Stone Dog [Open]

[Ito Aki]

Early morning mist rolled up the banks of a nearby stream as Aki made her way through the residential area at a jog. Less about building strength and more about for developing her stamina further she paused to stretch for a moment beneath a shady tree. Not much taller then her but with many whippet like branches it was one of the greedy variety that always clung close to sources of water. A willow if she recalled correctly but she'd never been as good a student of botany as she should have been. Her mentor had always told her that it was important to know all the plants she possibly could rather than just the popular medicinals. Scrunching the the bridge of her nose up Aki did her best to recall something about it and after a moment she recalled one of Karasu's lectures.

They had been crawling on there bellies looking for mushrooms when the older dark skinned woman had put a restraining hand on Aki's shoulder and asked her what the tree above them was. Intent on her work she hadn't been able to answer and even after being allowed to look up hadn't know what to say. Genus something with an s it was an old medicine used for fevers and pain. Like aspirin or something along that lines. Aki reached out to touch one of the trailing branches as she tried to remember what she'd been told.

"Fuck."She muttered to herself as she knew that she'd been told much more but couldn't remember any of it. The color of the earth with raven wing hair Karasu could have named anything that Aki could see around her and so much more. Sadly though after a summer with her Aki hadn't learned much but reverence for her teacher who'd seems like something born of the earth itself with her wisdom and strange childishness.

[chiatsuki]

The sun’s warm coat dwindled down swiftly, igniting the colossal piece of stone which carved Iwa so cleverly. Bun-ka Ro stood atop the plateau over viewing the village just as the cloak of night descended to the other sides of the world. Not even the warm embrace of the morning could shake the kids thoughts, constantly perplexing and switching at instantaneous rates. His eyes closed for a moment to gather himself, his eyes moved around the sack of the eyelid before they finally opened revealing his optic embers.

The wind blew hastily and paper swept off his body like dead skin and they wafted within the atmosphere with blissful intent. He could hear someone near him, possibly under the tree he was standing in front of. Though if someone were there he would not be able to see him, his back was turned and his imagination was free to flow. A sigh would depart his lips symbolizing what little muse he had for the day.

[Ito Aki]

Giving up on forcing memories that weren't interested in sharing themselves with her Aki moved away from the tree and started walking. She couldn’t remember many plants but she did recall Karasu’s admonishments about taking care of her body while training. Warm up then stretch but take it easy for a few minutes after. The body was tough but without proper care it would degrade, often times without the person noticing how much until something catastrophic happened. Aki had no interest then or at present in ending up in physical therapy for carelessness and had paid attention and still followed those teachings at least.

As she rounded the side of the tree she was a bit surprised to find herself no long alone. A bit of paper with odd symbols on it fluttered past her as she paused to look at the person before her. Or more accurately their back as she’d come up from behind them and could see nothing of their face. Given her own way on the matter she’d have turned a bit and kept going without bothering them but her mother had made it clear that she needed to conduct herself with better manners.

“Good morning.” She said, her voice a bit tense as she felt uncomfortable greeting a stranger even in passing. Unlike her siblings she hadn’t developed an outgoing personality and had no personal interest in altering that aspect of herself. The thought going against an order from her mother was enough to make her cringe thought so there she was doing it anyway.

[chiatsuki]

Veins bulged from his eyes as he were left undisturbed by the sudden “hello..” from the stranger lurking within his blind spot. Ban-Ku Ro, normally, would have set ablaze to everything behind him – blowing the plateau to smithereens. But this were his village and his eyes settled after he’d calmed himself enough to shift his neck slowly just so his left eye could see. Ban-Ku Ro wasn’t the type to keep a long conversation, let alone hold one past the first hello but he could tell this young female was no ordinary villager… he had seen her before in the academy which meant she were also a ninja.

[/ul]

His words were like splinters to the frailest skin. The way he talked could drive the nerves right out of a persons skin and make them look like a stressed porcupine. After seeing her features he turned himself 180 degrees to face her. The plethora of tattoos upon his body would finally become evident, and his burgundy eyes full of melancholy looked at her sporadically. His brown locks shifted with the wind as he continued his response.

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[Ito Aki]

“Sorry, you caught me off guard. Hey back at ya, my names Ban-Ku Ro but you can call me whatever. I’m not too big on names anyways..” Yeesh, Aki didn’t exactly have a lovely voice and her ability to carry a tune when singing was dubious at best but this fellow was another animal all together. She wondered for a moment if he ate nails or something but snapped her focus back on what he was saying to catch his name. Ban-Ku Ro who didn’t care what she called him. A dangerous thing that, she was bad at giving nicknames.

“So what brings you all the way up here? Do you visit often?” Getting past how he spoke and into what he was saying Aki smiled a bit through a wince. He older than her but was making and effort to be nice it seemed and that left her feeling a bit relieved. Had she realized he was older from the beginning she’d have gone in another direction her mothers order be damned. Aki had never been picked on by anyone her own age but instead older boys who thought it was a good way to get at her older brother Eri. She avoided them as a rule outside of forced or supervised interactions because of that.

Looking him over openly his tattoo’s were a meaningless tangle of black to her eye. She paused for a long moment when his eyes met hers during their wandering. She hadn’t inherited them but her father had red eyes. It wasn’t intentional but she found herself trying to look more closely at them then was polite by any standard.

“Ito Akihiko, I’ve been training since a bit before sunrise like I do most days so it would be fair to say I come here often. You can call me Aki.” Akihiko, bright prince, her mother had a certain way with names.

“Is it alright if I call you Ro?” She asked rather than just rattling something off and assuming he’d be alright with it. She’d gotten punched for that before.

[chiatsuki]

Both the genin were relatively the same height though she was about a hair shorter. Speaking of short hair she had a rather different look in Ro’s eyes, depicted by a quirk. Ban-Ku Ro studied her body like any man would, fixating lastly on her eyes. They were green and luminous like the waters of kiri, always resting. If it were not for his racing mind the shinobi would have found himself within a blank gaze.

[/b][/ul][/ul]

Ro was good at hiding what he was really thinking about. He multi-tasked in talking and thinking quite frequently and had now formed a habit. His thoughts were contingent on the fact of her training upon the plateau often. He had examined her thus far and had come to the conclusion that she was not very strong… but he had been wrong before. Ro began to tap his foot along the dirt – his thoughts were getting the best of him. He had to let it out.

[/b][/ul][/ul]

The fact was, he was a dick. He was terrible, the most crazy and mysterious person you would ever meet…. But he was just a fucking dick. He did not hold his tongue based on how feminine one looked but to certain people that might be looked at as noble. He didn’t care either way. Wings of tattooed ink burst forth in gusts of wind. He had given his invitation and if she did not want to partake in his adventure then she would be left. Simple as that.

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[Ito Aki]

“Couldn’t rid yourself of me if you wanted to now.” It was a dam bursting those words. All the waiting and worry over team placement tumbling out in a few syllables as she reached out to Ro to clasp his forearm in acceptance of his offer. That he’d suddenly sprout thin wings of black and offered out of the blue meant nothing. She’d seen stranger and the offer was everything she’d been waiting for.

To say she came from a family with other shinobi in it was something of an understatement. All of her siblings, their mother and fathers and her grandmother were all shinobi, some of certain renown even though that wasn’t common knowledge. More accurately her mother had sought out sires from strong lines for her children and had never revealed who save to them.

None of that was why Aki so readily accepted though. Her mother viewed it as her duty to provide a strong line from which to choose the heir to the Ito school. Which child it was did not matter in particular and each had been allowed to decide there own path. Aki found responsibility and duty to be comfortable weights rather than burdens and had always looked forward to the opportunity to serve the village simply because she loved it in her own quiet way.

“Though I’d rather walk if possible.” She added, giving the wings a dubious look now that she’d agreed. She wasn’t sure if he could pick her up and carry her while using them or if they were just some odd genjutsu contrivance he thought looked cool. Having to endure such a thing would not stop her but she was a child of the earth and preferred to stay firmly planted on it when possible.

[Jae]

the moving finger writes

[atrb=width,440px,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, background: #bcbcbc; border-bottom: 5px solid #111111; padding: 5px;] and having writ moves on: nor all thy piety nor wit shall lure it back to cancel half a line nor all thy tears wash out a word of it

histoire

[atrb=width,440px,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, background: #bcbcbc; border-bottom: 5px solid #111111; padding: 5px;] [div style="background: dedede; color: #000000; font-siz[br"]e: 10px; text-align: left; padding-left: 10px; font-family: arial; width: 350px; border-radius: 10px 10px 10px 10px; -moz-border-radius: 10px 10px 10px 10px;] It was strange, eerie almost, that such a trusted friend would call him to such a recluse location. In fact, if he weren't cautious enough, it'd be the perfect place to plan a robbery. Nevertheless, over the sound of his steps, overshadowed the voices of others. Cursory inspection revealed that there were two of them, one male and the other female, but who they were or why they were here remained a mystery. Edging closer to what appeared to be his designated rendezvous, he haphazardly found himself in the middle of a conversation. The male looking much other than the little girl, and much more menacing, but he would politely intrude with the vernacular of a school teacher; polite yet firm. "Ummm, excuse me," he interrupted. "I was told by a friend that I was needed here for something. Would either of you happen to know about this?"

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[chiatsuki]

Bun-Ka Ro took her hand quicker than her refusal. He did not let it go, however, he did not take flight either. A blonde male treaded slowly along the plateau therefore he was deemed to wait. If it were not fate then it was coincidence; a team forged of three so easily within time’s grasp. It were not 10 seconds after the man spoke that Ro responded.

[/b][/ul][/ul]

Ro quickly detached his hand from Aki’s after confronting the shinobi, coughing to relieve himself of the awkward tension.


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[Ito Aki]

Aki looked at Ro for a moment before giving a proper if stiff bow to the new arrival. People just seemed to be getting older the longer she stood there and her earlier sense of unease returned. She wasn't going to just run off though, Ro would be held accountable for his offer come hell or high water.

"No sir. I don't know anything about that. As he said though he just asked for help with a mission and I've agreed." She looked over at Ro as she said the last, her earlier confidence in her decision somewhat tainted by his out burst. The chuunin exams were the goal of all gennin after all. That said the way he'd spoken had said a great deal more then his words and she didn't understand why he'd spilled his guts so completely in front of someone who was apparently a stranger to him.

"Also I have not seen anyone else aside from Ro and I’ve been jogging since before sun up." She added and would have an admonishment to Ro about not randomly prostrating himself before others but she was too off put as it was to think of it. Asking was fine but gushing like they were little kids playing shinobi was another matter entirely. Particularly when she wasn't sure if the man they were addressing was even a shinobi. Or hell he could have been a Jounin for all she knew. The point was they didn't know anything about him.

[Jae]

the moving finger writes

[atrb=width,440px,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, background: #bcbcbc; border-bottom: 5px solid #111111; padding: 5px;] and having writ moves on: nor all thy piety nor wit shall lure it back to cancel half a line nor all thy tears wash out a word of it

histoire

[atrb=width,440px,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, background: #bcbcbc; border-bottom: 5px solid #111111; padding: 5px;] [div style="background: dedede; color: #000000; font-siz[br"]e: 10px; text-align: left; padding-left: 10px; font-family: arial; width: 350px; border-radius: 10px 10px 10px 10px; -moz-border-radius: 10px 10px 10px 10px;] SPOILER: Click to show “We are in need of a team. If you want you can be our third. We plan on entering the chuunins at some point and we need more adventure. Iwa is going to rot if we just sit here doing the same old shit…” - Unknown Man Terse and brooding, he'd seen his type many times over working at the hospital so his strangling aura could only circumvent the Kikkawa's natural hospitality. He did have a point however, Iwagakure was but a shell of it's former self. The three of them were experiencing first hand how the plague, commonly referred to as war, could fissure an entire world economy for the benefit of a select few. It was the reason he'd chosen his profession to begin with. The Doctor remained silent, contemplating his reason for being there at all. As a strong advocate of "everything happens for a reason," he couldn't help but feel that some higher power had led him here. SPOILER: Click to show "No sir. I don't know anything about that. As he said though he just asked for help with a mission and I've agreed. "Also I have not seen anyone else aside from Ro and I’ve been jogging since before sun up." - Unknown Girl Her formality seemed forced which revealed a level of respect that Ue naturally admired. It's easy to treat someone as if they're scum, especially for the egocentric, but to set that aside for civility's sake took a different kind of strength. This led Ue to casually step forward, closing the distance between him and the other two. "Well then I'll have to ask you to pardon my rudeness," he beckoned while extending his hand toward the young lady. "I am Uekyuuchi Kikkawa, a physician at Rock Hospital." Whether his gesture of kindness was accepted or not, he would eventually do the same for the young man before continuing. "And if I may be of any assistance to either of you, feel free to lead the way. We are all denizens of Iwagakure and it is our duty as residents to ensure it is restored to it's former glory."

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[chiatsuki]

rping obtaining the mission

[/b] – on your next post, just meet[/ul][/ul] me at the kage’s office icly in this thread. No need to hop around.

Bun-Ka Ro listened to the blonde haired man. He was a prince, he really was. The way he talked made the angels depart from the heavens, they really did. The man had accepted his offer, and that was all the genin needed to hear. With a nod of his head he would quickly depart from the plateau, leaving the two momentarily.

[/b][/ul][/ul]
His words like melodies to the sky as he shifted himself to the winds, guiding himself towards the tower which was fairly close by. From there, he would begin his first mission.

[/exit to tsuchikage thread. Will enter once you both have posted]

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[Ito Aki]

((Take it away Dr.K, feel free to carry both our characters to the tower. Mine is a little busy being a fan girl.))

"Ro-" Quite vomiting words would have been the rest of her comment to her new found team mate but he went dashing off before she could say another word. Aki was starting to wonder if he had a manic disorder of some kind. She studied quite a bit but hadn’t gotten into neurological disorders. It was an intimidating subject with many parts of it still experimental or vague. She didn’t miss that the blonde man, Dr. Kikkawa she correct herself, was extending his hand to her as he introduced himself. Her eyes went a bit wide as she heard him. He was a physician? To Aki that was like a being a triple platinum rock star. Better even.

“Ito Akihiko, gennin.” She said as she accepted his hand and bowed again, this time lower in respect to his position rather than simply his superior age.

“Please call me Aki Dr. Kikkawa.” She said, the idea of addressing him with anything but the utmost respect not even crossing her mind. A very slight flush entered her cheeks and she felt a slight tingle in her hand. A physician, what were the chances? She owed Ro now for his antics. Given her own way she’d probably have never spoken to the man in the first place.

“It would be an honor to work with you. We’ll gladly accept your help.” She said and only stopped herself from punctuating the sentence with another bow by force of will. It wasn’t much the slight flush and more engaged expression but it was gushing for her.

“If you’d like.” She paused at a loss for words for a moment then found her train of thought again.

“I’m studying to enter the training program. It’s my dream to become a doctor as well. If you wouldn’t mind could you tell me about what it’s like to work at the hospital on our way to the Kage’s tower?” She asked finally managed to get the words past the knot of her tongue after a moments effort.

[Jae]

the moving finger writes

[atrb=width,440px,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, background: #bcbcbc; border-bottom: 5px solid #111111; padding: 5px;] and having writ moves on: nor all thy piety nor wit shall lure it back to cancel half a line nor all thy tears wash out a word of it

histoire

[atrb=width,440px,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, background: #bcbcbc; border-bottom: 5px solid #111111; padding: 5px;] [div style="background: dedede; color: #000000; font-siz[br"]e: 10px; text-align: left; padding-left: 10px; font-family: arial; width: 350px; border-radius: 10px 10px 10px 10px; -moz-border-radius: 10px 10px 10px 10px;] SPOILER: Click to show "Meet me at Tsuchikage-sama’s. Our mission will be ready momentarily." - Unknown Man Ue couldn't say he expected anything different when the man took his leave without even formally introducing himself. That kind of behavior may have been tolerable in the circles of thugs littering the Tsuchi no Kuni underworld, but to be the representative of an entire nation demanded at least some kind of refinement. Alas, times were hard and brute muscle seemed to be the village's main concern. Unfortunately this was at the expense of proper etiquette. SPOILER: Click to show "Ito Akihiko, genin. Please call me Aki, Dr. Kikkawa. It would be an honor to work with you. We'll gladly accept your help. If you'd like... I'm studying to enter the training program. It’s my dream to become a doctor as well. If you wouldn’t mind could you tell me about what it’s like to work at the hospital on our way to the Kage’s tower?" - Ito Akihiko

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As for the girl, her energy seemed to change completely. Rather than avert herself from his cordial advance, she seemed more accepting and almost enamored by his presence. Of course, given her age, he could only return the smile she'd brandished while recalling the same admiration he'd had for the Medic that introduced him to the trade....



A slight cough broke him from his trance.



"I would more than happy to," he conceded before stepping to the side and extending his arm to the side as if to signal Ito to proceed forward. "Shall we?"

The two of them then continued down the path the Doctor had came from, their destination being the Tsuchikage's Office.

exit

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[Axcel]

Ito Aki: +28 exp

Red: +22 exp

Jae: +16 exp