The Water Country, neglected by the empire that claims it as their own, has been split into two. The Water Daimyo gathers her powers on the main island, far outside of the Lightning Empire's sphere of influence. The islands closer to the empire are out of water daimyo's reach but also receive no semblance of law or enforcement from the Lightning Empire. In the wake of this power vacuum, the people of this abandoned portion of the nation have adapted. Communities banded together. Shinobi with no place to go after Kirigakure was disbanded and Arashigakure failed to feel like home, returned home to integrate themselves into this new society of many small self-governing communities and clans. At first, of course, there was utter chaos because no matter how willing an individual might be too help, single-handedly gathering the information to know where to help while also helping is a daunting task that few can do. Even if more could do it, it was highly inefficient.
That's where Himawari Jobs came in to fill the economic niche of a bounty board and job center for wanderers of all kinds. Started by Kagerou as a well-funded teahouse and inn in the Water Country, Himawari Jobs began gathering their own information. First, connections with the major clans in the Water Country were pulled to receive information about jobs they needed extra hands with. Then, with some convincing, nearby communities also provided the, back then, Himawari Teahouse with job requests as well. The Himawari Teahouse would only complete payment once a mission was completed. There was nothing to lose. With this support, the teahouse began to attract displaced wanderers in need of a job but unwilling to compromise their morality. This publicity, in turn, started getting even more communities to voluntarily send job requests to Himawari Teahouse until, over time, Himawari Teahouse became Himawari Jobs.
Himawari Jobs has since become the mission board for all of Water Country that sits between the Lightning Empire's and the Water Daimyo's influences. It hasn't moved since its inception, and the building still serves food and drinks but no longer rents out rooms. It is now wholly dedicated to the business of temporary jobs, from bounties for criminals to a temp position as waiter at a local restaurant. Basic requests can be found on the first floor of the building. Advanced requests can be found on the second floor of building. All requests are screened, and only morally ethical requests are publicly advertised. Requests that are... questionable, such as those from the black market or cold-hearted assassinations, have no place on the bright Sunflower's boards.
Though the owner of Himawari Jobs is rarely seen, it isn't difficult to learn her name: Uchiha Kagerou, formerly of Kirigakure. It's known that she handles the general affairs of the business mostly remotely and receives help from her paternal family, the Uchiha and Senju clans, with running many of the on-site and day-to-day details of the business. Beneath the surface, Himawari Jobs is a small part of the Kiritani clan's conglomerate-level information web. It was established in the Land of Water in order to create a means of living for the disenfranchised shinobi that no longer had a village or nation to turn to.
Notable NPCs
TBD
Business System
Total Cost: $80,000 Ryo
Assets •Conglomerate / World Famous | 80000 People know you, they know your brand. They know your business. You're either incredibly popular or selling top quality goods catering to the social elite. You are the FACE of the business. Respected as you are loved...most of the time. There are very well some business at this peak that well...cracked a few eggs. Depending on your ascent some may want to worship and look up to you...or want you dead.
Insured | See Description •An insurance policy may be claimed where in the Business only produces profit every other irl week but the business is insured if destroyed.
Business Calendar
Kiritani Network II[Winter Holidays 2019/2020] - Beneath their different fronts, the businesses Kagerou controls are all working together as one, incredibly expansive information network. Therefore, tending to and performing upkeep for one business counts as tending to all of the businesses she owns.
With their task completed Yusuke, Kagami, and the remaining troops rushed fervently back to the land of water. Once secluded from whatever shops and traveler stops were in the area, Yusuke smiled as he looked at the direction the two came from. "We did it. Definitely not an easy feat, but we managed to destroy Utu once and for all." Yusuke sighed as he looked back at Kagami. His face shared a solemn sense of concern as he looked at the woman approximately ten feet from himself. "Right. It's time to explain the last of the plan." He said softly. "When men and god fight, their chakra merges into a synthetic creature. That creature, called a familiar, obeys the commands of those who fought against the god. This is the story of the Seiryu clan's familiar; Toboe. And this will be the story of the new familiar who rises to destroy the yokai, and all who align with them."
Yusuke stared now at Kagami. "Unfortunately, familiars take years to develop. The exact measurements of how long have been lost to history, as we are the first in generations to successfully fight against a god and live. It is for that reason why you, master of the eyes of manifesting illusions, must materialize the Familiar." His voice was heavy with regret. "Your power to make illusions reality will grant enough power to force the familiar to take form now. Familiar and Yokai have similar compositions, so this feat should be possible." There was a reason why Yusuke decided to keep Kagami so close, and why he had his eyes set on her abilities. It was clear that she was powerful beyond compare, but her abilities granted her miracles that would not be plausible without her assistance. And unfortunately, without her sacrifice. "This will probably kill you, Kagami. To manifest this form will demolish your physical form. But in your sacrifice, the world will be liberated from the creatures who threaten all of the aspects of this world. Your son, Satoshi, will be safe from the horrors which will encroach as their numbers grow larger." His voice was unnervingly collected. He knew that, whether she agreed to being a sacrificed or if they had to kill her and perform the ritual themselves, that Kagami had to die. This was an unfortunate reality. However, Kagami had the choice to die a martyr, or cornered like a rat. Hopefully she made the noble sacrifice, both for herself and her child.
▱▰▱Kagami now stood in the Land of Water once again, her homeland. In a few hours she was in the dead forest of the crows and the celestial plains of the gods. It made the fpggu archipelago nation all the more dull to her. She stopped to listen to Yusuke's speech about the familiar and the yokai. The end of his statements regarding her need to die to conjure such a powerful creature led to some surprise. It was made obvious that now she was on the doorstep of oblivion. "And that's all this familiar is going to do? Kill yokai? You're sure that such a power won't be abused to oppress people?" It was clear to her that Yusuke was willing to do much to achieve his ends. Her tone was much calmer than one may expect. With the guilt that was weighing on her shoulders from her actions during the Kogarashi War, the thought of dying for a redemptive cause was certainly appealing. However, there was some skepticism that perhaps Yusuke would detect in her question. The idea that only he could control such a powerful monster was less comforting to her than his tone indicated that he intended it to be. There was a hint of mistrust in Kagami's words. She knew all too well what kind of devastation could be wrought with one person controlling such a beast as well evident in her abuse of Isobu's power. She could feel Isobu quietly churning with anxiety within her as she awaited Yusuke's answers.
Personal Attributes • Smoke and Mirrors | Kagami can cast any and all genjutsu through eye contact with her created mirrors. • Mirror Flower, Water Moon | Kagami gains access to nature's mirror, the water element. • Built to Last | You double the number of posts your mirrors stay active. Additionally, once per battle, you can use Terikaesu (Reflect) without paying its cost. • Area of Denial | Kagami doubles her range of control for her mirrors and gains an additional 75 chakra. • Otherwordly Imagery | Genjutsu performed by Kagami cannot be mimicked or reversed by any means. [ Genjutsu can still be broken, however. ]
Sakkakugan Attribues • Life Sense | Within 100 meters, any type of life is able to be seen as a bright glow, when even the Byakugan cannot see it. • Potent Illusions | Genjutsu performed while Sakkuguan is active are treated to cost an extra [5] chakra per rank of the genjutsu to Kai. • Sixth Sense as the First | With a stationary body, Kagami can detach her vision and walk around to look at things. Cannot physically move during this. • The Gift of Life | Kagami may trade her life for another's, resurrecting them if they were recently killed.
Sanbi Attributes Chakra Cloak Version 1: Basic Effects • Slight fortitude boost. • The host will begin to draw in ambient water towards itself slowly from the environment, drawing in a C ranked amount per post. This water will fall from the sky, rise from the ground, whatever so long as it is coming towards the host. It pools and rests around its feet and stays within an area of 10 feet. • Host can breathe underwater.
Mattysandwich
Posted: Wed Jun 10, 2020 2:48 pm
"The people are already oppressed!" Yusuke snapped in a manner which broke his composed manner. His eyes flared with a sense of feral rage before he took a breath. "The Yokai already oppress the world. Too many people have died by their numbers. And the rest of Zaishin is no better, with their archaic hierarchy and obsession over their superiority. No, in order to make a world without oppression, I must first tear down this world until it remains ashes and cinder." His eyes turned to Kagami. "I really wish that you could see that world with me, Kagami. To make a world free of the injustice and cruelty which infects society like a virus. Not just for us, but for your child." His words were sincere, but his tone was absolute. Kagami was going to die by the end of this exchange. It was only a matter of she did so willingly.
▱▰▱Kagami was taken aback by the rage that was born of Yusuke's fear of the yokai. Her shock then suddenly turned into a disarmingly gentle smile. "No Yusuke, that's not the right way. I made the mistake once of thinking the ends justified the means for so-called liberation. Many people died because I was wrong and I won't make that mistake again." Kagami took her firm stand against his plan before forming a handseal. She molded her chakra, not for an attack, no, but for a message. A disguised astral projection of her body would appear before Toso in the Spire's office. In a matter of a few seconds, her image would speak privately to Toso and would not be audible to Yusuke but he would see her standing still and quietly with a handseal. "Toso, I don't have long to talk. A man named Yusuke Seiryu is a samurai lord from a place called Zaishin. He wants me to give my life to summon a powerful creature called a familiar. He wants to control it to kill all of the yokai because many of them have attacked humans. I fear that he might kill me to conjure the familiar. I saw him use a similar creature to kill the god Utu and that's why the Sun is black. If you don't hear from me in three days then assume the worst. I'll do what I can to prevent him from taking control of the familiar for everyone's safety. If it is conjured then I don't want it to fall into the wrong hands. Goodbye." Kagami's spirit would then disappear. The others in the room would not recognize her as she appeared as a masked ANBU-like agent as a phantasm but her voice would be distinctly familiar to Toso. She put her hands to her side as she opened her eyes to re-focus on Yusuke. "I just sent a message to a shinobi kage of your plan. If you abuse the familiar then they will know. If I agree to give my life for this familiar then I want it to be used to protect people, not hurt them." Kagami continued to stand her ground and waited to defend herself if need be.
Personal Attributes • Smoke and Mirrors | Kagami can cast any and all genjutsu through eye contact with her created mirrors. • Mirror Flower, Water Moon | Kagami gains access to nature's mirror, the water element. • Built to Last | You double the number of posts your mirrors stay active. Additionally, once per battle, you can use Terikaesu (Reflect) without paying its cost. • Area of Denial | Kagami doubles her range of control for her mirrors and gains an additional 75 chakra. • Otherwordly Imagery | Genjutsu performed by Kagami cannot be mimicked or reversed by any means. [ Genjutsu can still be broken, however. ]
Sakkakugan Attribues • Life Sense | Within 100 meters, any type of life is able to be seen as a bright glow, when even the Byakugan cannot see it. • Potent Illusions | Genjutsu performed while Sakkuguan is active are treated to cost an extra [5] chakra per rank of the genjutsu to Kai. • Sixth Sense as the First | With a stationary body, Kagami can detach her vision and walk around to look at things. Cannot physically move during this. • The Gift of Life | Kagami may trade her life for another's, resurrecting them if they were recently killed.
Sanbi Attributes Chakra Cloak Version 1: Basic Effects • Slight fortitude boost. • The host will begin to draw in ambient water towards itself slowly from the environment, drawing in a C ranked amount per post. This water will fall from the sky, rise from the ground, whatever so long as it is coming towards the host. It pools and rests around its feet and stays within an area of 10 feet. • Host can breathe underwater.
Mattysandwich
NecroPlant
Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2020 4:02 pm
Kagami's actions caused the remaining guards to noticeably tense. As they moved their weapons toward her, Yusuke's arm rose to halt their actions. When she opened her eyes and gave her answer, Yusuke sighed and nodded. "Of course. Know that whatever happens, I will make sure your son has a good life." He said as he drew his blade. A sinister aura radiated from the sword in the shape of a dragon. A single slash shot forward as the anti-chakra aura flew forward to collide into Kagami. Of course this was a test attack designed to activate her chakra defenses. Once her defenses were establish Yusuke would move in and go for the kill.
(Whatever that phantom slayer attack is which shoots the no no chakra stuff.)
▱▰▱"K-Kagami no! Don't go!" Isobu cried out and wept as Kagami nodded her head and allowed the sword to pierce her heart. It's going to be okay, Isobu, I love you, friend. Please...go find Satoshi. Kagami gave her long-held demon a reassuring and soothing tone as she faced the end of the road. "Y-yes, I-I-I promise!" Isobu emotionally stuttered out. Her sacrifice would breathe life into the mighty familiar as she felt her soul ascend. She felt her spirit leave her body as she was immediately claimed by Sandayu into the divine realms. She was not to become divine herself but she knew that Sandayu would protect her. She saw his face as she ascended but also Belamos's visage. She felt the grace of his forgiveness as she fulfilled the prophecy in order for Belamos and others to take their rightful places. As her body collapsed lifelessly and her blood coated the blade, Isobu would disappear as well. His demonic chakra was absorbed into nature temporarily in order for him to reappear elsewhere and find Satoshi as he had tearfully promised Kagami. Kagami's bloody eyes of the Ketsuryugan allowed tears of icor to flow out as she shut her eyes for the last time. Her last breath was an exhale of relief knowing that she could finally rest. All the while, her final thoughts were of the weight of guilt's final lift with the ending of her life.
_______________ ≈Out Of Context≈ ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ Kagami Hari has died. Her mortal coil left behind would disintegrate entirely before giving form to the familiar. To all who may be reading this message, I request that Kagami Hari remain dead and untampered with as her story has been rightly concluded. Thank you and happy writing!
Personal Attributes • Smoke and Mirrors | Kagami can cast any and all genjutsu through eye contact with her created mirrors. • Mirror Flower, Water Moon | Kagami gains access to nature's mirror, the water element. • Built to Last | You double the number of posts your mirrors stay active. Additionally, once per battle, you can use Terikaesu (Reflect) without paying its cost. • Area of Denial | Kagami doubles her range of control for her mirrors and gains an additional 75 chakra. • Otherwordly Imagery | Genjutsu performed by Kagami cannot be mimicked or reversed by any means. [ Genjutsu can still be broken, however. ]
Sakkakugan Attribues • Life Sense | Within 100 meters, any type of life is able to be seen as a bright glow, when even the Byakugan cannot see it. • Potent Illusions | Genjutsu performed while Sakkuguan is active are treated to cost an extra [5] chakra per rank of the genjutsu to Kai. • Sixth Sense as the First | With a stationary body, Kagami can detach her vision and walk around to look at things. Cannot physically move during this. • The Gift of Life | Kagami may trade her life for another's, resurrecting them if they were recently killed.
Sanbi Attributes Chakra Cloak Version 1: Basic Effects • Slight fortitude boost. • The host will begin to draw in ambient water towards itself slowly from the environment, drawing in a C ranked amount per post. This water will fall from the sky, rise from the ground, whatever so long as it is coming towards the host. It pools and rests around its feet and stays within an area of 10 feet. • Host can breathe underwater.
Mattysandwich
NecroPlant
Posted: Wed Aug 26, 2020 7:47 pm
「 C K R A : :x1,260 // 1,260 」tab「 S T M : :x1,310 // 1,310 」tab「 X P : :x2320 」tab「 両 : :x32,300 」 tab「 Wanderer 」tab「 A-rank 」tab「 Jiongu 」tab「 Nin / Tai 」tab「 Theme: Tanada 」
Takeda rested his back against a wooden post, watching from the balcony at the town inn. The sun was beginning to rise, and he had a long day ahead of him. Around ten or so years had passed since the last time he visited the water country, and he would've been content to let the time pass more if it hadn't been for a mission bringing him into town. Someone was trading near the fire country and needed a bodyguard for the long way back home. He didn't know where "home" was, but the land of water was the last on his long list of assumptions. He'd already agreed to the job when he found out, but it was too late by then. It didn't help that the person he was supposed to protect, a young merchant named Sachi, was irritatingly pushy about the whole thing either. It sometimes felt like she was more interested in escorting him than the other way around, but he found peace in the fact that the mission was easy—nothing except for a few encounters with the wildlife on the way. The price for a night at the inn was paid for by her, so there was a silver lining.
He had a bad feeling, though. So long as he was in the water country, he felt like it was only a matter of time before being thrown into another annoying scenario. It wouldn't be the worst if I ran into someone from Kirigakure, but I doubt they'd even remember me. He thought while subconsciously running fingers by the scar beneath his right eye on his cheek, one of the many new ones he received during a darker time. He exhaled out a long, exasperated sigh and tore himself from the post he was using to support himself. There's a board in town with local requests. Might as well do those on the way out. Get paid to help resupply for wherever I go next. He walked back into his room and started gathering his things. He threw his traveling cloak on and equipped the tonfa he'd been learning how to use. They sat high up enough on his arm to not interfere with anything while also being ready to use at a moment's notice, so they were perfect for him. He made his bed and wrote a small note explaining that he left, which he tucked into the door.
~ ~ ~
When Takeda came face to face with the board of requests at Himawari, he didn't spend much time looking them over before taking them into his possession. He didn't take menial tasks since he often didn't do too well at them, but focused on things that he had some experience with. Combat, escorting, protecting, finding missing items, and oddly enough things to deal with the food industry. He placed them into the large pocket inside his cloak before looking over to the person staffing a desk. "Will the clients need to report to you about completion, or am I supposed to come back with some kind of proof?" He asked, earning him a few more stares than intended. He couldn't pick up what was said, but there was definitely mumbling going on. It irked him, but they could've been justified for all he knew. "We'll know, sir. Though...perhaps you should think twice about the task with the red stamp on it. It's a very dangerous one. If you don't have a group, I'd advise you to leave it on the board." The confusion was evident on Takeda's face, and he looked over the particular request again. There was either a group or powerful individual bringing havoc to several different towns. It'd been going on for a while, and the risk-reward was high.
Placing the parchment back into his cloak pocket, the jiongu waved a hand dismissively. "Thanks, but I'll be fine. I'll just retreat if it's too much for me." He gave what could be called a reassuring smile and then left without another word. He needed to decide on what request he wanted to handle first. A spot to think would be nice, either a bridge or a bench where he could relax. Scanning the town from his spot, he searched for such a place and went over.
It was quiet... too quiet. After finishing the paperwork for the new face that had just come by, which incidentally happened to be a little after he left, the receptionist suspiciously turned around, wondering why there was no jingling to be heard.
"OH MY SPIRITS! What the f- I mean, when did you get there?!" Despite the attempts to temper and sound more professional mid-speech, the exclamation still came off as crude. Though, to no fault of the poor elderly woman who had just nearly suffered a heart attack from turning around and seeing a woman peering right over his shoulder without a single sound. Not even a creak of the floorboard to announce her arrival, and just how long had she been there?! Certainly not when that young man was getting his missions in check, so some time in the few minutes since he'd left, she'd come around and gotten comfortable?
"Ahaha. Sorry baa-san," Kagerou briefly laughed. Though, aside from when her eyes closed for a little bit during the laugh, she kept right on reading through the various documents spread before the receptionist. "I could really let myself keep on ringing or else he might have recognized me, and I had basically promised that I wouldn't go looking for him." As if to indicate who this unnamed "him" was, her eyes stared over at the door Takeda had left from a few minutes ago. She hadn't replied to his letter requesting she leave him be, but that she couldn't respond was, in a way, proof that she acquiesced to his request, no matter how much she wanted to do otherwise. Even this meeting, unlikely coincidental as it was, had not been something she orchestrated. She grinned, though, happy that it had happened. Water Country was a big place, and no doubt Takeda had been avoiding it until now, when something or other unintentionally brought him to this nation despite his best laid plans. That they happened to be in the same place out of many at the same time out of few was a happy miracle.
However, the receptionist didn't know all that. Though, she did know a bit about the younger generation Uchiha. Enough to make her eyes squint in disbelief as she asked, "Are you actually happy he took the job?".
Kagerou shook her head nigh instantly, "No, of course not. I'm happy for another reason."
The important part here, for the old lady, was of course to defend herself, "Well, I've been trying to warn them all away not to. Not my fault that they won't listen," and she had been trying, shy of actually taking down the request, which wasn't something that could be done when so many were clamoring for them to be put up. She had been warning them all.
Kagerou was, of course, aware of all this. She was the ones that didn't want them up most, but what could she do? In fact, she even suspected that this was all part of what the bounty wanted. "Of course, Baa san. I know you're trying your best for my sake. Thank you~"
In classic grumpy yet kind old person manner, the aged receptionist quite point-blank refused to show affection and instead gave a pointed, "Harrumph!" as she turned away.
"Hm hm~" the young woman giggled, and the familiar sound of ringing bells filled the air once more, "I'll be going now. Thank you for letting me peruse the archives."
As Kagerou closed the doors behind her, a farewell, of sorts, was shouted at the last moment, "It gets cold at night around here! Make sure to where a jacket!".
"Will do, and thank you~" the lyrical gratitude squeezed through, right before the thunk of the wooden door closing.
She was no long in front of the old lady, but out here, there were many more eyes crossing the bustling street. Though she no longer had a conversation partner, that didn't mean she could relax, show the hesitation she felt alongside her happiness. She couldn't pause and stand still in thought in front of a business's door for forever, not even her own business, so she started walking, aimlessly even when it appeared as if she had a destination, as she mulled over what to do now.
Logically speaking, go. Her schedule had already been set, and she couldn't cut out her sleeping time as she had been doing before. That was the whole reason she was on vacation from her surgeon general position and submitted a leave of absence to her other responsibilities. She had to be ready and at as close to full potential as possible at any moment. Besides, Takeda couldn't have been clearer with what he wanted. She shouldn't be ignoring that just for her own peace of mind.
Emotionally speaking, she missed Takeda.
Someone backed up into Kagerou as she walked down the street, shoving her to the side unintentionally. It had been a mistake, and honestly, the person who had backed up into her looked more surprised to see that someone was behind her than she was surprised that she was suddenly crashed into. To the kunoichi, it was a common enough occurrence for her whenever she walked with her bells muted, as she just noticed she was doing now, probably did it unconsciously so that Takeda would be able to continue his stay comforably. After a quick exchange of apologies and "no worries," the two parties were on their way.
Well, one party went on their way. The green haired party stood in her spot for a little longer, staring at the bells she held in her hands to silence the ringing. After some consideration, she let them go, permitting them to ring to the heart's content as they usually did while she walked through town. Once again, with no destination, but this time, a purpose. She had the right idea back at the mission board: stare at him hard enough to burn holes in his back and hope that he breaks the silence first. So then, step 1 was to find him. Then step 2 was to stare at him. Easy peezy, lemon squeezy~
Oh, who was Kagerou kidding? It was such a horrible idea, but it had been so long she she had done something quite as bad that part of the reason she did it now was because it was such a horrible idea. The other part, and the reason the first part was even an idea, was because the target was going to be Takeda. There was also, of course, the more sensible part to this decision, in that, whether it was here in town or at the mission, the two were likely going to meet. A meeting in town would be the infinitely more convenient option. [67 sentences]
Tenshuyami
Posted: Sat Aug 29, 2020 11:23 pm
「 C K R A : :x1,260 // 1,260 」tab「 S T M : :x1,310 // 1,310 」tab「 X P : :x2320 」tab「 両 : :x32,300 」 tab「 Wanderer 」tab「 A-rank 」tab「 Jiongu 」tab「 Nin / Tai 」tab「 Theme: Tanada 」
Takeda sat at a bench a little off the center of town. Above him was a tree full of blooming white flowers that decided they'd dictate on their own when they went into bloom. According to what the innkeeper said the night he came into town, the tree would always grow back to its adult size only days after being cut down. It would also never run out of flowers or stop blooming, all because of some local legend. He didn't care to wonder if it was because of the Sero, or another strange connection to his old home. Things always turned out strange if Kiri had a history with them. Anyways, the inn's owner told him that it was a popular place for couples to sit and eat together. Given how early it was, there wasn't anyone else occupying the benches nearby to disrupt him from his relaxation, so that was a small victory. The innkeeper also offered specialized lunches for the experience, such as boxed seafood paella with fresh ingredients or a ham sandwich. Still, Takeda denied that, preferring to eat meals that he cooked on his own. Reaching into his cloak pocket of infinite possibilities, Takeda pulled out a small scroll that read "饔" on it. With a poof and a bit of smoke, his boxed lunch appeared. Even though he labeled it as a morning meal, the chicken karaage and curry rice showed that he wasn't limited to a normal breakfasts' constraints.
With the bento on the arm of the bench and chopsticks in his left hand, Takeda slowly fed himself a piece of chicken while his eyes scanned the contents of the white journal held in his right hand. The flyers' cut-up remains from Himawari's mission board rested in peace beside him, the essential bits of them pieced together and folded into different spots in the pages of his journal. He'd written down everything he needed to do in the water country, so that for the moment - with one leg crossed over the other in complete relaxation - he could look over everything at once. His eyes kept making their way back to the red-stamped mission, and he decided that one would be his "primary," while all the others were optional. He wanted to get as much done as he could first, but there was no way the jiongu could leave the town behind altogether until he saw that one objective through.
He had just finished swallowing down his bit of chicken and was bringing in some rice when he heard it. He couldn't place how near or far it was. Maybe it was some imperceivable distance from a sound he only imagined because of the land he was in, but something told him that wasn't the case. He remembered the exact sound of those bells so well that it was almost eerie to him. Their size, the silence in between from the average pace of the one who wore them, it all culminated into two distinct feelings. One of excitement that lasted for only the briefest of moments and the other being a kick of embarrassment that he'd reacted that way in the first place. He was quick to conclude that it wasn't a farfetched reaction, though, since she was his best friend who he hadn't seen in years.
Not that any of it mattered anyway, since the sound was gone once he tried to re-focus on it. It could've been anything. That was the thought he concluded on once a few more seconds had passed. He went a long time without thinking of the Uchiha, and having her come to mind in the Water country of all places was the worst scenario. Of course he wanted to see that nosy do-gooder again, but there was a reason why he wasn't reaching out to her yet. At least, that's what he told himself. There was no shame in standing in front of any of his old allies anymore. His thoughts were no longer constantly plagued by his recent torment. Hell, with him sitting there at peace with missions in mind and his own cooked meal, he was probably more put-together than quite a few Shinobi who were in the business as long as him.
Maybe it was just simpler to hold off a meeting than confront the possibility that the last living person he cared about had changed too much or left him behind entirely.
Catching himself blanking out for a bit too long, Takeda shook his head and returned to the task at hand. He picked out a job seemingly at random, closed his notebook, and then returned his boxed breakfast to its scroll. He then returned both the scroll and his journal to his cloak pocket and picked up his tonfa from the bench beside him. Even though he fully intended to get where he needed to be as quickly as possible, he couldn't help but stop and take in the sights one last time. White petals fell all around, drifting beautifully down the river that ran through town. Rays of sunlight peeked through the clouds, brightening up the path before him. This land has its moments, I guess. After taking it all in, he went in the direction of his mission. One that just so happened to be in the same direction he heard those bells earlier, though surely that was just a coincidence. (Not like anyone's planning an interaction here or anything)
Apartment 4 at the two-story residential building southeast of the town entrance received a knock from Takeda a couple of minutes later. A young boy with a head of pink hair and green eyes answered the door, with a girl of similar description peeking out from behind him. "Umm...can I help you, sir?" Said the child, his voice full of uncertainty.
The jiongu noted that his eyes weren't making direct contact; they were going a bit higher instead. If he was guessing right, it was the tuft of white in his otherwise dark hair. He crouched onto one knee and smiled reassuringly for both the boy and the girl who must've been his sister. "This is the Saitou residence, right? I heard in Himawari that some guys have been bothering your mom. I'm here to try and help with that." Those words seem to have done the trick since he could visibly see both of their eyes light up with understanding. It wasn't long until the girl was running from the door and calling for her mom. Judging by the scent beginning to make its way over to him she must've been in the middle of making breakfast.
Once he heard more than one set of footsteps approaching, he stood up, nodding to the older woman once she made her way outside—same hair and eye color, probably ten or so years older than him. He wouldn't be surprised to find out if she had an older child than the two he'd already met. Despite the way he tried to make himself as approachable as possible, she had an immediate disdain expression once she set her eyes on him.
"I know that your kind isn't above being underhanded, but I wouldn't even expect one of Jed's crew to lie their way into my doorway. What the hell does he want now?" She said vehemently, closing the door a bit more to limit what he could see inside.
Takeda had to do a double-take, his red eyes widening in response to what she told him. It suddenly made sense why her son stared the way he did, and why he noticed her eyes make the same movement when she came to the door. "Jed...? Did you say Jed? Couple inches taller than me maybe, with a wider build? Stupid two-toned mohawk-mullet thing?" His genuine surprise seemed to have shocked her, and he noticed that she opened the door a bit more. She was less on edge. "Look, I know him, but I don't run with that guy. If you can point me in the idiot's direction, I'd be more than happy to make sure he doesn't bother you again."
Chomping into the soft, white flesh of a steamed bun, Kagerou walked through town with more purpose than she had a few minutes ago. If she was going to meander, she might as well try to make a productive time out of it. There was a potential informant in this town, a new face who might know something that might be helpful. The green haired kunoichi figured that she might as well search for this man while she tried to bump into Takeda.
Who knew that she was going to find Takeda exactly because she was searching for her particular target.
"Jed's crew."
Kagerou's ear honed in on the woman's voice coming from somewhere ahead of her, but she didn't even blink. With not a stutter in her bell's ringing, she kept on walking as another stranger amidst the crowd, already having memorized where she had heard that name from. The only thing she did do was pointedly not look in the direction of the woman.
"Jed...? Did you say Jed?"
The ringing stilled. Kagerou's steps stopped. Of course, it wasn't the repeat of the name that halted her. It was the sound of the voice that spoke now.
"Couple inches taller than me maybe, with a wider build?"
Nostalgia blossomed across Kagerou's smile as she imagined exactly what Takeda described: Jed and Takeda, admittedly younger versions of each, standing side by side, the latter slightly shorter and with a slimmer muscle tone. No wonder she had thought the name sounded familiar. He had been the rogue she'd met while one a mission with Takeda. Mostly just once face out of many, someone she only recalled thanks to Takeda's description.
Looking in the direction of the two voices, Kagerou peered at the familiar yet unfamiliar back. A back she had seen many times, but had changed since the last time she saw it. However, of course, standing in the middle of the street as she was, she was being a public nuisance, so to the side she stepped just to make sure she was in no one's way, Takeda's included as he handled his business. Still munching on the large manjuu, Kagerou enjoyed the show.
He would hear her, no doubt, if not from earlier when she was walking, then as she moved her hand to and from her mouth. If not that, then she trusted Takeda's instincts. He'd always shown a good intuition for battle, even more sensitive than a sensor like her in some cases. Someone with his level of experience would feel the concentrated gaze on his person. Even from afar, the doctor was trying to diagnose by sight, find any indications of old wounds or habits formed from past injuries. Was it intrusive? Yes. Kagerou wouldn't normally be this creepy. In fact, she would rather not be creepy, but when one is not allowed to talk, then all they can do is stare and not talk, which is, by its very nature, creepy. [33 sentences]
Tenshuyami
Posted: Mon Aug 31, 2020 10:43 pm
「 C K R A : :x1,260 // 1,260 」tab「 S T M : :x1,310 // 1,310 」tab「 X P : :x2320 」tab「 両 : :x32,300 」 tab「 Wanderer 」tab「 A-rank 」tab「 Jiongu 」tab「 Nin / Tai 」tab「 Theme: Tanada 」
Understanding slowly appeared on the woman's expression, holding her chin in thought. If there was anything she could place about her interactions with Jed's crew, it's that none of them would ever dare to insult the man. Her green eyes searched his for any sign of dishonesty once more, but she couldn't find anything but an earnest gaze meeting her. "Okay...okay. I'm Saitou Ayaka, and I did place the request at Himawari. Please come inside. I'll tell you everything you need to know. Um..." Her eyes bounced from the dark-haired man to the woman beside him—the one who had been staring at him for a bit of time. "Your friend can come in as well if she likes."
Takeda knew full well what she was talking about. Even though he was distracted with his conversation, he was well aware that someone was watching him from behind once she entered a certain distance. Then all it took was another ring of the bell for the identity to be revealed. He merely smiled and nodded in response to Ayaka. "Thank you, Ayaka. I'll meet you inside in a moment." All it took was the faintest nudge of his head on top of those words for the doting mother to get the picture. Once she walked back inside, he reached forward to leave the door open just a crack, leaving him alone with his old friend. At that moment, all of the scars he received in the years that passed since their last meeting seemed to seethe at once. Like his body was wordlessly preparing itself for a scolding that probably wouldn't come. It wasn't like she didn't have the gall to get on his case, but he doubted that she'd try and do so before feeling him out all over again.
"I didn't think you'd have the time to stand around and stare at a man going about his business. You know, being the surgeon general and all. I hate cutting into the schedule of someone so busy, but wow, you really just had to pick the most "Kagerou" job of them all, didn't you?" He teased her, hoping to cut through any tension if there was any. Was she upset that he waited so long to see her? Or that she had to be the one to approach him first? Or...no, there wasn't a point in getting swallowed up in what-ifs again. Cutting the dramatics short, he turned around to see her, immediately struck by the fact that they weren't directly at eye level anymore. He supposed that was normal given how much he grew, but he didn't have anything to compare it to since he deliberately avoided everyone from his old life. The second thing he noticed was that she let her hair grow out, but everything else was undeniably her. It looked like she matured just as well as he did in the last five years.
He wanted to say something else then. Unfortunately, he was caught between scolding her for being impatient and wanting to ask a hundred questions. To restart their friendship at arm's length all over again. However, nostalgia took hold of his heart(s), and there was no denying how happy he was to see her again once that ball started rolling. The conversations when he needed to be healed, the attempts she made to understand his way of thinking, and the few times he tried to return the favor. He'd come a long way since throwing both her and Nozomi out of his room for a small show of disrespect. The Takeda from back then would have probably scolded her more fiercely than she deserved. But the friend she opened up? He was smiling from ear to ear when he spoke again. "It's good to see you again, Kagerou. It really has been too long." There it was. Sure, he may have just unlocked the one thing saving him from being monitored by the Uchiha for the rest of the days he planned to spend on his own, but there were worse fates out there. To him, losing her company for good was one of them.
The joke was received by a chuckle, a light jingle of laughter that would further prove Takeda's suspicions as he turned around. The black haired teen. No, perhaps man was a better term now, though to think of the boy she once knew as a "man" felt not quite right. The black-haired man, taller than Kagerou remembered, would be greeted with a familiar sight: a kunoichi with green hair and a smile that reached all the way up to her red eyes. Though she, too, had matured in appearance, the resemblance to her mother starker than even before, the fond affection in the smile she gave to her dear friend had not changed much at all.
She stood there, in no hurry to leave the wall she leaned again. Red eyes stared up just a little to take in the current color of her friend's ever-changing eyes. They were a crimson, like hers, and while her friend struggled with the awkwardness of a meeting long overdue, the relaxed kunoichi was smiling in silent merriment of her personal joke, how Takeda with red eyes looked more like an Uchiha than she did.
There was a lot she wanted to say. A lot she wanted to scold about. A lot she wanted to ask about. A lot she wanted to fuss over. A lot she wanted to hear. However, while she knew right away what she wanted, she gave Takeda the time to figure out his own answer. Waiting quietly, she was content with watching the ever changing emotions wash across his face.
In her predictions, she expected him to push her away. At worst, to want nothing to do with her, and ask her to leave him alone as a piece of his past he wanted to leave behind. One sentence could not summarize everything Kagerou had thought about for this outcome. All of the reasons she gave Takeda. All of the dilemmas she gave herself. All of the questions she would ask and how she should ask them. What she could do... or if there was anything she had a right to do.
At best... Well, she didn't think about "at best." She wasn't sure what that would be, nor did she want to raise her hopes any higher.
Therefore, when he smiled and when he said it was good to see her, a weight that she hadn't realized she had been carrying in her heart melted, like chains sliding off. The restraint she had built over time as she helplessly watched Nozomi slide further and further into herself, unable to reach out to Arashigakure as the once bright-eyed Aburame reached out to Kirigakure. The guilt that tied her hands when she found and then attacked Severin, abandoning him not once, but twice in his moment of need when he had been there for her when she needed someone, whether he realized it or not. She was released from both, even if only for just this one action.
The slight curving of her eyes into crescents as her smile got particularly big, giving her an impish look that perhaps Takeda would remember, was the only warning said Takeda would get after he finished his turn. Well, that and when Kagerou looked left-right-left to make sure that she wouldn't crash into anyone when she crossed the street. However, after that perfectly responsible safety-first precaution, she was running, charging straight into Takeda's personal bubble to give him a big hug.
Did she expect this to go well?
Honestly? She wasn't sure. She wouldn't be surprised if it didn't, even after getting all the good vibes from Takeda, and seeing how she laughed for no apparent reason as she hugged him, she was possibly already expecting and ready to be tossed off by his tendrils. However, even if she was torn off, she didn't mind. The important part was that she got through that he was still cared for and loved by someone, just in case he forgot something so crucial.
"Hello," Kagerou greeted in a voice that practically sang, simple and sweet, whether she be dangling from a tendril, picking herself up from getting tossed, or allowed to remain hanging on, her fondness for physical touch really coming out in how tightly she hugged her victim, "How are you?". It was a relief to feel Takeda in her arms again. Hear his hearbeat. Measure his body temperature. Yes, even accidentally end up discovering several new scars by touch through his clothes; she would scold him about those later. She trusted him to stay alive, more so than Nozomi and Severin. It was why she never fussed over him when he suddenly disappeared, in the same way she didn't fuss over Shadow when he suddenly disappeared. However, to say that she never worried would have been a lie. [48 sentences]
Tenshuyami
Posted: Wed Sep 02, 2020 3:00 am
「 C K R A : :x1,260 // 1,260 」tab「 S T M : :x1,310 // 1,310 」tab「 X P : :x2320 」tab「 両 : :x32,300 」 tab「 Wanderer 」tab「 A-rank 」tab「 Jiongu 」tab「 Nin / Tai 」tab「 Theme: Tanada 」
Any potential worries about the impression Takeda would make on their reunion were washed away with that beaming smile of hers. Of course, there was no way he could receive a smile like that from her in a situation like the one they were in without expecting to be all but pounced on. He thought that maybe she would try to feel him out first before trying something like that, but then when he considered how long it was since their last meeting, it made more sense. Not a word of communication for her in over five years, only to be followed up by a letter telling her to wait even longer.
I guess I only have myself to blame for this one.
She approached fast, and he had to deny the initial instinct to redirect all of that momentum elsewhere. Anyone else would probably wind up with their face in the dirt, but he had an unfortunate soft spot for the medic. The embrace that followed nearly took the breath out of him, but he didn't have any complaints. Other than the OASIS staff who took care of him, he didn't have any positive physical contact with anyone. In that woman's case, he only held her out of desperation and pain. It wasn't the same at all, and even if he liked to put on airs at times or act as if he hated it more than he really did, Takeda really missed the way Kagerou cared about him. However, the current display may have been a bit rougher than intended. He wondered if she was aware of her own strength.
Even then, it would've been a simple enough task to shake her off, but once her arms locked around him, he was struck with something that hit him just a bit harder than nostalgia. It wasn't just the silent reminder that he still had someone who cared about him. It was the fact that he still had the green-haired medic in his life. Period. There was no use in forming the words that described how much such a little thing meant to him because he'd never say them. As always, though, what Takeda didn't do with words he made up for with actions instead. His left hand made its way to hold her upper arm while the right placed itself firmly on her back, keeping her close to him. While it wouldn't seem like much from an outside perspective, it would've been a huge step up from any embrace she caught him in before, given the fact that he used to busy his hands with anything except for what was in front of him.
"I'm a lot better than I was when I sent you that letter, that's for sure. The world has changed a lot, though, and I got left behind. I think I'm just trying to find my place in it." He appreciated her restraint when it came to asking him questions about what he went through. Even if he told her that all she needed to do was ask, he was much more interested in catching up with her. "I was actually just thinking of writing to you again a minute ago. Since you're here now, though, and you already asked me this question...how are you? Is 'Surgeon General' everything you wanted it to be?" He made sure to pull back a bit from his own side of the embrace while asking that, making eye contact a bit more comfortable for him.
So she wasn't tossed or otherwise ejected from the hug, and that left the laughing, green-haired woman all the happier, if also surprised. It did not go unnoticed by her when Takeda returned her hug, and not just halfheartedly either. Though his touch was light, he'd never used both hands before, and he'd certainly never tried to keep her close with those hands. Honestly, she worried that it was a little too much. She loved it, of course, but a part of her couldn't help but wonder if maybe Takeda was forcing himself to accommodate her since it had been so long. She didn't want to be a bother to him.
Kagerou joked as she acquiesced to Takeda's silent request for distance by backing up a little on her own, "A lot more paperwork, that is." Minding the gap Takeda had initiated, Kagerou knocked his forehead with her knuckles instead of her forehead. Her laughter had since finished, but the traces of its merriment could still be heard in the ups and downs of her borderline singing she spoke through, "The world has changed a lot, but what's this nonsense about being left behind? So long as you believe it's true, then the Takeddy Bear is right where the Takeddy Bear needs to be." With her left hand already on his head, she took the opportunity to slide her fingers up through his bangs, sweeping them aside so she'd get a better look at his eyes. The glimpse the kunoichi got before the inky black veil swept back down over the eyes softened her smile. His eyes were different. Softer and gentler, it seemed. It would explain why he let her hug her so. He said the world had changed greatly, but in that time, it seemed Takeda had as well. "God, when did he get so tall? Poor Inka, all his children are outgrowing him even. But Shadow is probably still a small and cute bundle, right?". What had he gone through? Both before his letter and after. Kagerou felt a little left behind, too.
"Though, is the right here where you belong really the best time to be sharing stories?" she asked, reminding both Takeda and herself. One hand, the right hand that hadn't messed with Takeda's hair, had been maintaining the hug to some degree by keeping a gentle grip on the hand that connected with her upper arm. "I heard enough to know that your mission involves Jed. That was the guy we met on the escort mission from Takumi, right? I might be interested in speaking with him myself. How about we work together?" Kagerou got the ball rolling first, with an offer and the explanation that accompanied it.
