Reminiscing Amongst Tea and Rice (Solo)

The elasticity of time always worried the snowy haired kunoichi. Mainly about her time in Konoha and Kiri, and how, at times,it felt like the moments lasted for ages and at other times like they passed in the blink of an eye. As she walked the streets of Tanbogakure she couldn’t help but fear all of it might slip through her fingertips. Salzem’s horrendous murder, Xyxer’s cruelty, and her recent flight from the village hidden in the mist all seemed to flow together into a river of memories that threatened to drift by in the blink of an eye. How incredibly strange life ended up being, she mused silently to herself.

The buildings around her rose up, towering above the diminutive woman and her wolven companion like a nine-year-old’s art project. Stone structures cobbled together, zig-zagging roads, and unique architecture. To call it a village would be generous. It lacked the polish of Kiri and Konoha, but made up for it with what could only be described as grit. Farmers, merchants, and holy men; the settlement was far from what one expected a village to be, and yet it felt far more homey than its appearances lead one to believe.

The few interactions she’d had with the settlement’s denizens left her with a large smile upon her face. The people of rice country were humble and strong, and they worked hard for all that they had. It was a very admirable trait, one that she felt brought them together and made them similar, since she had never experienced what life was like working the fields.

(WC: 268)