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 Posted: Sat Jan 24, 2009 5:55 pm
Megumi smiled, as if that was exactly what she had thought he would say. She well remembered his ideas for the arrows, and had seen him taking this train of thought, even back then. Megumi: The strategist. Mentally she scoffed at the name. She still hadn't a title. They'd have to work on that. But as it was, Megumi held her hands out and a long, white bundle appeared in them, courtesy of a kawarimi she had prepared beforehand. "I thought something like that might be your choice. And I had a good friend of mine do something to that end. Know that you are the first besides the smith to see this, and that it is yours to use as you will." Megumi held out the silken bundle delicately. Inside, she knew was a composite bow and a dozen arrows of the finest quality that could be crafted. However, out of respect for the weapon, she had never looked at it nor ever released it from its bundle. As that was meant for Irihi alone.
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Posted: Sat Jan 24, 2009 7:54 pm
Irihi looked greatly surprised, before a flush flickered across pale cheeks. With his rather feminine looks...it really did make him look rather demure. "A-arigatou Megumi-sensei..." He wouldn't know that there was a bow inside the bundle, but guessed it was, from how it felt.
Lailah let out a happy bark, but suddenly tensed. "Hm...? What's wrong, girl?" Had the wolf pup sensed danger? Lailah's ruby eyes flared and she growled, menacingly, to the darkness. The scent was faint...but then he noticed it too. Someone was there, watching - and it wasn't Meimu-sama! Ghostly flower petals floated around the figure - a girl, Irihi noticed, as his eyes narrowed. Almost a phantom spectacle... She couldn't have been much older than him, yet...she had masked her presence spectacularly.
"And I thought he would last at least a little longer..." Said the girl, as she held up one hand, and gently took one of the phantom sakura petals from the air. A doll-like expression, devoid of emotion, as she pressed the sakura petal to her lips. A regal air around this person...almost like how members of the Hyuuga family commanded themselves.
There was no doubt...this girl was talking about Hajime. Quick as a flash, Irihi reached behind for his bow and quiver: arrow now aimed at this newcomer. "Are you..." His lips felt dry. Don't worry, don't worry...Megumi-sensei was with him. "Are you involved with him?"
"No." Was all she replied.
"You're not wearing identification." It was true, this young woman had no hia'ate to mark the village she came from. "And I never saw your face in the village before. Who on earth are you?" To Irihi's surprise, however, the bow snapped cleanly in two. What the... Did she do something? Something was...
Something was around him...
"How rude. But it does not matter... I thought so. Even if you can't see it, you could sense it, couldn't you..." A dismissive wave of her hand, and the pressure vanished. Spirits...this woman was commanding spirits... "My apologies...but I would rather prefer not to fight. I am a Sannin of Sunagakure no Sato, granted by the fire damiyo, temporary residence in Fire Country."
"Your name?" Ah...Meimu. So the sentry captainess never left in the first place....but had remained hidden in the shadows. Irihi only wasn't able to detect her, because her scent already had been present. His enhanced senses weren't fully developed yet, so he might've attributed it to a lingering scent.
After all, there was one thing bugging her...a certain target she had been trailing all day. "You know, the damiyo may have granted permission... But he controls not our village." The Hyuuga genjutsu mistress...her point was clear. Konoha was in a precarious state, with their current Hokage living elsewhere...and this would perhaps be the most unwise time for foreigners to intrude upon village grounds.
The bells in her headpiece chimed as she swept into a regal bow. "Shinjukai, the shamaness... Juuri is fine."
"No surname? Suna's High Priestess..." Said Meimu quietly. "Nineteen years old, yet one of the most powerful shinobi of their village. Rumor has it that you weren't even part of Suna, until a few years ago... So. What do you want with Konoha?"
"A proposal." The look in this young woman's eyes were unreadable. "One that I believe Konoha would be interested in."
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Posted: Sat Jan 24, 2009 8:07 pm
There were three audible clicks, almost all of them at the same time. This would strike Irihi as odd, as there were only ever two clicks when Megumi was snuck up on. But nothing else had happened when Megumi turned around, calm as could be.
Megumi was struck silent as soon as she had stopped her turn. This was unlike any other time in her life... It was... Strange... Unsettling. That she could be held in place like this....
Her brother took over, and the spell was broken. Megumi's blue eye stayed locked in place on the figure, taking in every detail, although the green one never strayed too far away, being cautious to watch for danger... Although watching wouldn't do much good.
He slowly touched Irihi's arm, preparing another kawarimi. Megumi's hand slid back under his trenchcoat, while his eyes never strayed from Shinjukai.
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Posted: Sat Jan 24, 2009 8:41 pm
She closed her eyes, the passing breeze sifting through short, blue-green hair...like the colour of the ocean. Phantom sakura petals floated around her...were they truly from the surrounding grove or perhaps... "Not...here..." A pause. "I see."
That seemed to startle Meimu. "W-what?"
"It's a pity...that the starting card is not here."
For a moment, there was only the rustling of the wind and the gentle chirping of crickets. Elsewhere where it would've been strange, but to this village and its temperate climate (crickets in Spring, lolz)...
"Senju Zephyr. I wonder what kind of person is he."
The Hyuuga Sannin's Byakugan flared on. Very rare it was to see...but the southern gate captain took her kempo stance. "How...how did you...!"
"You said it yourself." Quiet voice, like the distant chime of crystal bells... "Because I was in Suna for so short a time...Konoha too will not have much information on me." A pause. "But there's no need to be so worried. I have only come to speak with the Kage..."
"After all..." Her eyes darkened. "I believe the higher-ups here already know...what had become of Suna."
Classified information... Meimu hated herself having to say anything in front of Irihi...however. "Yes. We heard. Of the new...Kazekage."
"Then, you should understand very well." A pause. "With the Wind Master gone, I had planned to return to Suna. Now, only for another usurper to come. I'm certain...this village thinks the same of it too..."
It was true...nobody wanted war... And since this new Kazekage, Lokail as Meimu had heard... This former missing-nin, Konoha had once helped Suna hunt for. Relationships were not expected to be good. "I know but...it's the Suna Council decision so we can't just...!"
"The old Councilmen are a weak and fearful group..." Her soft voice trailed into the night air. Juuri met Nyame's gaze, unflinchingly. "I came...to speak to the Hokage. Instead, I have found yet another card."
She...knew where this was going. The lines of the Byakugan faded. "But Irihi is only a child - you can't take him!"
Juuri casted her gaze in the halfblood Hyuuga and his sensei's direction. "That person can come too, if he wish." A pause. "Would you forsake this chance?"
A chance...a mission...a mission to Suna, but a dangerous venture. The price of peace...how costly it is.
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Posted: Sat Jan 24, 2009 8:52 pm
Megumi stood protectively beside Irihi, watching with cautious, heterochromatic eyes this 'priestess...' What the hell is wrong with you? MEGUMI! WAKE THE HELL UP! his hand met Megumi's cheek and she looked like she had just been struck, her head actually turning from the impact. Megumi chose her words very carefully... Although her motives for this confused even her. "What exactly is it that you are asking, ma'am?" The masculinity had drained form her body and her tone, and she was once again, almost certainly female.
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Posted: Sun Jan 25, 2009 10:04 am
"I don't have the authority to authorize missions." Replied the Genjutsu mistress. "Even if it is indeed in Konoha's best wishes...the order of the Council remains priority." Pale eyes remained fixed on Juuri. "You should understand very well, then, Shinjukai-san. In times like these, our village cannot trust any outsiders found on our territory."
"Even if the Hokage isn't here...the Council can authorize missions, correct?" From how Meimu was quiet to that, Juuri assumed it was true, even for a foreign village. After all...she herself had lived in three different shinobi villages in her life...familiarizing herself to three different ways of life. "Konoha doesn't want war with Suna. Suna doesn't want war with its ancient ally..." She said, simply. "I would prefer that too. However, this new Kazekage tips the scales of balance..."
"Wouldn't Konoha prefer the chance to find out what exactly is going on in Suna?"
"But why Irihi? If it's age, surely, Kana-chan would..."
Juuri closed her eyes again. "Hyuuga-Yubei Gekkani...twelve years old, puppet master. Cannot see or hear but possesses incredible sixth sense and at an unbelievable range. One of the four sentry captains...and currently one of the most powerful shinobis present in this village."
That's right. This ability... "You...you're a..."
"Yes, a Fujiko shaman. My ability is to communicate with the spirits of nature." So the ghostly sakura petals floating around her...the spirits of the Sakura grove. "But it matters not..." Her expression grew unreadable. "That family no longer holds any connection to me."
"I ask again... This child particularly, because he would be best suited. There is an Inuzuka clan in Suna. There are no Yubeis there. Even in terms of masking power, this child still has the potential to grow strong. However, the western gate captain...she had already capped the height of her power."
The Fujiko shamans...their readings were famed to never be wrong. And it was true...long before even this woman spoke of it, the clan Elders already knew Gekkani could advance no further than her present height of power. In short, she had already reached her prime, though ridiculously early...probably because of her Yubei inheritance. The sixth sense that unlocks hidden potential...
But Irihi...still... He hadn't even completed the Juuken Kempo school...
"Meimu-sama..." Irihi spoke up, his voice quiet. "Is it true? Konoha might go to war against Suna?"
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Posted: Sun Jan 25, 2009 10:14 am
Megumi waited, still carving every detail of this woman into her memory. The curve of her lips.... The mystifying color of her eyes.... Megumi forced herself to focus --halfheartedly-- on the conversation... She had relied on the Fujiko many times for readings of her future.... And it seems that they hadn't failed her yet... She already knew how this meeting would turn out. This was the reason she had had her surgery... This was the reason she could never mother a child.... She sighed softly... She tried to ignore the second half of her own fortune-tellers reading. "A war against Suna...." No need to finish. A war against Suna in these troubled times... It would destroy us. It would eradicate Konohagakure and wipe the village off the face of the map. Those that survived would run and hide... We would scatter, and lose our heritage to time.
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Posted: Sun Jan 25, 2009 11:25 am
The genjutsu mistress looked away. "It's true. That is what the ANBU captain (Anzu) says." Meimu paled. "We can't afford war. Not with half of the village shinobi not even on Konoha grounds! Certainly..." Her voice trailed off. "Konoha has many powerful families and talented shinobi...however...still...an incomplete village against a fully prepared one..."
There was no need to continue. What remains of the shinobi in Konohagakure no Sato itself could massacre, in terms of sheer power. But when considering an overwhelming number factor...in the end, it would still be Konoha's loss. And to make matters even worse...how close Konoha and Suna are to each other...not just in distance, but a sham to the history and close friendship between the two villages. The older generation...they would surely hesitate. To bear arms against former comrades...
She took a deep breath. "I want to believe it..." The look in her eyes grew steely. "Konoha is precious, not for its edifices, but for its people. We of the older generation...are prepared... To defend the villagers at any cost." Meimu made sure to say 'villagers' and not the 'village' itself. She casted a glance at Irihi. "We will entrust the younger generation with the future. As long as there is those who hold those ideals alive...Konoha will not be destroyed."
"Well said. Though how unfortunate of you to reject my offer..." Juuri's soft voice, empty of emotion, complemented well with the mystic scenery behind her: the ghostly sakura petals floating like snow around her, the breeze playing with her short pale turquoise hair. The wind billowed out her shamanic robes, moonlight reflecting over the golden threads of the embroidery. "Is that too part of your will of fire?"
The shamaness had taken out a deck of tarot cards. She shuffled them and drew out a card. "Konoha's past...the Sun. Enlightenment, radiance...an optimistic start." She placed the card on the back of the deck. She took the next one. "Konoha's present...the wheel of fortune. Sudden events...surprises to come. What the older generation does shall determine the next generation's future..." A pause and she too replaced the last card. "Konoha's future...the upside down tower. To be in a harsh position but exiting in a good manner. Dangerous trails, ordeals lie ahead... But this village would endure if they face it just right."
Meimu took a deep breath before responding. "For once, I do not wish to rely on divination...but trust in the future and the children here and those the fleeing troope had saved..."
"I...won't accept it." Irihi's eyes flashed with steely determination. "Konoha...is made of its people and the legacy the older generations have left. Twice before, the village was destroyed - once, eradicated. Yet still each time, its people built it up." A pause. "I want to believe in the Rokudaime's words...and the promise of the Senju clan - that this village shall never become nothingness again."
The promise of the Rokudaime...after he rebuilt the village following the first destruction of Konoha...
"If I can be of aid...I want to help Konoha."
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Posted: Sun Jan 25, 2009 11:45 am
Megumi had remained silent... But when Irihi spoke, she felt the need to speak as well. "Where Irihi goes, I go as well.." Waiting, watching... Things Megumi was very good at... But... She had never felt the urge to wait and watch.... She traced every elegant curve of the shaman's body... Trying to convince herself she was just memorizing a threat.
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Posted: Sun Jan 25, 2009 1:00 pm
Meimu sighed. "I suppose so...I can have Anzu-sama authorize the visas." A soft pause as she met Juuri's gaze evenly. "Certainly, Megumi-san may go with Irihi-kun. But how shall I know that you're not an enemy? To have them go with a Sannin..."
A quiet pause. "How much do you know?"
"Well..." Meimu looked thoughtful. "Fujiko clan, like Hyuuga family...both holds non-killing ethics."
"That is not it. I ask again, what does Konoha wish for as proof?"
"...well..."
"Peace with Suna." Completed Irihi. "That is enough." Smiling, Irihi turned to his sensei. "Right, Sensei?"
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Posted: Sun Jan 25, 2009 1:11 pm
"What times are these, where the weapons of war seek only but a means to end their existence?" Megumi sighed. "Peace is the only thing to be sought, I suppose." Megumi could think of a few things that she wouldn't mind having, but they would come with the act of her being near this person. She pried her eyes away from the priestess.There is nothing here for us. I agree... Besides... The road to peace is paved in bloodshed.
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Posted: Sun Jan 25, 2009 1:24 pm
"Hehe. Don't worry so much Meimu-sama, I'll be fine!" The halfblood Hyuuga beamed.
The genjutsu mistress seemed unhappy. "What about...?"
"I'll figure them out on my own. Sooo..." Turning to Shinjukai: "Let's leave already. Traveling is going to take a while so we should hit the road already!"
Juuri respectfully inclined her head to Meimu, a gesture of respect and farewell, for now. "We shall meet again. *Card of the Moon."
To Irihi, all she said was: "As you wish."
((exiting to Mountains A Far From Konoha))
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Posted: Sun Jan 25, 2009 1:44 pm
Megumi followed, silently watching the priestess. There were three, slow, deliberate clicks as she followed. her headband was lost in the folds of her clothes, and soon disappeared into her pocket. She already had everything she needed. There was nothing else to be done. She smiled as she walked, happy to be traveling again.Don't be so happy. It makes it harder to appreciate the fact that you're blushing. Megumi thought, teasingly. It would be a shame for you to start drooling from the corners of your smile.Psh. You're watching her too, Megumi. He pulled back inside their minds gently so? Her replied, in a juvenile tone. at least my mind's staying relatively clean compared to yours. Honestly, I never would have pegged you for that ty- the sting of the embarrassed slap hushed him
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Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2009 5:03 pm
((Will give multiple lessons in the next post.
When you're done, Izzy, use the training template and post your training for evaluation into the Experience thread.))
Though it was partly cloudy, the open meadows were as glorious as ever: brilliant sunshine pooling around, lighting up random clusters of verdant and colorful hues alike. A gentle zephyr passed by, blowing a few fallen petals into the air as she led the way to training field sixteen... Melediana was secretly glad it wasn't so sunny. It wasn't because she gets sunburned easily either...
Melediana paused for a moment, as if a bit surprised. Hm...so more decided to join in, huh? Well, that was fine too. Though it really should be Nyame's duty...the poor girl was already multi-tasking in smithing and clan duties. Fine. She'll help around. "Why don't we introduce ourselves first? I am Fuurin Melediana, rank Jounin. I currently run the Ichiraku Ramen Stand and Onsen restaurant as my job. Though I have formerly been an active part of the medical team, I have as of current resigned to a more demure role in the village hospital, in order to pursue the interests of my businesses." A pause. "However, that does not mean I am any more lenient than the official teachers if in fact, stricter."
"If you wish to graduate, you will have to contribute your utmost efforts."
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Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2009 5:10 pm
Abel sighed with the old name circle deal. He hated being treated like a kid. After shifting back on his heels Abel yawned. "Abel." He didn't feel like offering his last name. Just to add a tinge of disrespect to his introduction. He turned to notice the girl that had tagged along. She looked simple and boring. Her eyes were bright though, he had to pull himself away from staring. What was up with all the green?
(really sorry gtg to dinner brb soon hopefully!)
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