The Power of Sound (Mission)

Missions:

Music:

Yukina was excited to start her journey of learning the element of sound, and with her closest friends as well. The ability to manipulate the music she heard with her chakra was something she had dreamed of since becoming a ninja. With this ability, she could perhaps learn to share with others what she heard. Share a piece of her world. Then perhaps she wouldn't feel so distant from others, so strange, so weird. Maybe she could finally fit in, beyond the few people who had made that effort without such a tool at her disposal.

She smiled as she waited in a clearing for her friends. She knew the first exercise to learning sound was one she already had down pat. All she did was listen to the sounds around her, perhaps too much so, and commonly got swept away in them. She could hear it all, the music of the wind hitting the trees, the music of the squirrels chittering away nearby, the music of a bird just starting to flap its wings. She may hear it differently than others but she heard it just as well, perhaps even better. The sounds washed over her as she continued to listen, and waited to hear the tune that would announce the arrival of her friends.

WC: 218
TWC: 218
MTWC: 218/7,000

Rokku had received his mission rather enigmatically and was not entirely prepared for the notification letter he received upon arrival at the mission office. Rokku had of course notified headquarters of his desire to begin learning the sound element and made the application but they hat been sparse on the details and whenever he happened to ask someone about it they refused to discuss the matter. Rokku presumed he would be given more notice but apparently it was a tradition of sorts so he stopped trying to understand it and just accept it. His instructions stated that he was to spend the day in silence, and go about his day not saying a world whilst listening to the world and nature around him. The concept did not make for a particularly exciting day but he would do his best to complete the task and listen as instructed. If it was the only way to learn the sound element then so be it. He had informed his family of the task and explained he would not be speaking or responding to them. Several hours later his young sister presented him with a large drawing pad and pen, along with two pieces of card connected by pieces of string. The piece of card had written ‘I am in special training. I cannot talk.’ And was decorated with an unflattering drawing of Rokku with many stars, flowers and random, nonsensical scribbles which Rokku recognised as his youngest brothers penmanship.

Rokku had agreed to where the sign around the house but to outside. This swiftly changed when his younger siblings began protesting angry and tearfully in a well planed emotional pincer attack, even utilising their youngest brother Sato against him. Rokku capitulated to his sister wishes and so now walked through the village with a crudely drawn sign, gathering odd looks and titters of laughter as we went. For once he did not carry his guitar with him, there being no point if he was not supposed to make much sound after all. Instead he carried a small bag in his hands that swung lightly as walked quickly but carefully to the meeting point.

When he arrived he spotted Yukina already there and waved with a smile that dropped when he remembered the sign he was still wearing. He blushed red and headed over to join his fellow genin and perhaps only real friend in the village besides Quinn. Rokku was liked the direct and plain spoken forge master but was entirely uncertain if she actually liked them or whether she had simply been placed on babysitting duty for the new genin. He had asked around about her and heard a few stories, including one where she supposedly defeated the Otokage himself with a single blow. Rokku doubted the validity of the claim and imagined it was perhaps some kind of misunderstanding or an exaggerated telling. Quinn still seemed to garner a healthy level of respect throughout the village and especially the other shinobi however and this made Rokku weary of her true intentions. Surely she had better things to do than watch a couple of new shinobi. Whatever the reason it roused Rokku’s suspicions.

He approached Yukina and pulled out two notepads from the bag and a pen each, offering one of each to Yukina before he scribbled down a hasty note which read ‘Brought these so we can still communicate if we need to, mission said we couldn’t speak but said nothing abut writing.’ The message was finished with a winking face and accommodated with a thumbs up from Rokku. Rokku flipped the paper over and wrote another message. ‘How has the day been for you so far? Not sure I like not being able to speak you know? Its’s pretty restricting.’ Rokku flipped the next sheet of paper over once it had been read and lay down on the ground before exhaling his breath loudly, stretching his body in twisty motions as he got comfortable on the earth below him. Glancing up occasionally to see if Yukina had written something in response.

WC: 681 TWC: 681 TMWC: 899/7000

The days would shift and the moon would wax and wane as Quinn prepared for another series of missions that they had undertaken but wanted to go along with once more. There was some enjoyment in watching the new genins grow and Quinn had a penchant for showing up in such situations. It was a wonderful enjoyment they received to see the growth of the village and the younger genin was truly the future of the village as they had just had their latest birthday hitting a new milestone in life. Pulling on their coat as it was getting colder in the Land of Sky, the Forgemaster made their way outside towards the designated meeting spot for the group.

The first day the group was tasked with remaining silent and thankfully as it was once easy for the Forgemaster before, it was easier now. They closed their eyes on the walk to meet with Yukina and Rokku. It was a wonderful sensation to focus on the sound of the village in all its bustle. Quinn walked with some idea of where stuff was without using their eyes since they were growing familiar with the setting of the village. Upon getting closer to the designated spot, Quinn focused on their chakra sensory to try to reach out a bit further so once they detected the two, Quinn opened their eyes and beelined it to the two genin offering a wave towards them. Silent as the mission required of them, Quinn noticed the notepad and gave a nod in understanding but simply just stood there with a small smile closing their eyes again simply listening to the sounds of the birds, the wind against the people in the vicinity and then the slight shifts in the clothing between the trio of them.

It was going to be a long day with that in mind and Quinn figured what they did before would be a good option for the trio to partake in. Opening their eyes, Quinn looked between the two and gave a light tap with their foot before making a motion about food. They gestured in a general direction knowing a good tamagoyaki stand though they were unsure if the two would know of it or not as not many ventured towards that part of the village without a purpose. Following the motion for eating they gave a pat on their chest indicating it was on them should the duo choose to follow up with Quinn. Knowing there was likely going to be some attempt at using paper to communicate Quinn would shake their head at it. They subsequently tapped their temple with two fingers before making a grand gesture outward at the village before covering their ears and then making a motion of them opening. For the two it was likely something odd to see or consider for Quinn to decline to communicate that way but for Quinn it was a new challenge for them this time doing these missions.

WC: 500, TWC: 500 | TMWC: 1,399 / 7,000

The music of footsteps announced the arrival of Rokku. She turned and gave him a large smile, a slight blush tinging her cheeks from the unknown feeling in her chest. That feeling was replaced by a fierce warmth when she noticed the sign around his neck, a clear piece of his sibling's handiwork. Not one to tease, she ignored it, aside from it making her smile a little brighter. She wished she had that kind of relationship with her siblings, especially her younger sister. But she'd never fit in with her family and usually was treated like a piece of fragile glass due to her communication problems. There was no room for artistic fun in her household, only perfection and learning in the finer arts.

When Rokku began writing to communicate with her she replied by simply putting a finger to her lips and then gesturing to the nature around them. She then closed her eyes and let herself be immersed in the sound. She hoped she didn't come off as rude, she just wanted him to experience even a little of when she did every day. They wouldn't learn the power of sound by trying to find workarounds for the training.

It wasn't long before more footsteps announced the arrival of Quinn. Yukina smiled warmly at the woman before sitting back and tuning in to the music of the world again. She was only brought back by Quinn's foot stomping and she quickly understood and followed her to get food. Going into the village was much more worrisome for Yukina. She avoided it on the best of days, let alone a day where she was forbidden to speak instead of it merely being difficult for her to do so. But she trusted Rokku and Quinn and knew they would ensure nothing went awry.

She was a bit taken aback by experiencing the village this way. She tried to ignore the music emanating from the passersby and instead focused on the other sounds of the village. The ones so easily overlooked. She could hear the harsh sounds of construction, to the cry of a babe in a house nearby, and if she focused she could even hear the soft pitter patter of a nearby creature. The village had so much life to it, so much sound and noise, but sound beyond the music that usually made her deaf to everything else. It was like she could hear and feel the very heartbeat of the village itself, like it was a living breathing thing. Perhaps it was, in a way.

She kept up her investigative listening even as she got her food in hand and began eating, only taking the time to give Quinn a warm nod of thanks. It wasn't long before they were out and wandering once again. She hoped the others were getting as much from this training as well. She felt she could almost reach out and touch it, a vein of sound that connected to a beating heart contained further inside the Otogakure. She continued to contemplate this before hours had gone by. She would then tap both of her comrades on the shoulder and point in the direction of the Chamber of Silence, the next location for their training.

WC: 544
TWC: 762
MTWC: 1,943/7,000

Rokku shrugged as his drawing pads were rejected by Yukina, and he settled down again to just listen to the sounds around him. He could clearly hear the sounds of various animals scuttling around the trees, the rustling of leaves and grass caused by the wind as well as the softer sounds o his own breath and heartbeat, almost matching a rhythm with the sound of Yukina’s own breath. More sounds began to intrude on his senses, laughter, talking and people in the village going about their business in a plethora of ways. Door and windows opened or shut loudly, and soft bells and wind chimes rang out. Somewhere in the distance, some kind of band was playing soft music. As he lay there, the layer of music began to form and coalesce around his mind and perception, forming a symphony of different yet strangely complaining sounds that culminated into a harmonious symphony that was the very calm and subtle life of the village in its purest form.

Rokku hated it. He scrunched his eyes as he felt it wash over him, constraining him and condemning him to be another cog in the great machine, forgotten amidst a mass of silent others that refused to raise their voice lest they break the precious silence that tradition demands. Rokku wanted to rebel, to scream and shout and to play his music as loud as he could, anything to disrupt the harmony and inject some discord. Music wasn’t truly beautiful to him unless it had individuality. A classical piece could be stirring but lost its shine after being forced to play it over and over again. Forced to perform to a standard he never chose, forced to abide and be friendly with a clan whose only intention was to use him for their own ends. The only real freedom he felt growing up was his music and his voice, and now he would be forced to surrender it for a short time in order to gain the secret of sound in its distilled form, beautiful and destructive.

His internal mental spiral was interrupted by a set of footsteps close by, and he almost yelled in alarm as he was snapped from his unfortunate reverie and sat up to see Quinn approaching. They stood there smiling at him as he offered the notepad, and after a pause that almost became uncomfortable he put it away, still keeping his own in his pocket in case he was required to express something urgently. Quinn began making gestures that reminded Rokku of his little brother Sota and at first thought she was asking to be fed before he realised that was not likely to be the case. He was about to question it further with his note pad before Quinn made some further motions. Rokku was uncertain what was being said, wondering if perhaps she was trying to explain how loud the village was and to try and only listen to certain things. This seemed a confusing instruction to Rokku but replaced his notebook regardless.
He looked over to Yukina who appeared to perfectly understand Quinns intentions, at least she moved confidently and used similar signs in response. With his confusion on his face, the genin stood up and followed. Unsure as to what was happening but clearly his friends had made some kind of agreement and were heading somewhere. Passing through the village proper was much easier for Rokku, up close the louder sounds cut over the softer tones and creating a more discordant frantic melody to his ears which was much more palatable for him. The loud and piercing sounds around him relaxed Rokku and allowed him to focus properly, and he found the journey easier than when lying down on the grass. They finally arrived at a food stall and Rokku was pleased he was partially correct in Quinns signing. He helped himself to some food and ate it quickly, enjoying the taste but feeling a slight shiver as he keenly heard the mastication of his food and the unpleasant sounds that came with eating in general.

He felt a gentle tap on his shoulder and was surprised to see it was not Quinn but Yukina who had initiated the contact. His stomach sank when she pointed towards the chamber of silence. He reluctantly nodded his head in agreement and headed towards the chamber, uncertain how he would deal with the experience. Rokku was uncertain he had ever experienced a moment of true silence in his entire life. They were greeted at the entrance, led inside without any expectation of a response or spoken words. Clearly it was well understood what their purpose was for coming to the chamber, and so nothing further needed to be said.

The group entered the chamber and the doors closed and sealed, the last external sound Rokku was likely to hear. He took a step forward and winced as it seemed to echo outwards loudly despite having been a normal step. He focused on his mother's teaching regarding taijutsu and stealth when he was younger. He had no real talent for it, but the principals were universal. Rokku raised his foot cleanly and made contact with the ground with his heel, carefully rolling and transferring his weight and forcing himself to breathe steadily so as not to let out a large breath and cause unwanted noise. He gave a nod to his companions before finding a spot to gradually sit down quietly and meditate whilst listening to his own body.

The next half an hour was a whirl of sound and mental exercises to encourage calm and to try and relax. Despite its name, the chamber of silence felt like the loudest place Rokku had ever been. The only comfort was in finding the musicality of his own body processes. His heartbeat sounded deafening like a great taiko drum and the blood rushing through his veins was like standing next to a great river, whilst his breath was like a great ocean's tide striking on a great shore line with each exhale and retreating with each inhale. After a few minutes of mental steadying, Rokku began to practice willing his heart beat to increase or decrease, recalling memories or thoughts that he would certainly never repeat or admit out loud those thoughts. These excesses proved to work well, and Rokku soon began changing the tempo and rhythms of his body, occasionally striking his temple gently with his finger or on his arms to create a series of new tones.

He became lost to the time as he conducted a strange living orchestra with his own body, distracting himself from the crippling silence and refusing to be trapped within his own mind. At some point he had begun smiling without realising it, and some small part of him hoped his friends were doing just as well as he was in the chamber.

WC: 1153 TWC: 1834 TMWC: 3096/ 7000

Once the group of three had finished their meal and moved towards the chamber of silence, some memories of the first time Quinn went in came to mind once more as they accompanied a different group that time. Closing their eyes as they approached, the first to go in ended up being Rokku and Quinn followed right after. It was always a wonderful time to reflect upon what had occurred recently. Many of their fellow shinobi they had worked with had become occupied recently and some food for thought in a quiet place was more than acceptable to the Forgemaster. Upon entry into the chamber, Quinn swiftly found a spot and closed their eyes thinking back to the path that they had taken to get to this point with the two fresh genin from the academy that they were once a student of.

The first memory that came to mind as Quinn meditated was speaking with Guren and Satoshi, two of the higher-ranking officials of the village. Satoshi had commissioned the Forge to produce some tools for the academy to utilize and Guren requested armor to be made for a standard uniform for Otogakure no Sato. It was upon sorting out the payment that Quinn had requested to join the academy to understand the needs of the village better and also to begin their family's process of locking in a customer base and learning the craft. Quinn had registered shortly after and was of the first group to graduate via the Academy Recital. Showcasing their capacity for growth, they had gotten the attention of the Otokage, Kaito Uchiha.

As the silence continued, Quinn's ears were attuned to the surrounding sound or lack thereof quickly allowing them to pick up further sounds away from their own body in the creak of the stone shifting and the echoes of their clothing shifting. Meeting others along the way, Quinn had grown as a mentor in a different way to the other genin they had met as an older individual, they had taken on a role not unlike the one they had settled into with Rokku and Yukina. It seemed that the Forgemaster had a knack for settling into an elder-style role or a mentor, a guide of sorts, for the village. They had no intention to settle as a teacher for the academy but the thought had crossed their mind a few times, including more recently.

Meeting the other genin, Hanzo Uchiha and Raikur Shokku were the two Quinn felt the most comfortable with and the most familiar with. They had met a few others like Zidane who had been occupied more recently alongside Kaito's son, Tatsuya. Both being related to higher ranking officials, Quinn had found themselves interacting with them initially quite a lot including being assigned to the same squad as Tatsuya and offered work to Zidane at Fosters' Forge. The memory of the forge produced an internal echo in the silent chamber before them. They enjoyed the village's sound more and more as they sat there, but there was peace and an allowance for reflection that they were unable to achieve anywhere else in the village.

The time was passing and more thoughts came as Quinn remembered back to the Festival of Sound, a time of growth and competition of the newly founded village with an assortment of the genin rising to the occasion. Quinn had worn a dress for the talent showcase portion and a light sigh escaped the Forgemaster's lips. The sound was almost shattering to the space around them but their concentration did not shift or change while they sat and meditated. They had showed a higher degree of physical prowess than before but musically they were likely the lowest of the group for the oddity. Raikur had fully showcased what it meant to be a shinobi of the village of Otogakure no Sato and to consider the young adult their friend and ally was more than enough to satisfy the aging blacksmith. As their thoughts drifted, the time also continued unabated.

Recoiling when an attendant got their attention, Quinn had once more lingered in the chamber of silence for quite some time. A full hour had passed before they knew it and another attendant had figured it would be best to disturb the Forgemaster at some point though the one who voiced that was not the one who had grabbed their attention. Quinn's face through it all contorted and a degree of heavy deep breathing made the sitting Forgemaster intimidating beyond their normal height and rather straight gaze and actions. Giving a nod in recognition that their time had elapsed long before, Quinn rose to leave and rejoin with the others who hopefully had been waiting outside for the blacksmith's return to the group. A light smile and chuckle came from Quinn as they left the chamber, once more staying in silence likely longer than the others.

The required time to remain was only 30 minutes per the mission but twice now Quinn had lingered in for an hour or more. They lost track of time consistently it appeared as though they were always early or on time at the latest. Quinn was for sure an odd one and for the two fresh and young genin, likely will remain that way till they retired or served their duty for the village. Happy with the result this go around two, Quinn wanted to check and make sure the other two were good to proceed to the last part of the mission that involved instruments and the actual production of channeling the village's element of renown, Sound. Quinn had picked up later down the road from their initial time going through the mission series and was happy to report back to the instructor to showcase their growth. Quinn looked between the two and gave a thumbs up once they confirmed both were ready to proceed and make it to the end of the story for this small arc.

WC: 1,000, TWC: 1,500 | TMWC: 4,096 / 7,000

As they approached the cave Yukina began to get nervous. She knew this wouldn't be the same for her as the others. She always heard music so it wouldn't be as impactful to her. But still... The idea of entering the chamber and cutting off everything else's... noise. It was both tempting and terrifying. She knew she needed to do this but she was afraid. But as the fear began to take hold she looked at her two companions and took a deep breath. If they could be brave, so could she.

But as she entered and she heard the chamber get sealed behind her she lost her nerve. She ran to the door and beat on it quietly, tears streaming down her face. This was far worse than she had imagined. Because as she listened to the music around her she heard... nothing. For the first time in her life, she truly heard nothing. No soundtrack, no music, no other sounds. Nothing to crowd out her thoughts and mind, nothing to set and amplify her mood, just... nothing. The silence was deafening. She felt herself drowning in it. She gasped for air as if that simple act would help her stay above water. But it didn't. She choked on the quiet, spat it out as quickly as she could in an effort to get it away from her, out from her body. A wail, a keening, rose up inside of her.  It was all she could not to let it out. It filled her to the brim and yet her mouth still opened soundlessly, gulping in more air like a fish out of water. The silence stifled her and all she wanted was out.

This went on with each minute feeling like hours. Each second torture. No one could have predicted this, predicted her reaction, predicted that this place could truly quiet out everything. And everything to her was very different than to everyone else. She ended up collapsed on the ground, eyes closed and praying, praying for it to be over. Tears stained her cheeks as she huddled, shivering from the cold, ever present quiet. She knew she would take one thing from this experience and chanted it like a mantra in her mind.

I will never again regret the music.

She finally realized that what she had, it was a gift.

WC: 394
TWC: 1,156
MTWC: 4,490/7,000

Rokku had been regrettably too caught up in his own trial to notice the catatonic state she had entered nearby the entrance to the chamber of silence. Rokku dashed over, forsaking the quiet to attend his fellow genin who lay huddled and shivering. He gently tried to shake her a little but this seemed to go unnoticed in her present state. Rokku gritted his teeth in annoyance and scooped her up into his arms before carrying her out of the chamber as quietly as he could and placing her on a chair outside whilst shaking her a little. If no response was given he would simply rock her a little and awkwardly fanning her with the note pad he had used to write in to see if she awakened and needed medical attention. Rokku had heard that the chamber could have strange affects on people but he was unaware it would have such a profound effect on his friend.

He continued to glance between Yukina, the clock on the wall and the door, silently wishing Quinn would come out quickly to help him deal with the situation. Uncertain whether he would be able to carry the genin or if he even should in fact. Rokku watched and waited for the final member of the group to finish their training in silence and hoped Yukina would show some signs of improvement. Seconds turned into minutes and this turned into an hour that felt like an eternity as Quinn finally left the chamber, looking as though she had taken a peaceful stroll somewhere nice and scenic, or perhaps working at her forge? Rokku could imagine Quinn having the same look during a variety of activities not all pleasant and he shivered involuntarily. They seemed nice enough but there was certainly an unsettling oddness about them that continued to give him a slight pause.

WC: 311 TWC: 2,145 TMWC: 4,801/7,000

After exiting the chamber, Quinn looked between the two genin before their brow furrowed a little bit. Is that that point that Quinn put their hand on the back of both of them. The Forgemaster’s hands were quite large and had a plethora of calluses, even through the clothing they could probably tell. Focusing on their sound chakra as they had gone through the process before, the older Genin try to ease the attention and worry between the other two. Quinn‘s expression softened as it was clear that they knew that they spent too long in the chambers when the other two were in need. A deeply apologetical came upon their face as their head. It was through this touch on their backs that Quinn looked to focus their attention to how much silence impacted them, but also the fact that silence impacted people differently. They felt bad.

Looking between the two of them again after raising their head, the Blacksmith of Otogakure no Sato gave a supportive look before pulling out a small sheet of chain-link metal rings. Handing a small sheet to each of them, Quinn would pull out a third and kind of just move their hands over it as a gesture of comfort. The ringlets jingled, but were smooth to the touch and the quality of work was phenomenal. Aware that they needed to make up for being inconsiderate of the two other’s time, the Forgemaster did their best to try to comfort two young Shinobi. It was clear that the older Genin was built different, both physically and mentally versus the two teens. And even recognizing that, adjusted their approach to how to move forward from this point. Now that they were back outside of the chamber of silence, the villages sound was able to be heard softly at least, but still audible right outside the chamber. There is a tenderness in Quinn’s smile that was that of a mentor not of a familial parent, or a relative. It was becoming clearer and clearer, at least with how Quinn approached handling Yukina and Rokku, they were the oddest person that they would likely ever meet, the Forgemaster would always be supportive and helpful in whatever way they could be. Silence to Quinn was just another day in the forge, hearing repetitious sounds, sudden, silence, and one’s own mind wandering deep into the depths of thought.

WC: 400, TWC: 1,900 | TMWC: 5,201 / 7,000

Yukina noticed nothing while Rokku pulled her from the chamber. It wasn't until she heard a gentle ringing sound that she began to come to. Tears streamed down her face as she realized she was out of the chamber and with her two friends. She wanted to apologize, to say she was alright, to say something, anything to comfort them. But all she could manage was "I couldn't hear it. I couldn't hear anything."

She said it a few times, still bawling her eyes out before she realized she probably wasn't making much sense. She shivered as she tried to pull herself back together and began to finally hear the gentle melodies coming from both Rokku and Quinn. She let them comfort her, like warm arms surrounding her, arms that only she could feel. Her tears began to dry as she focused on it but the shivering remained. Realizing she still hadn't said anything she spoke, "I-I'm sorry. I didn't realize I wouldn't be able to hear it in there. But the music was quiet too. I-I-I've never not heard it before. It's always been there with me. To not have it was... shocking. I-It was too much."

She felt bad. She must have scared them terribly. She didn't even know how she had gotten out. She was so grateful she hadn't decided to do this training alone. Who knows how long she would have been stuck in there, deaf to it all. The thought made her shiver even harder. But it was okay now, she was out and even better she was with her favorite people in the world. She suddenly stood up, overcome with emotion.

"I-I'm so sorry!" She bowed suddenly, her head almost hitting the floor, "I-I'm so sorry for scaring you! I hope you finished your training. I-I promise to never worry you like that again!"

She then forced a large, comical smile on her face. It was almost too large a grin for her cheeks to contain and it looked strange, to say the least. The effect was further marred by her tear streaked cheeks but she pasted it on anyways, trying desperately to show them she was okay. She rose up suddenly from her bow wearing that odd smile and said, "Takoyaki is on me this time! O-Okay...?"

WC: 384
TWC: 1,540
MTWC:  5,585/7,000