Checking out the Main Branch

Mon Nov 25, 2019 12:40 am

“Fang Country, huh? Sure, why not? It’s not like I have anywhere to be. And the ramen was soooo good at the other place.”

It wasn’t like Akane to talk to herself out loud, but on the long voyage from the mainland, there had been little else to do. She was used to having conversations in her head. Loneliness had been one of her constant companions almost as long as she could remember. But one of the things she did remember was the training she had received in the Ninja Academy and during the oh-so-brief days she had been part of a shinobi squad. Squad Thirteen, of the Village Hidden in the Clouds. In rare moments of peace, she could remember those times. There had been her, another kunoichi named Kitagame Sonomi, and a shinobi named Watanabe Kenshiro, along with their teacher: Ono Mitsuru. Her memories of them came and went, but she mostly recalled the four of them bonding over training and ramen after training, and her hopes that one day she’d become a great kunoichi like Mitsuru-sensei.

She looked around at the small cabin she’d booked on the passenger ship. “Somehow, I don’t see Mitsuru-sensei having no purpose in life.” What she could remember of the older woman had been a picture of someone sophisticated, charming, and more than a little playful and flirtatious with her fellow jonin and chunin. She remembered how Mitsuru-sensei had taken her and Sonomi aside once to instruct them on ways to enhance their allure and to be mysterious to men. Granted, it had gone over the little kunoichi’s heads at the time, but Akane had made use of those lessons more than once over the past few years, as she’d grown into her looks and came to realize how valuable they were for manipulating others.

She touched her heart and willed herself not to cry. Inwardly she berated herself for being stupid. Kumogakure was gone. Her parents were gone, and so was her life there. There was only this. Only the endless road, and what she had to do to survive it until she either achieved her dream or someone finally put her out of her misery. She’d come close a few times to the latter. Fighting as someone’s hired muscle or commanding some bandit gang or other. She almost welcomed it at times. But there was her dream. She remembered her father’s shop, and the expectation that one day she would inherit it and make something grand and important for the world. She couldn’t let herself go until she had achieved that dream. It was the only thing left that she could do to honor them.

As for why the Fang Country, why now? Why not? She had liked the Chortling Chunin she’d encountered in the River Country, and learning they had a main branch made her want to try it. And besides, she’d never been to the Fang Country. They might have some work for her to do here. These thoughts cycled through her head as she made the journey across the sea, and eventually landed at the dock. Once she had her things, the tall kunoichi set out to find the Chortling Chunin, her kanabo-tetsubo slung over her back and her swaying side-to-side gait attracting stares.

Mon Nov 25, 2019 5:21 am

"Are you sure, Aki-chan? Is.. is she okay?"

"The baby is doing great, Masaki-san," the golden haired kunoochi assured her patient. "As healthy as she can be for the second trimester." The pregnant woman still looked concerned but Akihana couldn't really blame her. When Masaki had first found out she was pregnant, she had insisted on going to Denkiteki's clinic instead of simply waiting out her delivery time at home like most women on the island did. In her own months at the clinic assisting Den, Akihana had learned that childbirth was usually dealt with privately around these parts. No large hospitals or even maternity specific clinics. Most women got through their pregnancy with home remedies and called in a midwife or two to assist when the time to deliver the child grew near.

Not Masaki tough, the cherished second wife of a somewhat influential trader who had ships running between Fang and Lightning, she wanted her first borne to be looked after by the healers who performed the ninja magic. Masaki and her lone maidservant had shown up at Den's clinic three months ago and turned decidedly red when the blind doctor had asked what the problem was. From then on, Akihana had taken over the case and had been monitoring the baby and mother's progress once every week at the clinic.

Today was her day off though, and the blonde had intended to spend it baking for the restaurant downstairs. The pineapple upside down cake she had been improving upon looked ready to be mass produced for the Chortling Chunin after it had been thoroughly approved by their own little group and Seiichi's bears. She had just set out her ingredients and tied her apron in place when Sarah, the assistant chef, had come running up the stairs to the little apartment, informing her that Masaki and her maidservant were at the restaurant and in some distress. Not giving her baking a second thought, Akihana had rushed downstairs to find the pregnant woman in a panic.

It turned out to be a false alarm. Masaki had began to bleed an hour ago and was afraid for the child but Akihana had had sat her down, cleaned her up and checked her vitals. The medic had also thoroughly checked the baby's position and developing vitals and pronounced it healthy. Masaki had still needed assurance and the blonde had provided such, along with a cup of hot tea and more comforting words. Once her patient was clam, Akihana stood to escort her to the main dining area and then the door.

"Are you sure it won't happen again, Aki-chan?"

"It really shouldn't, but if it does, don't come yourself. Send someone with a word and I will come to your house. It's not good for you to walk in this condition okay?"

As she said goodbye to Masaki, Akihana noticed a small crowd of boys and men who had seemingly stopped in the middle of what they were doing. The window cleaner working on the storefront of GTA leaned against the wall, rollers in hand but eyes elsewhere entirely, the mailman who she presumed had been passing through now stood on his bicycle in the middle of the street and the scruffy, bearded sailor who lived above her own flat had his head hanging out his balcony window, expression slightly dazed. All their gazes appeared to congregate to one focal point - a fair faced young woman walking her way.

"Hello, are you lost? May I help you?" Akihana called out, perhaps in an octave louder than her usual gentle tone. It did the trick though, the spell broke. The window cleaner suddenly realized he was not being paid to stand around, the postman shook himself and ended up crashing his bike with a loud sound and the window above snapped shut, the sailor now nowhere in sight.

"Here, would you like to come and have something to drink, we're running a special on fizzy beverages, two for the price of one."

Tue Nov 26, 2019 10:31 pm

Akane noticed that the men were staring at her. It was something she was used to ever since puberty hit. Sometimes it was a very useful effect, and Mitsuru-sensei’s lessons had served her well in taking advantage of her good looks. But sometimes, like now, it was problematic. Having everyone on the docks gaping at her would make it hard for her to blend in, especially if there was work to be had around here.

So it was with some relief that she was saved from the attention by the call of a feminine voice offering two for one specials on drinks. She turned and started to smile, then her face froze as she did a double-take. It couldn’t be!

Seeing the face of the woman who called out to her brought her back in time to Kumogakure, to the good days when her family had been there with her. She had been so little then, too little even for the Academy. Her father had taken her with him to see the Raikage when he was summoned regarding a matter of the village’s weaponry. Her father had elected to bring her along, even though he could have left her with one of the shop’s servants. Her mother was out on a mission at the time. But he chose to bring her because he wanted her to meet the man she was going to grow up to serve. She remembered being scared by meeting someone who could order around even her imposing father, but when they came to the Raikage’s office, she had seen the same face she was looking at now. A kindly face, who had offered her sweets and something to drink while the men talked business. And afterwards, a pat on the shoulder and some friendly words when she had completely frozen in front of the Raikage and the man had laughed a laugh that boomed like thunder.

“Er…” Her voice caught in her throat. “I...um...t-thank you…” She was visibly trying to collect herself as she approached the woman and tried to avoid making a scene here in public. She’d come all the way from the continent to try and put her past behind her, and here was a piece of it, staring back at her. Fate was either very cruel or had a very strange sense of humor. She walked towards Akari and tried to decide which.

Thu Nov 28, 2019 1:09 am

The young woman was clearly surprised, it was only to be expected. Akihana smiled kindly at the newcomer, ushering her into the restaurant and away from the eyes of those who really should know better. Holding the door open for the redhead, she continued. "I apologize for that... display. People here just get very excited to see someone new." There was no point saying what both women already knew. A male newcomer may not have caused such a distraction.

"Here, have a seat, I'll get you you a drink." Should the young lady request a specific beverage, Akihana would get her that. if however the girl remained quiet, Akihana would retrieve a pitcher of fresh coffee and a platter of just out of the oven white chocolate, macadamia cookies. "On the house," she offered gently, setting the coffee and cookies down in front of the girl. "It's the least I can do to make up for your welcome here."

Normally not one to imitate conversion so freely, the blonde nonetheless felt this girl needed it. Underlying her decision was also the small spark of chakra that was easy to detect in the newcomer. Ever since her own arrival at Fang, Akihana had noticed the place where once no ninja could be found was starting to become a central location for them. "I'm Akihana," she added, golden eyes glimmering with warmth as they took in the girl. "I'm the manager of this restaurant. if you need anything, just let me know and I'll be able to help."

Thu Nov 28, 2019 1:18 pm

Akane was glad to be ushered inside, understanding of course that the people of the village might have ignored her if she were male. Once inside, she respectfully removed her shoes and the kanabo-tetsubo, setting them near enough to reach but not insulting her hostess by showing disrespect. When the plate of cookies and coffee was set before her, she struggled for a moment, wondering if she should say something. But then, with a deep breath, she decided to go for it.

“Thank you, Miss Akihana. My name is Akane. Terumi Akane. By chance, have you ever been in the Village Hidden in the Clouds? It’s where I come from originally and I could swear I met you there once, long ago. I was much younger then, of course. Forgive me for asking such a thing out of the blue. We just met after all. The Akihana I remember worked for a man known as the Raikage, the leader of the Hidden Village.”

At her waist was a forge hammer that Akihana might remember seeing. It had belonged to Akane’s father, and was engraved with the two emblems. One was the emblem of the Terumi Clan. And the other was the emblem of an erupting volcano. It was attached to a belt that contained various pouches and things useful for a kunoichi, as well as trail rations and other things for a traveler. Akane’s father had gone everywhere with that hammer, claiming that “You never know when something will need repairing!”

Fri Nov 29, 2019 2:42 am

The blonde had not recognized the girl immediately, her past seemed a lifetime ago, almost as if lived by another person. But as Akane politely introduced herself and her clan, detailing her former affiliation with Kumogakure, Akihana's golden eyes lit up in recognition. "Akane-chan?" The memory unfurled n hr mind, tinged with the happiness she had always felt back in those days. Being Yaju's secretary had resulted in her meeting plenty of people who sought an audience with the Raikage, and Akane's father had been a very important visitor.

The Kage and village elders hand't expected Terumi-sama to bring his tiny child along, and the little girl had been a bundle of nerves among the adults until Akihana had offered her sweets and told her she was doing a great job. The child had now flowered into the beautiful kunoichi that sat at the table, contemplating her coffee.

"My dear, its so good to see you again. There are so few of us left who remember Kumogakure the way it used to be," she continued, a wistful tone in her voice. If the child was here, then she too was a victim of the atrocities that had occurred in he village hidden in the clouds. If allowed, Akihana would move to hug the young woman close, holding her comfortingly and soothing her as she welcomed Akane to the fold.

"What brings you to Fang, Akane-Chan? Are you travelling alone? Do you have a place to stay?" The blonde's motherly instinct had already overtaking the situation, trying to ensure the young kunoichi was safe and taken care of. "Please, have a cookie, they're fresh out of the oven. I baked them myself."

Fri Nov 29, 2019 4:32 pm

Akane stiffened with surprise at being hugged before she relaxed into it. She wasn’t used to having someone so close to her. After all, in her years on the road, someone that close usually meant a knife was coming for her. She’d learned to sleep very lightly, because she never knew when a bandit who thought he deserved to lead or some angry villager or bounty hunter might come for her. She’d learned she could only trust or rely on herself, because no one would take care of her.

So when she found tears leaking from her eyes, she couldn’t explain why. She tried to cover by drinking some coffee and eating a cookie, but she could barely force it down with the tears that were spilling from her eyes. “I...I’ve always been alone. Ever since Kumogakure fell. Ever since I lost my parents. I’ve learned to survive on my own. I’m...I’m not proud of what I had to do. But I survived. I came to Fang Country because no one knows me here. I heard of the Chortling Chunin on my adventures, and came here in part because I tried the fare at the one in the River Country and liked it. But mainly because here I can...I don’t know. Fade away? Not be hunted?” She sighed. “I don’t know really. I just don’t have a reason for anything anymore, except to survive, and maybe rebuild the Terumi forge one day. But some days it’s hard to remember my dream.” She sighed.

“To answer your question, no. I don’t have anywhere to stay. I figured I’d use the last of my ryo to either find an inn or go sleep in the wilds. It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve had to sleep outdoors, or avoid a guard patrol.”

Mon Dec 02, 2019 4:54 pm

Akane tensed into the hug, not that the medic blamed her. most ninja didn't take too well to such close physical contact. it was a truly unfortunate part of the job, Akihana had felt. It made a shinobi immediately distrustful of something as natural as human contact and was usually the first step towards losing one's humanity. It was the reason Akihana kept reminding her boys that they were not too far gone, that things like a hug or a friendly squeeze of an arm still meant something despite all the hrut they had faced in a previous life.

Her heart went out to the fiery haired kunoichi as she cried openly at the loss of her village and family. There were countless like her who had fled the destruction without anything to anchor them to this world, and they had all drifted. Their paths may have taken them in separate ways but they ahd all just been drifting really.

"Well, you aren't alone anymore," the blonde reassured Akane, reaching out to soothingly stroke the girls back as she wept. "And from today on words, you don't have to say you are without a family, you have one now." The words were quietly spoken but they carried enough weight that the girl should look up into Akihana's warm golden eyes.

"We don't have much, just a few restaurants and other businesses, and a small group of friends who sit, eat and joke together but who ultimately have each other's backs. And when it comes down to it, that's what a family is." Nothing Akihana could do would bring the young ninja's family back, butthat didn't mean she couldn't do anything at all.

"I'll make up a bed for you for the next couple of days, until we find a more private space for you to accommodate on a more permanent basis. Would that be okay?" she asked, looking at the girl to see what she thought of the plan. If she had an alternative solution, Akihana was ready to listen to that too.

Wed Dec 04, 2019 8:58 pm

Akane couldn’t believe she was crying. She hadn’t cried since that first night she’d been on her own. She’d remembered the words of Mitsuru-sensei, about how a kunoichi had to be prepared to steel their heart sometimes. She’d found that “sometimes” meant “all the time”. Which is why part of her was berating herself for being so weak as to give in to tears now. Akihana was virtually a stranger in a sense, and a shared connection to their doomed hometown shouldn’t have caused her to buckle like this! It shouldn’t! But she couldn’t deny that it felt so very good to have someone who understood at long last.

She looked up into Aki’s eyes and tried to compose herself but it was like all her hard-won training and discipline had abandoned her. She finally managed to choke out “Yes. I would like that. All of that. I...I don’t know how to repay you. I don’t have many ryo, and all my skills are in making things or fighting. I...haven’t had much call to develop anything else. But I’ll try. I...thank you. I never knew I’d find a new family, coming here.” She wiped at her eyes and tried to at least look the part of the sophisticated kunoichi, even if her leaking eyes betrayed her.

Fri Dec 06, 2019 8:18 am

“Yes. I would like that. All of that. I...I don’t know how to repay you. I don’t have many ryo, and all my skills are in making things or fighting. I...haven’t had much call to develop anything else. But I’ll try. I...thank you. I never knew I’d find a new family, coming here.”

"Shh, shh, it's okay," the blonde soothed, trying to put the girl at ease. Payment was the last thing that should be on any of their minds. Through all her book keeping, Akihana knew for a fact that the restaurants did better than it looked. And the boys also had mysterious ways of bringing in discrete amounts of money which the kunoichi suspected was better left unrecorded. "You don't have to worry about any of that, ever. You are our guest and guests don't pay." Though in reality, the redhead would be treated as more than that, she would treated as family here.

"Now let's see if we can finish up these cookies and then we'll find you a place to rest. You can stay in our apartment for now, its just above the restaurant. it's not huge but it has a warm shower and a fridge stocked with food. You can rest up and I'll introduce you to everyone at dinner." That night, as with most nights, the boys would come wondering in, some with their summons, some in their iron suits, some with a sour look on their face because they thought it made them look tough, but all would loosen up when together at a table sharing a hot meal.

And they would meet Terumi Akane, the newest member of their small but growing team.

(Potential Exit)

Checking out the Main Branch

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