerous trial of fortitude, it still was actually. "I'd recommend anything but the Sandworm," Shiori warned. "Rich-people food, tastes worse than it sounds," she frowned.

Shiori took another bite off the side of a piece of impaled sweet rabbit. "Not from around here I would guess." Shiori observed, not meaning much by it. Dune hare was a stable in Wind country due to its relative abundance, well that and vulture although the great Genin crow slaughter 5 years ago decimated their local numbers. These were dangerous times, it was a testament to Sunagakure's nature that despite pain and betrayal they held their doors open to strangers. People were mostly good, some even assets but sadly a single person with nefarious or self-serving desires could spell disaster for the community at large. Shiori was no saint, she was one of the latter mentioned sadly - she desired only to resurrect her brothers who were killed by Sunagakure's greatest hero. To do so, she had to truly understand the circumstances of their death. She had also grown quite fond of the Kazekage in a carnal sense, but unfortunately her sentiments were unrequited. The rejection sat at the pit of her stomach, festering. An amalgamation of indignation, jealousy and inadequacy assaulted her hubris.

*****

Meanwhile, not far away a young woman shopped and spent what little money she had to purchase a garment and something to satisfy her hunger pangs. She was not known, not recognized which made her a target. A man brushed past the young cute blonde with enough force to send her staggering if she was a civilian or unprepared, but considering her background she might not be taken aback by the unexpected collision. He was trying to steal whatever she bought, not that he had much use for a red dress but thieves are rarely choosy. If successful, he would bolt away from her, past the vendors and past Shiori and the foreigner with a potential pica problem.

 

[Asari Rei]

Seira had not walked more than a few steps away from the merchant when she was bumped into by a stranger. She was caught off-guard, but her reflexes were quick and she had the past of a shinobi. Although she lost her balance and had to step back, she felt her things slip from her arms as it happened. She had been many a places, and even a thief herself many days, so she knew exactly what was going down, despite possibly looking like a cheap tourist. Her reflexes kicked in, and she could not help but give the man what was coming. Seira used the taijutsu she had been taught long ago and had mastered, meant to potentially disorient and trip an opponent. Her unarmed technique known as Spinning Wind was a quick triple kick; the first kick hit his face, the second his left side, and the final on the legs of the simple man. A powerful little woman, she disliked to reveal her true shinobi ways if at all possible, but the people in this village were not shy to that. She also tried to not use her kicks unless first attacked, as unfortunately she did choose to wear a skirt on most occasion. Once a shinobi, always a shinobi, underneath the skirt was a pair of shorts, so that she never exposed herself in public situations such as these.

This rough place, if anywhere in the world, would likely not care much about her background, if revealed. The people here had a fighting feeling to them, maybe that was just an assumption from the dojo which secretly granted access to the village. It was obvious to the young woman from the event that just occurred that the streets that even in the middle-class area was laced with thieves. Of course they treated her so well upon arrival, they doubtfully had many travelers, and even less that could tough it out here as a common tourist. Thankfully, if there were thieves on the loose it meant that the security here could possibly use a hand. The main question was would Seira pursue this and expose the truth of herself to this village, and she was hesitant to do that at the moment. She would definitely keep an eye open for listings of jobs soon, as she had little funding.

"You picked the wrong girl to mess with." She looked down on the thief after knocking him back with her strength. She held her dress in her hand, for she had taken it back during the shuffle as well. She did not look like much, and carried no weapons, but needed none. "That's what you get for stealing a dress anyways, shame on you." She turned away, prepared to do other jutsu in self-defense if the man continued to fight, but the most likely response from a lowly thief was to flee.

Siera approached a young couple that stood in the general vicinity. "Did either of you see that? Are there many thieves here?" She did not know if they were together, or complete strangers, but they appeared to be both conversing. Depending on how much people did or did not care about violence in the streets, and overall travelers with fighting backgrounds.


OOC; Sorry my posts have been rusty. v.v

 

[Ko]

Probably not the best move to ask a local if their food was edible without expecting them to speak so casual about what they eat. Did she really say what he thought he heard her say? That she was just happily eating a rabbit on a stick? All he could imagine were the cute fluffy rabbits hopping up and down around the Fire Country being captured by Sunan ninja as a tasty morsel for some kid. Inside he was starting to feel the waves crash upon his stomach once more as his face went a little bit paler. He refused to eat meat and poultry, instead preferring to eat fruits, vegetables and fish just like an animal of the ocean. Old habits died hard and he had picked up some tastes from being merged with Akumao.

I-I see…” Katsuro said, regretting his decision to ask about the rabbit and even more after hearing about people eating worms that lived in the sand. It seemed important if she mentioned such a creature as if he was familiar with it. Maybe it was something he’d have to go study about. ”Do you know what kind of fish or vegetables are local to here? I was just wondering because I can’t actually eat mea-“ And he was cut off by the sound of combat.

The Jinchuuriki would turn to see a man on the floor and a girl holding a red dress in one hand and a face that seemed to get shit done. That was something he hadn’t expected to see today but his face started to feel a little flushed by seeing a woman showing some kind of force like that. Not sure why… just seemed so different from what he used to see in Stone. And then just like that she started to walk over to them like it was nothing.

His stomach was now mixed with nausea and butterflies as she asked about thieves in the area and if they had seen what had happened in front of them. He would try and keep his cool but his chakra felt drained by the messed up body clock. Between that and the onslaught of feelings felt inside his stomach meant that he couldn’t quite concentrate on the matter.

”I’ve not really seen many thieves since I got here. But I haven’t been here for too long. But that was an impressive display of swift action,” he would say realising that ‘display of swift action’ was a corny choice of words. ”Err that is to say that it was good to see that he got what he deserved. Even if the village has been sunk down here it’s not right to try and take things.” He’d frown a little bit, his colour returning to a more normal colour as he thought about how annoying it was to see such horrible sites even in the worst times.

”You’d think that even with everything that has happened to this village that there would be a bit more comradery between everyone to fight against the bad but nope it seems like nothing changes anywhere.” He didn’t want to be a downer but thieves were just as awful as anyone else who that upset others for their personal gain. Maybe he was a warrior for social justice or naïve but inside he was speaking from personal experiences.

Above the village, way beyond the tunnels and above the dojo the rain clouds had began to form. Starting as a shower and forming a little deluge in the sands that may not have seen rain for a while. Katsuro and anger usually brought out this kind of feeling upon him. It was odd that the rain would usually follow him wherever he went and he felt peaceful in it. Without it for weeks now had helped cause his body to feel idiosyncratic.

(OOC: Just describing way above the village that it’s raining. Katsuro seems to call upon the rain when he’s angry or really saddened)

MFT 646 words

 

[Michi]

I-I see…”

He seemed disappointed. Bunny was delicious and sandworm... not so much. She liked the crispy bits and she liked anything that could be skewered, sticks had this magical flavor-infusing property so everything tasted better. "It's really good," Shiori added as she took another bite. She swung the meat stick towards Katsuo about to offer him a bite before he asked about eating rabbit-food.

”Do you know what kind of fish or vegetables are local to here? I was just wondering because I can’t actually eat mea-“</B><i></i>

He never finished his statement. Mead, Meal, Meadow, Meatus, Meatloaf? Meh, whatever, more for her. There were some vegetables she supposed, cactus' count probably. There are a few berries and then there was war-grass seed which is useful in making flour for breads. All-in-all, Sunagakure is more a carnivore's haven come to think of it. She wondered if souls were considered vegetarian momentarily as a fray broke out.

Thankfully Sunagakure despite the many tragedies that have befallen it as of late, was not a village to ostracize those who had similar skillsets. In fact, being a capable shinobi was in fact an asset considering the terrible losses the hidden village has suffered. It was a shame that isolationism for decades prior turned away so much potential talent. The shopper was not an easy target, a series of kicks to the face among other places sent the thief reeling back. Even common criminals had some meager chakra control skill, failed shinobi hopefuls, clandestine remedial classes or even just learning by emulation. Stone ensconced the deviant's arm as he attempted to punch the young woman in the mid-section. He was knocked to the ground briefly, but he was nimble as any thief on these streets would have to be and returned to his feet in a flash.

"You picked the wrong girl to mess with." The young woman declared. The criminal sneered at the little girl, she took beck her dress. Disappointing, he had no need for a dress and selling it would give him barely enough ice to bring down the swelling from these bruises. "No, just too poor for my blood."<i></i> He then turned around, pushing a spectator aside as he attempted to dash away. "That's what you get for stealing a dress anyways, shame on you." She called. The crowd parted as the criminal dashed away.

"Did either of you see that? Are there many thieves here?"<i></i>

The young woman asked. Shiori took a crunchy bit of meat into her mouth and bit down. She was disappointed that the show did not last long, there was not much for her to do these days besides hunt Homura which she had and hunt down other Cabal sympathizers which seem to be few and far between. Shiori shrugged her shoulders and said between bites "...p'rolly" Shiori answered, giving a briefer answer than the non mea-eater.

”I’ve not really seen many thieves since I got here. But I haven’t been here for too long. But that was an impressive display of swift action.” D'aw, his cheeks were read. It was kinda cute. She looked over at the girl with dangerous legs and again at the boy as his ruddy cheeks receded. She let out a laugh as she noticed the fruit in the girl's hand. She did not eat much fruit, scurvy thankfully was not a problem despite this. ”Err that is to say that it was good to see that he got what he deserved. Even if the village has been sunk down here it’s not right to try and take things.”

It was not the village's fault no more for the actions of the vagrant deviant than it was the fault of the Gods for a bountiful harvest or the coming storm. None the less, not something she would intervene regarding. In dark days as these, knowing what is in a mans or a woman's heart is impossible but the slip of a loose tongue can give you a glimpse into the soul.

”You’d think that even with everything that has happened to this village that there would be a bit more comradery between everyone to fight against the bad but nope it seems like nothing changes anywhere.”<i></i> Almost duplicitous to say, considering neither of them intervened on the strange woman's behalf not that either were given an opportunity either. She considered pointing that out but it was likely Casanova here was trying to get in her good graces and probably other things.

"I am Takahashi Shiori," Shiori added in introduction after the dialogue had ceased between the pair. <B>"We seem to be attracting all kinds these days in Sunagakure, where did you learn to fight like that?"<i></i> It was a simple query but it had multiple meanings. She was curious if nothing more, but if it was more that would soon be answered when she gave her reply. She did not care greatly about the affairs of the other great nations, she never planned to visit and from what little she knew of them most of them were in egregious states as well.

 

[Asari Rei]

As Seira approached the pair in the streets, she saw that the woman had a meat stick she was favorably munching on, and her response was in between those bites. She seemed casual about the thief, and overall looked to be mostly unmoved, unlike her friend. The boy with blue hair spoke up and seemed friendly, offering that he had not seen much thieving but also he was new to the area. They had that in common, she noted, along with his odd wording and reddish tint. Clearly he was from a place of good education, but also he seemed to blush, making Seira doubt her initial assumptions of the two in the streets, especially as the other woman started laughing. Either way, it was cute how he seemed flustered, speaking up again to state that the lowly got what he deserved and a slightly heroic bit about the village being sunk but that being no means to unrightfully take things. Seira agreed with a nod of her head and smiled a bit as she continued to listen to the acquaintance's words.

He spoke of the people having a lack of comradery and wanting to fight bad, and she hoped that this thought did not come from this experience alone. He spoke of how nothing changes anywhere, and Seira picked up a motion that perhaps his feelings with the village were not without past experiences elsewhere in the world. The woman spoke up, while not an optimist she did not forget the gracious welcome that had met her at the dojo. "This village has been gracious to me so far, and everywhere has poor thieves I don't know why I found that so surprising here." Seira gave a smile and a chuckle, realizing that the initial reaction she had was mostly fueled from the surprise. The woman was not a commoner, and had no expectations for anyone to look after her in the foreign lands she traveled to.

The redheaded woman introduced herself as Takahashi Shiori, and Seira's eyes turned to her as she continued. From her words Seira gathered that the woman was a local, and she asked where the blonde had learned to fight. Usually hesitant to give out such information, the woman made a quick decision to tell the truth and then spoke up. "My name is Arai Seira, and I learned to fight a long time ago in a village far away. I doubt anyone around here has heard of it." She shifted her gaze to the heroic boy, then back again before continuing. "I actually specialize in healing, ironically enough."

For one reason or another, Seira answered truthfully to the local's questions. She had told many lies in her travels; and she came with stories and aliases in abundance, never revealing her true identity. It was not as if it made a difference, any records of Mist were probably lost to ice, and it wasn't as if she was a criminal, but to her the difference was noticed. As an alias, she could live a perfectly normal, non-shinobi life. She had done this for a few years now, and the time away had been appreciated, but she was in desperate need to get back out on the field, or at least to start helping people again. Living in the shadows was quiet, uneventful, and sadly just not a fulfilling lifestyle for her. A wanderer by heart, she had visited many small villages and tried many different things, all ending the same; failure.

Failure to accept oneself and true purpose was something that was a hard struggle to overcome, but the woman had been through many things to get to the place she stood today. And so here she stood, and truthfully she spoke, uncertain of a cover-up for the scene that just went down anyways. She had already exposed her legs for the true beasts they are, and knew that if ever there was a time and place to be real, if only for a moment, it was here. She would, however, spare them of the details unless they showed true interest. Kirigakure was mostly just a whispered name of something that was once great. Seira had pride in being a part of that village, and doing everything she could when she worked there. Truthfully it did tend to get lonely, being non-loyal to any village and unable to share the truth of being a shinobi.

[MFT: 741 Words]​

 

[Ko]

[Sorry I haven't been able to post. Been working all over the Easter weekend and I was changing my pc too]

Katusro would remain quiet as Shiori and Seira would talk, noticing that maybe his initial response was probably a little harsher than he should’ve made out. This was the first time he had seen a bad guy in the village but he was shocked that after the whole entire village was BROUGHT UNDER THE GROUND WITHOUT AN ISSUE that someone would be happy to go about stealing clothes from random people. Wouldn’t he have had more luck stealing from the shop itself? Anyway it didn’t really matter.

His head would switched back and forth between the two women as the Sand nin conversed with the foreigner about how she managed to learn how to kick someone’s ass with easy. He would keep note of what was going on here and not because he was interested in someone who dispatched another so easily. But it was because information was important to have in the world that they lived in. Use it to benefit his personal gains or his village’s gains. Whatever they were good at he would try and understand more about them.

As Shiori and Seira introduced who they were, Katsuro’s eyes would move to Seira who would mention her ability to learn to fight from a foreign country and she had learned how to heal. He would just nod as he took in the information and keep it stored. He didn’t want to reveal that he too had profession in medical jutsu, as well as his water jutsu having the ability to heal those hit by it by them. He didn’t dare show his abilities to Suna ninja just yet just in case they tried to take him away and use him in experiments.

”My name is Higashi Katsuro. I am… I was a shinobi of Konoha before it fell to the Samurai.” A half-truth. He wasn’t really a shinobi of Konoha but he was born there to two Konoha ninja. He felt bitter about the loss of his home and that Stone wasn’t quite where he really wanted to be. ”But it’s nice to meet you both.” He smiled a soft smile, still a little tinted with redness on his cheeks.

”This village’s hospitality and resourcefulness is pretty amazing,” Katsuro said, diverting from something about villages and thieves and to try and talk about something more positive. ”I don’t think I’ve been to a village that had such a variety of places. Stone might have caverns with more crystals on them than sense, but I’ve never been to a place with such an interesting skyline.” He pointed up to the fake sky that the village had created. ”Definitely not something any other village has ever made before.”

He would feel his stomach grumble a little bit as he remembered he hadn’t eaten in a long time. He would just smile to himself as he wondered how he could go grab some food while amid the company of others. He enjoyed their company for they were the first people he had made contact with in weeks, but he didn’t want to die of starvation.

[MFT 517 words]

 

[Michi]

Shiori did not care where they came from as long as they did not mean anyone harm. Nationalistic pride was not something lost on her, but isolationism did not do them any favors and to ostracize someone for having a different origin would make her nothing but a hypocrite. "That is too bad about Kohona," Shiori echoed. It seemed strange that he was here, in Wind Country rather than attempting to liberate his homeland from the samurais but she was not going to bring up or ask for a reason. It was none of her business and it was not her problem. "But I would not worry too much, the storms prevent most visitors so we do not get many strange faces... except most recently." She replied, a pause in her statement as her brow lifted in a thoughtful manner. It was peculiar how or why anyone would seek Sunagakure, through the wicked storm and the peril. She had a feeling in the pit of her gut that Sunagakure was becoming the land for men who did not wish to be found.

Shiori faked a congenial smile, not that she had malicious intent but rather she did not know if they did. The girl seemed feminine, not a battle-hardened shinobi but she fought dam well for a civilian. Her story vague, but she could not blame her for not wanting to divulge details not that she would have the ability or desire to share what she had learned with who or whatever wanted her secrets. "I am the Kazekage's cousin, Takahashi Shiori." She finally stated as her personal introduction. "We have not been in direct contact with the other great nations in years, their loss is our gain."<i></i> She explain simply. In the wake of tragedy, shinobi skills were a desired commodity. While the Cabal actively sought to harm Sunagakure, the shinobi forces took the brunt of the damages. Many of the shinobis who were outside the village were slaughtered at the maw, never allowed to return to the village unless some defected unnoticed. They had not yet sorted the bodies. Inside, shinobis were not the primary victims but many were lone defenders against a force greater than they and they were ultimately destroyed. Others retreated, their fears caused them to disregard their duties. "We are a shinobi village, but we are not picky in terms of who comes here for work as long as they do us no harm,"<i></i> Shiori tried to explain as politically-correct as possible. A hidden village is a business first in many ways, something she wondered if her cousin realized sometimes. "If you are looking for work, I am sure Sousuke would be more than willing to find something akin to your skills."<i></i> She was offering them work. Her proposal honest, but she was also curious and feeling them out. In fact she was curious about many of the men and women she had let enter Sunagakure these past few days.

A woman adept in healing...

A young man from a destroyed nation with a shinobi background...

Either, or rather both would make excellent resources in the days to come. At the mention of the skyline, Shiori's face would drop. Certainly it was beautiful in its own way but she missed the surface and the real sky. She would shake away such woes, while the storm may have raged on for thirty and may for thirty more. The sky was still there, just hidden beyond a cloud of dust and debris. She did hear the vegetarian's stomach rumble. She would offer him the meat on a stick she so enjoyed, but he seemed repulsed by it. Shiori listened momentarily, looking at what shapes the other vendors were selling. Cactus cubes on a stick. All food must be on a stick for taste, or at least that was her main consideration as she backpedaled three steps to look at the sign with her eyes before she made assumptions and sent him after some delicious crow flesh and pointed at the small stand with a green awning and a sign with a cartoon-character of a dancing cactus with a wide-brimmed hat. "Cactus cubes are not as good as rabbit, but not bad,"<i></i> she suggested decidedly not mentioning the sounds of his stomach as she pointed to the vendor.

 

[Asari Rei]

The introduction of Seira had a snowball effect with the others in the random group. Higashi Katsuro was the name of the youthful lad, and Konoha was his home. He said it had been lost to the samurai, and her interest sparked as even the woman mentioned the loss. A shinobi village taken over by samurai? Surely that was a mission worthy of a wanderer, but it poses problems to think of the families that had set up here. A task for a team of highly skilled shinobi; but apparently the forces that remained were not enough, and this saddened the girl mostly because of the loss of her village. If there was vengeance to be seeked, she would have most likely fell for the bait. It made her curious of his background and intentions, but she was not one to act on such itches. The kunoichi smiled as Katsuro said it was nice to meet them both with that reddish tint again in his face. The woman again spoke, telling of the average visitors and how that had recently raised. Seira herself had recently arrived, and she did recall the man who let her in saying something similar. She could not imagine how so many people crossed such a dangerous, harsh terrain but then again shinobi were fast.

The redhead wrapped up the introductions with her full name, Takahashi Shiori, and the fact that she was the Kazekage's cousin. She stated that the fall of the great nations left for gain in their village, and how the communications had been scarce in previous times. Seira thought of if she had memories of the foreign lands from the time she was a shinobi in her home village, but none came to her. This village seemed to accept those who were without home, for skills and work according to the sand-nin. She only asked them to do no harm, and with what had happened in the street Seira knew that at least they held that to a reasonable extent; criminals still deserved a hit or two. Work was work, and although not pretty in this business, it tended to pay well. The offer that came was not one to be shrugged off, especially considering the change left in the young woman's pocket.

Shiori's words echoed in Seira's thoughts but the conversation continued on; 'If you are looking for work, I am sure Sousuke would be more than willing to fine something akin to your skills.'

Katsuro spoke of the village's hospitality and Seira nodded, coming back from thoughts. She had been treated wonderfully by most of the people here, and it truly was amazing that even in the middle of a desert, in an underground city, they were as resourceful as anywhere else she had traveled in her recent years as a wanderer. Katsuro seemed in a much better mood than originally, as he spoke of Stone with caverns and crystals and such. Seira took notes, and knew that travels to this place would be necessary, as she had not seen such formations before the caves and caverns here within this village. Of course, as far as unique sights this place most definitely held the cake. The skyline was one thing worth mentioning, along with everything about the underground city itself. The brown eyes of the kunoichi followed the finger being pointed at the fake sky, missing the reaction of the sand-nin and instead taking a moment to appreciate the sight. "This village is as unique as it's skyline, nestled safe from the dangers that surround. I've been impressed by this place, and would love to do my part in any work that might need me in return for all the hospitality that's been shown." Seira casually spoke of work, and then she heard a faint rumble from the boy's stomach. She watched Shiori offer some sort of meat stick she had, and saw that the boy seemed not too fond of it. Seira herself had not been brave enough to go near the foods on sticks, as Shiori seemed to preference. After the meat stick went over not so well, she then turned to the cart that was lively selling cubed fruit on sticks. Cactus to be exact, as the cartoon character represented.

"I have this fruit, I've been fond of this type since entering Sunagakure, but I'm actually not sure what it's called. It's sweet, I think you'd like it." She smiled and offered her fruit to Katsuro, if cactus seemed strange. Seira thought it was silly that she knew not the specifics of the foods she ate, but what difference did it make to how they taste? This place had many things, however the young woman was from a place far away and none of these things were familiar. It's true she had no idea the tastes of the shinobi around her, and a sweet fruit might not be as appealing as a cactus stick, an understandable decision either way.

[MFT: 800 Words]

 

[Ko]

Shiori was an interesting person for sure. She had given information that she was the cousin to the Kazekage. Something about family relations and hierarchies in Sunagakure wasn’t something that was quite well known in other villages he had travelled to. In fact most villages were based on strength and merit alone and in Stone a family name actually meant nothing since you were always called by your first name and your rank. Funny… he was actually thinking about Stone for once in his time here and it wasn’t about the imminent hunt for him.

Another thing Katsuro would take note on is how she seemed to think about the other villages and the lack of contact. Had the other villages been in contact maybe their trouble would have been gone sooner. On the other hand the other villages could have used it to their advantage and really ruined the village even more. He would just leave it for now. The village had been through a lot of trouble.

They both offered suggestions, and even though Seira’s idea of sharing was sweet. The idea of eating a cactus was actually rather tempting. He had heard cacti stored water in them. Surely the man born with a love for water would have to try something that watery.

”No, no that’s yours Seira-san, he said, adding the honorific almost out of nature at this point. Being brought up within honourable clans and houses he had to learn the importance of adding the right ones to the right people. ”I’ll go try the cactus cubes. When in Stone, I guess.” Stone, Rome. The author tried his best to make do with changing it to match the plot setting.

He would bow politely before walking over to the cactus stall and taking a look at the cacti on sticks. He would stand for sometime choosing the largest cacti. After a small amount of time he would pick it up, paying the man with the total cost of the stick. It was definitely… different. He didn’t really know much about these plants besides seeing a few here and there on the edge of the desert. A lot of the ones besides that had been laid to waste over the years. Rotten away by the desert storms and the buffeting sands.

He turned back around and returned to the two ladies and smiled softly before trying a bit of the cacti cubes. Biting down into one he found they were kind of hard and crunchy rather than soft and watery. Like they had been left out to dry. They were very… ok. Nothing spectacular but Shiori was right that they weren’t bad. Rabbit food for most people but something about being so associated with the sea made him dislike eating meat.

”It’s not bad. Just needs to be… not as dry. Maybe a bit of water to make it less dehydrated.” He wasn’t a great chef and in fact he ate most things raw so too much preparation seemed a little off for him.

”So what kind of help does the village need? Just tell me what kind of work you need and I’ll make sure I can do my best to help. It’s the least I could do for the hospitality, and it’s also great to meet new people who could help in the future.” The constant thought of bringing Konoha back to its former glory was always in the back of his mind. But to find people to join the cause he would have to meet individuals to help. It didn’t seem like Sand had the strength or the desire to help since they were so into isolationism. Maybe he would find help among the travellers.

[mft 622 words]

 

[Michi]

OC: I am so sorry I have no posted here, I forgot about this topic. PLEASE PM or poke me!

IC: "This village is as unique as it's skyline, nestled safe from the dangers that surround. I've been impressed by this place, and would love to do my part in any work that might need me in return for all the hospitality that's been shown."

Sadly she was wrong on one thing, the safety that this hole in the ground had afforded him. She had died once trying to save her home, her body reduced to sand. Her face dropped noticeably at the term safe, they were in the deepest den of danger, close to the heart of Orochi although she was the only one alive who still knew. In the belly of a once great beast, her corrupted heart sealed away they say putting an end to the plagues until someone somewhere threatens them again. There was of course the fact that they were living like ants, truly in danger if a concussive force were to truly disturb these walls and this foundation - seismic activity, a battle fought too hard, an unnoticed bomb. "Safe..." Shiori echoed. She was partly to blame for this condition, that much she knew. She recognized the scream and the cry, the glorious concert of pain and distress sung by her enemy. She knew not his name, but she knew there was someone behind this storm and yet she said not a word. She did not want to sacrifice the 'life' she had, the loved she hoped to possess. It was a secret she did not know for long, weeks really. Still, it was a suffering she could end if she wanted to but selfishly chose otherwise.

There was a fair amount of food discussion. Apparently delicious bunny was not... delicious. Fruit and cactus seemed to be more their tastes. It could say something of the nature - gentle souls who hate to harm others, even evil bunnies. While some would like to claim that bunnies were fluffy and cute, Shiori knew otherwise but that would be a story best left for another day, or perhaps a daydream sequence. Or perhaps they really disliked fruits and vegetables and relished in their suffering, the truly kindest and greatest of all of Gods or perhaps some other higher power if one existed, never complaining and only existing. The only attacked with their thorns if one attacked them first. Or perchance, it was simply a preference of the palate.

”So what kind of help does the village need? Just tell me what kind of work you need and I’ll make sure I can do my best to help. It’s the least I could do for the hospitality, and it’s also great to meet new people who could help in the future.”

"All kinds," Shiori replied. "The village needs to be rebuilt, every criminal housed in our jail was broken out, we have Cabal supporters still hidden within the village, and while we have captured most of the Cabal some of its members are still at large." Shiori explained listing a brief list of issues, but they were likely peripheral in comparison to the big picture. She sighed, Sunagakure did not seem like a good place for employment when she started listing off their needs with such ease. "You know what...? Shiori stated in an afterthought. "I'll just give Sousuke a call." Shiori pulled a small ear-bud from her purse and plugged it into her ear, pressing it 'on.' She waited for a second, listening for a static return, a click, a hello, something to signify that he was on the other end. As for he, the person was obvious because she had her headset pre-set to the Kazekage's frequency. she had no other friends. Nobody else to call. "You still shopping Sou-Sou?" Shiori looked around for a landmark, the cactus juice bar was right there, it was more popular with the kids than the adults because it was non-alcoholic. "I am at the Spiky Cup," Shiori instructed, naming the cactus juice bar adjacent. Sousuke was usually hopping around now, she only knew that because she stalked him regularly.

WC: 679
MFT

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Shopping. Well. Sousuke wasn't really shopping. Shopping was code. What it was code for, Shiori didn't really know... which was probably in the best interest of several parties. Shopping was code for: conflictS witH Organized non-Political Probably morally Insane Networks of orGanized crime. It wasn't that Sousuke was lying, he was truly in a conflicts with organized non-political probably morally insane networks of organized crime, therefore he was SHOPPING. Well, it was the truth. A form of truth. That was the most important part. There were a few things he had been keeping secret. His health was deteriorating due to the mission he had on the surface. Sandworm acid ate right through his fire-forged steel, which feed directly into his flesh, and at will he was capable of forming plates out from underneath his flesh. Even Katuso was not privy to this knowledge, or even Yume. He had too much to work on, he was burning the candle on both ends to the point where there was going to be no wax left and certainly no wick.

Sousuke stood out somewhat like a sore thumb. He was wearing armour, but not his usual sort. Still though most of Suna's residents were used to this. Sousuke's armour was plate, but it was not Takahashi fire-forged steel. The colouring on it was off. The armour was deep shade of green with amber coloured details. Parts of it seemed like the man was subjected to a massive fire attack. There were scorch marks, with cut marks as well. It looked like the man had just gotten away from a fight, or rather he had just ended one... which was the truth in the fullest aspect. Cleaning up was not a chore he found entertaining, but it was necessary.

Spiky Cup. People were passing him by, just simply ignoring him as he looked skyward. How long had he been there? Hard to say. He could have just been there the entire time, or merely just the last seconds. Sousuke had a habit of appearing out of the blue. The Steward, as Kazekage was not a term he was comfortable with, awaited his cousin. Sousuke had in fact been a little lucky. His SHOPPING spree had ended roughly seven minutes and forty-two seconds ago. It would have been very awkward having to describe to his cousin that he really couldn't take her call at the moment as he was dealing with those of the morally insane inclination. She would probably have ... had a break down realizing that instead of shopping for supplies he was fighting. Suna's bingo book was an ongoing project. It still had a hefty list of names, which was due to the Cabal and associated agents.

 

[Michi]

Since it has been over a month -- leaving topic due to inactivity.