Pumpkin Shopping

The Hyuuga was walking through the markets of Hoshigakure, looking for some festive supplies. There was a slight wind moving through, enough to remind everyone of the coming cold and mark the now completed change from summer to fall, but not enough to indicate winter’s cold arrival. The temperature had also started to drop in recent weeks. As such, Amikiri was a little more dressed than usual. He wore a pair of blue jeans, his typical leather boots, and a blue t-shirt. Above that he wore a charcoal gray fleece, enough to protect him from the slight cold and somewhat shield him from the wind. His hair was in its usual slightly messy state, not helped by the wind. A perk Amikiri was coming to realize of his new beard was the added warmth it provided, something he would certainly come to appreciate in the harsher winter months.

Amikiri was looking for something particularly festive. A pumpkin. Growing up in rural Haven Country, the tradition of carving pumpkins seemed to escape their family. Pumpkins were simply a sign of changing seasons and new crops. However, within Hoshigakure, pumpkins seemed to have quite the festive importance. People liked to carve them and they represented a holiday that would be coming in a few weeks. It always struck the Hyuuga as ironic, as Hoshigakure was quite the religiously minded city, yet this holiday seemed strangely pagan. As Amikiri had read more books from the Archives to occupy his spare time while guarding Hoshigakure’s gates, his knowledge of the history of Hoshigakure’s religions grew. Many of the modern religions of Hoshigakure had long and twisting histories, and it seemed that many had assimilated pagan holidays into their own religions to bolster their popularities in their earlier years.

As the clouds shifted in the sky above and blocked the sun, Amikiri found himself to be growing quite cold. He managed to spot a small bonfire of sorts, either used for some celebration or simply a place to warm oneself. The dark haired man made his way over and took a seat on a nearby bench. The cold stone surface sent a chill up his body, but he slowly started to warm up as he sat by the fire.

WC: 374

Akki was wandering through the area looking at all the different fall items! Oh she loved this time of year. And especially since her and her sister finally found a place to call home, going to an event like this was perfect for Akki. But, she didn't know anyone yet so talking to people made her a little uncomfortable because they were complete strangers! She was dressed in a casual pair of blue jeans and a blue tank top with a small blue sweater over the ensemble. She had her long blue hair down instead of pulled up.
Akki made her way near the bonfire and immediately recognized a face! The young gate guard. Although he didn't seem as uncomfortable as she did, probably because he knows more people than she does. She approached him from behind and poked him in the shoulder.
“Hello all mighty gate guard! If you're here who's watching the gates?” Akki said jokingly. “It's good to see you outside of work, Amikiri. Enjoying the festivities?” She asked him as she decided to stick around him since she knew him. Well at least more than she knew everyone else around here. He kinda looked different outside his typical work ensemble!
204

Warmth slowly spread through the Hyuuga’s body as he sat by the fire. Of course he could probably use some Fire Release magic to warm himself, but Amikiri still believed in the importance of feeling the raw aspects of nature and the bare sensations of the world.

However Amikiri’s focus would soon shift towards someone else. He felt someone poke his shoulder. Amikiri would turn his head around to observe who had poked him. The black haired man didn’t turn his head too quickly, certainly not at his full speed, due to the fact that he was in a busy market at the moment. For all he knew, he might’ve confused a passing bump from someone’s elbow for a poke. However, Amikiri’s initial guess proved right. He soon saw a somewhat familiar figure behind him. It was the type of familiarity where you knew you had seen that person before, but you didn’t remember when, where, or certainly what their name was.

Fortunately for the Hyuuga, this person would aid Amikiri in his remembrance, mentioning that he was a gate guard. While trying to pin down who she was, Amikiri would chuckle at her joke. The Hyuuga now was mostly confident on who this woman was and he would respond with a jest of his own, saying, “It seems dangerous missing ninjas from Konohagakure only show up at night, so I figured I’d take a break.” As she continued speaking, it became more clear about the circumstances which they had prior met.

Amikiri would say, “It’s nice seeing you again. The name’s Akki, right? I haven’t really gotten the whole vibe on these festivities yet. This is only my,” Amikiri paused for a second to think, “second year in Hoshigakure, so it’s only my second time seeing these festivities. While there seems to be a whole spooky scary theme to it, I can’t help but notice it’s much more fun than anything. How are you enjoying the holiday? I guess this is your first time seeing it in Hoshigakure, as you haven’t been here for more than around half of a year.”

WC: 352
TWC: 726

Akki Senju smiled at the response from Amikiri about guarding the gate. She was quick witted and came up with a reply.
“If you get bored and need some more missing nin from Konoha, I could write some letters and send for some. I'm kidding! Yeah I haven't been here very long and could really use a good holiday.” She said as she spotted a nice pumpkin she thought was perfect and decided she would buy it later. She then walked to the Apple Cider vendore.
“If you are not too busy, would you like to get some Apple cider and chat for a bit by the bonfire? It looks so festive around here and I figured we could enjoy it together. And get to know each other a little bit!” Akki said and asked with a smile. Amikiri seemed like a nice guy and since she barely knew anyone in Hoshigakure, may as well start with the gate guard! He was the first person she met when she arrived here after all and he seemed to be a nice individual.
“I'm sure you are more than just a gate guard who lets people into Hoshigakure…I'd like to get to know the person!” She said with a smile offering him a cup of cider.
WC:214

The Hyuuga would take Akki’s smile as a confirmation that he had remembered her name right. Names weren’t his speciality, especially when he was introduced to them under a similar context to the hundreds of other's names pouring through Hoshigakure’s gates every day. However, Akki certainly didn’t enter Hoshigakure under particularly normal circumstances either. Amikiri would chuckle in response to her comment about Konoha’s missing ninja. “As much as Hoshigakure doesn’t have as big of a crime problem as Konohagakure does, we don’t need any more.” The dark haired man would jokingly throw his hands in the hair as if he were surrendering. As Akki asked Amikiri if he would like to join her for some apple cider, the Hyuuga would happily agree. “I’d love to. It’s certainly a good idea to enjoy all the treats of the festival while it’s here.” The Hyuuga would give a warm smile in response to hers and get up to walk beside her towards the apple cider venue.

As the two walked over, Amikiri couldn’t help but notice something. Despite Akki’s long hair being let down today, he noticed the tattoo on the side of her neck. He couldn’t quite make out the entirety of it nor could he make out what it meant. It appeared to be a symbol of sorts, but what it represented was beyond him.

Eventually, they made their way to the apple cider stand, Akki would buy Amikiri some cider, which he would graciously accept. The Hyuuga would start to lead them back towards the bonfire. On their way back, he said, “You get me there, I do more than just sit under the gates. I’ve been in Hoshigakure for just about two years now. Before that, I lived on my family’s farm in rural Haven Country with my two parents and two siblings. My father always tried to have me learning something while also working on the farm, so by the time I came here around when I was,” Amikiri paused to count a second, “almost 19, I didn’t have too hard of a time getting a job. Since I had come to Hoshigakure to earn money to support my family and I had heard being a shinobi brings quite the paycheck, I immediately wanted to get the rank of Genin. Fortunately, a life of hard work and education prepared me pretty well, so after just a couple of weeks of training, I passed my exam. And then from there, it’s just been training, missions, and being a gate guard. Not anything that’s too exciting.” Amikiri thought for a second, before concluding by saying, “I mean it sounds pretty boring, but that’s it.”

“How about you? I’m certain you’re more than just a missing ninja on the run from Konohagakure. And if you don’t mind me asking, what’s the tattoo on your neck?”

By this point, the two had returned to the bonfire. Amikiri would take a seat and invite Akki to join him.

WC: 497
TWC: 1223

As Akki intently listened to Amikiri. She found him quite interesting to say the least! So he wasn't originally from here, that was interesting, she had assumed he was. She took a sip of her cider and brushed a strand of her hair that was out of place, behind her ear as she continued to listen to her new found friend speak! He looked different in the glow of the bonfire, not so much a ninja who guards the gate but more as a person. A person who, like herself, had landed in the village of Hoshigakure. And it seemed that coming to Hoshi had worked out for him as well!
“Oh me? To be honest with you, I was an orphan. I was told my parents had passed away before I was born. When I was six, me and my sister Megami were adopted by a local clan. That's how we became siblings! Now I was in the orphanage with Tori and Megami, but Sephora Hyuuga would often visit and hang out with us, that's how we all originally met. Over the years we were rather defiant I guess you could say and somehow I always ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time! And one of those said incidents caused me to become a missing ninja!” She told her story as she looked at him then down at her cup running her fingers along the edge of the cup as she told her story!
“As for the tattoo, it's my clan's symbol, I'm a Senju!” Akki said as she looked up at Amikiri again smiling at him.
271

The Hyuuga listened intently to Akki’s story. It seemed the two of them lived almost polar opposite lives. Amkiri’s had been one of stability and family, but not too many friends. Akki seemed to have the opposite, always bouncing around between places and losing her family at a young age, but being fortunate enough to make a great group of friends. Amikiri nodded in regards to her last comment and said, “Well, I’m pretty sure you can figure out my clan pretty easily.” He pointed with his thumb towards his eyes. It certainly didn’t help that one of her friends, Sephora, was also a Hyuuga.

He took a second to pause and take a drink of cider. “Sounds like your life has certainly been interesting. This isn’t the first time I’ve heard those names mentioned in the context of a group, and I’ve heard it called Team Fuku. What is Team Fuku and like, how did you meet? Does the group have a leader? I know Tori Uzumaki, Talon Tau, and Sephora Hyuuga are members, but I unfortunately haven’t really had the time to talk with any of them. Are there any other people in the team?”

Amikiri hoped he wasn’t asking too many questions about this group of shinobi. It was just that the idea of this group that seemed to span for such a long period of time and to have experienced such an amount of history was so interesting. From what he’d heard, they all were there for the destruction of the volcano village but then they all dispersed, before all finding their way to Hoshigakure.

One last question would pop into his head, “Oh yeah, do you know where the name came from? My first thought was you all come from Fukugakure or the Fuku clan, but I’ve never heard of a village or clan by that name.”

WC: 312
TWC: 1535

Mid-Thread Claim:
1535 WC to A-Rank Vacuum Cannon (1535/1875, 25% max stats discount)

Amikiri Guhin wrote:Mid-Thread Claim:
1535 WC to A-Rank Vacuum Cannon (1535/1875, 25% max stats discount)

Approved!

So he wanted to know where the name came from? Oh that story is one Akki will ALWAYS remember! A small smile spread across her face as one of her thin delicate fingers began to trace the brim of her cider cup.
“I was an academy student in the Konoha academy at the time. I was seven years old when, me, my sister Megami, Tori and Sephora followed our friend Primrose Uchiha to the borders. When she found out we had followed her, she was LIVID! She turned to us, and I can almost remember word for word what she said…” a slight nostalgic giggle escaped Akkis smiling lips. She looked at Amikiri as she continued her story.
“She said ‘ I wouldn't train you guys even if Viper or Echo told me to!’ now Viper Uchiha was Hokage at the time and if I remember correctly Echo himself was part of the higher-ups as well! As if on cue, Echo appeared behind Prim and said ‘That sounds like insubordination to me, doesn't it kids?’ and as a kid things like that are terrifying but we were in awe! She was told she had to train us until we became Genin then she had to lead our team. We were originally looked at as a team of ‘Fuck ups’ whom would never mKe it. Hence the name ‘Fuku’!” Akki said with a smile. It was amazing she remembered this so well, almost like it was yesterday! She looked up and saw a small vendor selling food with tables set up nearby.
“Amikiri, would you like to get dinner?” Akki asked him as she looked over at the vendor then back at him. She was enjoying this conversation and learning about the man behind the gate.
“Or is it too formal of me to ask you?” Akki said with a giggle.
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