A New Generation [IO]

Hayato was running late. The urgent mission at the request of the village from a noble was one he couldn't refuse. He was a little bit tired, but not at all worse for wear physically. The training and Smiling face of his Cousin could probably do the boy some good right about now. He dashed on the roof tops of the village to make up the time. He'd said good by to Shiho as she'd been flying pretty much all morning following him and watching his back. He was thankful that she had been assisting him in the mission, and as much as he'd like to chill with her a while longer he didn't want to miss the appointment he'd set.

His mind flashed back to the man dying in a shallow river coughing up blood with a thumbs up, the look on the four other thieves faces as he perished, their disgust and spit towards him as he walked them to the village's prison. For what was suppose to be a normal morning of training, He'd had a lot of trauma. Too much for a boy of just 16 years of age. He couldn't help but think if his own father had died in a similar way. He shook the thought from his head as he landed in front of the training facility. Descending directly in front of the guard, he flashed his headband and received a smile and a nod. Hayato was here daily so each of the guards new his face now. The grounds were familiar to him. The ground was dry with a few pools around form training water style. There were plenty of training dummies lined up awaiting their sparing partners. The building at the back of the facilities housed a few training rooms with a few mechanisms within for training against incoming attacks. He told Airi they would meet up the next day around midday, but he was about 30 minutes behind schedule.

I hope she didn't think I stood her up... Hayato looked down bringing his hand to his chin as he pass through the threshold. He wore a worried expression, but he'd surely hear if some one called his name or got within range of sensory abilities.

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WC:375

There was something about the scope of the facilities available to the village that always took Airi’s breath away. She’d been all over the lands with her family, running from ghosts that never seemed to leave them alone, the ever-present threat of hunters that hung over their heads constantly. It was only when they’d arrived here that that threat had receded, not quite vanished but for now those hunters didn’t dare to brave the village. For now, she was safe, could breathe. Airi had never really appreciated how much that threat had weighed on her before, till that weight that had been a part of her life for so long had been lifted. The freedom she had now was something she’d never expected to find, the teenager felt like she could spread her wings, could fly away with each step.
 
The freedom that came from being safe wasn’t the only benefit she’d found upon arriving in the village, there was also the fact that she’d found family. Not in the way that friendships blossomed into a bond that was as close as that you shared with family. Actual blood relations! A cousin! Even though he was running late now.
 
The girl leant against a wall, blue eyes staring at the doorway to the training centre, looking past the guards standing by the entrance. The girl reached up with one slim hand to wind her long black hair around a single digit, a nervous habit she’d never really been able to kick from her childhood. She knew it was a weakness, something that broke that face that a ninja was supposed to present to others that mask that her teachers had always told her about. It was just…hard. She wanted to explore this place, to find out more about it but she had to wait for Hayato to show up. Wanted to spend more time with her cousin, to find out more about this relative she’d never know existed but…
 
Pearl-white teeth sank into the soft flesh of Airi’s lower lip for a moment as she blinked, her brow furrowing in concentration. She knew that Ninjas were able to summon familiars…and she was familiar with Hayato so maybe if she focused hard enough she could summon him. She knew that wasn’t how it worked, but maybe…just maybe… A small sound escaped her lips as the girl stared intently at the doorway for a moment before a familiar shape appeared, a loud exclamation filling the air.
 
“I did it! I’m the super summoner! I mean…Hey there Hayato-nii, you’re late.”
 
The look of focus on the girl’s face morphed into a playful put, as she tilted her back and sniffed at her cousin.
 

“I’ve been waiting forever.”


WC: 447