Water you doing here? (NK, open to female PCs)

The hot spring's entrance was erected in front of her. A simple wooden sign and a fence was all that was needed. If one were to look through the cracks, one would see a simple trail that led behind an outcropping of rocks. Puffs of steam drifted lazily from the area. The young woman scratched her ear and opened the gate, closing it behind her. She wasn't wearing shoes, and the simple sidewalk that led to her destination dug into her soles slightly. Yatagarasu stretched. After a bit, she arrived at the hot springs of Kirigakure no Sato. When she arrived, she put her clothes on a random rock or something and slid into the water. Instantly, she relaxed- the hot water did wonders for her tense muscles. The sun shone down from above softly, warming her skin above the water as well. Rubbing her eyes, she stretched her arms and cracked her back. She sat up a bit straighter and started staring at the surface of the water. She knew she had a water affinity... She wondered if it would be possible to recreate the whole hot springs shebang inside her own home. Or not. Whatever. Looking at the gate from around the rock outcropping, she vaguely wondered if she'd have any company soon... Especially with the festival and whatnot.

WC: 221
Total WC: 221

Springs:

The Taika hot springs lay far on the outskirts of the Kirigakure proper where civilization began to melt into yet untamed wilderness. The springs themselves had long been the center of a village controversy as a few businessmen had long wanted to erect a formal bathhouse there but lacked support from much of the village. Every few years said businessmen made a push for construction only to be parried by the outcry of popular discontent. So, as of yet, the spring remained undeveloped save for the well-worn path that led out to them and a humble string of wooden slats which acted as a rudimentary barrier.

Truth be told, the springs had a certain natural charm that Asami Miyamoto could appreciate—especially given the recent hustle and bustle of the week-long festival.

Indeed, treading down the winding path away from the village and towards the springs she found herself lost in the majesty of nature that one so often missed if they remained cloistered in the village for too long. Birds chirped, the smell of the distant sea mingled with an overwhelming scent of pine trees, and rare rays of sunshine filtered through the overcast sky. It felt like something out of a novel; the young genin could hardly keep her attention on any one thing as she progressed towards the rejuvenating waters.

Pushing open small wooden gate marked with the kanji for her gender, she stepped into the sanctuary of the springs. In the distance, she spied the soft spirals of steam rising from the water, but could not yet tell if there was anyone else there. As of late, she found herself hoping to have the spring to herself more and more. Though she would never admit it to anyone, least of all herself, she was becoming self-conscious of her growing body.

Alas, she found her hopes dashed against the smooth rocky outcropping of the springs for as she grew closer she noticed a dark-haired woman with her back to the entrance. For a few frenzied heartbeats, Asami considered turning back. Maybe the woman wouldn't notice her and she could leave unharassed by prying eyes?

No. No, in her heart of hearts she knew that was not an option, it was too late to turn back.

Wriggling out of her clothes and sliding off her slippers, she quickly wrapped herself in a towel and walked to the far side of the spring, a ways away from the other woman. Next came the awkward transition from land to water. Pulling off her towel and tossing it on a rock reachable from the water, she tried her best to cover her budding modesty with a forearm and hand before she slipped into the water. The warm embrace of the water was calming, but she could still not help wrapping her arms across her chest, crossing her legs, and casting a nervous glance at the much larger woman to her left.

With any luck, the other woman would leave soon.

TWC: 500

Following the crisp paper gripped in her slender fingers was a more daunting task than she first thought when the woman handing out fliers had given her one. The elderly woman, dressed in a traditional blue kimono, told her they were doing a sale at the hot spring, giving the first twenty people free admission with a special gift (five scented essential oils to be used in their baths when they got home with each of the oils doing something different for their health: mood boosting rose, sleeping aid lavender, relaxation chamomile, energizer peppermint, and healing frankincense). The special gift peaked her curiosity enough for her to give in to her desire of wanting to attend a hot spring, after all it was the snowy haired woman’s first time ever being to one. Hikari didn’t know if Konoha even had hot springs, so it could be a luxury for her to experience one while visiting Kiri.

That is why she was currently following the map that had been attached to the flier, making her way to the outskirts of Kiri, where the hot springs crept ever so close to nature. It was a rather pleasant day to be out and about, trekking through unchartered territory with the sun on her back and the birds encouraging her onward through their beautiful, cheerful melodies. It didn’t take long for the kunoichi to encounter the entrance to the hot springs, the fact she had found it so quickly must have been attributed to her enjoying herself as she was surrounded by a gorgeous scenery, one she couldn’t find back home.

The entrance to the hot springs was humble, only a sign and fence indicating what the establishment had to offer. She stepped through the gate and followed the path to the changing room, where she exchanged her short, black with pink flowers kimono for a plush white towel. She also took off her Silencing Boots, which were in the form of high heeled ninja boots, and collected her special gift before placing all of her belongings, oils included, in the dimension that the storage displacement jutsu uses. Then she walked out of the room, a slight chill running down her spine as the cool Kiri air hit ehr exposed shoulders. She then followed the winding path to the spring itself, watching with hidden excitement as the steam rose over the large boulders.

When she rounded the corner to the opening of the water, she noted there were two other people enjoying themselves in the steaming water. Upon closer inspection she realized she knew both of the women, one she had met during the first day of the festival where they ended up watching the fireworks together, while the other she had met during the second day of the festival, when she [the other woman] was overly drunk and caused a ruckus over pizza. She wasn’t entirely sure if the latter would remember who she was however, due to how intoxicated she had been, or seemed to be, that night.

“Hello Asami, hello Yatagarasu.” She politely greeted the two with a small smile upon her visage while breaking the stifling silence with her almost fully monotonous tone, having only a hint of depth to make it not sound robotic. As she addressed them she was walking to the middle area, between where they were sitting, and slid into the water as modestly as one could when entering a hot spring, leaving her towel on a nearby rock as she submerged herself up to her shoulders. The hot spring itself was gorgeous, sparkling water surrounded by natural rocks and foliage, and the water felt amazing against her formally cooled skin, instantly both warming and loosening up her worn muscles.

Hikari’s mind wandered for a moment of the potential medicinal properties that a hot spring had to offer, and if she should bring it up to Lady Hokage and Satomi in hopes of getting one implemented in either the Konoha Hospital or just the village itself. A hot spring, besides just relaxing the body and calming the mind, could help people who have blocked tenketsu points due to it loosening up their entire body, or it could be used as a more gentle form of therapy for certain ailments, among other healing properties.

Depending on if the silence ensued or not, she would do either one of two things. If the silence continued after they exchanged formalities, then she would pipe up once more, looking between them as she asked, “How are you two? Enjoying the hot springs?” However, if either of them had started a conversation or asked a question after they greeted each other, she would instead answer their question or listen intently to what they were saying.

(WC: 794)

"Hello Hikari," Yatagarasu greeted as the woman entered the springs. She turned to the other girl. "Asami, was it? Pleasure to meet you." she said simply. She stretched her shoulders and reclined with absolutely no movement to hide her modesty. She had no concept of shame, after all. "Yeah, I'm enjoying the hot springs. I've been working on fuuinjutsu for three days straight and I just needed a break." She bent her neck to the side, a loud crick echoing about as she did so. "I know it sounds kind of silly, but I've always wanted to be a fuuinjutsu master," she admitted. "I have enough skill to attempt some A ranks right now, but I'm trying to learn the basics first before I advance further." she drummed her fingers against the side of her cheek. Assuming none of the other girls would move to make conversation, she would speak up once again. "So, what's it like in Konoha? Do you really have a mountain with giant heads on it?" The Hokage mountain had always been a weird concept for Yatagarasu, who had never before seen a mountain in her life. The closest thing to said monument she had seen were the numerous statues of Lord Mizukage dotting the area.

WC: 210
Total WC: 431

Save for the soft gurgling of the spring itself, silence reigned supreme. Snapping her gaze away from the larger woman, Asami fixed her attention on the loosely spaced fence slats in the distance and began to absentmindedly count them, anything to keep her from having to engage with the other patron of the hot springs. Normally, she loved to talk and talk, but something about not wearing clothes while doing so was off-putting to the young genin especially considering the woman’s larger than life stature and, well, her openness. And therein lay the paradox of Asami’s nature, she loved attention but feared judgment.

…Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight…

The sound of her name pulled Asami out of her monotonous task and drew her gaze away from the fence and back to her left. Hikari? Yes, it had to be Hikari, the girl from the fireworks; Kether’s friend. It was hard to forget someone shorter than herself, after all. Hugging her arms closer to her chest, the young genin gave the newcomer a polite nod and a thin smile.

“It’s nice to meet you too,” Asami squeaked in response to Yatagarasu.

She then quickly turned her gaze back to the fence.

…Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen…

As she continued her counting, she listened in on the conversation to her left like some silent voyeur.  Much of it sounded like small talk: training for three days straight, wanting to master fuinjutsu, and Konohagakure. Wait! Konohagakure? This caused the young girl’s gaze to wander back to her left once more. Surely, she misheard the larger woman. Had Hikari been to Konohagakure? Asami’s curiosity now got the better of her and, for a moment, her state of undress was forgotten.

“Wait, Hikari, you’ve been to Konohagakure?!?”

Cutting into the conversation, the words tumbled out of her mouth in an excited stream that anyone who knew Asami would recognize as typical for the genin—her mouth often moved faster than her mind. Though, she couldn’t help herself in this instance; she’d spent countless hours studying the outside world through books and now here was a chance to hear about it firsthand. There was no way she’d pass up such a unique opportunity, modesty be damned.

TWC: 870

It seemed the two had not greeted one another before she arrived, as only after she said hello to both of them did Yata and Asami share formalities, although they were quite brief for Asami turned her attention back to the fences instead of them. Hikari wondered if the younger female was alright, but didn’t have much time to voice her concerns as the woman to her left reclined into the water and answered the snowy haired beauty’s questions.

Yata revealed she had been practicing fuuinjutsu for the past few days, and since Hikari had never met a fuuinjutsu user before, or at least not to her knowledge (for she was unaware of Risako’s full abilities), being able to interact with one was a new, and potentially useful, experience. “What fuuinjutsu techniques have you been working on the past three days?” She asked the raven haired woman right as a resounding crack could be heard. It seemed she did desperately need time to relax and soothe her worn muscles from the sound of her popped neck. “I don’t think it’s silly of you to want to be a fuuinjutsu master, and I actually think its really impressive that you already have such a goal in mind. Having such a goal will push you to always improve so you can attain it.” She was speaking from experience, for her own goal was the only thing pushing her forward in life. Without it, she would be wallowing in her grief and self despair, cursing everyone around her for the devastating tragedy Salzem was forced to faced.

After Yata answered her question and either acknowledged or ignored her comment about goals, silence drew upon them briefly once again. It seemed none of the kunoichi’s were the most talkative, but Yata seemed to be the most social of them all as she in turn asked Hikari about Konoha. The Hyuuga forgot about the fact that Yata knew she was from Konohagakure, or she had hoped the woman had been far too drunk to remember such a detail. But alas, she had not been and had just brought it up in front of another Kirigakure kunoichi. She had expected Asami to instantly become defensive, but instead the younger female bombarded her with a question as well. Hikari could only guess she was intrigued because Yata’s statement had not disclosed she was from Konoha, just that she had been there before. She was thankful the darker haired woman had not unknowingly given away her secret.

“Yes, I’ve been to Konohagakure before.” She began, choosing her words carefully so as to not reveal she was actually a Konoha Chuunin, not a Kirigakure Chuunin like they, or at least Asami, thought she was, “It is not like Kirigakure at all. They do have a mountain with the Hokage’s faces on them, and instead of ocean and sea everywhere, all you see is green. The trees and plants always seem to be in bloom with their vibrant hues.” She wondered what else she should, or could, tell them, since the Lady Hokage had told her to keep her knowledge of the village to herself. During her brief pause of contemplation, the other occupants of the hot springs might have already come up with things to ask her about, and she would gladly answer their questions to the best of her ability.

(WC: 1,358)

The kunoichi nodded sagely at Hikari's response before offering her own about fuuinjutsu. "Ah, ah, that would be telling. It's not polite to ask a lady her secrets." she said, obviously deflecting the question. She scratched her head and stretched hugely. "Though, I AM allowed to tell you that I've had a very eventful day yesterday. Worked on... I would like to say five different seals." she continued, tapping her chin. "What have you ladies been up to?" she asked, genuinely curious. Of course, the topic of the blood games and the fact that she may very well be beheading these people further down the line went unspoken. The hot water around her steamed steadily. She might as well relax while she had the opportunity to do so.

WC: 128
Total WC: 559

(sorry for quick post, just got back from school and am working on like six other things)

Green everywhere?

The village hidden in the leaves sounded far different than Kirigakure. It wasn't like one couldn't find greenery in Kirigakure by any means, but not everywhere. No, instead one would find whites, browns, and blues in abundance. Greenery, in Kirigakure anyway, acted as an accent to the dominate colors around it and nothing more—a flimsy palm tree here and low lying dune grass there, nothing more. Indeed, the idea of a landscape lush with trees and shrubs was a foreign one to Asami who had never once set foot outside the village borders. Sure, she could claim to have sailed the seas surrounding the village, but that was far different from pulling up stakes and braving the big wide world.

Green everywhere, now there was a concept.

Yes, she'd have to see that for herself.

"I've been spending time with my family," Asami replied to Yatagarasu with a slight nod over to the distant sea. "My dad's needed help out on the boat, so I've been helping out.

Kenchi had been shorthanded the past month leaving him to rely on Asami's willingness to help maintain the fishing vessel he owned. Asami, for the time being, however, turned her attention back to Hikari. She had questions!

"What were you doing in Konohagakure?" the polite pause that should have followed such a question never came and was instead followed by a flow of more questions. "You were part of the Mizukage's war party, weren't you? Was it really cool? Is it true he took the village without even breaking a sweat? D-did you...uh...you know..."

This time the pause that should have come earlier came. Having long forgotten her state of undress, Asami scooted closer to the two other women and then spoke in a shrill whisper.

"...Did you kill anyone?"

The words tumbled out of Asami's mouth faster than she could think, but once she said them she knew she shouldn't have. You can't just ask people if they've killed someone, stupid, she chided herself silently. Glancing away from the two other women color filled her cheeks—it wasn't her place to stick her nose in other people's business. This always happened, she always over-stepped her bounds.

"Sorry, you don't need to answer that," her gaze returned to Hikari and she bowed her head ever so slightly as if trying to atone for her impertinent question. "I didn't mean to pry."

But..well...she had meant to pry. In fact, she needed to pry. Death and killing had long occupied the young girl's mind ever since her promotion to genin. With the blood games hovering over her head like her own personal sword of Damocles how could she not? She needed to know more; she needed to know what was waiting for her besides 'blood', that much was obvious.

TWC: 1340

She had been completely unprepared for the taller shinobi to deflect answering and keeping her jutsu secret. It was the first time anyone had done so, and it opened her eyes to the fact that some people liked to keep their abilities hidden, even from acquaintances. She wondered if she, too, should keep her skills to herself, especially the fact that she was a both medical-ninjutsu specialist and a weidler of the Byakugan (although anyone who sees her eyes and knows of her clan’s doujutsu would be able to recognize it as such, which would make it difficult to hide unless she changed how her eyes appeared to others).

Yata then went on to reveal that she had been working on five different seals, although Hikari knew not how extraneous or challenging learning seals as a fuuinjutsu caster was for she, again, had never discussed with such a user before. She was curious as to what seals she had been learning, wondering if she herself could use any of them to gain power, but refrained from asking because it was obvious Yata did not want to delve into her training with them.

She didn’t have time to reply to Yata, however, as the aforementioned woman asked her about Konoha and Asami jumped on board the ship to inquire about the other village. She disclosed that the scenery was a vast contrast to that of Kirigakure, mostly full of greens with spects of browns and whites, compared to Kiri’s blues and greys and specs creams and browns.

Instead of asking more about Konoha, Yata changed subjects and asked what they had both been up to. Asami went first in answering her, describing how she had been spending a majority of her time with her family. Hikari felt a little envious of the young girl, wishing more than anything she could spend time with her family. But everyone dear to her left her all alone in the world, albeit unwillingly, and there was no one left for her to love. Even her fellow Konohagakure shinobi were no longer like family to her once they cut through the innocent flesh of her little brother. The only one who was waiting for her safe return was Kuro, the midnight wolf she saved in the forest several years ago. He was family to her of course, and she loved him dearly, but he couldn’t communicate with her like her siblings or parents could, nor did she feel safe allowing him by her side any more. The world was far too dangerous, and he far too precious. That was the reason she didn’t bring him with her to Kirigakure.

She didn’t want Xyxer to cut him down in front of her, taking away her last connection to humanity. If Kuro was ever slaughtered her heart would have nothing left to keep it grounded, and she knew the threads tying her together would break one by one, until all that remained was a bloodthirsty monster ready to pounce on the next living thing to cross its path.

Hikari was brought back from her thoughts as the younger woman to her right unleashed a torrent of questions about her time in Konoha. Asami reminded her of how she used to be, curious about the world outside of her village and the many mysteries they held. She had been naive and innocent back them, without a worry in the world and not a single friend to weep for.

“I was a medic during the war.” Hikari’s voice was distant as she spoke, not wanting to ignore the child’s curiosity but not wanting to reflect on such dark times, either. Especially since Asami was under the impression she was one of the winners of the war. “It was far more unfortunate than cool to witness for the bloodshed was unnecessary. The shinobi of Konohagakure were offered peace, but due to some of them valuing their Will of Fire beliefs above such a compromise, resulted in tragedy.” Hearing such words would truly make one believe Hikari wasn’t among those of Konoha, especially with the bitter hatred she held for the memory. After all if they had just surrendered in the beginning, Salzem would’ve been alive. It was their faults he was dead, and his blood was on all of their hands. “But yes, the Mizukage took down the Hokage and two others without so much as using a single jutsu. He was truly, terrifyingly, magnificent.” It was exactly for that reason she had asked to travel with him back to Kirigakure. He could take down an ANBU and their Hokage with such ease, and that strength is the kind she desired, no, the kind she needed in order to avenge Salzem’s murder.

There was a pause in between her chilling respect of Xyxer and Asami’s last question, during which she edged closer, as if her next question was secretive and shouldn’t be heard by just anyone.

Which, if Hikari was being honest, was one others normally wouldn’t want to be heard by anyone else. Even in the Bloody Mist it seemed murder and death was a taboo, at least until one has partaken in the Blood Games and gotten a taste of it.

Asami’s cheeks burned brightly in embarrassment as she quickly retracted her question, realizing a tad too late how personal it could be. If Hikari had been anyone else, she might’ve been able to qualm the girl’s nerves about killing someone else, something the two would have to face whenever the Mizukage decided to host another Blood Games.

Her eyes softened, as if she were sorrowful that she couldn’t give them encouragement or wisdom about taking another’s life, “Not everyone will be as open to discussing such a topic, especially if they have had to kill someone before.” Hikari began, her tone more gentle than before, lacking any hostility or aggression. “I did not kill anyone during the war for as I said earlier, I was a medic. My job was to keep lives, not take them away.” She momentarily paused, debating on if she should voice the experience with death that she had witnessed. “However, I did witness others killing people. It’s not the same as taking a life, but it’s a close experience.”

(WC: 2,404)

A medical shinobi?

Now there was a job Asami felt she could never fill with even a semblance of success. The sight, smell, and even talk of blood turned her stomach over a few times and then dropped it off a cliff. Her time in the academy had been an interesting one due to this...this shortcoming. Even just a skinned knee would make her feel queasy, anything more than that and she'd need to make a trip to the nearest trash can. No, she could scarcely imagine the horrors of battle. Normally she was confident in her own abilities, but when faced with the prospect of blood everywhere all bets were off and she could hardly be counted on. She still had a lot of work to do before she could truly be counted as a kunoichi of Kirigakure. Little did she know a test of her mettle lay in wait just beyond the horizon, but that was for another time.

In the meantime, the conversation turned to the Mizukage. Asami had seen his likeness scattered around the village. It was, after all, hard to miss the towering statues erected in his honor. However, she had never had the pleasure of meeting the man or even seeing him. In the young genin's mind, her leader stood above all other shinobi in the village as someone cast in bronze and destined to bring greatness to the village. Well, that was what she was taught in the academy anyway. She had been much younger than she was currently when Shimagakure became Kirigakure, but often her parents whispered of how it was a change for the worse. Of course, she didn't fully understand their opinions; how could they complain? The Mizukage brought power, wealth, and fame to the village hidden in the mist. Isn't that what any good leader was supposed to do?

Hikari's relation of how the Mizukage struck down all who opposed him only strengthened Asami's admiration of the man. She nodded along slowly and failed to mask the genuine interest in what the other woman was saying. Hiding her emotions had never been a strong suit for the genin.

Then the conversation took a darker turn, the topic of killing another human being. As it turned out Hikari had not killed anyone, but she had witnessed a death and this gave Asami pause for thought. Would she die one day? Sure, other people died all the time, but would she? The question festered in her mind until she physically had to shake it gently from her head.

"I'm sorry I asked," she finally admitted once more in a weak attempt to amend for her social misstep. "I..."

The young genin trailed off, fell silent, and glanced away once more. This time she did not bother counting the slats in the fence. No, this time her mind wandered back—or rather was pulled back—to thoughts of death. A morbid topic, but a painfully relevant one. She had attended the previous blood games and watched the carnage unfold. She had been unable to sleep for a day and couldn't eat for two after watching the games. She hadn't seen anyone die, but she had watched as human beings, much like herself, were put through hell. In theory, it was all for the greater good and the strength of the village, but at times Asami, much like her parents, had doubts.

Time slipped by and Asami said nothing more, she merely stared off into nothingness watching as the steam spooled lazily into the sky. Her thoughts wandered here and there. A few times she tried to work up the courage to ask more about the invasion of Konoha, but caught her tongue every time. On one hand, she wanted to hear more and on the other she didn't, it was a strange mix of morbid curiosity and revulsion. So, for a few minutes more she remained silent before she finally decided on the right thing to say.

"Hikari, Yatagarasu," she nodded to each of them in turn. "It was nice to talk with you both. I'm sure I'll see you two around, have a nice day."

With that, she awkwardly slipped out of the springs, into a towel, and ultimately—after drying herself off and maintaining her modesty as best she could—back into her clothes. The sound of sandals slapping against the ground signaled her retreat from the springs. She would, if not stopped, soon find herself returning home with a heavy mind, but a thoroughly relaxed body. Hot springs truly did wonders for overworked muscles.

Go figure.

The rest of the genin's day consisted of whiling away the hours watching her mother work in the garden while she read a book her father had gotten her a while back. It first she hadn't much enjoyed the book, but it grew on her and she now found it hard to put down. Funny how literature works like that, one minute you're turning the page and a few hours later you're still reading the same book after having been sucked into a different world. That was, in Asami's opinion, the beauty of books, the ability to travel to an entirely different world.

[Exit, TWC: 2210, +11 stats, 622 words towards shuriken shadow clone, which completes my training for it. The remaining 1588 words will go towards chakra infusion, 1588/2000]