House Of The Rising Sun [Hirihi]

[Testament]

Satsui reclined against the back of the seat and then stood, exiting the booth he been in, and approached the counter of the Ramen shop. He offered his thanks to the cooks and left a few coins before turning for the door. Nightfall was steadily approaching and it was time for him to be returning home but he thought he'd take the long road and enjoy some quiet time along the way. The stress of the day threatened to wear him down but, as always, he wore the same stoic face that he was known for. Those in his class had always said that someone would have to be twisting a knife in Satsui's stomach for him to show any discomfort and even then the only thing he'd ask is that they do it more quietly. Some doubted whether the tough loner bit was an act or if Satsui really did prefer being alone, yet there wasn't a single person willing to broach the subject with him.

In his opinion, it was all for the best as he found no pleasure in meaningless interaction with other people. When he did actually find someone whose mere presence did not anger him, and someone who could embrace his rough demeanor, their affiliation was still usually limited to training and the like. Typical behavior for an adolescent boy; there was very little in his world that didn't tick him off so he'd learned to stay pretty well insulated from it all. He was on the way back to his home, where he lived alone, after a long day of training in the mountainous regions of his ancestral lands so he was ambling slowly along the path toward his district. In order to alleviate a bit of the boredom he was feeling, Satsui began shadow boxing as he moved along and envisioned a host of enemies trying to take his life. Oftentimes, it was the simplest of things that could raise one's spirit and leave them feeling rejuvenated.

[Hirihi]

.:Enter:.

Hirihi sat quietly on a bench as the sky was darkening above. As she sat there, her eyes cast downwards towards the ground, her thoughts reflected back on the fight in the Chuunin Exams. That girl, a girl that she hadn't even gotten the name of, had made her look like a joke. It had been one of the most humiliating moments in her life. Even if she had been prepared for the fight, part of her mind made her feel that she was likely to lose no matter what she had done. Days after the exams and she still stewed on the humiliation of the fight. It was beginning to get to the point that she was hating herself for her unpreparedness.

Forcing herself to let it go, at least for the moment, Hirihi cast her eyes upwards to check what time it was. With the sun beginning to set and leaving behind the twilight hours of the night. Her pink hair giving off a strange glow to it in the lights along the street. As she looked around, taking in the sight of the village in the hours towards late, she noticed a few shadows moving further down the street. Leaning off of the bench that she sat on, she noticed that there was someone seeming to punch at the shadows, as if re-enacting a fight with them in the middle of it.

It was an interesting thought. Playing out a fight in your mind could give you the mind of a tactician. In some situations, though, it didn't always seem to be the best idea. It would only setup one to believe that they could handle any situation. That was the kind of mindset that Hirihi was trying to keep herself out of. As he drew closer, Hirihi did not hide her eyes to make it look as if she was not staring. When he was within his eyeline, she waved her hand at him, not bothering to give a verbal "hello."

[Testament]

From his place of focus, Satsui noticed movement in his peripheral vision and allowed his attention to flow outward to the real world once more. He was immediately taken aback at how he'd been able to completely miss coming within range of another human being. He was more taken aback by the young lady's appearance. Tenchishinmei Satsui had, at times, been accused of harboring odd tastes yet something about this fresh faced kunoichi took hold of him from the first moment he laid eyes on her. So much so that after noticing her presence there he came to a complete halt and stood in that exact spot, just staring. It was uncommon for Satsui to fixate on anyone unless he thought they would be a challenge to fight, but his mind was not solely being devoted to obtaining a sense of whether or not the person before was dangerous. A mostly unused portion of his brain was at work as his eyes roamed to and fro quite liberally along the seemingly fragile lines of this particular female’s body.

It took him a moment before he was even able to avert his gaze but he quickly regained his composure and look down at his feet. His outer appearance was of a calm, collected individual but his inner mind was still quite frenzied. Satsui found himself wondering how long he’d been standing there and whether the girl was still looking at him. He turned his head quickly in each direction; perhaps the young lady had been waving at someone else and Satsui misunderstood her gesture as something directed at him, but upon checking he saw no one else in the vicinity. It was improbable that the wave had been meant for anyone other than him so Satsui turned back toward Hirihi and tried to muster up a response. Being that he was the poster child of antisocial behavior and was drawing a complete blank on what to do he decided that the best course of action was to simply launch into a standard greeting.

“Hello to you too . . . .”

His countenance fell as he realized that the girl had never actually voiced anything at all, and the awkwardness of the situation continued to grow because his cheeks seemed to be getting warmer for some reason. He was totally out of his element, and somewhat mortified by his own strange behavior, but he was too confused to do anything other than stand there waiting for her to say something else.

[Hirihi]

Hirihi lowered her hand, her frail resting in her lap as she found the distraction that she needed. Casting off a fake smile, as to shadow her dark thoughts of her own shortcomings, Hirihi stood up and walked over to him. "How many men were you fighting?" Hirihi asked, feigning interest as she sized up who she was talking to. The first of her things to notice was that he was remarkably taller than herself. She was a frail little thing anyways, but for her, sometimes, she could feel taller than the person she was talking to. Extending her hand towards him, the frail limb much thinner in comparison. "Hirihi." She said, introducing herself as she stood before him, her pink locks resting against her shoulders and the back of her neck.

As she stood there in front of him, her mind wandered to other things. People she had met in the village, as well as others that she had seen in her time at the exams. She really had few people she considered friends. Areru was a friend, which, the thought of her made her wonder how she had done in the exams. Had she made it to Chuunin? Hirihi had to push herself to think about other things, though, as she realized that was going to quickly spiral back to her horrible performance in the exams.

[Testament]

Satsui was genuinely having trouble focusing on what the girl was saying for he seemed to be lost in her eyes. She truly was a unique, young thing and those traits could be admired by those who valued non-conformity and innocence. Her face and her features were slightly bewitching so the young man had to struggle in order to form words.

"They came in waves, . . . no real number . . . ."

He could do nothing but watch as she closed the distance between them; his eyes followed her every movement but his body refused to take action until every detail was logged into memory. Something told Satsui that this person was in a class beyond interesting so his mind yearned to learn more about who she was and where she came from. Finally, his body had to respond on its own and his hand swung upward to grasp hers and as her name reached his ears and he thought it was fitting for one so mysterious.

"My name is, . . . why is your nose twitching?"

[Hirihi]

Hirihi listened as she approached to him describe the scenario he had created for himself. Waves of them, eh? It was an interesting set of circumstances to consider. It reminded her of the test that they had taken at the Chuunin Exams, the weird simulation that she had felt that she was doing very well at. Endless waves of enemies, and a limited supply of energy. Very interesting to say the least. Reaching out to shake his hand, she seemed to forget even of her own quirks. His name being interrupted by his question, Hirihi dropped her hand and chuckled at the question.

"It is a little absent-minded thing. My father says that I inherited it from my mother. Kind of like a nervous twitch, but it happens more than just when I'm nervous." She said, turning her attention back on him. "Do you do the shadow fighting often?" She asked, raising her arms over her head and stretching, as she had been sitting a long time. It left her feeling stiff all over, the sound of a few cracks and pops echoing from her as she lowered her arms back to her sides, feeling much better.

Not even waiting for an answer to her previous question, Hirihi looked about the area, only to see if anyone had followed him or was watching them. "What was your name again?" She asked, reaching up to rub her nose. If he had noticed it, had she been doing it all this time?! She felt a bit humiliated at the thought that no one else had pointed it out within the last few months. Maybe they weren't really paying attention to her.

Her thoughts were spiraling out of control, leaving her in a muddle of confusion and embarrassment. She had to force herself to turn her attention back to him, her eyes never leaving his, but her mind wandering thousands of places at once. Drago, Areru, Kurai, so many people who had either been too polite to point it out to her, or had not noticed it at all as she had been not important enough to pay attention to.

[Testament]

"I shadow box whenever . . . and I like your twitch. It's cute. "

Satsui looked shock at the sound of his own words and had to conciously fight to keep his hand from flying up to cover his mouth. He didn't normally talk to people, especially females, and he was completely outside his comfort zone with this conversation. Only a few words had been passed back and forth yet this was the greatest amount of dialogue he'd experienced in some time. He shook his head slightly as if to clear away the haze that had accompanied meeting this woman and sought to continue.

"Uh, my name is Tench-, um, Satsui. My name is Satsui."

He wasn't entirely sure about the status his clan held in Kumo so there was no reason to go into great detail with his name. Besides, he really didn't have any idea who this person was or what she was about. His mental clarity was slowly returning and with it came his paranoia; he hadn't run through this woman through the checks and procedures he normally subjected new people to. Yea, he had looked her up and down but that was more from a curiousity level and not a security measure. Remembering the odd noises her stretching had caused he stepped closer, slowly, and took a long, purposeful look at her upper body.

"Are you quite all right, . . . Miss . . . ?"

[Hirihi]

Hirihi watched him quietly as he spoke, taking note of his name as he spoke it. He had to either correct himself, or change what he was going to tell her, which made her feel a bit suspicious. She was tempted to perform a set of handseals to see if he were lying or not about his name, but it mattered not. They were both ninja for the same village, so it would make no difference his name. Maybe he had been formal about it, about to give his family name when he realized that she had not given hers, redacting it and changing his mind to match her tempo of conversation.

One never knew such things without asking, and Hirihi was not about to ask if he had told her a false name or a real name. It would be silly of her. As her arms lowered to her side, she looked at him as he stepped closer and looked about ready to strike at him. Why had he gotten so close to her, and where the hell were his eyes looking?! Hirihi knew that she must look young, but did she seem to be exuding a look of flirting?

"Y-Yeah... I'm fine." She said, reaching up and forcing his chin to have his eyes level with hers. "I don't know if you talk to women very often, but looking at their body is not a good way to get things started in conversation." Hirihi said, stepping back a bit to make the distance a bit more tolerable for her sake. "So, where are you heading off to? A shadow boxing convention?" She asked, grinning at her own stupid joke.

[Testament]

A dark cloud overtook Satsui in response to Hirihi's question; his brow became furrowed and his eyes filled with a despondent gleam that resembled a man driven insane by life's trouble. He shifted slightly so that his face was obscured from her sight but she would still be able to see his fists trembling. When he began to speak, his voice was unnaturally calm as if he was reading from a script that he'd already memorized.

"Actually, I just came from the Katori Shrine. I had a wonderfully satisfying spar with a young Hyûga who subsequntly ran off. I'm so, . . . pumped from our bout that I'm still a bit keyed up." His fists slowed to a still a few moments later but he kept his face hidden. "I apologize if I made you uncomfortable but, I must admit, you seem very intruiging to me for some reason."

His features became visible once more and the crazed look had faded into nothingness. Instead of going on about the fight from earlier he changed subjects and went back to asking about the girl he'd just met. The moon was just creeping out and the light shone down on Hirihi making her eyes almost sparkle.

"Do you fight often Hirihi-chan?"

[Hirihi]

Hirihi frowned a bit as he spoke of the spar that he had just been having. It seemed to her that there was something more there than just the premise of a friendly spar. Maybe something more daunting had happened to this man? She couldn't be quite sure, but he was speaking in a completely different manner now. Maybe he was just now getting used to the feeling of talking to her. She wasn't intimidating looking, so maybe he found her attractive in some way. It wouldn't be the first time. She had a certain air around her that people seemed to find attractive.

They even seemed to look past the fact that she looked like a child in comparison to them. Shrugging her shoulders as the question popped up, Hirihi took a step back and turned her crimson eyes towards the dark scenery. Her eyes seemed to be far off, but he would not notice this unless he looked closely. "I don't fight. I'm a medic. That, unfortunately, cannot stay that way forever. I don't do fun spars very often. I find that my abilities are better suited towards healing."

Another thought popped into her head, the image of the girl who had demolished her striking out and interrupting her thoughts. A faint grimace would cross her face before she forced it back, forcing herself to look normal. "I've gotten better at some things, though, so I might be up for a fight should you catch me in a good mood. I do need the practice." She said. It was true. She needed it badly.

Turning back to look at him, she flashed a pretty smile, as if deciding something in her mind. "What would you say to a friendly spar every now and then? Nothing competitive, and obviously not to the death. I think we both could benefit from it. Maybe go on a mission together sometime in the future?" She asked, provoking teamwork out of him.

[Testament]

Satsui was nothing if not attentive and that certainly wouldn't change in light of meeting such an interesting person. Her shoulder shrug wouldn't go unnoticed nor would the distant look in her eyes as she turned away from him. It was rare for him to be so invested in a conversation, especially with someone he just met, but Satsui was completely riveted to the this female for some reason.

"I don't fight. I'm a medic. That, unfortunately, cannot stay that way forever. I don't do fun spars very often. I find that my abilities are better suited towards healing."

Something in Satsui's chest took a great leap forward at hearing her words for he had been searching for an Iryô-Nin to take him under their wing. He was certain that his meeting of the woman had not been random chance but that they had been fated to cross paths and perhaps more. If she consented to teaching him what she knew he was sure, beyond any possible doubt, that the things he would be able to do with the knowledge gained would be nothing short of legendary. And there was no way he'd slack off during training or fail to take note of his sensei's teachings for that would mean disregarding something Hirihi was speaking to him.

"I've gotten better at some things, though, so I might be up for a fight should you catch me in a good mood. I do need the practice."

Satsui almost blushed at this proposal; usually a spar was something that he needed every once in a while to sedate the subconscious urges that infested his waking thoughts. Indeed, the one he had initiated in the shrine with Haru had been a desperate attempt to silence the voices in his head calling for blood and slaughter which is why the boy's fickle flight had caused such rage within him. He'd stolen Satsui's chance to be rid of the internal chaos for a while longer while disrespecting the spar, and Satsui, in general by leaving before a clear winner could be established. But, in this case, having a spar with Hirihi represented something quite different in Satsui's mind. Something almost sensual in nature brought about by them being in such close proximity to one another. Not having to apologize or hide the fact that his eyes were roaming to and fro across her lithe, limber body.

He took note of the grimace that momentarily lighted on her face and how quickly a smile returned. In his experience such a range of emotion rarely happened so fast which lead him to believe she was covering up some hurtful memory of her own. Given that they were discussing the subject of sparring made Satsui somewhat glad. He wanted to go on speaking with this girl and the thought of interacting with her made his head swim, and he also wanted something from her in that he was hoping she would become his teacher in the Iryou techniques she knew. What better way to persuade her than by offering to be her sensei in the art of combat. If there was one thing that Satsui knew and was insanely passionate about it was the sensation of combat. He thrilled at the idea of having something to offer this woman and at the thought of her calling him master he thought he lose his equilibrium for an instant.

"What would you say to a friendly spar every now and then? Nothing competitive, and obviously not to the death. I think we both could benefit from it. Maybe go on a mission together sometime in the future?"

Hirihi would notice that Satsui's head slowly fell until his chin was resting firmly against his chest. His body seemed to tremble but after a while that stopped and he looked up at her once again. There was a glimmer behind his eyes that threatened to erupt outwards and illuminate the night, encasing the both in a warm glow. Standing before this vision of a kunoichi it was all Satsui could do to mask his true feelings.

"I'd like that very much Hirihi-chan and I think I even know of a mission that I would very much like to take you on. It's a bit dangerous but- I promise I would keep you from harm. What's more, I would like to request that you become my sensei as I have been seeking entrance into the world of the Medical Arts for some time now."

[Hirihi]

Hirihi was not as observant as Satsui was. Her own thoughts were on herself, wondering how she appeared to him. It probably was not for the same reasons as him, given that he was probably admiring her in ways that was probably seen as perverse among others. Even as she thought about this, a slight blush would flutter to her cheeks and she would have to force it away. She was a shy person, and had never thought of herself as attractive, let alone desirable in that sense. Having to physically shake her head to get the thoughts out, she focused on his sentences to get her mind back on track. At the thought of taking on a sensei in the arts of the medical side, she was very much interested in that. She had been taught by many people, but rarely had she been asked to teach aside from the one or two exceptions by other medics.

"If you want, I'll take you under my wing as a medic. That is something I'm not very skilled at, the teaching stuff, but I'd gladly give you what knowledge I have." She said, answering in regards to his offer to become her subordinate to learn. She'd helped teach Areru the arts of being a sensor once before, and she had taught her own medical techniques to that one weird woman. She'd taught her the improved version of her healing hands in response, but she remembered that it hadn't been easy to learn.

Her thoughts wandered to the idea of a mission. She was supposed to be doing one, but she imagined it wouldn't take long at all to do that particular one. It would be nice to have some actual human interaction in the future. She'd been such a loner lately. It was almost as if she were a ghost among her own village. Nodding her head, she finished her thoughts. "I'd also like to take you up on that mission. It'd be a nice change of pace, doing missions with other people." She said, curious what she could learn from him during the mission.

[Testament]

Upon hearing that both of his wishes were being granted, Satsui was furiously attempting to conceal his eager elation and he finally managed to reduce it to a simple smile. He would attempt to catch her eyes one more time and hold her gaze for a few moments until he look away, satisfied. Visions of training sessions consumed his thoughts; both he and Hirihi had a wealth of knowledge to give the other and perhaps they would deepen their relationship during these exercises. Satsui knew not what to expect but he expected to be please with whatever came after this point. It was either a blessing or an omen that he'd found someone to share with. For all his life, he had only been concerned with himself and had only given thought to what others could do for him. Now, with the light of moon waxing above, he found himself wondering how he might be able to benefit the young woman that stood before him.

"Then it's settled; you and I will carry out a duo mission sometime in the near future and you will subsequently become my teacher and mentor in all things medical. As kind as you have been I feel I must somehow reciprocate so let me offer you my efforts to improve your combative skills. You may find that I am a demanding, exacting, perhaps even mildly maniacal but that was how I was taught. I know I could help you rise to another level if we really work at it."

[Hirihi]

When Hirihi saw the smile on his face, she knew that what she had said had made him very happy to hear. She was always happy to help someone who wanted to learn a bit about the world of medical techniques. She was no world genius, but she was an expert in her own eyes. She would have no doubt that she could take care of a wound without a problem if presented with an injured shinobi in the field. On top of that, she was also developing her skills with chakra control so that she would be able to fight much more efficiently.

Listening to him as she spoke, her mind wandered to her old sensei, Drago. He'd been probably as rough as she could imagine a teacher could be with her whenever they had sparred together. It hadn't even been meant to be a spar, but he had turned it into one. He was cruel, a jerk. Anyone who could train with him at least once could train with anyone. "I don't think I'll have a problem keeping up with you should we practice some fighting skills together. I may even be able to surprise you a bit. I may be a girl, and a highly skilled medic..." She said, quickly drawing her tonfa from her waist and holding both of them forward, poised in a battle stance. "..but I am no pushover."

Except... That one time. She thought to herself, putting her tonfa away and rolling her shoulders a bit. Part of her knew that he was being so nice to her because he found her pretty. It made her skin crawl a little bit, but it wasn't like it was completely unwelcome. He was different, yet, interesting enough that maybe the two of them could go good together as teammates. Everyone could use a teammate, right?

[Trigga]

Kaze ⁵³
Hirihi ⁵³