Sand in Hot Water is... Still Sand

Thu Aug 11, 2022 7:09 pm

Musu Uzumaki, The sealing sand ninja of the hidden sand village, once proud gatekeeper of the cleft, was filthy.

After being out in the sand, the sun, the sand, the occasional mud, and even more sand; the Jounin knew that the first order of business was to look the part of the respectable ninja of the village. Sure there was a lot that needed to be done in order for Musu to return to normal life, but for now, it was time to clean up to look the part.

Before Musu could begin such a task, he needed to return to his apartment, or what's left of it, and make sure that everything was in order, most notably, he needed new clothes. Upon reaching the doors of his house he could tell that not much had changed. The street was the same, the people that lived there were mostly the same (though they did not recognize him at this point), and it seemed as though nobody really missed old Musu. Musu wasn't the most talkative but he would greet and have small talk with his neighbors from time to time. He wanted to keep a friendly face.

Musu knew that he didn't have the key so he would need to find his spare. Luckily, the sealing master would have a way to circumvent this. When the jounin first moved in, he placed a lock seal on the door to make sure that only he could enter, and by weaving the right hand seals and placing his hand on the doorknob, he could hear a sudden "click" coming from the other side. Moments later, the Uzumaki jounin would enter into his home.

The first thing that he noticed was the smell: Rot, and decay from the now dead plants, expired food, and overall dustiness of the apartment was immediate to his nose. Musu would have to work on cleaning that up soon. Other than the smell however, everything else appeared to be untouched. For now though, it was time for a bath. Going to his drawer and finding a new set of robes, grey and brown in color, Musu would grab some money out of his bank purse, and head to the waiting bath.

Some of the nicest places in town were near the spire and the surrounding grove. Musu knew a place, expensive, but worth the cost a little ways away. Walking towards the structure he could see the building still there, a bathhouse called "The Spire Spa".

Upon entering through the doors of The spire spa one could immediately smell the aromas of lavander, sage, and other rare spices meant to smooth the mind and body. The cool lobby would be adorned simply with a small desk, a young man sat between two waterfalls coming from the high vaulted ceilings below, behind him a large set of double doors. The Young man would eye Musu with disdain, but did his best to keep a smile.

"I would like a suite, please." Musu would say as he dropped 3,000 ryo along with his clean clothes on the desk.

Shocked, the man would take the money and eye Musu once more. "Of course we would be happy to accommodate you, would you like me wash your... clothes?" the man would ask, eying the disgusting rags Musu was currently wearing.

"Will you wash the robes I gave you and will you please find me a new sash to attach my headband onto" Musu would say, reaching out through his robes would reveal the gross headband, and musu would place it on the desk.

"I'll... see what I can do. We close at midnight.. you are welcome to enjoy the amenities until then. Let me get everything set up and I'll let you through, just a moment." And the man would hurry back through the doors.

[643]

Mon Aug 15, 2022 4:58 pm

Kaito sighed.

The Uchiha had spent the past couple of hours doing some relentless body training at the Academy gym. Since he was an alumni of the academia and a shinobi of Sunagakure, the facility was free for him to use. This had always come in handy for the lad as he wanted to do his best in keeping up in peak physical condition, and he was greatly appreciative that it was available to him. The place had an assortment of different equipment, but Kaito mainly stuck to using the dumbbells, the bench press, and the track behind the academy itself.

He did this body training for hours on end, and also helped some of the academy students with their training as well during his time there. He would spot for them when they used the bench press or time their lap times when they ran the track, and this brought back what a few different people had told him regarding his ability to teach others rather well.

'You should become a teacher someday, Kaito...'

Those words, which had been said to him before by the likes of Kiyoharu, Hinoishi, Yusuke, and a few others circulated through his mind.

Initially the young Uchiha thought the role of a teacher would be mundane and not for him, but as time went on he slowly grew accustomed to the idea. He did genuinely enjoy teaching others, especially when it came to training the other village Genin, so perhaps he could become a teacher someday, or perhaps even a Chūnin or Jounin sensei.

'If only I had done a bit better on the exams...'

Not allowing himself to dwell on it all, Kaito decided that now was the time for relaxation. He hand't much been able to relax since becoming a Genin almost a year prior, and now that he actually had some free time, he knew just the place that he had to go; The Spire Spa. He had never been to the place before, but he had heard many people talk very positively about it and all of the amenities that were offered there.

Wanting to see what all of the hype was about, and being all grimy and gross from training for hours on end, Kaito decided that now was the time he tried it out for himself.

Walking in through the front door of the spa, Kaito was greeted with the enticing and fine scent of lavender. Walking further in he could see two gentlemen engaging in conversation. Walking up in the line behind the taller patron, he saw the man hand over a rather raggedy looking headband. It looked much different than the one he had, his being rather clean with only a few small scratches on the metallic plate, so this person must've been a longtime veteran of the village's forces.

Taking notice of this as the shopkeeper took the man's dirty clothing back out of sight, Kaito walked up to the counter and began to count out enough ryō for his own bath.

"That sure was a dirty headband you had there, Mister." Kaito said as he finished counting up the ryō he sat upon the counter. "You must've been away from the village for a really long time or just got it really dirty during a mission here at home." Looking up to the man, Kaito offered his hand out for a handshake. "Either way, though, it shows dedication, and I respect that. My name's Uchiha, Kaito, and I'm a Genin here in the village. Nice to meet your acquaintance."

The young Uchiha would smile grandly up at the man, awaiting any sort of response.

AP Utilized:
Items Utilized:

[Word Count (Post) - 610]
[Word Count (Total) - 610]

Tue Aug 16, 2022 10:06 pm

As Musu waited for the clerk to set everything up. Musu would hear the movement of the doors from behind him and hear the presence of another walk in. A slight breeze would welcome some sand into the lobby, scattering across the smooth tile, almost ominously foreshadowing the beginning of a new interaction between two strangers. The warm air and rugged smells of the outside would briefly meld with the luxury of the Spire Spa as the two different environments joined for the slightest amount of time, only to completely dissipate as the doors of the spa sealed away the outside.

The first thing that Musu noticed about Kaito was the dense chakra signature that surrounded the ninja. There was a deep presence that the chakra provided, greater than even Musu's himself, which intrigued the sealing sand jounin. Musu would turn around to get a glimpse of the ninja, clearly a young man, before turning back to face the doors that entered into the spa proper. Before the clerk returned, the ninja that entered began to speak, the joviality of Kaito's voice signaling his youth as he praised the implied adventure that Musu has just returned from.

"I've been away from the village for quite some time, I returned to the village earlier today..." Musu would say, cold and somewhat distant towards them. As he spoke though, Musu took a deep sigh, and knew that his tone had to change. The jounin was tired and eager to get a nice warm bath, and a breath mint, but that didn't mean that he could speak to his fellow sand ninja without... gusto and vigor. When Musu finished his sigh, the ninja would turn around and face his conversation partner.

"Such is life though. Truthfully I've been looking forward to this for quite some time. I even purchased a suite for myself, you know, as a treat." Musu would say, smiling and showing his teeth, which were in desperate need of some cleaning.

"My name is Musu, have you come to enjoy the spa yourself?" Musu would ask?

While the two ninja were finishing there conversation, the clerk would return with towels and a robe.

Mon Aug 22, 2022 12:50 pm

As Musu spoke about his being away from the village, Kaito allowed his imagination to soar.

What types of stories did the man carry with him regarding his travels? Was he on some sort of mission, perhaps, or even exiled for some reason? Life beyond the village had always intrigued the young Uchiha, and with his own experience in having traveled to the Rain Country alongside Naki and Karo, he knew that he wanted more.

Someday he wanted to travel the world and to help expand the influence of Sunagakure as far as he could.

For now though the Genin would have to wait before any of that could happen, and he didn't mind. The stories of his elders would have to suffice should they want to share them.

The clerk would exit from behind the curtain a few moments later carrying a robe and towel in hand. he would set them on the counter before taking Kaito's ryō and disappearing behind the curtain again.

"Well its nice to meet you, Musu, and welcome back to the village. I am here to relax myself, yes. I spent a long day training and helping some of the Academy students with their own training." The shopkeep then entered back into the room with another towel and robe and handed them both to Kaito. "Anything to make sure the village is in good hands and to ensure that nothing like that ever happens again..."

The aura around Kaito's became a bit ominous.

He was, of course, referring to the events that took place only a few days before the second rounds of the exams; the death of his parents, and also the fact that his best friend had indeed fled the village for some unknown reason.

"I want to prepare this next generation for the hardships of this cruel world, and to ensure that they are ready for such things when it comes knocking..." He said in almost a mere whisper, but just loud enough for Musu and perhaps even the shop owner to hear.

AP Utilized:
Items Utilized:

[Word Count (Post) - 342]
[Word Count (Total) - 952]

Tue Aug 23, 2022 9:34 pm

As the transactions for both Musu and Kaito were being processed, Musu would be ushered forward, handed a towel, slippers, and a robe by the clerk. Once he handed over this information he would point to the key laying on top all the nicely folded cloth, soft and supple to the touch.

"Please make your way to your room numbered by your key. Once washed, I'll leave your clothes in a basket at your door, please enjoy your stay!" The clerk would say with a smile, briefly welcoming Musu into the bathhouse and then paying attention back to Kaito to finish his transaction.

"I look forward to speaking more when you get in there, Kaito" He would say. Musu didn't want to reply to the young ninja, rather wanting to begin soaking in the warm pools and beginning his relaxation.

Beyond the double doors entered into a large main lobby. The smells of rare herbs and relaxing aromas would fill Musu's lungs as he searched for the mens area. The lobby was split into three sides: An area for men, women, and then third area that led into the community rooms. To start, Musu would head into the mens area of the bathhouse, going through the door labeled as such, and navigating the maze of doors and bath rooms until he reached the end of the path and found the door with his number.

Unlocking the door to his room he noticed the extravagance of a suite. His own bathing area with extra hot water in pitchers, salts and soaps at the ready, a large desk under a glass sunroom, vases full of rare flora and fauna, and large basket full of fruits, meats, and other delicacies. Musu would begin to disrobe, throwing away his tatted and disgusting robes into the trash bin, and looking into a mirror for the first time...

For all intents and purposes, Musu did look like a hobo, his long, gross red hair was more brown than red, and he desperately needed a haircut. His know skinny, almost anemic body covered in a thick coat of dirt. His toes and fingernails were misshapen and overgrown. His face appeared to be much older than what he really was.

First things first. Musu would dip his body into the water, where he could immediately feel relief, putting in salts to releive his bones, refresh his skin, and relax his muscles. The next hour, Musu would wash and soap and relax, as the dirt slowly began to melt away.

Thu Oct 20, 2022 4:15 pm

As Musu continued to soak in the bath in his suite, he would look outside the vaulted ceilings and onto the great skys above. The bathhouse, in all it's great smells, feelings, and even tastes, was grand. The Uzumaki sand jounin, ripe from his long months away from the village, was especially dirty, and Musu would need all the help he could get if he was going to be presentable again.

The sealing sand ninja would have to replace the bath waters several times through this endeavor, as he painstakingly looking to renew some of his lost vigor and beauty in the time he spent away from the village, and it was as though the ninja was committing surgery on hismelf to get him back to this pristine form.

His hair was of deep concern, using the lotions and salves that the spa provided to its premier members, he would wash away all the dirt and grime, seeing that the ends were broken, he would take a pair of scissors and cut the dead parts off, returning his hair to bright red hue of the Uzumaki. HE would spend a good amount of time cleaning his finger and toe nails, working to even them up as though he had just left a salon.

By the time night fell and the spa was beginning to close, Musu would appear not as a lowly homeless person, but more like an aristocrat flaunting his wealth by going to the premier spot in the village.

Even the spa clerk was shocked to see the transformation and with it completed he would hand back the Uzumaki his clean robes and the Jounin would leave the village.

Musu would think little of the boy that entered the spa with him, after all he was just a passer by, but wondered if there was a chance that something more could have come from their meeting.

[318/1743

Exit : 467 WC to finish Sand Mill ; Previously Trained Here

Sensoy Sandstorm - 1276/1875

Thu Oct 20, 2022 4:57 pm

Moosiah wrote:As Musu continued to soak in the bath in his suite, he would look outside the vaulted ceilings and onto the great skys above. The bathhouse, in all it's great smells, feelings, and even tastes, was grand. The Uzumaki sand jounin, ripe from his long months away from the village, was especially dirty, and Musu would need all the help he could get if he was going to be presentable again.

The sealing sand ninja would have to replace the bath waters several times through this endeavor, as he painstakingly looking to renew some of his lost vigor and beauty in the time he spent away from the village, and it was as though the ninja was committing surgery on hismelf to get him back to this pristine form.

His hair was of deep concern, using the lotions and salves that the spa provided to its premier members, he would wash away all the dirt and grime, seeing that the ends were broken, he would take a pair of scissors and cut the dead parts off, returning his hair to bright red hue of the Uzumaki. HE would spend a good amount of time cleaning his finger and toe nails, working to even them up as though he had just left a salon.

By the time night fell and the spa was beginning to close, Musu would appear not as a lowly homeless person, but more like an aristocrat flaunting his wealth by going to the premier spot in the village.

Even the spa clerk was shocked to see the transformation and with it completed he would hand back the Uzumaki his clean robes and the Jounin would leave the village.

Musu would think little of the boy that entered the spa with him, after all he was just a passer by, but wondered if there was a chance that something more could have come from their meeting.

[318/1743

Exit : 467 WC to finish Sand Mill ; Previously Trained Here

Sensoy Sandstorm - 1276/1875

Approved

Fri Nov 18, 2022 12:46 pm

The older Shinobi made his way into the back of the bathhouse, and as he did the housekeep presented Kaito with the things for his own bath. It was just then, however, that Kaito had forgotten something very important that he had to take care of before going to the bathhouse in the first place. He made this known to the housekeep, who wasn't the best bit pleased, but Kaito reassured him that the would be back in a timely manner before exiting the shop to take care of his business.

[TOPIC EXIT]

[EXIT CLAIMS]

- Discarding all WC.

Sun Nov 20, 2022 12:30 am

approved

Sand in Hot Water is... Still Sand

Sand in Hot Water is... Still Sand

Re: Sand in Hot Water is... Still Sand

Re: Sand in Hot Water is... Still Sand

Re: Sand in Hot Water is... Still Sand

Re: Sand in Hot Water is... Still Sand

Re: Sand in Hot Water is... Still Sand

Re: Sand in Hot Water is... Still Sand

Re: Sand in Hot Water is... Still Sand

Re: Sand in Hot Water is... Still Sand