the sun beats down (open)

[Ikki Sanada]

Ikki Sanada stood in the middle of the Sand Village on an incredibly hot day. The only respite (if you could call it that) were the breezes that stumbled through every once in a while. But these breezes were hot and dry and smelled of dust, reminding Ikki that there was a harsh and unforgiving desert just outside the walls of the Village. There were trees here and there that could provide some shade, but the benches underneath said trees were already taken up by the people of the Sand hoping for some relief.

Ikki saw people walk to and fro, but at a snail's pace. These people were tired. It was the middle of the day, when the sun was the hottest. They moved methodically, so as to conserve their energy. Ikki nodded inwardly to himself, he should try the same thing. However, as a brand new Genin of the Sand he felt it was his duty to show the people of the Sand Village that the heat didn't affect him. He would be a reminder of the stalwart forces protecting these people from forces unknown.

Ikki was standing in the middle of a town square, and did so for as long as he could. But after a while the sun even drained his willpower. Ikki moved quickly to a nearby building that was giving off a sliver of shade. He stood and leaned back against the rough stone walls. The walls were cool to the touch, thankfully, and Ikki decided he would stay here for a little while. He hoped another Ninja of the Sand would walk by, the boy was filled with expectation for the future and he felt like going on an adventure.

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[KEITH]

The sun that had blazed over Sunagakure was the same as it has always been, though it provided nature with the everyday sunlight it would need. Unfortunately, there wasn't really any nature for the sunlight to nourish, for the Kaze no Kuni was a desert, and within the village walls, it was basically the same, except, much more inhabitable. And there were some palm trees within the village that provided shade to some places here and there, while buildings were built to do the same. Just like other villages, the people of Sunagakure would still go out and be busy, despite what they would have to deal with.

They had to keep up with the other shinobi villages within the world. Not everyone as busy as they should be, especially one particular shinobi who had stood upon the balcony of a building. Looking out at the village, he had worn a turban and robes, o protect himself from the harsh sun, like most of the people within the village. As he looked around the village, he could see everyone going out and doing their duties, but unfortunately for him, he didn't have anything to do at the moment, and decided he would just hang around the village for the day.

His golden hues had swept the grounds, paying more attention to what was going on below him, and down below him was the center of the village. There was a young shinobi down below, seeming to be a watchman. He was a bit surprised, the normal guards must've have been getting really lazy in order to get a kid, especially in the middle of the day. As he had watched him and the others around the area, he had noticed that he was becoming tired of the sun, and would take a step into the shade.

He smiled, though it couldn't be seen, because it was concealed by the clothing he was wearing, it concealed everything upon him but his eyes and nose. The robes and turban he was wearing were white, though he had on long, dark brown vest that would each a little bit past his waist. Also shinobi sandals, though they were hidden by the robes. In a burst of speed, he had flickered away, it was due to his own natural speed, no technique that would consume chakra. Out of nowhere, he would reappear down in front of the young male who had leaned against the wall within the shade.

("Oh my, what do we have here? You know, you could handle the heat better if you dressed properly.")

The young male had said to him in a calm and gentle voice, before pulling down the peace of cloth that had hidden his mouth, and revealed his gentle and warming smile.

[Ikki Sanada]

Ikki Sanada was standing, minding his own business. In fact he was a little lost in thought. Ikki was so lost in thought that he was missing what was happening in front of him. While he should have been watching the town square in front of him, the boy's mind wandered.

He was thinking back to his days at the Academy. The now preppy pugilist was thinking back to when he was first learning to fight. It was a rough an tumble world inside the Academy of the Sand Village, bullies preyed on the younger kids. Ikki had no idea where he got it from, but he always felt as though he should protect those younger kids from the older bullies. Learning to fight in that world helped him immensely in battle.

While the pugilist's mind was wandering, some part of his mind was still active and alert. This part of his mind felt as though he was being watched. Ikki snapped back to reality and looked around, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. People were still walking to and fro, going about their daily lives. Shrugging at his overactive nerves, the boy craned his head and eyes up into the sky to try and ascertain what time it was.

Ikki hoped against hope that something interesting would happen. But the thing about wishing something like that is, something always did happen. Suddenly, a heavily robed man appeared in front of the boy out of nowhere. Ikki flinched and stood up straight, thinking it was another ninja coming to scold him for being lazy. The Genin quickly took in this man's clothing and general appearance, he was wearing robes that covered almost everything besides his eyes and nose.

"Oh my, what do we have here? You know, you could handle the heat better if you dressed properly." The man spoke from behind his robes.

Ikki was frightened, but he wasn't sure if he was being scolded or not. The pugilist was about to speak when the man pulled his robes down, revealing a calm and gentle visage. The Genin relaxed, this man didn't seem like someone who would scold him for being a little lazy. Ikki chuckled then spoke.

"I guess that's true, but I didn't think it was going to be this hot today. I should carry around robes like yours just in case. I'm Ikki, Genin ninja. What's your name?" Ikki asked.

The boy was happy, he hoped he was about to make a new friend.

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[KEITH]

A few strains of his pale, ivory hair had fallen down out of his turban, where it was being originally held, making the appearance of the man more distinguishable to the boy. He had continued to hold a calm and gentle expression upon his face as he had listened to everything the boy had to say. Even going as far as to introduce himself to the young male first, showing respect and being polite. Treating him in such a nice way, he had figured that he would return the respect that he boy had given him.

He wasn't surprised that the boy was a Genin, though. That way he tried to stand in the sun all day long, unprotected from its violent rays, it was almost laughable. Though, he had kept his composure, he had known that this was surely something the boy would learn from, most likely being his first shinobi task within the village. When the boy had asked for his name, before speaking, the young male had removed the turban from his head.

He had revealed his long, cascading ivory hair which reached down a bit pass his waist, though some of it was pinned up in a messy bun, with several pins going through it. His face looked young, despite being within his late twenties. As he handed it over to the boy, he had begun to speak.

("My name is Rekka, and I am a Jounin. Nice to meet you, Ikki-kun. You should take this for your protection.")

He had spoken calmly, and soothingly. The young male had known that the boy wouldn't be able to sit in the shade all day; he'd have to get back to work and fulfill his duty. But, being a Jounin, and utterly, a protector of the boy, he couldn't have him going out into the sun unprotected. And, hopefully, he would appreciate the nice gesture of the young male, but if not, it would be understandable as well.

His golden gaze set softly upon the boy, the young male had possessed a warm and inviting aura, and his actions would surely depict that. He would turn from the boy, to look around at the village and the things that were going on, noticing several guards around the area. Though, none of them were Jounin, only Chuunin and below. He had figured that since the boy was young and on his first task, he would want to do something a little more fun than this.

("So, Ikki-kun, tell me; would you rather stay here and just be a watchman or do something a bit more exciting today?")

He had asked the young boy, continuing to hold his warming expression upon his face. He would appear to be kind of a laid back and cheerful character to most people. But, that isn't always the case, he may be like this sometimes, but that doesn't mean he is always this way. If the boy were to come with him, he could surely find out more about him, and his true personality. And not just the part of it he shows most people.

[Ikki Sanada]

As Ikki spoke, the man listened calmly. The pugilists noticed a few strands of hair falling from behind his turban, it was pale and ivory colored, much like Ikki's hair color. The boy watched as the ninja in front of him removed his turban completely and his hair fell into position. The ivory hair cascaded downward and Ikki saw it was partly held up in a bun, although a messy one.

"My name is Rekka, and I am a Jounin. Nice to meet you, Ikki-kun. You should take this for your protection.

Ikki was taking in more and more of Rekka's appearance, he looked older. Possibly in his twenties and as soon as Ikki heard the man was a Jounin his posture changed. The boy stood up straighter, of course being as young as he was the pugilist didn't want to offend this high level ninja.

But then something strange happened, as Rekka was still speaking, he handed over the turban that was just on his head. Ikki's hands held it for a moment and he had no idea what to do. Ikki had only known Jounin who acted like drill sergeants, barking orders all the time. This man was different. Ikki smiled.

Rekka's whole aura was inviting, he didn't seem pompous or mean. Ikki finally relaxed all the way.

"So, Ikki-kun, tell me; would you rather stay here and just be a watchman or do something a bit more exciting today?"

Rekka spoke again, offering something interesting on such a boring day. Ikki pulled the turban onto his head and spoke.

"My shift is almost over anyways. What did you have in mind?" Ikki asked. The boy was definitely up for adventure.

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[KEITH]

After the young boy had taken the turban and placed it upon his head, he had become curious, asking the young male about what he had in mind. His shift was coming to an end, and there aren't many fun things one could do within the village if you didn't know what other fun places to go were around the village, or more so, outside of the village. For out there was the great desert, full of adventure and excitement. He had thought that he could take the young boy out, and they'd find something quite looking nothing he had ever seen before.

And, that was his true intentions in the first place, and the reason for him to hand over the turban to the boy, to protect him from the harsh heat of the desert, or at least directly upon his head. Receiving so much heat there would cause want to faint if they weren’t use to it, like the young male. He had looked toward the village gates direction.

("Well, there are tons of amazing things to do outside of the village. And, plus, I heard that there is so kind of monster lurking around the desert. We could go find out what it is, if you're up for that.")

He said as he looked back to the boy, looking upon him with a gentle stare, to see what his reaction would be, and how he would react to such a task. Going out and finding a monster, which was something that most kids wouldn't dare to try to do, and it'd probably seem even scarier because the young male didn't know what it was either. But, it was something that would have had to be done eventually, and what better time to do it than now. He had a bit of anxious look upon his face, hopefully thinking that the boy would be up to the challenge.

[Ikki Sanada]

Ikki, thought he probably look a little silly with the turban on his head, but anything to protect him from the sun was a good thing. He needed that protection since obviously he wasn't a very good desert dweller like Rekka. The boy's head was already starting to feel a little cooler, shaded from the harsh rays of the sun.

Thankful for the gesture of kindness, Ikki decided he would have to pay Rekka back as soon as he could. Ikki also thought about purchasing his set of robes that would protect him from the sun, but that was for another time.

"Well, there are tons of amazing things to do outside of the village. And, plus, I heard that there is so kind of monster lurking around the desert. We could go find out what it is, if you're up for that."

Rekka spoke again to the boy, in answer to his last question about what he had in mind for a day like today. Ikki thought for a moment, he had never really been out in the desert very much. He had been outside of the Sand village a few times but mainly stuck to the roads and trails. Of course he had completed a desert survival test in the Academy but that was heavily supervised.

Ikki was still decided when he saw the look on Rekka's face, that anxious look that was worried the boy might say no. After seeing his new friend's face, he made his decision.

"Sure lets do it Rekka-san. I'd like to see this monster. Should we head to the Village gates? Where does this monster reside?"

Ikki was showing off slightly, he wanted to impress his new Jounin friend. On the inside he was a little wary, but he was sure this monster wasn't something the both of them couldn't handle. If Rekka agreed to heading to the Gates Ikki would follow him there, exiting the immediate area.

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[KEITH]

His face had glew with joy, he was happy that the boy would accompany him upon his quest to searching for the monster that is roaming the desert outside of the village. He had turned around, leaving his back to face the boy as he made his way toward the village gates, using his right hand as a gesture for the young boy to follow him as he had made his way to the gates. Once the boy would catch up with him, he would speak to him once before leaving the village.

("Of course straight to the gates. But, I am not sure of where the thing lives, we have to sort of do some searching for it. But, I hear it is quite active around this time in the Northern region of Kaze no Kuni, so we'll head straight there.")

He would say to the young boy, placing an arm upon his shoulder when he would get to his said. It was too relax him if he was worried, after all, he was being accompanied by one of the stronger ninjas within the village, it would be a piece of cake, and also a fun ride, if the young male didn't think so himself. He would make his way to the village gates and pass through it, after notifying the guards him and the boy was just going out for a bit, and that they will return shortly.

exit.

[Ikki Sanada]

"Of course straight to the gates. But, I am not sure of where the thing lives, we have to sort of do some searching for it. But, I hear it is quite active around this time in the Northern region of Kaze no Kuni, so we'll head straight there."

Rekka spoke as Ikki followed closely behind him. The young boy was going quickly from being excited to go into battle and scared to see what kind of monster he would be facing, and back again. The pair headed towards the Gates and Rekka put a hand on the boy's shoulder as a sort of reassurance. It calmed Ikki's nerves as they walked.

He was feeling a little better, and now excitement took his body over. Ikki was going over strategy in his head and he wondered what kind of ninja Rekka was. The boy decided he would ask when they were outside the Village and on the move.

Passing through the Gates, Rekka spoke to the guards quickly and then they were gone.

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[EXIT]

[vegapunk]

47 EXP @ Ikki

39 EXP @ Circa

[Ikki Sanada]

Ikki Sanada was back in Sunagakure. The young pugilist stood in a small park near the center of the Village. Ikki was standing on a gravel path with a bench to his side. Just outside the gravel path was a small field of grass that was also lined with trees. This was the only place for miles that there was any green. The Sand Village was mostly covered lined with hard packed sand and concrete roads.

Ikki decided he would take a seat on the bench. As he sat he thought how good it felt to be back in the Sand village after his run in with who knows what out in the desert. The Genin faced some strange things out in the desert, and he hoped his and Rekka's report to the Sand Village council would lead to a force marching out to defeat whatever was out there. The Genin decided he would sign up for the force if he was able.

He could bring valuable information to the team about the strength of the enemy, whatever it was. But for now Ikki Sanada was content with waiting here and watching the people of the Sand village walk by. The wind blew by him and cooled his body. He made a mental note to purchase a set of robes next time he went out in the desert.

For now the young pugilist would sit and relax, recovering from his recent journey.

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[KID GAMBINO.]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,420,true] ¤ THE HUMAN SANDSTORM OF SUNAGAKURE! ¤ "Boring, boring, BORING!" Ahh, damn. The time seemed to just rivel away these days as I paced the streets of Sunagakure, a petite blob of sand floating from one hand to another as it appeared to be the only thing to hold my attention. Even though I was supposed to be spending the hours relaxing and forgetting the occupation I bore for once in a while, I couldn't help but find myself roaming the sand-infested territory, hoping that trouble or some form of entertainment would find me. Animosity had become taboo in this day and age, this agreement of union established by the Five Great Nations imposing a threatening shadow over the Ninja World, the lesser known nation dwindling in their influence with scarce ambition to dare challenge their authority. Although peace was something that was finally becoming more present throughout the vast lands, what our ancestors had built was suddenly beginning to become a metamorphic shell of what it once was. In what direction was the Ninja World planning to trudge? And was it possible that mass conflict and war would be the harbinger of the unity's destruction? Sporadically, that intolerant beast's image slapped me across my imaginative face, the demonic tanuki known as SHUKAKU once being an entity that repeatedly caused mass hysteria across the lands, especially Sunagakure. It was a concurrent myth that this chakra monster existed for the sole purpose of giving rebirth to the solidarity of our race, but even with this thought in mind, I always came to question: what truly came of universal peace? Any person in their right mind would claim such an ideal to end in infinite boredom, which would drive me straight insane. Neutrality was a welcoming concept most times, but our society had transformed beyond what neutrality could offer. Unfortunately, the Ninja World was one infested with dangerous people and dangerous minds, and ultimately, the achievement of a halcyon world would be a futile venture. Something would have to be done. Lost in my own meditation, I had blindly walked directly into one of Sunagakure's prized grasslands, most of the village being stained with the desert's aura, but this isolated piece of land was coloured with a beautiful, natural green. I traversed the directive gravel path until my eyes came to notice a youngin' seated several meters away, his attention focused on the calming environment just as mines were. With a single hand gesture, the blob of sand I had been fumbling with mid-air floated back into the bulky, dark gourd that rested on my back, my appearance suddenly fading into realization for the lad. There were just too many faces in the Sand Village to recollect exactly who this adolescent was, but with his apparent age as guidance, I assumed that he probably was a fellow shinobi, and was nothing more than a Genin, or Academy Student graduate at the least. Curious of the up-and-coming generation that would leading the Land of Wind into magnificence or annihilation, I had to make my presence clear. "Hey there, kid. Quite a beautiful day, ain't it?" ¤ smexy template made by renni of nrp ¤

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[Ikki Sanada]

Sitting in the middle of one of Sungakure's oases was calming for the boy. He was watching people go about their daily lives. A woman walked one way with a young child next to her who was crying uncontrollably. A man walked by quickly with a bag over his shoulder, obviously a grunt worker in some business across town. A group of Ninja walked by on patrol, they looked at Ikki and nodded, the boy nodded back.

Ikki turned his head to the other side. A woman was standing at the edge of the oasis, throwing bird seed to the small and skinny birds who always made their homes in cities no matter where they were. Ikki watched as the birds scrambled to pick up as much of the seed as possible before the woman lost interest in them. Suddenly the Genin noticed another Ninja walking in a general direction toward him.

The young pugilist noticed this ninja was deep in thought, also watching the people around him. The ninja moved closer and closer to the Genin before even noticing he was there. When he did, Ikki's eyes widened for a moment as this new ninja took in his appearance. The man smiled slightly and then spoke to the Genin.

"Hey there, kid. Quiet a beautiful day ain't it?" The man spoke calmly.

Ikki took in this ninja's appearance. It seemed at first glance that he was covered in sand but the Genin ignored that, chalking it up to a trick of the eye. He had orange hued hair with goggles around his forehead. He was dressed in generally pale-caramel colored clothing. The young pugilist stood up and stuck out his hand to make this man's acquaintance.

"It sure is a nice day. I was just admiring the scenery of this oasis. I'm Ikki Sanada, Genin Ninja. What's your name?" The Genin asked. A possible new friend, Ikki was excited.

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[Kenchiro]

Another day, another high flying adventure for Sunagakure's resident treasure hunting wunderkind. At least, that was the kind of thing he wanted to say. Truth be told, his life post-Academy had been one long string of disappointments and boredom. Not even his daily runs and his occasional sneaky jaunts around the village were enough to inject some excitement into his mundane life. He could always take work within the village, as exciting as that was. There was, truly, no greater cure for stagnation than cheap, repetitive labor. Kenchiro could feel another sigh creeping up to his lips. Where was the excitement? The pizzazz? The gauntlets of dangerous traps and armed guards standing between him and the crown jewel of some far off kingdom nobody had ever heard of? It was maddening!

He was not even in the mood for his usual rooftop exercises today. It was too much effort. Instead, he put on his drabbest cloak, wandered out into the village, and wandered aimlessly about the streets like a common civilian. More than a few times, he was tempted to perfect what the street thugs called "pickpocketing," but in a town of eagle-eyed ninja, that was unnecessarily dangerous and would do little to alleviate his boredom. He found a nice little garden in the center of town, already occupied by what looked like other young ninjas. Maybe they were from the same class as he was (he had a terrible memory for faces, truthfully.). He could feel a smirk creeping up his face as he changed course and stepped into the garden. Talking to his peers was always good when he needed a little perspective. Who knows? Maybe seeing a few people more dedicated to their "ninja way" would help him decide what he was supposed to be doing right now.

"Yo!" He held up a hand by way of greeting, pulling down his hood with his other hand. "What are you guys up to? Something exciting, I hope. This village is a bit too tame for its own good, if you know what I mean. No excitement, no intrigue, not even any juicy gossip."

[KID GAMBINO.]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,420,true] ¤ THE HUMAN SANDSTORM OF SUNAGAKURE! ¤ [ OOC: I was hoping that this would turn into a successful Adventures thread before the month ends, but I have no idea if we'll be able to make it. We need one more person to meet the member limit qualification, then we can get some interesting shit going that pertains to an "adventure". I'll consult with the GM about it, and if the GM can't maintain active posting, then I'll just GM it myself and forget the bonus reward. Hopefully all goes well. ] "It sure is a nice day. I was just admiring the scenery of this oasis. I'm Ikki Sanada, Genin Ninja. What's your name?" Heh, just as I had expected, the adolescent teenager was nothing more than a Genin, one of the hopeful sparks that Sunagakure had entrusted our future into. Although consorting with youngsters that were quite a few numbers away from my age wasn't a thing I enjoyed dabbling with, I couldn't help but feel compelled to understand the measurement of capability that the Sand Village offered. "Yo! What are you guys up to? Something exciting, I hope. This village is a bit too tame for its own good, if you know what I mean. No excitement, no intrigue, not even any juicy gossip." And from the corner of my eye, just as I shook the hand of the seated Genin, another teenager sprung from out of no where, this one seemingly drenched in a cloak during the middle of the day, which was odd, but none of my concern. Even so, his overbearing clothing couldn't disguise the youth in his voice, appearing to be possibly older than Ikki, but wasn't enough to boast about. Could this be another Genin of the village? Did his seniority in age compared to the first acquaintance mean that his proficiency was greater as a result? "Oi, where'd you come from? Nothing much going on here, just a random encounter..." The Chunin title suggested that I could apply for the occupation of teaching our scholarly novices the path of the shinobi, but I had zero motivation for such a simple-minded task. The thought of assuring that the following successors would be a valiant league was intriguing and confirming, but this sand-embedded mind and body was built to be a destructive, fighting machine, and I knew I held no place as a elementary adviser. Nonetheless, it was expected of me as Sunagakure's middle-classed shinobi to lead the graduates to victory, and I had every intention of doing so, somehow, someway. "Forgive me though, let me formally introduce myself. The name's Rokuto of the Kekkai Clan, Sunagakure's Chunin, and the impeccable Human Sandstorm! What about you, newcomer?!" ¤ smexy template made by renni of nrp ¤

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