Stranger in the Upside Down (open, nk)

Yasumi accepted his offer of help in teaching her how to perform one handed hand seals. It was something he could probably learn quite quickly and would actually be a skill that he could benefit from learning. "I'll take a look into it." Noted Nobunaga, referring to that one handed casting of jutsu as he and Yasumi took up their seats at the noodle shop. "I could also train you in basic hand to hand combat. Teach you some low level Taijutsu as well." Even if Yasumi was not talented in the use of taijutsu, basic hand to hand combat and low level taijutsu would greatly aid her in becoming a stronger kunoichi. It was also allow her to defend herself if ever a situation arose where she needed defending. People like Nobunaga and Kyson wouldnt always be around to defend her therefore if she knew how to defend herself, it would put Nobunaga's mind at ease. 

Placing an order for the largest bowl of ramen with some eggs and pork slices the Hiyu would cross his arms along the table before him and turn to face Yasumi as she answered his question about her brother. There was a lot to unpack in her answer to his question but the Anbu listened intently, taking in all of her answer. She and her brother were sheep herders and the brother also seemed to be the caretaker for her and her thirteen siblings. That was a lot of siblings to have. Nobunaga did not even have a brother, well as far as he knew he didnt have one. He was currently a bartender and seemed to be doing quite well. The first impression Nobunaga got was that her and her family were not shinobi, they were just regular citizens, so he was intrigued as to why she had decided to become a soldier, especially for a village such as this one. She mentioned how her brother was good with the ladies because he was strait forward and Nobunaga couldnt tell if she was also taking a jab at him, so as he usually did he remained quite about that. But he still had a question to ask. 

"Your family seem like honest, are working people. But none of them appear to be soldiers. What made you decide to become a shinobi? The simple life seems to suite you more." Yasumi was an honest, good girl, full of joy and wonder. He did not understand why she would want to subjugate herself to the hardship of being a shinobi. 

Then she asked him a question, about where he came from and what he did before. An obvious follow up question to the fact that this was Nobunaga's first day in Kumo. At first he thought about it for a couple of seconds, wondering whether he should tell her the truth or not for the path that led him here was quite horrible, but why not? He had no reason to lie. "I was born in the deserts of the Wind Country. I was raised by a band of missing nin and mercenaries before finding my way to Sunagakure no Sato." She probably wouldnt know what Suna was for it did not exists but he would get to that part. "I made Suna my home, lived and grew up there. However not too long ago, maybe several months ago, emissaries from this village came to my home. Our Kage attacked them and then inexplicably vanished, thus turning the village over into Kumo's hands. I was not there at the time of the events, I was out on a mission. By the time I had returned Suna was in Kumo's hands. Our new leader was forced to join Kumo's forces, therefore it was my duty to follow him."

Nobunaga paused for a bit, subconsciously scratching the scar the ran across his face. "Upon leaving, the Kumo forces blew up Suna, leaving it in ruin. Now I find myself working for the same village responsible for destroying my home." Nobunaga hated himself for not being there to defend his home and now working under those same people, but his leader was a prisoner of Kumo's will and as a dutiful soldier he had to follow his leader. "My path is particularly odd, but anything can happen when you're a shinobi."

She had taken her place and smiled at him nodding: "Oh that would be nice to know a few moves to defend myself against things without weapons or anything. If you would help me with that I would be very grateful for that and I am sure you will make a fine teacher", she said while watching the man prepare their bowls of noodles and see him smile at the seemingly indifferent pair but he would not mind their talk as he prepared their bowls. Yasumi looked at him nodding in agreement: "We are shepherds all together, at least me and my eighteen siblings in total. My mother just well gets pregnant from time to time and my father, I am not sure what he does most of the times but well drinks a lot and sits on the sidelines. Sure this life suits me but it is dull and I want more of my life to be honest. Sure the life of a shinobi is threatening and dangerous but I don't fear that too much, because life is dangerous anywhere currently and as a Shinobi I get to learn all kinds of stuff to defend myself and the people I chose to protect", she would sigh and look in the sky for a moment, "It is kind of weird but when your family is that huge you tend to feel drowned down by everything because we all look quite similar because we all come from the same parents and there are so many and sadly we all just do the same, because at home no one really knows to do different. We have no own life there at all", she sighed once again and smiled at him, "I have to seem quite pathetic to you don't I?" She would gently lean against his shoulder for a moment and smiled softly.

Then she would fall silent as he started to talk about what had made him who he was and while he would talk she would once again wrap his arm up, this time with both of her arms kind of so she could snuggle against his shoulder supporting. "Seems like you had a rough path behind you that led you through many hardships that roughed up your exterior so much that you almost seem like a stone on the outside", she looked at him a little concerned, "I am so sad about your villages demise I hope your grudge does not hurt you too much? Especially now that you are here in Kumo the village that confronted your own", she sighed once again and then looked up at him again and cuddled his arm as the man would place the ordered bowls in front of them.
Yasumi would look at him with a serious look on her face: "I will care for you hurt soul I promise", she looked at him with those big worried eyes, "As you would watch over me right now and protect me from harm that could befall me, I would lo1ve to help you get accustomed to your new life, I am your friend." She would put much empathise on her being his friend like this was the magical cure to everything.

WC: 538
TWC: 2943

Yasumi was open to the idea of being trained by Nobunaga. Good, even though she was only an academy student she would need to start her training early if she intended on being able to protect herself in a place like this. Also, getting a step ahead of the rest of her peers was always a good idea as well. Nobunaga shrugged his shoulders at the mention of him being a great instructor. He wouldnt know, he never had instructed a Genin team of his own as most Jounin do. He had helped train a couple of younger shinobi but never saw whether that training came to fruition or not. Perhaps the unlikely relationship being built between the two of them would last, one where Nobunaga could actually watch and help this young kunoichi grow. However the world of a soldier was hard and unpredictable. At any moment, without notice you could be thrown into a life or death situation. 

Putting that aside for now, the Hiyu would turn to face Yasumi, quietly and sternly watching her as she answered his question and explained her family's situation. Her mother appeared to be a stay at home mom, the father a drunkard whom she did not know what he was up to. That made Nobunaga wonder if he had some sort of dealing in the criminal world and perhaps that was why he moved his family here, to Kumogakure. But he would not bring that up, he would keep that to himself while Yasumi continued speaking. "No, you are not wrong." Replied the Anbu to the young girls question about being pathetic. There was a lot to unpack in her words, but overall what she said carried some truth. "It is true that life is dangerous, and learning how to protect yourself and the ones you love is a great aspiration. However, the world of a shinobi is far more dangerous. You will be tasked with the protection of not just your family but the entire populace of the village. That burden is ours and ours alone. You will watch friends die, you will be thrown into situations out of your control. Being a shinobi is not easy." 

Pausing for a slight second to gather his thoughts, Nobunaga then continued, realizing he was probably crushing her hopes of becoming a shinobi "But wanting to protect those you hold dear to you is as strong as a motivator as any. Hold onto that, it will be the fuel that drives you to become stronger and better at what you do, if you truly wish to become a shinobi." The scents of the boiled noodles and fried meats were filling Nobunaga's nostrils, a pleasant change in aromas from the rot and filth that surrounded and plagued the village. Perhaps he would spend more time here now that he knew of this places existence. Also, the company wasnt that bad either. 

"It is human nature to want to be different. To want something of your own, to carve out your own path in this world. Anyone who's right of mind aspires to become their own person. No need to feel ashamed of that." noted the Hiyu on Yasumi thinking she was pathetic. 

Nobunaga was slightly caught off card once again, not expecting Yasumi to wrap herself around his arm. He continued speaking as she did and remained stern and serious, not showing that her actions were comforting to the brute. It was an odd tingly feeling he felt, something he had never felt before. Unsure how to handle it, he remained stoic as always and continued speaking. She was not wrong, Nobunaga's statue like composure and lack of emotions was directly due to his harsh upbringing. The events that led to where he was now were directly responsible for creating the man that sat here today as the noddle stand. "I survived, no need to worry about what is done." Spoke to Hiyu upon noticing Yasumi's concerned gaze. 

"I hold no grudges. I understand the reality of the world I live in. I am just uncertain of the path I now walk. I have no home, nothing I feel the need to protect, no purpose. I am now just a tool, following his master around. I am as uncertain about my purpose and path as I have ever been." With the bowls now placed in front of them, Nobunaga had not noticed for it seemed their conversation had absorbed all of his thoughts. Glancing down at the mention of 'friend' to gaze as the girl wrapped around his arm, a slight grin would crack through on his face as he would respond "You are too kind young one." Perhaps Nobunaga had now found a new path to walk. This young girl had given him a reason to be here in Kumo, a reason to fight and protect, a purpose. She truly was a flourishing rose in the filth of Kumogkure. The light that could warm Nobunaga's soul and ease the darkness inside of him. She would not be able to reshape his rough and rugged exterior but she would be able to sooth his hurting interior, which would play a far greater, more beneficial role for the Hiyu. "Now, eat your meal before it gets cold." he told his new, unlikely friend.

His almost saddening outlook on Shinobi duties did not seem to get her down. Sure it would be hard, sure the world would be unfair and of course she would have to face a lot of her demons all alone and sometimes even rather unprepared, but she wanted to know how it was, she wanted to see if she could be more, outgrow the little girl she had been and be a grown woman, a capable Shinobi and a good addition to this village. Even if it was only to help her fellow Shinobi and never really gain fame or fortune for herself she did not need that at all because she found her happiness in helping others achieve their dreams. That was the most rewarding.
She smiled brightly at him as his words lifted her spirits and offered her comfort on a matter she was greatly self conscious about. Leaving her family and not only her but also her brother and now there were two less persons doing work and things like that but it would go on wouldn't it? So while she was cuddling him or more his arm and cheering him into high spirits she would look up at him. "Well there are so many paths to choose from, I would love so much to walk with you for a while if you don't mind", she gently nudged against his shoulder again and then looked at the noodles before her and nodded. "Oh how silly they almost got cold", she would pick up the chop sticks. But something was odd about it. She would struggle to keep them together, struggle to even keep them in her hands and picking up anything would pose simply impossible to her as her left would slowly begin to shiver with exhaustion of slightly cramped fingers. Slowly she would put down the sticks again and gently clench and open her hand before looking first at the man and then at the bowl. He did not seem to have anything beside those sticks.
But since he was not stupid she picked up the bowl with her hand and raised it to her lips to take a sip out of it like out of a cup. The bowl with much liquid was heavy and put a strain on her muscles but she tried not to let it show. Still her actors tricks where quite sadly executed so he would be able to see how every sip was a small kind of fight for her to keep on going. Slowly she put the bowl down resting a bit looking at him with a smile: "Tastes great doesn't it Hiyu-san?", then she would look at the man, "You are indeed a gifted cook sir." He would smile and bow to her lightly.
A moment she would look at her bowl and her finger running along the edge of the bowl then looking at Nobunaga for a moment. "If you are new, do you have a place to stay? I mean like a roof over your head? Because nights can be quite unforgiving here and sometimes even cold", she licked a bit of soup off her finger, "I could offer you a spot on our sofa until you settled down?", she offered him with her joy radiating smile.

WC: 551
TWC: 3494

After having explained that Nobunaga did not know what the future held for him, the young adult still clutched his arm had so generously offered to walk alongside him down the metaphorical road that was his path, presumably until he found his way once more. The Hiyu would offer no response, instead he grunted and nodded his head in acceptance. He would let this young flower aid him down the path of his veiled future. He knew not what was in store for him, never knowing what the next day truly held for him however Yasumi somehow managed to hit this brute's soft spot therefore he could not refuse her aid, especially since she was being too kind. She had no obligation to want to help this man whom she barely knew yet was so comfortable with. Maybe she could sense that Nobunaga was an honest man and therefore was more than willing to place her trust in him, or maybe she was just naturally and kind person, willing to give people the benefit of the doubt. Whatever the case, she was a single bright spot in the darkness that was Nobunaga's life, he would let the light flourish.

After informing the unaware Yasumi that their meals were ready, Nobunaga grabbed a hold of his utensils and started stirring his meal, mixing all the contents together and letting it cool off a bit before starting to eat it. In the corner of his eye his noticed Yasumi struggling to manipulate her chop sticks, clearly indicating that her remaining her was not her dominant one. After failing to use them, she instead decided to raise the bowl to her mouth, which turned out to be another struggle of its own. How cruel was this world, to cripple a beautiful, joyful young woman such as this one, making matters worse by leaving her without her dominant hand. Yet, despite this cruel reality, Yasumi still had a positive outlook on life and still wanted to make something of hers. 

Not content with watching her struggle, Nobunaga reached over the counter into the chefs side and grabbed another pair of chopsticks. Taking Yasumi's as well, he would place the four sticks beside each other before pulling out a piece of string. Wrapping the string around the center of all four sticks the Hiyu would tie them together, turning them into a paddle time utensil. "Use this to scoop your food." He said as he handed her the four chopsticks tied side by side to one another. Now, instead of having to pick and grab at her food, she would be able to scoop them with the make shift paddle. It wasnt a perfect tool, however it would get the job done better than the chopsticks alone. Taking the first bite into his own meal, Nobunaga would nod his head in reply to Yasumi's question. "Yeah, its not bad."

Slipping more contents of his soup into his mouth, a smile would crack on Nobunaga's face as Yasumi offered to give him a place to stay for the night. Her kindness never ceased to amaze him. Putting his chop sticks down and swallowing what he had in his mouth, the brute would turn to face the young teen before answering "You are too kind, however your brother does not know me and I would not want to impose." Turning back to his soup and swirling its contents once more, Nobunaga continued "I will be fine. There are barracks I can always return to if I have no where else to go. Besides, I dont have any intentions of sleeping tonight. There is much about this village I want to see and learn about." Nobunaga had other plans tonight. He wanted to familiarize himself and become acquainted with the criminal underbelly of Kumo. If this was going to be his new home, he would not let such criminality rule the village and go unchecked. "Thank you for the offer."

"You wish to become a shinobi hmmm." Noted Nobunaga, letting Yasumi know he was getting ready to drill her with some questions. "Have you started your training at the academy yet?" Trying to gauge what level she was currently at, Nobunaga would follow up with "What do you aspire to learn, specialize and master?" After he knew what type of skills and jutsus she wished to know, Nobunaga would follow up with the most important question. "Finally, what kind of shinobi do you aspire to become?"

Yasumi would look a little curious while he was working on her chopstick spoon and tilt her head from one side to another until she figured out what he did there. Then she would gladly take it and smile at him fishing for her food with this makeshift spoonish type of thing. This way she could slowly eat her food with a little less effort and that was helping a lot. She would try to remember that trick for future tries. This made it a little easier for her to eat while she listened to what he had to say to her while putting less strain on her ankle.
He did not want to stay over at her place. That was probably not to cause any more problems for her. At least it seemed like that to her judging by the way he talked about how he did not know her brother. She herself was sixteen years old, she could invite her own guests over at least this was how it was. Especially in this kind of situation she was sure he would not have disagreed with her since Nobunaga was indeed new and without friends, like they had been as they moved here. Lucky for them, they could stay in the hospital where she had been at. A little worried where her eyes as he said he did not intent to sleep this night so she paused and looked at him.
"Be careful though and if you need a place to rest or something like that, I would be happy to help you out, although I think the one messing with you because you are asleep is a sad story to be told", she chuckled a bit before she emptied her bowl while listening to what he asked next, letting him finish his barrage of question before she answered them as truthful as she could be. "Yes I do aspire to become a Shinobi and I have trained in the academy for about four months already. I am a little slow though because I do lack not only a hand but math skills and such. I have been homeschooled but well we don't really know much of mathematics further than plus, minus, multiply and divide. Apart from that I do have problems taking notes, I have yet to perfect my left hand until the point that I can be as quick as others", she rubbed the back of her head a little embarrassed.
Then as he asked what she wanted to master she thought about it and smiled at him: "I want to be a puppet player. Two friends of mine are as well and they are amazing at it. And after that I want to combine my puppets with those sealing Jutsus so  can lay traps inside them with those or shield me, because I am kind of trying not to go one on one with someone. I will try to hide or run from a fight and have my puppet do the fighting for me", she sighed, "Kind of cowardly of me ain't it? But else I would become someone other people need to care for always and this I want to prevent from happening. I don't wanna be a burden, but a help to my fellow Shinobi and part of a great team", she would look at the sky above and then back at Nobunaga, "I want to make the world a better place for everyone, kind of pathetic isn't it? But I know I can do it if I just try hard enough." She was radiating with ambition once more while she smiled again looking into the future.

WC: 613
TWC: 4107

"If ever I am in need I will seek you out. Thank you.", accepting her generous offer of a place to stay if ever he needed it. Eating away at his noodles, Nobunaga was glad to see that the make shift tool he had created was facilitating an easier time for her to eat her meal. After having hammered her with all of his questions, Nobunaga would finish his bowl of noodles while listening intently to her answers. It appeared that she had been in the academy for quite some time now but her physical training had yet to start. She had commenced her studies and she was having a hard time with the material having been home schooled and she was also having a hard time writing notes given that she now had to write with her non dominant hand. "Keep at it." Nobunaga would advise. "It will probably be one of the hardest things you ever do, but it will greatly aid you when it comes to the rest of your future training. If you have the determination and willpower to master the use of your left hand you will be able to master your actual shinobi training with ease." He could not imagine what it was like to have to rehabilitate yourself to make your non-dominant hand your dominant hand however as a skilled shinboi himself, having gone through all the years of training, Nobunaga had mastered the use of both his arms and therefore knows that it is possible.

"No, there is no such thing as cowardice when you are a shinobi. You do what you need to do to survive. Puppetry has nothing to do with being a coward either. I know very little about the art of using puppets however it is a wise decision. You are automatically at a disadvantage with only one arm and others will seek the take advantage of that. However always wanting an aid in your puppets, knowing that they will be at your side is a very wise decision." Giving both his bowl and Yasumi's bowl to the cook, Nobunaga would continue "Fuinjutsu, another shinobi art I know little about. It seems I will be of a little use to your shinobi aspirations however it is good that you have goals. Knowing what you want to achieve will drive you to work harder to achieve those aspirations."

Of course, the type of shinobi she wanted to be was one who could take care of and protect others, she wanted to make the world a better place. Making the world a better place, what did that truly mean. It was both subjective and entirely too grand of an aspiration to actually be possible in Nobunaga's opinion. However, despite that he knew Yasumi would be someone who could do good. She was a kind person at heart, full of joy and love, someone who could potentially do some good if left untouched and un-corrupted by the filth of this village. 

"It is not pathetic. You are kind at heart and it shows in your aspirations. It is a grand goal to have but it is a good goal nonetheless. Much like your aspirations in your shinobi training, hold onto this one and keep it close. It will be the driving factor behind your development, the fuel the keeps you going. Do not forget it, do not lose your way." Looking around him, disgusted by the village he now found himself in yet not showing it on his stern, stoic face, he would continue "We need more people like you Yasumi. More people willing to change this world for the better." Looking back down at her, Nobunaga wold finish "You have a long road ahead of you that you must endure, but not alone. You have convinced me, convinced me that there is still something left worth fighting for. I will be there to look over you, make sure you can flourish in this world and make sure you achieve your goals and aspirations."

She would carefully listen to his words and smile while doing so and nodded once in a while to reassure that she was still listening to him. At one point she raised a hand at him placing it on the heavy arm he had slowly saying: "Don't talk like that. It is not that I need to make use of you. You are a friend to me and a friend is always wonderful to have even if you may not be master in what I aspire to learn. Even more so you will be a wonderful partner hat have. Because What I can't do, you will be perfectly capable of. You already now look like a great wall to hide behind", she chuckled and nudged against his shoulder again giving off a small smirk. "Also I at least need to know some basics and although it might only be a burden to me I want to at least have lessons in weaponry", she would look at his broad sword, "Because even if I won't swing them, my puppets will and I would gladly take your advice about anything concerning the profitable use of weapons in and on my puppets, or armour since putting armour on a puppet is almost the same as for a human I suppose", she would hand over some money to the cook smiling with a short reassurance that he had made delicious food for them. He would thank her and she would then look up at him. "There is so much to be learned but believe me you are worth so much more to me than that."

WC: 271
TWC: 4378

Of course, Yasumi had a different outlook on what Nobunaga had said. She did not see this unlikely alliance has being one that she could use to her benefit but one that was a true friendship. The two of them would be friend to one another and in that friendship they could aid one another and grow together. Even thought Nobunaga had zero specialties or training in the types of skills Yasumi wanted to learn, he was still a fairly skilled shinobi and with what he knew he would be able to teach her the basics, help her grow and aid her in what she wanted to master for even though it may be a different specialty, the fundamentals and the basics were always the same. "Aye, I can be the wall you hide behind to protect you while you grow into a more powerful shinobi." Looking down at her with his stern gaze as she judged his shoulder, the brute would continue to quietly listen to the young Yasumi speak. 

Catching her taking a glance at the massive great sword hooked to his back, she went on to explain how she could still use lessons in weaponry for she would need to know how to swing a weapon when it came to controlling her puppets. Nobunaga knew little to nothing when it came to using puppets, he had herd of such shinobi who fight using puppets but never actually encountered one. So it didnt even cross his mind how they fought therefore he did not even think about the fact that they could use weapons. But now that Yasumi had brought it up, it was true. If her puppet were to use weapons than she too would need to know how to use those very same weapons, to some degree at least. She brought up another good point, where she would have to armor her puppets and that was perhaps something else should could get advice from Nobunaga for. "There is no doubt you will have some basic weaponry training at the academy. However I am available if ever you require further training. When it comes to protecting your puppet with armor, the armor must be placed strategically." Sliding back the cloak he wore to revealing his armor, Nobunaga would continue "See that my armor protects my torso and shoulders. But under the arm pit is left unprotected." Nobunaga's purple black armor consisted of a breast plate with shoulder plates and fully armored leggings that left his arms, a portion of his groin and the back of his knees unprotected. "These portions of my body are not left unprotected for no reason. It is for mobility. When it comes to armor, the goal is to be as protected as possible while keeping a full range of mobility. The same will be true for your puppets, if I had to guess."

Watching as Yasumi quite obviously was reaching for money, Nobunaga would gently place his brutish hand on her shoulder, indicating that she did not have to continue reaching for her yen. Pulling out more than enough for the both of them, Nobunaga would pay it himself. There was no way he was going to let her spend her Yen in his company. Yasumi then informed Nobunaga that there was a lot he could teach her but their friendship meant more to her than what she could learn from him. Nodding, showing that he agreed with her words Nobunaga would say "The feeling is mutual. I will admit this is an unlikely friendship. However your kind hearted nature has given me a new purpose. You have opened the door that will lead me down a new path. I am glad our paths have crossed Yasumi."

He had caught on to her excitement about him being so well versed with weapons and armours and instantly started to tell her things about his armours and the why and what. She would look at it closely and nod frequently to make sure he knew that she was still listening while eagerly looking at the places he would point out. At one time she was gently knocking her fist against his chest plate to feel it a little beneath her fingers. It was a strange but strong feeling although it sounded hollow and he had a huge chest to be protected this way as well, he really was a wall and one to behold as well.

As he would then go on and stop her from paying she would smile at him and nod. She had learned from her brother it sometimes was a lost endeavour to argue with a man on who was to pay or not to pay. Some just wanted to relive what they knew was chivalry and treat the lady like the custom would ask of them. Or he just saw him as the one with the greater income, which was probably right as well because she did not really have a lot of money for herself or her brother. Still she would bow her head to him: "Thank you Hiyu-san." And then put her money away.

Her face would brighten more as he said her returned the feelings she wanted to share with him. Friendship and the feeling that they could help each other and she was surprised that he would point out that she had helped him in that regard. She would slowly blink at his words and then smile. "I never thought I could help someone in that way. I mean I am happy you can see your way as new and good", she would lift herself off the chair looking up into the sky. "Would do me one last favour today?", her eyes would look up at his, "This time of the year it gets dark so quickly, would you take me home, I am afraid of the dark."
She would blush a little and rub the back of her head as she revealed this fear to him that seemed so childish now that she had claimed to be so fearless before and then she chuckled at how stupid this might look now that she was standing here in front of him claiming that she wanted to be Shinobi.

WC: 418
TWC: 4796