[≈ ≈] Bakufu - The Waterfall.

[Mana_ecl Zetsuya]

MarcielSuigestsu]

Chunin

The girl named Tsukiko seemed to be stumped for a moment, which made things all the better for him. This meant she had to be warming up to him, which wasn't surprising to him. They'd known one another for the better part of three years. They'd taken the chunin exams together, though it was a shame that somehow she hadn't gotten the approval that he and most of the other genin had received. Regardless of this fact, he waited eagerly for her story, when the wall of water came. He wasn't the only victim of the drenching, quite clearly, as she seemed to have a rather angry look. To his right he heard one his best friend speak.

"Now... I'm going to deny any part in this at this point, since I'm just as surprised as you are," Marciel answered quite simply as he drew Kuroji from its sheathe, wiping it clean and shaking the sheathe free of any water that had snaked its way in. He had to look to the slightly shorter chunin known as Akisame with a frown.

"Thanks, Aki. I now have a reason to re-oil the blade tonight," Marciel commented dryly, as the blade was settled back into its sheathe. Retying it at his waist, he looked to the two of his companions with a grin, "I guess we could head back to town to dry off..." It was a suggestion for Tsukiko, considering she looked like a cat who'd been dropped into the hot springs, and that couldn't end well for either him, or Aki.

"Now put your damned tongue back in your mouth," Marciel joked, in regards to Aki's quite obvious attraction. That small bit was the only division between their brotherly bond. The only tail they had had to chase for the last three years.

 

[Lanfaer]

♠≈*∞*≈♠ Strike Fast, Strike Hard ♠≈*∞*≈♠

Chuckling, Akisame looked at Marciel first. Seeing that his pose had been ignored and that both were seemingly ungrateful as his attempt at lightening the humor, he gestured to the sword that Marciel was drying off. "Like the thing needs more oiling anyway. It's probably used to the water now, with how often you are in the water yourself." Holding out his arms and watching the water fall from his drenched clothing, he smirked without looking at Tsukiko. "As for where I have been, you should know. As always, I was sleeping!" Which meant he had been in the water. It was becoming well known how often he was near water, more so than even Marciel.

For a few moments, Akisame considered what to do. He could easily draw the water out of their clothes if he wished, thereby sparing Tsukiko the agony of wet underwear and Marciel the need to dry off. But if Tsukiko had to sun dry, she'd get a bit cold, giving him a hell of a view of her skin beneath the clothing for a little while. Now, which was more honorable. That question was easily answered, being that to take advantage of the situation in order to see a little female flesh was considered underhanded. But then, which was more fun and appealing? Leaving her to dry and thereby giving himself a great view? Ah, decisions, decisions.

"I suggest we walk back to town to dry off, or head up to the top of the waterfall to bathe in the heat of the sun." Of course, he made sure to 'put his tongue back in his mouth' before saying as much, not like she noticed the appraising look in his eyes. Akisame had always tried to keep his feelings for her secret, except from Marciel. But Marciel had also informed him of a similar batch of feelings that he felt for Tsukiko as well. Well, that sucked. Horribly. But brotherly love only went so far when the fox was strutting through the fields in the middle of spring.

Yawning, he wondered what they would do now. Stretching his arms above his head and yawning loudly, Akisame revealed the tight athletic frame he kept hidden under his clothes, showing through the dark gray fabric of his shirt. "Besides! It's not like you don't like water, Tsukiko."

♠≈*∞*≈♠ Never Give Up, Never Surrender ♠≈*∞*≈♠

 

[chrissy b e a n]

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Three years with these boneheads had worked in mysterious way for her. First and foremost she had grown partial to their little remarks left for each other. Even if they had not been grouped into a squad, Tsukiko was sure that the two would still be found together all of the time. Akisame's comment about Marciels blade induced laughter out of her. Of course, she covered her mouth and shook her head, her giggles barely audible. The more intense the situation, the more emotionally in check she was. Around these two, she was a little lax in that department. Marciel was going to become a renounced swordsman, that she was sure of. Akisame too would do their village proud. Even though he would probably sleep away half of his life.

"You are never going to get a girl if you sleep all of the time, let alone jump to the next level."

Looking away from them both the let her gaze follow the waterfall up, she really didn't feel like going back into the towns at the moment. Besides, it would be a wasted day to do that. The sunlight could dry out their clothes quick enough but Marciel was probably worried about the damage the water might do to his blade. Whatever it was, she was staying. There was something she wanted to do today anyhow, with or without them.

"I have things to work on today, so I'll probably just air dry."

Akisame's snide comment caused Tsukiko to coax an eyebrow. He knew her well...Sighing slightly she smiled, nodding her head. Smiling was another thing she preferred not doing, it made her look like a little kid. Maybe Chunin would make her feel better. It was about time for her to hurry up and go up in ranks, she was not incapable of it.

"Yeah, yeah. As true as that fact may be...I don't like wet underwear."

She commented back rather bluntly. Hanging out with guys all day was bad for her health. Crossing her arms across her chest she tilted her head to one side, lost in thought. Tsukiko walked up to Akisame aimed a jab at his stomach. Show off..  

[Mana_ecl Zetsuya]

MarcielSuigestsu]

Chunin

Of course, the other chunnin would make a comment on the state of his sword. Marciel simply had to shake his head, his shark-like teeth shown nearly to the point of glistening. He had explained countless times how proper care for the blade would one day allow him to save Aki's a**, with his recklessness and whatnot. Aki was nearly one with the water most of the time, not quite like that of the Suigetsu boy, nor the rest of his family, but regardless of that fact, it was simply how it was.

"Must I tell you a hundredth time, Aki, on proper sword care?"

A simple enough statement, accompanied by a chuckle, as he was already taking a couple of steps towards the exit of the area, waving a brief goodbye. Of course, he found Tsukiko's interaction with Aki quite interesting, and was quite fond of her bluntness. The two of them would probably end up competing quite a bit, considering she had been one of the few kunoichi among their own group of acquaintances.

"I shall return later, but for now, I have to make sure Kuroji will be just fine."

He spoke of the sword with reverence, considering its origins. A gift from a swordsmith of the land of Iron. He'd heard some fairly preposterous tales of weapons having a sense of sentience, but denying a good sword the possibility was foolishness, after all, one of the seven swords forged within the mist was said to have that eerie sentience.

"Unless... You've got some reason I should stick around a bit longer?"

 

[Lanfaer]

♠≈*∞*≈♠ Strike Fast, Strike Hard ♠≈*∞*≈♠

Leaping backwards and sucking his gut in to avoid the punch from Tsukiko, which was one hell of an odd look for any watcher. Landing lightly, almost light footed, Akisame started laughing his a** off. "Hey!" He took no offense at it, of course, it just was funny as hell.

Before Marciel could leave the area, however, the water from his clothes and sword, along with the water from both Akisame's clothes and Tsukiko's clothes, and gathered into a rather large bubble in front of Akisame's face. It was quick, painless, and probably a blessing for Tsukiko because now she needn't deal with the wet underwear. Smirking behind his face mask, the water turned instantly into a ball of snow, just short of frozen solid. However, as he stared at it, he considered Tsukiko's words.

Why did he sleep, really? For him, sleeping was the gateway to his past. Often he had nightmares, yet they stemmed from his veiled past, and thus was something to relish. How sad was it to strive for nightmares simply because they were the only link to who you were? But it was that reason he slept, that and because of how often he moved around. Hell, he expended more energy than half the village every day. "I would love to get a girl, Tsukiko." His voice was quiet, a little sad. "But I find that few could handle me." However, the next instant he was back to normal, his aquamarine eyes looking Tsukiko up and down. Even with the mask, it was obvious he was smiling. "Unless you are offering, of course?"

♠≈*∞*≈♠ Never Give Up, Never Surrender ♠≈*∞*≈♠

 

[Arsinian]

Rank: Mizukage
Village: Kirigakure

"Now now, children." A voice said from the trees by the river created by the waterfall. The voice was joyful, yet cold in a way. That was the way the Mizukage spoke. He slowly stepped out from the tree line and made his way to the three nin from his village. He had grown attached to them over the years and cared for all of his nin. "How are you young ones doing?" He said as he looked around at his three former trainees. His eyes were a deep red due to the fact that he had his Hypnotic eyes activated at all times. This way he can keep an eye on everything that's going on in his village from one location.

 

[chrissy b e a n]

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Tsukiko did not pretend to be dumb when it came to the teasing Akisame put her through but for just that instance where he looked her up and down made her think he was actually being serious. Offering.. Tsukiko didn't really see herself as a teenage girl. More like one entity set on one goal. It never occurred to her that she had something worth showing off...Crossing her arms across her chest she rolled her eyes, ignoring Akisame completely. Suki cast Marciel a look that was panicked. Don't leave me alone with him!! Aside from the fact that Marciel was way more laid back, he had a certain air about him that was easier to deal with than with Akisame. Of course it was not to say she didn't mind being alone with him but he would fall asleep half the time or would be half asleep...

Tsukiko did not really have to worry about either of those circumstance however because a certain guest appearance had demanded their attention. Suki turned her head slightly, her body tensing. There, by the tree line came their one and only Mizukage. His red eyes were the first thing she noticed, their hue out shining her own blue color. Looking away quickly she stared at her two squad mates. She was unnerved and didn't know what to say. Every time she was in the Mizukages presence she found herself stumped and nervous. A slight blush crept across her cheeks. She was embarrassed and on edge now. Her expression went blank and she avoided looking at the Mizukage.  

[Mana_ecl Zetsuya]

MarcielSuigestsu]

Chunin

It was odd to feel the clothes just come dry, the moisture departing from every fiber. Regardless of this fact, it just bought him time for the need to care for the sword. He'd probably be able to wait til nightfall at this point, and so, he turned again, back towards the odd duo. It was simply how things were. The clog-like shoes pressed into the moist ground once more, as he moved for the pair, and another voice called out. One he knew all too well. Immediately, he bowed slightly, toward the approaching kage.

"Hello, sir. I'm doing quite well, sir."

The lord Mizukage had been sort of a replacement to his own father, which was kind of nice. Sure, Zerus was of a different clan, but he had shown kindness to him all through the years in the academy, and even more so these last few years. It had been quite the efficient squad with his help.

"How are you doing today, sir?"

 

[Lanfaer]

♠≈*∞*≈♠ Strike Fast, Strike Hard ♠≈*∞*≈♠

The panic in Tsukiko's eyes hurt him when he saw it, the pain biting deeply, but of course Akisame only smiled at took it in stride. As he usually did. Turning to look over his shoulder at the Mizukage, he held up a hand and waved without turning around. "Hello, Sir." For some reason, Akisame had always treated the Mizukage with a kind of non-formal respect, and always would. Akisame just wasn't a formal guy, as anyone who'd seen him for the last few years would know pretty well. Turning back to look at Tsukiko, he saw that she was blushing, and in turn, Akisame knew it wasn't about him. Hell, he'd KILL for a blush from her these days. Either way, he'd just do as he usually did.

Turning around fully to look at the Mizukage, the ball of snow he'd made from the water earlier flew straight at Marciel's head. Of course, the instant before it would strike it would split into ten darts of snow that would attempt to pelt him from all directions.

Not paying attention to the outcome, Akisame took on a bored stance, stifling a yawn behind his mask. Having just woken up, he was still fighting the sleep. Last night he had tried hard to attain the third tail of his Bijuu by communicating with the darned thing. It had made it difficult by causing the water around him to form into a type of whirlpool that through him all along the rocks. He had been told that the Bijuu never actively seek to harm their Jinchuuriki, for Akisame's death would mean Sanbi's death, yet it seemed the Bijuu hadn't cared at the moment. He still carried the bruises and cuts under his clothes, which he'd repaired to hide the wounds from his friends.

♠≈*∞*≈♠ Never Give Up, Never Surrender ♠≈*∞*≈♠

 

[Fujasawa Icchiro]

Village: Kirigakure
Rank: Jōnin
Age: 20

Icchiro slowly approached the Mizukage from behind. He walked up to Zerus' right and stopped, looking at the two chuunin and one genin before him. He sighed and a puff of smoke escaped his razor sharp teeth. His bright orange eyes were concealed by his eyelids as he rubbed the back of his head with his right hand. "Fujasawa Icchiro, reporting for duty sir." Although Icchiro didn't like speaking up to the Mizukage, he felt that he must since he was working for him. He slowly opened his eyes and lowered his hand. "I have one of the genin and it seems the other one is here with you." He said, referring to Tsukiko and Jazmine. There was one more but he had no idea where he could be so he just stood, awaiting a response.

 

[Arsinian]

Rank: Mizukage
Village: Kirigakure

The Mizukage chuckled at the Chunnins' reactions. Tsukiko was shy, like always, and Marciel was still the same. Akisame hadn't changed either, still always fighting with Marciel. Zerus had looked after them and treated them like his own flesh and blood. He didn't know why but it must have been because he lost his own child. But that mattered not. He had come to them with a purpose planned to carry it out. He looked down at Marciel with a smile and responded. "I'm doing fine, thank you." He then looked over at Icchiro as he approached, pretending like he never saw Akisame attack his friend. He nodded in response. "He is sitting at my office, waiting. We shall go there after I discuss something with the chuunin." He then looked at Akisame and Marciel with a serious look. "I have a mission for you two. But first we must wait for Edegaru." He said as he stood patiently.

 

[Mana_ecl Zetsuya]

MarcielSuigestsu]

Chunin

Of course Akisame was going to do something like this. Before the lord Mizukage, the snowball came flying toward Marciel. Why did he always choose to do things like this before the higher ups? Either way, the snowball came flying at him. Now, Marciel knew Aki well enough to see this come, and the slightly curved frame straightened immediately, blade sliding through the center. However... He had not seen it splitting to assault him from multiple directions, leaving him dusted with snow, and a flat look on his face.

Thankfully, it was after that that his, what he could only assume was some estranged cousin of his, due to the sharpened teeth of Icchiro much like himself, planning on bringing a genin in nearby, it seemed. So Tsukiko was being relocated to another squad, that must have been rather irritating for her.
"A mission with sir Edegaru? Might I inquire of the rank of the mission?" Marciel asked, snow sliding down his exposed flesh. His mood was starting to rise once more, despite now being cold.

 

[Lanfaer]

♠≈*∞*≈♠ Strike Fast, Strike Hard ♠≈*∞*≈♠

Tsukiko? Leaving their squad? He almost wept for a moment before his natural happy self kicked in and rose his mood by quite a bit. However much he was happy, however, there was a moment of heartbreaking anguish in his eyes as he glanced at the Genin he had called a teammate for so long. He truly did have a crush on her, which was odd for someone his age, but that didn't matter to the hyperactive Akisame. He just lived his life the way he wished, which was shown again when he had thrown a snowball at his best friend in front of their Sensei.

Then the other words sunk in. A Mission. Turning to look at the Mizukage, Akisame quirked an eyebrow. "A mission, huh? Interesting." If they were to travel with that old Hyuuga, it would be a pain. Akisame worked well with the other two of his teem because Marciel and he would always be the ones to charge in to fight first. Akisame was, in his group, what most would call a "shock trooper." Marciel, on the other hand, thought before he acted, something Akisame had yet to learn even as a Chunin. Because of this, Akisame liked to have a non-taijutsu fighter, such as someone who specializes in Ninjutsu or Genjutsu in his group to better even it out. Medical Nin were actually the more preferred, what with the frequency of his wounds.

But he wouldn't argue, not now. He wanted a mission too badly to simply pass it up because of his mouthy side.

♠≈*∞*≈♠ Never Give Up, Never Surrender ♠≈*∞*≈♠

 

[chrissy b e a n]

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Tsukiko had been off in her own world again, not really paying attention to the appearance of The Jonin and whatever comment he had spouted to the Mizukage. She intently watched as Akisame bombarded Marciel with yet another little playful trick. She blanched at his impeccable timing. Why is he always making an a** out of himself in front of the higher ups.. In that same moment she heard the wishy washy words of the Mizukage that alerted her to a switch in squads. Her initial reasoning only agreed with the facts, she was not yet Chunin. It was a waste for her to be in their squad, it would hinder the missions. Even though logic spelled it out plainly for her to see it stung.

Tsukiko kept her face blank and looked at Fujasawa Ichhiro. He was probably going to be their squad leader. Feeling a little estranged she knew it would be better if she left now before she lost her grip on her emotions. After all, women always wore their hearts on their sleeves. Turning promptly towards the Mizukage she cast Marciel and Akisame a sideway glance before letting out a small sigh.

"Mizukage sir, I will go on ahead to your office....Good luck guys."

She muttered, that sly fox faced grin appearing across the planes of her face. She only ever smiled like this to pass things off in uncomfortable situations. Good byes were not her thing. With that, Tsukiko dismissed herself, getting out of there as quickly as she possibly could.





-- exits to officeness --  

[Mordred Killian]

Suddenly, without a sound, Edegaru rose from the ground leaving ripples behind as if the ground was water. He arrived just as the Genin was leaving. She caught his attention. Her body structure and hairstyle resembled his Hiruko. He looked to the Mizukage after a second in order to hide his thoughts. "Mizukage" He said with a nod. He then looked to his side and saw two Chunnin by the looks of their jackets. One he recognized as Akisame, the other he did not. He was a swordsman also. This brought attention to Edegaru. The Chunnin's sword looked rather odd in shape. He had never seen anything like it. It was definitely not a traditional styled blade. At least not from anywhere near here. Edegaru was aware of Akisame's practical jokes. After three years and a promotion, Edegaru thought he would have left that side behind a while ago. Edegaru looked back to the Mizukage expecting him to reveal the reason why he had been summoned to that spot.