mockingbird. [yahiko/pm]

[addy-hime ♥]

[style=width: 310px; font-family: times new roman; text-align: justify]I would be the last one to admit it to Asato, but after spending some time wandering the wilderness near our cave, I was actually glad that we chose Taki no Kuni. From the abundant waterfalls to the lush forests, it had almost all the aspects of life that I enjoyed to spend time around, except for sand. It was probably self-defeating to yearn for something that was so closely related to my ex-home and ex-village, but I decided that as long as it did not start making me upset I would allow it of myself.

It was starting to tread into that territory, though. I felt confined inside that cave with Asato and needed to get out, to cure myself of that sullen claustrophobia. That was why I currently had myself perched out on a dangerous cliff, body seated on the singular rock that I found there. This hill—or was it a mountain?—was the perfect height to look out over the country, taller even than the tree tops but not all of the waterfalls. With the cool air and the approaching sunset it certainly made for a beautiful scene.

I carefully leaned forward, balancing my elbow upon my knee in such a way that I might lean my head upon my hand. The birds were chirping somewhere off below, lulling me into a false sense of security. This is fine, I assured myself, eyes heavy-lidded with comfort. I have a disguise. No one will know that I am a shinobi.

The aspect of disguise was a bit iffy, however. I had only donned my token sand-colored cloak; the hood was currently pulled down. Not only did it stick out like a sore thumb here, my pink hair did not help me blend in. Still, I did not have a headband and no weapons could be seen on my person. What random traveler would decide to confront me?[/style]

[Yahiko]

It was almost funny how much the weather had changed. Back home the skies were pale and grim, the air was warm and still, and the sun seemed all but off for the day. But here, however. Here was glorious, serene Taki no Kuni. It was odd that regardless of how close the two nations were, and how similar they were, there were still these blaring differences that set them apart from one another.

Clad in his usual get up, Akatome found it difficult to traverse this terrain without managing to get scuffs and small tears in his clothing. Probably shouldn't have gone casual, he thought, especially since it was his first time here. There was no telling who or what he would encounter here, so anything short of his shinobi gear was a bit unintelligent. Though, in his defense, he wasn't here on any sort of business on Kusagakure's behalf. Just a stroll.

Up ahead, Akatome could see streams of light pouring through the spaces in the a dense section of flora. He hadn't any real sense of direction, so he allowed his curiosity lead him toward the light. He pushed through the brush and was immersed in the brilliant, auburn light of the sun. "Well would you look at that." he said in calm awe. The view was, admittedly, something special. While he did notice a cloaked figure perched atop a rock up ahead as he approached the cliff, he made no attempt to get her attention. The view had him seemingly mesmerized.

[addy-hime ♥]

[style=width: 310px; font-family: times new roman; text-align: justify]It was the sound of bramble shaking that interrupted my enjoyment of the view and the weather. I felt every muscle in my body tense up and I held my breath, straining to hear where the sound had come from. There. Behind me. As I listened, I could hear the faint pad of footsteps against the surface of the ground, almost inaudible over the chirping and gentle breath of the wind. In that instance I had to decide my course of action: to kill or not to kill?

It was a simple choice. I had no idea who was behind me, nor did I know if they intended any harm to my person. I felt I could safely assume that if they wanted to kill me, they could have easily taken me out from afar with a jutsu of unknown type. Likewise, his voice sounded amazed rather than confrontational. With this thought I manually forced my muscles to relax, allowing shoulders to slump and my chest to expand as I inhaled the sweet summer air. Slowly I twisted to face the general direction of the footsteps, my eyes widening when they landed upon the form of a casually dressed man. He appeared to be enjoying the view as I was, but that didn't excuse him for sneaking up on me.

"H-hello?" I stuttered, coloring my voice nervous and, perhaps, even a little frightened. I forced my eyes to remain wide to mirror my surprise, as if I was unsure of his intentions. This part was true, but I was most certainly not concerned. If he chose to attack me now, it would be a simple feat to take him down; this was the perfect place to perform Fuuton techniques. "Who are you..?"[/style]

[Yahiko]

And then his admiration of the scene was interrupted by a stuttering hello.

Akatome turned his head to the side to look eye-to-eye with the one who greeted him. Yes, the cloaked figure. Well, the cloaked girl, now, though, technically, her figure was still very much cloaked. Regardless, he did not return the greeting. Not yet, anyway. While common courtesy was a virtue that the man held relatively high, he didn't seem to care much about it at the moment. No, there were more important matters pertaining to this stranger that needed to be addressed.

Even as she inquired about his identity, Akatome remained unresponsive. He wasn't planning on just ignoring her, of course; truth be told, and unlike many other shinobi, he hadn't a problem telling her who he was, for he was of no real importance in this world, yet. He was just Akatome of the Kikkawa right now. But there was a something far more important than his identity that needed to be addressed.

As he stood there studying the girl, he wondered if she had been studying him too. What assumptions had she already made about him simply based on his presentation and demeanor? What conclusions had she come to? Akatome wondered if she'd noticed any of his oddities. He had certainly noticed one of hers.

"Your hair is pink." he said in the same amazed voice as before. Evidently the girl's hair color put the view of Taki no Kuni to shame.

[addy-hime ♥]

[style=width: 310px; font-family: times new roman; text-align: justify]If I was expecting any sort of response at all, it certainly was not this one. Your hair is pink, he stated simply, sounding about as awed as he had whilst addressing the view. Despite wanting to remain in this persona I had created, I could feel my eyebrows raising up in dumbfounded shock; my lips parted slightly, the ghost of a reply hanging on them. Yet, I had no idea how to respond. Instead, I took this time to study him more closely than I had at first, from the scar above his eyebrow to his unnaturally dark eyes.

Except, you know, he was staring right back at me. I felt my cheeks grow hot and knew they were turning their own shade of pink, not so startling as my hair. I recollected my expression and donned one that would clearly communicate how offended I was, after which I stood up from my rock, huffing. Hands were curled into fists and settled upon my hips, a feminine posture that did nothing to hide a new revelation: this guy was at least half a foot taller than myself!

"And you're a giant!!" I finally yelled at him, cheeks still flushed. I had already internalized my own shock and moved back into my persona, which I had decided would be similar to my old self in many ways. Namely, childishness. This Youka was extremely offended by his bewilderment and wanted to get back at him for it, hence the attempt at a stinging remark.[/style]

[Yahiko]

"A giant?" the man repeated back to her, still maintaining this playfully astonished demeanor. "I can live with that." he gave, turning away from her and facing the glorious scene before them. The girl wasn't the first to make such a comment about Akatome. His height was something he never failed to forget about in his youth, thanks to the teasing of his peers. Despite this, however, the Kikkawa paid it little mind, for there was little that he could do about it.

"I can see more than most from up here." he stated, shooting a glance over to the girl once more. "It's quite advantageous to exist in a form of this elevation, if I do say so myself." He was bragging, but only with the utmost modestly, mind you. He was never one to put himself above others, no pun intended, just for the sake of self-satisfaction. He turned to face her completely once more, stringy raven strands falling gently over his visage.

"Pink hair, however..." he started, placing a finger over his lips and looking skyward with a thoughtful expression. "I can't say that I've ever seen anyone donning such a hue, at least not where I'm from." It was a peculiar sight indeed. One the piqued the man's curiosity and even went so far to intrigue him. He found fascination in the most simple of things.

"Tell me, if you don't mind, of course, does your hair bear any unique or beneficial properties, aside from it's hue?"

An odd question, no? But look at who was asking.

[addy-hime ♥]

[style=width: 310px; font-family: times new roman; text-align: justify]The man's cheerful demeanor was actually starting to get to me, sliding into the cracks in my persona until I could feel the anger rising in my chest. I'm not sure how, but I managed to repress it, reminding myself that it would not do to attack him for no reason. No one had ever teased me about my hair before; to be honest, my surname was usually enough to intimidate the people I grew up with in Sunagakure.

I puffed my cheeks out at him, showing my displeasure in turning my insult around on me. He was right, of course. Being tall had its advantages and disadvantages, while my pink hair was just an eyesore that made it more difficult to blend into the landscape. "My hair is a style choice that can be changed on a whim. It serves no purpose other than to please me, just like you might wear clothing that pleases you."

At length I allowed my body to relax, my expression wiping clean. Slowly my lips curled into a smile to signify to him that this conversation was amusing, and that I enjoyed his company. Against my better judgment I walked toward him, leaving only a foot between us when I finally stopped. Leaning up on my tippy-toes, I attempted to get as close to eye level as possible ... Unfortunately, it did not work. I was still quite a ways off from that.

"Now, let me ask you a question. Why would anyone be out here in the middle of no where? I thought I was the only crazy one."[/style]

[Yahiko]

The girl's slight attempt at gaining a bit of height to level up with him did bring a light chuckle out of Akatome. It was charming, if nothing else, though it didn't distract him from the matter that was marinating in his noggin. It was a bit disappointing that the girl's hair harbored nothing unique aside from it's color. One of the Kikkawa's pastimes was finding and learning from individuals with unique abilities and, admittedly, he was hoping for a more interesting explanation from the girl regarding her hair.

"Interesting question." he started thoughtfully. "Well, anyone could be here for any number of reasons, really." he said, pretending to take her question as she worded it, even though he knew she was inquiring about his reason for being there. "The scenery in Taki no Kuni is magnificent, as we can see from here, but there's also the mysterious Takigakure no Sato somewhere around here, so I think it's safe to say that some Shinobi probably patrol these parts regularly, for it is, after all, their domain." he said, folding his arms across his chest.

"But to answer your question seriously, I came here to talk to you, obviously." he said matter-of-factly. "I'm afraid that we have some rather pressing matters to address."

[addy-hime ♥]

[style=width: 310px; font-family: times new roman; text-align: justify]Needless to say, the real me was quite surprised at his final answer to my question. His mention of Takigakure no Sato replaced the cautiousness I felt earlier, and so I fell back onto the flats of my feet and stared up at him, almost blankly. The ninja population was much smaller than the normal population, so I had been hoping he was merely a citizen of this country; it was quite obvious now that this was not the case. I would not tell him, but I had surveyed a large portion of this place. The hidden village would either be in the half that my husband was responsible for ... or the quarter I had yet to visit.

My heart skipped a beat with worry when he seemed to get extremely serious, saying that he had come here for me. Why? I didn't recognize this man. But if he was a shinobi, there was a good chance he saw my picture in the bingo book; pink hair and blue eyes certainly made me stand-out member of that increasing list of wanted criminals. Still, so far he had surprised me with his answers. Instead of immediately attacking him to defend myself, I took a single step back and cocked my head to the side owlishly, curiously. Childishly.

"I'm afraid I can't point you in the direction of Takigakure," I said, just as matter-of-factly. "It's hidden. You'll have to find it on your own, because I would be of no help. That being said ... what matters are these?"[/style]

[Yahiko]

So perhaps she wasn't a resident of Takigakure no Sato after all. How lamentable, he thought, oh how luckless he was. The location of said village would have been a wonderful present that his dear, deranged cousin of his. Might have even saved him from the scolding he was sure to get on his return for leaving without notifying her. What a pity indeed. Though what were the odds, really? He'd been wandering aimlessly around the country for hours, there was little to no chance of the one person that he came across being the one who would divulge a secret so well kept.

But alas, as nice as it would have been, the whereabouts of The Hidden Waterfall Village were not what the Kikkawa was actively seeking at this moment. As he said before, there were more pressing matters that needed attending to. "Your manners, dear." he said simply. "Don't you know it's common courtesy to introduce yourself before inquiring about another's identity?" Although he knew that he must have startled the girl by sneaking up on her the way that he did, the Kikkawa felt that it did not excuse her lack of courtesy. She hadn't even extended a hand for him to shake!

What was the world coming to?

[Ahraga.]

The world was a strange place.

His headband had been left within his home, though it was difficult to refer to that tiny hovel encrusting the river's edge like wild mushroom as if it were a real dwelling. It was a cobbled together outcropping of odd forest materials gathered from beneath and within various waterfalls to give off the affectation of security, but the only thing truly keeping it safe was how difficult reaching it would be.

Difficult, at least, to those who needed to breathe air.

He'd only been in Waterfall Country a few days, and though little more than his physical stature seemed necessary to become a shinobi of Takigakure, he'd been instructed to leave behind the infamous symbol of their village until he was better acquainted with the 'peculiar politics' of the ninja world. It seemed a disconcerting trend for those consumed with the task of killing others to be so secretive, though he mused that this quality made them far more efficient than the few barbarous memories of conflict left rattling throughout his own mind. It mattered little. Today's foray into the wilds was a journey of exploration, and of hunting. Only a few meters from his prey, he slid silently against the face of a large stone, before springing out, pouncing; he grasped those he hunted and squeezed as if his life depended on it.

The group of butterflies moved as if possessed, fluttering away from his reach as he stumbled onto the ground.

He looked up; there were two humans having a conversation some distance away from him at the edge of a cliff, and he smiled briefly, before frowning as he remembered what he looked like, and how strange smiling must be for those unaccustomed to his appearance, sitting on the grass plainly and brushing the dirt from his clothes. One of the small insects he'd been following took this time to land on his forhead; a brilliant specimen, its wings several different shades of red with a telling purple sphere spread across their folds, and he spoke for perhaps the first time in several days.

Miss. Sir. I didn't mean to interrupt.

Nodding to each as he addressed them. His eyes crossed then as he moved to grasp the thing in his hands, but it outmaneuvered him yet again, a taunting dance that caused him to sneeze and swat the air in front of his face.

[addy-hime ♥]

[style=width: 310px; font-family: times new roman; text-align: justify]At this point, I was either becoming morbidly numb to surprise or his antics were becoming more clear to me. Either way, I was glad that I had not put up my guard too far—he was simply scolding me on my manners. I put on a small smile and giggled, shaking my head back and forth in a way that nearly spoke the oh, you're silly! that I was thinking.

"Don't you know that these are very dangerous times?" I countered, replacing my hands upon my hips despite the friendly expression that still lingered upon my visage. "I distinctly recall my parents telling me that it is unwise to give one's name away to a stranger, because one never knows their intentions." I pretended to study him then, eyes squinting up at his calm demeanor and casual style. If he was looking for the Hidden Village he was either a contractor or a shinobi, and the former would know how to get in contact with a kage.

To that end, I decided not to give him my true name. "Even still, it is nice to meet you!" I quipped cheerily, extending my hand to him to offer a shake, while continuing my little speech. "My name is Suzume. Now, you have to introduce yourself, too!" I beamed at him. After he accepted (or denied) my handshake I would withdraw my arm. Coincidentally, this was about the same moment that a giant shark man came crashing through the bushes and into the open. Shocked not only by the sudden appearance but his appearance, I squeaked and jumped backward.

I was fully prepared at that moment to jump off the cliff rather than surely be eaten by a land shark, but the creature started speaking and it seemed ... polite? With wide eyes I stared at it—him?—unsure of how to respond to the apology. Hopefully the other man would know what to do, because right now my mouth was hanging open and I could not even muster up the strength to close it. So much for manners, right?[/style]

[Yahiko]

Just what he liked to hear.

"Intelligent people, those parents of yours." the Kikkawa complimented with an honest smile. Her answer was, admittedly, exactly what he hoped to hear. For she was right: these were, in fact, truly dangerous times. And the fact that she knew of this truth and still dared to linger around alone in the jungle close to sundown led the Kikkawa to a conclusion about her. But first things first.

"Ah, Suzume. Lovely." he spoke in a delighted tone as he extended a hand to meet hers. "Call me Akatome." he said with a smile. As he pulled his hand away, there was a disturbance.

What came next did startle the Kikkawa, but not enough to bring out a reaction like Suzume's. His eyes, unblinking, unwavering, remained trained on the large male creature as he spoke to them in a surprisingly courteous way. This intrigued Akatome, as he did have quite a fondness for surprises.

"Oh, no worries, my friend and I were just enjoying the view." he called to him, his body ready to make any swift and agile movements if this newcomer turned out to be hostile.

[Ahraga.]

The male responded politely enough, and Ahraga allowed his face to settle more easily into a look of satisfaction, giving up on catching the wayward insect entirely. He stood, a stray hand rising to flick a bit of grass from his bright red hair, and waved as he spoke, still eyeing the butterfly as it escaped.

Good then. I'm called Kishin. A pleasure to soon know you.

He responded with a greeting typical of the Nohire, and looked about, wondering what other specimens he might find in such a beautiful stretch of wilderness, stretching to peer slightly over the cliff. Whether the other two introduced themselves or not was not very high on his list of priorities, though it would have been nice, and he sat once more on the ample grass. He'd heard Suzume float through the air as he'd been seemingly preoccupied, and though he found it strange that one would explain why they would never give their name away to a stranger, and then give their name away to a stranger, he didn't naturally assume she had any deceptive intent. After all, most civilians he'd met did not think in such a way.

The female's mannerisms largely suggested shock, however; most likely shock at his appearance, which he'd grown accustomed to. He thought a bit on what might be the right words, and having found no quick answers, stared a bit at her pink hair and then added

Sorry I'm not...pretty.

shrugging his shoulders, and sneezing a second time.

[addy-hime ♥]

[style=width: 310px; font-family: times new roman; text-align: justify]Within my cloak pocket I felt the buzz of an incoming message from my radio and was immediately glad I had turned the volume down low. With the talking going on, the most one would hear is a faint buzzing ... if that. It could only be my husband calling me to schedule our rendezvous, which meant I needed to detach myself from this situation as quickly as possible for the sake of everyone involved. Assuming Asato showed up here, there would be a fight that someone would not walk away from.

My eyes were still trained on the shark-man, the likes of which were new to me and were genuinely exciting. We certainly did not have people such as these in Sunagakure, nor had I read about this particular specie in any books at the library. Though I wished to study him more, his friendly demeanor gave me hope that we would meet again. Kishin was apparently his name—or perhaps an alias—and I made sure to store that in my memory. The normal man, Akatome, would also be remembered. He was obviously a shinobi and Asato would need to be made aware of his presence in Taki no Kuni, especially considering he was not part of the native village.

"P-pretty?" I stuttered, falling back into my persona as I managed to visibly calm myself down. I took a deep breath and another step back, closer to the rock which had been my seat for much of the afternoon. "You're a ... shark? H-how?" I needed to leave this place. The only manner that seemed viable at this point was running like a coward, but apparently this girl I was would do that now. Abruptly I turned on my heel and walked to the rock, snatching up the Kyodai Sensu that was hidden behind it. I broke out in a run toward the edge of the cliff and jumped off, snapping the fan open as I went.

They wouldn't see the chakra that consumed my form, just the astonishing sight of me soaring through the air like a bird, disappearing into the twilight. ^exit![/style]