A Temple Visit [Makoto]

A quiet morning in Kirigakure. The mist encompases the streets gently as sunlight filters through it onto the city. People begin to wake up and go about their morning. However one has already been awake for a good while now.

Mitsu trudging along with a package in his arms. Some apology from his family he was told to bring. He didnt understand why he needed to bring it though! Not like he said anything tooooo awful to her, She had a bug inside her and he said she did! But after yelling from his parents now he has to bring this apology gift over to the Yoshida clan.

Walking through the more rural and quiet islands Mitsu makes his way across the bridges to the one that housed the Yoshida clan's temple. Quiet and serene the island had many temples like it housed away for the religious and the monks of the village to find a den of calm inside the storm circle. A far cry from the busy and loud city in the centermost island. However still, Mitsu makes his way to their temple. Taking in a deep breath to focus on not making an ass of himself before knocking on the door to it.

A stout building with thick wooden pillars built atop a lake, the Yoshida shrine is big enough to host at most a few families- Smaller than a clan compound, certainly, though it's function as a place of worship probably eats into living space too much for a large number of people to live there. An old man in a black shirt with a very wiry build looks at him while sweeping the floors outside the temple, curious about the young shinobi that would bring a gift to this place- Perhaps some sort of offering?

"Fu fu fu... Young man, you got here quite early. They're still performing the religious services, you know?" He walks closer, putting aside his broom. "It's not often we get new visitors these days... I'll open up for you."

He pauses, as if listening to something in the same way Makoto often does, pulling at a strand of his gray hair. "Ah, but you do have to promise to behave and be quiet. This is a place of worship, after all."

The old man searches around his pockets for the keys, pulling out a ring of them with a small centipede keychain in the shape of a circle, humming as he looks closely at them while waiting for a response.


[195]

"Yes yes. Ofcourse sir." He gives a small bow to the elder as he ought to. "The gift is for Makoto Yoshida I believe her name was." Internally he prayed he didn't mess up her name. He does not specify why the gift is being brought but its clear enough from his eyes and clothing he's from the hyuuga family.

But while the old man fiddled with his keys he might aswell find out a bit about this place. Why the centipedes and... well given how she reacted maybe he shouldn't mention he saw it. "If I might ask sir. Why the centipede? I mean no offense more just curiosity." He looked in awe a bit at the temple itself, it was a pretty place, much prettier than much of the city and how it looked. Even if the knowledge of the bugs in here would make him shiver internally.

[TWC: 359]

"Makoto? Oh my, oh my... That blessed child has made friends, finally." He grumbles. "You know, I'll never understand why they shelter her so much- Ah, but look at me, talking about things I shouldn't again."

Producing the correct key, he goes to open the door, humming. "Why the centipede? Well, they're the ones who have helped the Yoshida for generations, ever since our Founder went off to try and purify herself...You could say something filthy takes in filth, and someone who wants to be clean should appreciate those things, no?" He laughs, opening the door. "Personally, though... It's not wrong to appreciate the things that help you through your burdens. Faith is just one way people move forwards, isn't it?"

He leans back a bit, cracking his back. "Urgh. We never get a lot of you folk around. It makes them uncomfortable. It's good to see you're at least a bit more open minded. Run along now, she should be all the way at the back if you go from these doors. You'll have to wait for the service to be over."

[397]

"Right.. thank you sir" He waves goodbye to the old man. Pondering on his words. Sheltered huh? Would explain a bit about her. Filthy taking in filth, clean appreciating it. A way to cope maybe? It was a shinobi clan so... hrm. Would make sense. He assumed he'd hear more about it from Makoto herself though. Speaking of which.

He heads down the doors the old man tells him to. Looking towards the walls seeing the centipede motif in its decoration and any art it'd likely have. Before heading out into where he was told Makoto would be, sitting among the others watching and listening to the service. Not wishing to cause a scene among the crowd or among the clan. He was never one for religiosity. His days before becoming a shinobi were more often than not filled with chores, events, or training. Leaving little time to contemplate or wonder on this sort of thing.

[Twc: 526]

It is a good ten to fifteen minutes before people start filing out of the room, the strong scent of incense following after them. Wisps of heavy, dark gray smoke roll along the ground as air drifts out. The dim lighting of candles inside the closed-off shrine gradually goes even dimmer as candles are carefully, methodically blown out, as if in somes sort of ritual order. Not long after that, a dead-eyed Makoto steps out, dressed in a pure white shinto priestess outfit, not even noticing him at first. She looks tired, though her expression is one of total calm- Wheter that reflects her inner feelings or not is impossible to tell.

"Makoto. It seems we have a guest"

She closes her eyes as she listens to her centipede, nodding quietly. "...Thank you for telling me. I wouldn't have noticed..." Makoto mutters, looking around until-

"-Ah! Mitsu? I wasn't expecting to see you here." Her face regains some warmth as she speaks,a smile creeping onto her lips.

[567]

"Hi Makoto I.." Deep breath now. Calm down. " I come on behalf of the Hyuuga clan to.. Apologize for insulting you the last time we'd met. Formally this time." He holds out the small package for her, unfurling the cloth around it to reveal two very ornate looking boxes. Dark red wood inlaid with small filigre's of gold and silver. One atop the other.

"Family figured it'd be best if there was a formal apology and to try not offending the Yoshida. Top one is some fish, veggies, and other foods from my mother. Caught and cooked from the nearby islands today. Bottom one is some Ryo, Incense, and uh.. something from me." He says the last bit a little bit sheepishly. Hoping to get this whole ordeal over with and already regretting coming.

He was here on behalf of his family, he couldn't afford to embarrass himself or the family would have at him for it. Juuust relax and get through it.

[Twc: 699]

She stares blankly at him for a moment.

"..."

"..."

"...Yul, what does this mean?" She whispers.

"It is an offering of peace."

"Ah."

She very graciously takes it- Wait, something from him?

"Something from you, huh?" Her smile becomes a bit more awkward, and a bit more honest. Scratching the back of her head as she rolls that thought over in her head. "You needn't have... I wasn't even mad in the first place, once I calmed down. Still, thank you. It's not like I get a lot of gifts- Oh! We should probably go somewhere else while the others clean up in here, don't want to get in the way."

[681]

"Right Right..." Mitsu follows her along wherever she might wish. Hoping he isnt acting as a total and complete idiot this whole time "Apologies if this is all kind of awkward. My family just didnt want to offend and when they heard they got mad and it became..." He sighs

"a whole thing" As many small infractions often do at home

"This place is alot nicer than I expected" He says as he follows her along through the halls of the temple. His wooden sandles clacking on the floors as he walks. Difficult to heep his eyes to himself however. His curiosity drawing him to the smaller details of the temple. The small holes near the floor or walls that let centipedes crawl through. The odd amount of cleanliness all throughout the temple. He supposed maybe their addage about filth might have something to it?

[850]

"Did you expect my house to be some sort of vermin infested hellhole, Mitsu?" She asks, staring at him in the eye. "It's a temple. Of course it's nice, it is a holy place..."

She grumbles quietly, though the weight of the present in her hands seems to cheer her up anyways. Leading him past a series of rooms, they come out under the sun again, the bright morning light a sharp contrast to the dim interiors of the temple. A garden- more like a small islet in the middle of the lake the temple rests on, connected by bridges. Lilies float gently on the water, swaying in the breeze, and a large tree grows from the small chunk of land in the middle. Makoto walks down the bridge, sitting under the persimmon tree with the present in hand.

"This is where I used to train, actually. It's rather nice, isn't it?" Putting down the box, she slowly, carefully, begins to open it.

[844]