Time in the Cold

Missions:

Amikiri crouched down, settling into a squatting position. It was bit rough on his knees. Even though he was only eighteen, soon coming up on nineteen, years of hard work, training, and lifting heavy stuff had certainly put some stress on his joints. Looking at the fireplace in front of him, it was beautiful architecture, clearly made by a master mason. The Hyuuga took the small piece of flint in his left hand and struck it against the base of his kunai. It made a small mark, but the kunai was one of many. No need to worry about something as superficial as a minor scratch on a kunai. The sparks created by the strike spread forward, lighting the fire in front of Amikiri. The black haired Hyuuga poked the fire a bit, to make sure it was going well. He gazed at it, staring deep into the embers. He didn't know how long it took, but he eventually shook himself out of it. Amikiri planned on heading back home soon and his wood supply was running dangerously low. The Hyuuga preferred not to have to stay in this frigid of an area without a fire. He grabbed the pot next to him and hung it over the fire. It contained potatoes, celery, and some other miscellaneous vegetables. The food would have to cook for a while, so he had to something to fill the time. He stood up, and started to walk around his little temporary abode. Speaking of home and his eventual return, he still needed to find that perfect gift for his family. The Hyuuga figured that now would be the perfect time to go do that. As Amikiri approached the door to leave, he heard a light knocking sound.

The black-haired Hyuuga curiously opened it, to see a small boy standing outside. The boy was definitely no older than ten. The boy was probably 4'6", it was hard to tell. He had short blond hair, combed straight and parted in the middle. The boy looked up at Amikiri and said, "U-u-umm mister. C-c-can you help me b-b-build a snowman?"

Amikiri gave a smile. He looked down at the little boy and said, "Sure champ. What's your name? If I'm gonna help you out, I might as well know you a little bit better. My name's Amikiri." The Hyuuga crouched down, to the annoyance of his joins, and stuck his hand out, trying to shake the boys hand.

After a couple seconds of hesitation, the boy stuck his hand out. It seemed small compared to the black haired Hyuuga's, but Amikiri's hands were large and rough after years of hard work. The two shook hands and the boy, clearly more comfortable now, said "My name is Aiden. Come on, let's go build that snow man!" The boy took off running, and after a moment of surprise, Amikiri quickly pulled on his fleece jacket and ran out the door after the boy. He normally would have locked the door, but the cheery festival and his high spirits caused the Hyuuga to neglect that task over the past few days.

Eventually the boy grew tired and slowed to a walk, with Amikiri slowing down as well. As the two looked for the perfect spot to build a snowman, the Hyuuga noticed something that slightly amused him. Looking down, he could see his large feet completely destroyed the Aiden's footprints.

The two would continue their search for about fifteen minutes time, making minor conversation along the way. As the talked, Amikiri started to grow a liking for Aiden. He strongly reminded the Hyuuga of his younger brother. A little nervous at first, but relatively care free and easy going. This reminded Amikiri of why he was here, and not back home on the farm. He had to make money, that way his family could live a better life. And hopefully, his younger brother won't have to work as hard as Amikiri did when he was his age.

Eventually, the two found a perfect field. It was nice and large, as well as perfectly flat. They could easily make a ball of snow in that field and have no problems. Amikiri looked to his right and downward, asking the boy, "Are you ready?" The boy smiled and nodded. The two got to work. Amikiri started by making a ball of snow about six inches wide, before placing it on the ground and starting to roll it. He managed to roll it into it was almost two feet wide. The Hyuuga looked over and saw Aiden doing the same, except for the fact his ball was slightly smaller. They stacked the two balls on top of each other. Amikiri and Aiden then started rolling the third ball together, making sure it was perfectly round. The two males lifted it up together, though Amikiri was clearly doing most of the work. They balanced it on the top, making sure it wouldn't fall off. The Hyuuga and the young boy stepped back to admire their work.

However, Aiden's attention span clearly wasn't as long as Amikiri's was. The boy exclaimed, "Oh! My friends are having a snowball fight right now. Come on, it'll be fun." The boy grabbed Amikiri's hand and started pulling him along. Amikiri was surprised at first, but then started following along behind him. Even though Amikiri was excited, the thought of his soup lingered in his mind. He would have to get going soon. However, there was still time for a snowball fight.

They eventually came to a small clearing in the woods. Downed trees made plenty of points of defensive cover. As Amikiri walked into the clearing, things started to become quiet. He noticed that Aiden wasn't walking next to him anymore. Amikiri whipped his head around, looking for anyone. He didn't see anyone, but he saw something. A ball of white snow going straight towards his face. Amikiri rolled out of the way. He smirked. Looks like they set up an ambush. He rolled a few snowballs together and threw them straight back at them. He had to be careful, all his years training had given him quite the good throwing arm. He made sure to only hit about one in every five throws. The Hyuuga quickly retreated behind cover though.

After enough time, his clothes started to become wet as the snow melted. When this happened, the Hyuuga shouted, "Sorry guys, I gotta go!" and ran off. The Hyuuga made his way back home, and came back to his stew perfectly ready. Amikiri smiled. Nothing like a nice set of dry clothes, a warm fire, and hot soup after a fun cold day in the snow. Even if he was a grown man who believed in the principles of hard work and discipline, relaxation was needed every now and then.

WC: 1143

Claims:
5 Chakra (20 > 25)
6 Speed (42 > 48)

1143 WC to Gentle Blade (1429/2000, past progress here)

2000 Ryo
10 AP
500 Winter Equinox Event Tickets