Come to the Water! (Akihana, Invite Only)

"I'm off!" The only words the young male had told his parents as he rushed out of the house and into the streets of Hoshi with a smile on his face. The time since he had came to the village had been pretty fun, the young male had been able to walk the streets and meet many a new people and learn things he would not have in the Lands of Rice. Being in Hoshi allowed him to open his young mind in more ways than one though everyone here had begun to call him the "Blue-haired" runner only because he had already got the habit running to and fro through the village.

Today he had been walking rather silly towards the water gardens one of his favorite spots due to all of the running water and of course...trees! Blue hair swayed in the wind as he appeared where he wanted to be, sitting in front of a fountain staring at it with big eyes almost as if he was admiring the water itself. While he had formal ninja training he was far from being one, the land where he had originally came from and yet he liked this. Kicking his feet to and fro he swayed his body with the water often speaking some form of gibberish before going silent and smiling to himself. What a day it was to be this awkward kid.

"Focus Akihana," the kunoichi murmured under her breath, her soft ton resembling her sister's remarkably. Or at least what Senritsu had sounded like back then. An image of neat, white blonde plaits perfectly tied came to mind, the permanent expression of disapproval on her sister's face. Akihana shook her head. She wondered how Senritsu was these days? Had she made a career for herself as a kunoichi or - like most Akari women - settled down with a family of her own. She was sure however that no matter what Senritsu nay-chan was doing, she was excelling at it.

Unlike Akihana.

Learning powerful techniques was a challenge indeed but here, the kunoichi seemed to be having trouble with the basics. Perhaps that was what happened when you grew too advanced in a field. It was hard to reign in the power in, to the extent where the simple fire stream jutsu she'd been attempting, she was too scared to let out in case it caught the nearby trees on fire.

"Come on, you can do this," the blonde tried again and let out her breath, a small stream of fire accompanied the exhalation even as her fingers formed the seals to extinguish the flame midair. No properly damage would be done today. Wiping the beads of nervous sweat off her brow, the kunoichi felt herself relax. She had done it. Now to the next step.

But before she could consider her next move, she felt someone approach. Using the light to blend into the environs, in this case behind a tree, the blonde waited to see if whoever was approaching needed privacy. She could always slink away should they need to be alone, or help should they need assistance. A few minutes later, a blue haired child ran into the gardens, making a beeline for the fountain - unmistakably a ninja child.

Letting him play with the water a bit, Akihana found herself content just watching him. It had been a while since she'd simply watched a child be himself, and the blonde could get dangerously drawn into it if she didn't watch out. So against her wishes, she stepped out from behind the tree, coming into view as she walked towards the kid.

"Hi there," she called out so as not to scare the kid. "The water's pretty isn't it?" With that, she raised a single finger to the fountain, forming a glittering water bubble the size of the boy's fist and floating it towards him. "You can hold it, this one won't burst, I promise," she smiled, bright golden eyes glowing warmly.

"Water flows like a breeze in the wind, O water bring fun to the world!," soft chuckles escaped the male as he continued to bob back forth unknown to the blonde beauty in the same area training. All the while the male had been teetering and tottering to the own beat in his mind the water sending him on some psychedelic ride that no one could explain...not even him. The footsteps of the female went unnoticed until she had spoke which caused to boy to go," Uwaaaaahhhhh," falling over onto his side and squirming like a small caterpillar before flopping about twice and then just laying there...Talk about the dramatic one.

Big blue eyes flowed as bright as the water as he leaned back and then bobbed forward to get a better look at the woman who had looked at him," Mhm Water is always nice to look at. Its so peaceful and pretty...like you!," his smile never faded as he took the water bubble from her gently into his hands and began to play with it. It took him a minute to register that she did this with ninjutsu before his eyes lowered and looked around rather sneakily," But I thoughts ninjutsu usage was banned and a no-no in the village miss...are you some kind of exception or something," Nudging her softly with his left elbow he continued to smile.


At that moment he took the water into his other hand and placed it onto his head before holding out his left hand and smiling," I'm Dusk! Its nice to meet you pretty haired lady," though he seemed like a small child it was hard to believe that this young male was already a teenager. Waiting for the female in front of him to introduce herself, he continued to balance the ball of water on his head not even asking how she made it spectacular thing, no he was more interested in her and being random at the same time.

A flicker of concern clouded her golden gaze as the blue haired child fell down but once she had ensured he wasn't hurt, the kunoichi relaxed, offering him a hand to get him back up on his feet. He didn't seem to be having much luck accomplishing the task himself which made the blonde's heart go out to the adorable child immediately.

"Ah but not as good looking as you," she added to his compliment, reaching to ruffle his hair slightly. Just by the way he was dressed and walking around, he probably wasn't a local or a shinobi. Hoshi shinobi were trained to blend in and this little boy was doing the opposite of that. When he asked if she was an exception, the young woman merely shook her head.

"Nope, I'm Akihana," she introduced herself with a smile. "And this water bubble doesn't have to be a ninjutsu," she added with a playful smile, reaching out to poke the bubble which burst, into a dozen smaller multi colored bubbles all dancing on the boy's head. "It can just be a game? We can call it Dusk's special water game," she explaind once he'd introduced himself. Even the name rang foreign, emphasizing how he wasn't from here.

"So Dusk, why are you all alone here? Did you tell your mommy and daddy you were going to go watch the fountains?" she asked, her tone light and playful as she viewed the child. It had been a long time since she had noticed someone just having fun and the feeling brought her more hope than she could have imagined. "Did you let them know when you'll be home? Parents worry about those things, you know."

Ooh the young blonde had a way with words as the young male began to blush madly and grasp for his face wiggling about as he did so," Ohhh you are just saying that aren't you?," of course he couldn't help but lean into her hand as she ruffled his hair, the feeling of her fingers rubbing his scalp was amazing! It had been a first for him to see someone with blonde hair, most he had seen was some brownies with long hair and that had been boring. His eyes found themselves gluing to her hair as he slowly reached out to grab it and pet it softly knowing to never pull or otherwise mess up a woman's hair less he get beaten to a pulp.

A game all his own? While the woman had successfully taken his mind of ninjutsu for a moment due to him clapping for the bubbles (attention span of a goldfish and all) he didn't mind this special game," Yes! I would love my own special game...Can this be a game between the two of us then? It wouldn't be right without it...would it?," those blue orbs stared up to her as he grasped one of the bubbles in his hands, fiddling with it softly as he did so. Dusk hadn't met many of the other "people" of this village, and by people he meant those that stood out the most. There had been him with his blue hair and hyperactive personality and now this nice lady with radiant locks of yellow that gleamed within the light.

When asked about his parents his brow began to furrow softly almost like a wave of water before running off to the fountain and climbing onto it," Momma and Poppa know where I am though they always know where water is involved I am not far from it! I heard about this place from the people outside and how the water was "simply beautiful" so I had no choice but to come here...I won't get in trouble for being here would I?," though as soon as he was about to answer her next question his mind wandered off to the next," So what are you doing here miss? You here for the water as well??," questions after questions this boy could not simply be bothered with the boring things, fun things were his forte.

Before the last question had slipped his factory of a mind he nodded and waved his arms around," I always come home before the sun sets and I wanted to get a better feel of the village before doing anything cool...So are you a ninja miss?," the bright blue eyes grew to enormous size as he waited for her answer...who knows he might have met a ninja today.

Akihana's smile brightened as the young boy blushed at the compliment. She hoped he was used to them, a happy child like him should be well received by all. But the kunoichi knew the world didn't function often as it should. Though it did help her decide that from now on, at least this little boy would get his fair share of compliments and praise. When Dusk reached out curiously towards her hair, the young women went still so as not to startle him. Blonde hair was a rarity in Hoshigakure, only associated with royalty. She wasn't surprised he wanted a closer look and Akihana let him. A small genetic mutation to medics, it was almost akin to magic in this country, a fact that Akihana had taken quite a bit to reconcile herself with.

"Oh no sweetheart, you'll never be in trouble for being near water,"she assured him, listening to the rest of his words. He didn't seem unduly alarmed at her display of chakra and his looks already marked him as an outsider. Now though, with his questions, Akihana began to wonder if Dusk too was from a ninja background. "And yes, it can certainly be our game," she confirmed brightly, weaving a few hand signs once more so a few bubbles of fire appeared a safe distance away from the boy. With a simple hand movement, three of the water bubbles flew from Dusk to join their fiery brethren and soon, the blue and orange bubbles were chasing each other around in a bright display of color.

"You caught me" she confessed, turning to look at him after putting on the small show. "I am a ninja, though I'm Akihana first. Are you a ninja as well? I don't think I've seen you at the academy, or i would definitely remember you."

Fire!!! The young male was about to go into a state of panic until he had seen her move the water bubbles in a way that had caused a rather nice collaboration between the two opposing elements. Just like that she had gotten the young boys attention all on the orbs of fire and water, his wide blue eyes staring at them as if he was wanting to learn how to do it himself. Knowing he had an affinity for water, he could help but wonder if she would teach him the same albeit in a manner that was fun instead of just lectures...those were boring after all. A small sigh of relief escaped his lips as he continued to watch the water and fire dance knowing that his new favorite spot to be wouldn't be taken from him and that would make him sadder than a puppy with no mother.

When she confirmed his question and also asked if he was a ninja, he would begin to wave his arms around as if they were small waves of water just cruising along. He didn't know how to exactly answer that though the obvious question would have been no, but then maybe she would have asked him how did he know about ninja and all of that. So in kind Dusk responded as he usually would have in a situation like this," Nopey opey I am not though my dad gave me some basic ninja training before we moved here. Just small things like stealth, knowing your surroundings and all of that stuff. But the things you can do? I don't know how to do any of that!," waving his arms around to show emphasis he began to make his way back over to the fountain where he sat down on the marble edge.

As he sat down quite the interesting idea came to mind that caused the young male to clap his hands together in triumph of such a good idea," Can you teach me how to become a ninja of the village?," blue eyes looked up to the female as he eagerly awaited the answer.

Akihana listened to the boy, all the while making sure he wasn't frightened by the display of chakra. Her suspicions about a shinobi background were confirmed but the blonde still kept a cautious eye on Dusk. Ninja were not viewed in the friendliest of ways in most places of Hoshi and he might have picked up the fear and misunderstanding associated with the belief. Though his affinity to water made the young woman think not. Chakra had a way of making itself known to a shinobi and while this blue haired child had no jutsu in his arsenal, the way he was drawn to water spoke volumes to his elemental affinity.

"Well, that part requires a little bit of training," she explained when Dusk mentioned not being able to create the bubbles she had. Dispelling the fire orbs with a hand motion, the blonde slowly guided the water bubbles back to the fountain, making them burst one by one over the water as they returned to the original source. In any environment as hot and dry as Hoshigakure, water conservation was no joke. "But yes, I can certainly teach you how to be a ninja. And very soon, you'll leave me waaaaay behind," she smiled, stepping on the marble edge of the fountain where he sat. Gathering her simple dress around her, the kunoichi looked down at him with a soft smile. "But first, how about we have a bit of fun?"

With that, she would offer him a hand, motioning for him to stand up with her and holding both his hands in hers, just as she had taught Arata how to do the same technique a lifetime ago back in Kumo. At the time, they had used the bath tub, she was glad they had a large fountain to practice on now.

"You love the water don't you? It's because the water is alive, it flows and it swells and it sways. You need to learn to fall into rhythm with it and then...." Stepping lightly, the kunoichi moved one of her dainty feet towards the water, standing perfectly balanced on the surface, her weight sending ripples scattering around the fountain. The edges of her gown disappeared in the fountain as her other foot followed, Akihana standing on the water holding on to the child's hand as his feet firmly gripped the marble ledge. "Now try to feel the water under you. Your chakra knows how to get in tune with water, you just have to let it. Don't worry, I promise I won't let you fall."

Slowly he watched as the bubbles were returned to their natural elements, the fire being dispersed and the water being returned to its source which had made the young male smile a bit. Watching the water slowly become apart of its own lifestream caused the male to dip his hand ever so slowly just to feel the brushing of the water and its temperature on the back of his hand. The young male had such a draw on water that it had often became his sanctuary to the extent where if he were ever sad he would sit in the tub just submerged by water and instantly feel better. Because of that he felt he could overcome anything. His train of thought became as free flowing as the water as Akihana spoke to him, everything being retained in his mind and yet the boy was deep within space.

Dusk slowly turned to the golden woman and smiled brightly as he removed his hand from the water, sitting it on his lap," Well I don't think I will ever surpass you... You seem like a really strong ninja. What I want to do as a ninja is...help I guess," he never wanted to be a ninja of fame, instead he just wanted to do what he could to help. Back in his old home he was often taught that being helpful meant not only being strong enough to fight but also strong enough to carry the burden of others even if it meant setting your own feelings aside. Though Dusk himself could never truly set his own feelings aside (Too big of a heart) he knew that he could be what his father had envisioned for him.

He slowly watched as she pulled herself up onto the fountain and when she had offered her hands to him he slowly took them with his small hands and stood up slowly. His head slowly nodded with a smile as she began to speak, but when she had stepped onto the water his eyes lit up in amazement, still sitting on the marble facet he listened to her last words though he didn't know what she had meant by his chakra had knew what to do. For a moment he pondered on what she had meant and took everything into consideration. Let his chakra flow like the water. Did that mean he should allow it to ebb and flow to match the water or...

For what seemed like minutes his mind racked on the situation until he had finally came to the answer he needed. Taking a deep breathe he decided to let go of his doubts and take his first full leap. Slowly he pressed his left foot onto the waters cool surface allowing his chakra to flow into his feet much like a flowing river. As he did he began to stand atop of the cerulean waters and before long he pressed his right foot onto it before standing proud on the waters surface. A welling sense of accomplishment entered his body as he smiled almost jumping for joy as he did," I...I did it!!! Look Akihana I did it! ," the simple things in life allowed him to enjoy such an accomplishment, but what was to come next?

"You did indeed! I am so proud of you!' The blonde encouraged, leaning down to envelop the boy in a warm hug as they both stood atop the water. She had suspected hat this would come to him more naturally than the other basic jutsu given his draw to the water and her inkling had paid of. Nothing could have felt better than watching the big smile on Dusk's face than when he managed to get his balance on the flowing surface.

"You can use this technique to walk on any surface, up walls, trees, even the clock towers in the city. Though of course we can't be seen walking up and down buildings in the main city," she added cautiously, not wanting the young boy to get in trouble. :Okay, I'm going to let go of your hands now, sweetie. You'll be fine, just keep directing chakra to your feet and the water will do the rest." With that, the medic ever so gently let go of her companion, making sure he retained his balance and did not fall. Once she was a good five feet away, she looked at him again.

"Okay so now we're going to learn a technique which makes sure you never have to play any game alone. Even if people are too busy to hang around, you can always have the best company." With that, the medic performed the handseals for the basic clone jutsu, making sure to do them slowly so Dusk would be able to keep up. In a small puff of smoke, an identical Akihana appeared beside her, also balanced perfectly on the water.

"What do you think?" both blondes said in unison with matching smiles.