Summoning the Dawn

”Huh.. what was that?”
 
Emilia had looked up from cleaning some dishes as she heard a weird noise that came from the front door of her house. The mail had already been delivered today so it must have been something to do with shinobi work. She put the dishes down and headed over towards the door, opening it slowly to make sure that she was being cautious. Emi didn’t get a lot of visitors these days to her house, so it was a little… odd when someone showed up or there were weird noises around. As the door opened a little more, the young genin could spot a letter that had been addressed to her on the ground. She swiftly bent down to pick it up and then headed back inside so she could open it up.
 
Admittedly, Emi was slightly nervous to see what the letter said. She wasn’t sure if it had something to do with her parents recent passing or if it was something else that maybe she had done but didn’t know. Either way she needed to slide her finger between the envelope closing so she could tear it open and actually read what the letter said. ”This better be a positive letter, not sure I could handle anything negative right now.” Emilia sort of laughed it off as if she was joking with herself, but she certainly was serious. As the envelope ripped open, Emilia let her fingers grab the letter and pull it out, opening it up to find something she did not expect, but was extremely happy about.
 

A Letter Received:

 
Emilia had the biggest grin you could ever imagine on her face. She was hand picked to be part of a team to help hone her skills but also to do missions for the sake of Hoshigakure. At the very least, it meant that someone was paying attention to her and realized that she had something to offer to the village. She was also excited about the prospects of meeting new people and being able to surround herself with folks that may share the same passions she does.
 
”Okay okay.. I need to go and prepare all my stuff for tomorrow, which really isn’t a whole lot I guess. But I have to be at the archives before noon tomorrow and I certainly am not going to be late.”
 
Emilia we back to washing her dishes and making sure she got the rest of the house cleaned. She wasn’t expecting to be out tomorrow like she was, so she had a few more things to get done. Honestly though, she’s genuinely happy to be getting to know and visit her team tomorrow. ”I expect I may be the only who may want to be around each other every day, but I am sure that’s just because I don’t really have a life right now.” She laughed a little, though the joke was dark. She had to keep her humor somehow.
 
The young kunoichi decided to call it a night once she got done with all her little chores. She didn’t want to risk staying up too late and then being late to her first day where she was supposed to meet her new team leader and team. ”Time to head to bed.. can’t wait for the morning! Haha… I am superrrr excited!” Emilia dashed to the bedroom as the words left her lips, hoping to actually get a good nights sleep.
 
--
 
Emi had already been up for an hour so this morning before the sun started peaking through. She made her pot of coffee and added some peppermint creamer to this mix to help get her prepared for the day. It wasn’t supposed to be a very beautiful day unfortunately – looks like there was going to be some clouds that turned it a bit grey. Not that it mattered, Emi didn’t think they would be doing much outside anyways if it rained.
 
The young kunoichi went and got dressed into her regular shinobi outfit. A black and grey shirt that included a turtleneck but no sleeves, and of course the spider web design on the front. Then she had on her grey shorts with black leggings going down and black boots that were fit to the foot and never really impaired her movements. Both of her arms would be covered with the same material that her legs were covered with… though her right arm was a little more open.
 
”Alright, time to head out to the archives and meet the team!”
 
The kunoichi would head to the archives with a rather brisk pace. She was too excited to really do it any other way. As she moved throughout the city, the wind would catch her hair and brush it back, allowing her face to be exposed to the wind for most of the journey. She did catch herself peaking up at the clouds every once in a while, they helped her think for some reason as they calmed her down. Emilia entered the archives building, noticing a front desk with a sign in sheet on it.
 
”I figure I need to sign this thing. Hmm? Oh! Looks like the team leader is already here… in study 15. Very good.”
 
Emilia had hoped to show up early before everyone else to make a good impression, though I guess she was glad that the team leader was showing some effort. She finished signing in her name and skipped right past the desk. Heading down the long hallway she spotted the study that had the number 15 beside it. She opened the door confidently, spotting the table that was surrounded by seating mats. Yuuma had already taken his place by the table and seemed to be resting… or thinking… or something.
 
”Hi! I’m Emilia, it’s so nice to meet you! I think I will just take my seat here opposite of you. Looks like we are still waiting for some others to arrive. Hopefully you had a nice walk to the archives this morning!”
 
Emi didn’t really know what to say to be honest – it felt a little awkward. She figured she would just take her seat and wait patiently for the group to arrive. If Yuuma did speak to her, she of course would respond.

Claims:

It had been several days since the incident that took place, which had caused Ise to be in the hospital. He was there for at least four days after having his leg put back on, and then after being permitted to leave, he was told to not do any physical activity, except for walking. In other words, he sat in the house practically bored out of his mind. His mother and older brother had to literally tie him down to a chair, knowing full well that the young Uchiha would simply ignore what he was told and go train anyway. What’s more was that Isemori swore that his older brother Itsuki was getting a huge kick out of it, picking on him a lot due to the fact that he was careless enough to get seriously wounded like that without first completely assessing his opponent. Luckily for him however, his mother was there to prevent Itsuki from picking on him too much. 


With each passing day, he had grown more bored, feeling as if he had become nothing but a shell of his former self. He had pleaded back and forth to go train, but his mother had forbidden him to do so. However, after at least a week later, he had been told that he was able to once again perform his regular duties as a shinobi again. However, before he could do anything else, his mother had stopped him, saying that he had received a letter in the mail. “A letter!? I wonder what its about,” Ise had said, opening the envelope, quickly beginning to read what was written on the piece of paper inside. 

A Letter Recieved::

Ise blinked, scanning the contents of the letter again, making sure that he had read it correctly. “Well, aren’t you gonna tell us what it says, or are ya just gonna gawk at it like an idiot,” Itsuki had said from behind him from within the living room, sitting on the couch. “I- I’m in a squad!” Ise shouted, ignoring his brother while happily grinning at his mother who was standing in front of him. “That’s amazing, Ise dear!” Ise’s mother had said. “I know, it’s kinda hard to even believe,” Itsuki said from the couch in a nonchalant tone, which made Ise glare at him, knowing full well there was that hint of snideness in his older brother’s tone. “What else does it say?” Ise’s mother asked him, prompting to reread it. “Well, it says the day after I got the letter that I need to head to the National Archives where we’ll meet,” Ise had said, telling his mother in his own words. “Wait, when exactly did the letter come in the mail, mom?” Ise had asked, already having a feeling of when. 


“Yesterday, actually. You were sulking so I decided to just wait and give you the letter tomorrow know you’d feel-”


“Oh, man! Then I gotta go now!” Ise had said, bolting out the front door, heading straight to the National Archives without wasting anymore time. “I wish she had given me the letter yesterday when it came! Let’s just hope I make it in time! I can’t be late!” Ise thought to himself, making sporadic shortcuts, jumping up onto one of the houses, moving from rooftop to rooftop, seeing the Archives building in the distance. After a decent fifteen minutes of running without not even thinking about stopping, he had made it inside the building heading straight to the front desk. When the clerk asked him what he needed, he spoke quickly. “I’m here to meet my squad! Do you know what room they are in!?” Isemori had asked, not realizing that time was actually still on his side, but given the fact that he had been given the letter the same day he was supposed to meet his leader and the other three Genin that made up his team, he felt like he was running out of time. The clerk had told him that it was room fifteen, as well as having him sign in. The young Uchiha quickly scrawled his signature on the line, while also flashing his own shinobi ID in order to confirm that he was indeed here for that reason. Then once everything had seemed to be in order, Ise power-walked down the hall towards the room, then he quickly opened the door to the room while speaking. 

“I’m sorry that I’m-” That was when the young Uchiha had realized that aside from him, there was a man, as well as a young female in the room. “On … time?” Ise blinked in complete confusion, realizing that they were two people short. “I made a complete and utter fool out of myself,” Ise thought while his eyes twitched slightly, annoyed with himself for being stirred up when in reality he was nowhere near being late to meet his team, given the fact that there were only three people total within the room, which included himself. Ise had taken a seat down on the mat right next to the female, not really sure if he should say anything else, given the fact that he had already made a fool out of himself. The two of them were probably wondering why he seemed so flustered, but given most of his wording before cutting himself off, it was pretty much apparent that he thought he was running late.

---

WC: 1087

After his morning ritual of a brief run, a soothing shower, and a hearty breakfast, Zayrian was sitting at his family's dining table staring at the empty bowl before him. The last few nights of sleep had been restless for him since the conclusion of his three part mission in Yugakure. Although he was no longer experiencing bone chilling night terrors, every dream he had was lucid. It felt significantly more real, where he could recall every event that happened in a play by play description. Subsequently he began to keep a dream notebook, where he would outline these happenings and reflect on them later. Some would seem to make sense, while others were nothing short of insanity. But nevertheless, they were interesting recounts to document and maybe someday would make sense. 

In the meantime, his mother would plop a rolled up letter on the placemat before him. His vision of the bowl would be obstructed by the letter and he would suddenly snap out of his day dreaming trance. His eyes would fixate on the letter, then back up to his mother. "What's this" he would ask while reaching his dominant hand forward  to grab ahold of his. His mother would simply wave her hand in a motion for Zay to open the scroll and read it. As his hands unraveled the letter, his eyes would follow along every word of its contents. It was intriguing; an indication of Zayrian being selected to join a genin team. And of that team, was a familiar name: Yuuma. Zay would nod slightly in affirmation, as he had been led once before by the chuunin and would see no issues in following his orders again. "Mom, I'm finally on a team!" Zay would say with a sigh of relief. It had been some months since he had graduated form the academy and still had not found placement on a team. His fear was that he would go without ever landing on a team and simply end up as a lone wolf. Not a terrible fate, but just a sad one.

After some dialect exchanged between Zay and his mother, he would bid her farewell as he set out from his home to make his way to the Archives. Although the letter instructed the shinobi to dress comfortably, Zay would wear his normal shinobi attire and remain equipped with his gear. Not out of disregard of his commander's orders, but simply because a shinobi always needed to be ready. With that, he made his way out from his home and onward towards the archives. His gut began to "fly" as his nerves slightly kicked in. He was uncertain as to what today's introductions might bear, but nevertheless he was eager. 

Upon entering the Archive's entrance, he casually made his way to the front desk and informed the receptionist of his intentions. He signed in, received his instructions, and then trotted along in the direction he was informed to go. Moving towards the Eastern direction, he walked down a long hallway before finally standing in front of a closed door branded with the number 15 next to it. He would lightly push the door open and make his way inside, where he would be met with a trio of shinobi. Two were unfamiliar, and the third was Yuuma. Zay would offer a slight nod to the three, and take his seat at the table Yuuma sat at. If he was spoken to he would respond, but otherwise he would remain quiet until it was his time to talk.

(WC: 594)

Takeda was sitting alone in his quiet apartment when the letter came to him. He had been pawing through old medical textbooks and mechanical manuals for information on how to contruct a chamber to contain virus cultures. Before him sat the various bits bobbles and pieces of some strange mechanism or another. Each of these intricate pieces having been either hand carved or hand crafted by Takeda himself. He'd recently been taken by the idea of puppetry. A rather obscure skill from what Takeda could gather, though one that could be useful. The idea of putting his knowledge of medicine and mechanical engineering to use in one solid weapon sounded wonderful in his mind. It allowed him to use the talents he was good at, as well as enabling him to avoid close range combat with opponents. Though he was still rusty with the procedures needed to construct such a mechanism. He'd managed to figure out the basic chasis of the thing, including the limbs and body, though the hidden mechanisms still eluded him.

His thought process was interrupted by the sound of a letter being crammed forcefully underneath his apartment door. Annoyance flashed in the Canopic clansman's face as he set the textbooks aside and made his way over to the door and scooped the folded yet crumpled envelope off the floor. With deft movements Takeda flicked it open to reveal his invitation to the team. Curious eyes perused through the words along the page, and a small smile began worming its way through Takeda's face.

"A team then huh? Wonder who thought I was special enough to 'hand select.'"

Takeda took note of the last individual on the page, Yuuma Fujiwara. That made Takeda's smile a bit brighter. He was the one who had proctored the Canopic's test to become a Genin if he recalled correctly. Was he the one in charge of selecting team members? Maybe. Takeda couldn't help but be grateful that he'd left such a great impression on his superior. Though he doubted that his display was anything particularly special or unique.

"Guess I'll have to rearrange some of my plans for tomorrow then!"

Takeda looked back at the sad, half constructed body of his puppet project and winced. He didn't think that he'd need to rearrange too much in all honesty. The day went by quickly and Takeda readied himself for bed early. He awoke early and began dressing himself for the day to come. He paused for a minute when choosing his outfit, trying to decide how best to make an impression. The letter said to dress comfortably, though that usually wasn't an option for members of the Canopic clan. The last thing he needed to worry about was getting his new teammates sick if they somehow came into contact with errant sweat. No, better safe than sorry. Takeda prepared his usual outfit for the day, a pair of pants and boots with a long leather jacket and gloves, all of which were colored back. With a hefty sigh Takeda grabbed hold of his signature black gas mask as well, affixing the thing to his face with a huff. He knew it was working when he began to inhale stale, sterilized air. When he spoke again, his voice had a metallic quality to it, as it did whenever he had his mask on.

"Well... it's always good to make a good first impression!"

With that Takeda opened the door to his apartment and began working his way over to the Kozai Yuki National Archives as dictated within the letter. Heavy clouds hung overhead in the sky as the man went, granting him some small reprieve from the intense heat that the sun emitted. Takeda quickly hurried over to the building in question and walked over to the sign in desk. Signing in himself, Takeda quickly took note of Yuuma's name in study 15. Taking that as his cue, Takeda worked his way through the library to the room in question and quietly opened the door. As he did so, he noticed four other shinobi already present. A shame, as Takeda had hoped he would be amongst the earliest, though considering that he wasn't yet late that was acceptable. Though a bit of shame worked its way through his body and wounded his pride as he realized that every single one of them was younger than the twenty-two year old Genin. He couldn't say this was entirely unexpected. He'd only recently joined the Academy after all. Though it didn't change the fact that he was hoping to find more of his peers within the group. Still, Takeda would just have to work harder to keep up.

The rest of them would see a young man in his twenties enter the room, fitted almost from head to toe in black clothing. Dark hair surrounded his head, and what little skin was visible was unnaturally pale, whether he be ill or didn't see the sun often it wasn't clear. His eyes seemed a sickly disturbing yellow color as well. The man gave a deep bow to his soon to be teammates and sensei, and gave his greetings. When he spoke, the mask that adorned his face heavily tinted his words with a metallic quality, giving what he said an almost eerie ring to it, though a sort of relaxed contentment and joy could still be audible within his words.

"Hello everyone. My name is Takeshi Takeda. It's a pleasure to meet all of you."

Takeda's gaze fixed on Zay, an eyebrow raising slightly for a moment before returning to its resting state. How odd. That fellow seemed nearly identical to the individual he'd seen in his dreams the other night. Strange coincidence Takeda supposed. The Canopic made his way over to the table and sat down at the furthest seating mat he could from the rest of the group. His mask filtered out all of his illness from the environment from what he could tell, but better safe than sorry. With that, Takeda would remain silent until addressed.

Word Count - 1012

Having been the first to arrive had afforded Yuuma the quiet, contemplative moments to gather himself before meeting a group of people he was going to have a direct hand in the development of. He took a moment to recognize the responsibility that now sat in his hand like an egg, the opportunity to give something to someone else. In truth, Yuuma wasn't quite sure he was ready to be the person that others looked to for guidance though Yuuma was quick to brush these apprehensions aside; despite the turn of recent events, this was no time to begin doubting himself. He would simply have to accept that mistakes would be made, and be abundantly careful that they aren't the worst sort of mistakes.

Midway through his thought, the door would open and the first of the arrivals would greet his vision, a dark ribbon tied in her hair. Emilia Kaneko. A recent graduate who had originally arrived as a refugee from the village of Kumogakure. The same village that had within it the only other member of Yuuma's clan that he had ever known. A twinge of regret resided in Yuuma still for not having made more of an effort to make contact during the exams but the Raikage had been more than a little intimidating with his presence. Yuuma had taken the opportunity to find what information he could on each of the Genin he had selected, reading over any public record contained within the archive itself on each of them before having made his choice. She, like him, had no home outside these walls, and as of recently, no one to whom she could return home to. It was a reality Yuuma knew all too well. His sympathy was worn only in the friendly smile he offered Emi as she entered the room, a nod to follow and an invitation to join him at the table.

There wouldn't be much time for the silence to settle in between them before the door opened again some handful of minutes later to show the wild-haired visage of Isemori. A proud member of the Uchiha clan among a number of others that resided in the city. Despite his searching, Yuuma could find no mention of a mission they had undertaken together, and yet he could swear he distinctly remembered a moment of decisive action in which Isemori had allowed his team to secure an important objective of some sort. The details were hazy, as though it had been part of a dream, but from the way they shared an expression of recognition with one another, it was hard to imagine it could all be a coincidence. Nonetheless, Yuuma welcomed the young boy in all the same, motioning for him to join the others at the table and noting his taking a seat next to Emi, the both of them occupying the space of table that was directly opposite of his own.

The trio had a little bit of time to talk before the third would arrive, commenting idly on the cloudy weather that meant it was likely going to be a muggy day if the sun came out in full, though could prove to be rather cool otherwise. Zayrian was the next to pop through the doorway; among the youngest of the group, as well as the smallest. The Kaguya-born Genin having recently caught Yuuma's attention in a manner much the same Isemori had. The boy offered a silent greeting before moving around to settle in on Yuuma's left. Of all the people in the group, he knew the least of both Emilia and Zayrian, though the latter had a vague familiarity about him. Perhaps they had seen each other around the village or trained at the same time as one another. It was a hard feeling to shake, but Yuuma could not help but feel an attachment to the youth in some regard. A gut instinct that he would intend to see through in his training.

Last to arrive was the Genin that Yuuma had the opportunity to be the closest with. The towering figure of Takeda stepped through the door clad in his proverbial black leather armor. Of the whole of the group, Takeda stood nearly head and shoulders, and would also be the only one to introduce himself to the group as a whole as he entered before taking a seat at the section of the table to Yuuma's right, giving himself a few feet of space as compared to the others. Yuuma had been a part of the process of seeing Takeda advance to the rank of Genin and even gotten to know some of the personal motivations of, even if the young man- who seemed near his own age- wasn't exactly sure of what those motivations entailed. They would have an opportunity to discover as much together, it would seem.

"Good afternoon, all of you," Yuuma would begin once Takeda had taken his seat. "I am glad to see each of you had gotten my letter and managed to make your way here. I am certain you have plenty of questions but for now, do your best to hold them until the end. There will be plenty of time as I hope none of you have anything particularly pressing to do later. Today could be considered your very first day of training, and as such it could be a rather long haul, but I have confidence that each of you is up to the task." A hand would start at Takeda and move back around to them in the order they had arrived. "Takeda has been kind enough to set an example for us. Why don't we each introduce ourselves? State your name, your field of interest, and something fun about yourself. Allow me to begin. My name is Yuuma Fujiwara, your instruction, though you may simply call me Yuuma. I have a strong proficiency for medical-related study and jutsu, and I once spent three days learning how to operate a photo camera." A grin spread across the young man's face as he recalled for the moment, his tone flowing but gently enough to set a tone of ease about the conversation, as though he were welcoming them into the shallow end of a pool.

Yuuma would allow each of them to speak in turn, giving them his undivided attention as they went around the table briefly speaking on themselves- no one was skipped or exempt from the exercise. Upon its completion, Yuuma would stand from the table and turn around and pull a cord. A small slide would open along the wall revealing a board that could be written on. Bringing a bit of chakra to his finger, Yuuma would etch a temporary symbol into the board, the symbol for the word "Summer". Once it was complete, Yuuma would turn back to the group seated at the table and begin to speak. "You have all been selected here, by me, to be part of this team. Team Summer. As this is our first time getting to know each other, I would like to make perfectly clear what we will be doing, what you may expect of me, and what I will expect of you. Firstly, and most importantly, allow me to express that you will be learning skills that are not just for you. Certainly, you will pick up traits that will help you in your journey to mastering your arts, but above all else, you will learn every aspect of our core concept: teamwork. I do not mean simply joining other ninjas on missions or temporarily assisting them with assignments, I mean the very nature of working together as one function. A cohesive unit. A well-oiled machine, if you will."

Yuuma would begin to pace some, his hands folded in front of him and his eyes jumping to each of them to affirm their understanding as he spoke. "Over the course of the coming months, you will not only learn how to be excellent, but you will learn how to make those around you excellent. You will learn how to best assist your fellow shinobi, you will learn to seamlessly blend into and even lead any group you might find yourselves with. By the time you are done here, you will be able to get the very best out of those around you, and in turn, you will show each and every one of them your absolute best. In being given the rank of Chuunin, I was reminded by our Lord Seventh that it is not to him who we serve, nor those of the Nova Corps nor the Masters of the villages, but it is to the village itself that we dedicate our very beings. To the people who do not undergo rigorous training of jutsu, to the people who go about their daily lives in the hopes of pursuing what they love. What they care for. And what means most to them. So too do we pursue the things that mean most to us, and from this day forward, that thing with which we pursue with such vigor and determination is nothing short than the very best for our village. Our pride. Our home. The place that has given each of us a purpose, a haven for ourselves and our family, and a symbol to which we can trust others to have an unyielding faith and loyalty." Yuuma would pause in his pacing, allowing his words to settle in for just a moment as he spoke them out. He stood then at the edge of the table, making sure that each of them knew he had his attention by meeting their eyes directly one by one.

"Today, the people of Hoshi are putting their faith in you. They will believe that you will protect them. Keep them safe, and be ever vigilant for threats that would disrupt their way of life from the inside or the outside. I have the utmost faith that each of you will uphold these expectations without fail, and will become the gleaming stars in the summer night sky. The welcoming warmth of the change of season. The fiery heat of renewal that brings plenty to the land of Heaven, and the scorching scourge that will cleanse the land of any who might dare threaten our people. Today, each of you becomes part of something bigger than yourself. Today, you are Team Summer." It was a point in thought that felt like there was no need for further conclusions, simple words of passion that Yuuma wanted to be certain that, even if his pupils did not assimilate perfectly, they would now understand by which Yuuma would be conducting himself, and the seriousness of which he would hold them to.

"Any questions?"

WC - 1,795
TWC - 2,295

Emilia was happy to see Yuuma acknowledge her as she entered the room, he seemed nice enough, but not overly nice where he seemed more friend than teacher. He would certainly gain the respect of the team more in this manner, especially if he was really able to help them grow and become strong shinobi. Emilia didn’t really know what to think of Yuuma just yet, his appearance wasn’t one that made you think he was powerful or strong. He was larger than Emi of course, but it was just something about him that she couldn’t make out. The thought would pass her by eventually as more of her teammates began to enter the study.
 
Another teammate entered the study along with Yuuma and Emi, one who looked eager but also one who seemed like he may enjoy talking. He had started off by apologizing for what Emi presumed to be his tardiness, until he realized not everyone was there. Emilia chuckled a little bit as the boy continued on and sat down beside her. She found him amusing with a unique sort of “innocent charm” about him. It was a personality trait you just had to be born with really, not someone who could fake it as it certainly wouldn’t come off as genuine. Emi was eager to learn more about this boy and hopefully she would get the chance to.
 
There was a slight pause during the next entrance from the teammate and the three chatted about the weather and how it wasn’t such a pleasant day. After this tiny side bar conversation, the door once opened and in walked a young boy, possibly around the same age as Emilia, though she felt he may have looked younger than she did. He would take his seat opposite of the side where Emi and the other genin had sat. Emi figured that this would be the team right here, she wasn’t sure the team would grow anymore but when Yuuma didn’t say much and seemed to wait for others, she knew there would be at least one more. That person also opened the door as soon as those thoughts came through her mind, and she was shocked at what she saw.
 
”Wow.. he’s certainly older and much more physically developed than anyone else on the team… he’s almost like a giant.”
 
As the large figure entered the room, he introduced himself to everyone, which was nice… and something Emi would have done if she entered in his position. She technically did introduce herself to Yuuma though, so she sort of gave herself points for that. Once Takeda had officially taken his seat, Yuuma would begin to talk, first mentioning that he wanted everyone to share information about themselves, which Emilia absolutely understood. Once Yuuma finished, she would go first since she was the first team member into the study.
 
”Well, it’s really great to meet all of you. Being part of this team means a lot to me, especially right now in my life, so I’m really grateful for this opportunity and can’t wait to grow stronger with everyone. With that said, my name is Emilia Kaneko, some folks call me Emi. My field of interests are in space-time and ninjutsu techniques. Something fun about me… well I really enjoy energy drinks or something that gets the blood flowing, however, I may not stop talking if I have something like that. I can also be extremely sarcastic… so I apologize in advance.” Emilia finished up her little speech with a smile and her eyes closed, giving off the illusion of a much larger grin. She would then pass the torch onto the boy next to her.
 
Of course, once everyone was done with Introductions, Yuuma had another long but necessary speech that he wanted to share with the group. Emilia watched as the Chuunin leader stood up and walked towards the board and drew on it with chakra from his hands. It was the team symbol for Summer and he went over explaining what the very meaning of it meant. It was all about their reasoning for being ninja, what they were meant to do, and ultimately how they would get the best out of themselves and also everyone else around them. This of course was something that intrigued Emilia greatly, as a big part of her shinobi life is about becoming strong and powerful and fulfilling that wish for her father. Once Yuuma had ended his talk show, he had left the forum open for the group to ask any questions that they may have. Emilia had one right off the rip that she was curious about and so, she went ahead and asked.
 
”Yuuma, you mentioned being a cohesive unit and not just assisting each other with missions. Teamwork is obviously an important part of this group and knowing one another helps that, but how do you plan on getting us to that point? What plans do or will you have for us to be able to come together to such a level?”
 
Emi’s gold eyes scanned the room as she asked the question. She was a little nervous, she hoped her new teammates wouldn’t ridicule her for such an obvious or dumb question. She would await the response from Yuuma and or any team member that wished to join in on this question.

Claims:

And so it would seem as if today would be kicked off with a round of introductions. Each of the genin assigned to Yuuma would be expected to produce several facts about themselves following Takeda's introduction of his own. It was interesting to interact with both Yuuma and Takeda in this setting, as the last time they had been together was in a series of nightmares. Today was much more cordial, tamed, and...real. A slight spine chilling shudder surged down Zay's back as he began to recall some of the events that occurred in that dream induced state. Things were fuzzy, but the sensations he felt were still apparent. Zay's mind reverted back to the subject at hand once Yuuma began to describe his capabilities and one of his interests. He seemed proud of who he was, something that was important for a shinobi. And one by one, the other genin of the team would do the same thing. Emilia, revealing her specialties and her love of energy drinks. Isemori, who was attuned with multiple elements and specialties as well. Perhaps Ise had already undergone vigorous training, more than Zay had at least. He himself was only aligned with katon, yet he knew few techniques for it. Additionally he had only just begun training his Shikotsumyaku. 

In what seemed like an instant, the eyes in the room fell on Zayrian as it was his turn to speak. He took a moment to softly clear his throat, then he begun. "Zayrian Kaguya. I go by Zay," he said in a low and serious tone. His name was important to him, as so many before had butchered its pronunciation. "Most of my training has been taijutsu focused, specifically with the techniques from my clan. I guess my interests.." he paused, briefly thinking for a moment. He wanted to refrain from admitting his hobby of smoking, and instead presented something a bit more wholesome. "...can probably be summarized as anything competitive. I also enjoy both cooking and eating. And sometimes I can come off as disinterested, but it's really just a product of my calm personality. I think more than I speak sometimes." 

With that, Zay would conclude his introduction of himself. He wasn't quite sure what more to say, as he wasn't certain how certain things would be perceived. For now he could keep everything surface level, and in time more would be revealed to his teammates. Besides, it would seem like they would have plenty of time to bond. Throughout his dialogue, he kept a cool demeanor, not to be confused with disinterest. However he just wanted to ensure that he didn't seem overly enthused and subsequently immature. Overall, he wanted his behavior to match the gravitas of the team's meeting today. He would then turn his attention towards Takeda whom would wrap up the round of icebreakers. 

Next, Yuuma would begin to describe what it meant to be on a team and what it meant to be a shinobi of Hoshigakure. Zay would spend some time reflecting on Yuuma's words, recognizing that he had his own personal motives as well. It made him wonder what everyone else's resolve for becoming a shinobi were. But none of that mattered, what was important was that this was a new team. And as Yuuma stated, they would need to put their personal ambitions aside and prioritize the fluidity of the team. Zay would nod in affirmation as Yuuma spoke. Yet when being asked if they had any questions, Zay leaned back in his chair and folded his arms across his body. He offered a slight shake of his head, signifying that he was on board and understood the assignment. Yet Emilia's interjection was a good one, inquiring on how Yuuma planned to develop team chemistry. Zayrian then directed his attention back to Yuuma, awaiting the response from the chunin. 

WC = 646. Total = 1240

It was as Takeda sat himself down at the table that their now instructor began to speak, asking them to hold their questions until the end before starting the meeting. With a hand gestured towards Takeda, Yuuma asked the group if they would be able to introduce themselves as well. Yuuma started, giving both his name and his specialties, as well as a slightly humerous anecdote about once spending three days learning how to operate a photo camera. Takeda gave a low chuckle at that, his voice coming through low and raspy through the mask.

"I think I'd like to hear that story some time or another."

He quickly handed off the reigns to another member of the group, though Takeda took note of what he had said pertaining to his skills. Medical Ninjutsu eh? Takeda would have to remember to ask for his assistance with that category. After all, he also wanted to know a thing or two about the subject. Though he supposed that would have to wait for another time. The only girl present on their squad went next, introducing herself as Emilia Kaneko, or Emi. Apparently she was a specialist in both Space-Time Ninjutsu and regular Ninjutsu, two subjects currently beyond Takeda's grasp. She also shared a humerous anecdote about her addiction to energy drinks, something that brought mild amusement to Takeda's eyes. She seemed a nice enough girl, though based off how she started her introduction Takeda assumed something particularly stressful had just happened in her life. A death in the family perhaps? That's usually rattling. Takeda knew better than to question it though, and sat silently as the next person introduced themself.

The one called Isemori Uchiha went next, or Ise. A particularly energetic boy from Takeda's perspective, it really struck him just how old he was in comparison to the rest of these children. He was far closer to Yuuma's age than theirs, though once again he chose to keep that thought to himself. He also seemed proficient in the art of Ninjutsu, and had even managed to master two elemental transformations. On top of that he had some proficiency with Genjutsu. Apparently he trained every morning, something that made sense considering how much he'd said he'd learned. He certainly had tenacity, a quality Takeda admired, even if he didn't share the same determination to wake up every morning for training.

Last to go was Zayrian Kaguya, or Zay. Seemed as though everyone here had some abbreviation of their name. A minor humorous thing in the mind of the Canopic Clan member's mind. Though unfortunately he had no intention of asking them all to address him as 'Tak.' He introduced himself as being a Taijutsu specialist, something Takeda had to admire. He'd been up close in hand to hand combat before, and it had hurt more than he'd cared to admit. Risking an up close assault like that required a degree of courage, yet another admirable quality in Takeda's mind. Apparently a competitive person as well, though he enjoyed cooking and eating as well. A bit of a distant person as well though, something Takeda felt as though he could work with given time.

Takeda was the last person up on the chopping block, and the man took a minute to thing about what he wanted to say. He'd already given his name, though as for his interests and skills, he had to think for a moment.

"Well... As I mentioned before, my name is Takeda Takeshi. I'm 22 years old, and one of the few members of the Canopic clan. I have a natural affinity for the medical arts, similar to our instructor, though I've recently taken up interest in the art of shinobi puppetry. I've actually currently got a puppet in my apartment that I'm working on right now." Takeda grinned under the mask and rubbed the back of his head. "As for my interests, I'm a big fan of reading. Fiction, non-fiction,  heck even textbooks, it's all interesting to me. Hopefully I'll get a chance to expand my interests the longer I'm on this team!"

Takeda brought his hands together and placed them upon the table, sitting silently and turning towards Yuuma as he began to give a speech about what they would be doing in the future of this team. Takeda listened, though in truth it seemed as though this was to be yet another standard introductory speech, he'd heard numerous ones like them back at the academy. Still, Yuuma had a level of proficiency in his rhetoric that at least made it fun to listen to. Once he had finished and asked for questions, Emi raised her hand and asked how he would be training the group to become a cohesive unit. Takeda didn't speak, and bit his tongue. Truth be told while Yuuma could bring them along on missions together, ultimately it was up to the students to coordinate with their allies. Try as he may, Yuuma couldn't force that upon them. Still, it was better to remain quiet and not put his teammates down, so he sat quietly and listened to whatever Yuuma would have to say on the matter.

Word Count - 864

Total Word Count - 1876