SOUGEN-KO meeting point. [Hanashiba gardens]

[Apple]

Team SOUGEN-KO

Such a place proves to be a feast for those with eyes hungry for natural beauty. Under the choice of team leader Hanakora, Neru, it's been chosen that the meeting point of her own team would occur in one of the several gardens within Kusagakure. With Hanakora having been helping to nurture the plants within the village for generations, it's no wonder that she chose to place her rendezvous for her team somewhere familiar Upon appearance, it doesn't look much different to any of the other gardens in Kusagakure, although she claims for it to be her favorite out of the entire selection. Trees linger here and there, standing tall as age-old representatives of the past, their branches hanging down solemnly bearing thick, seasonal leaves, whilst the ground lays as a vivid green, a result of the fantastic care that is given to it by members of the village. Along with every other garden, bushes can also commonly found ground large on the ground, as can be flowers, hanging from baskets from the thicker branches of the trees, or growing independently within specialized plots on the ground. Along certain parts of the garden can also be found a certain flower, the Lily of the valley, rumored to be one of the Kusakage's favorite flowers. The garden itself a true testament to the ability and determination of people within Kusagakure to beautify a village that was once torn down to the floor, it also presents thoughts of hope, love and pride to the people that wander around it for the village that they live in. It's no wonder that it was chosen.

This area, for the team, stands as a place where they can meet up to discuss various matters which concern the village and the team, and where they can rendezvous before going on a mission if required.

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[/B] Hanakora, Neru [NPC]
MEMBERS:

• Hayashi, Daichi
• Taihen, Kagami
• Hogosha, Kenji[/ul] [/ul]

MISSIONS COMPLETED
None! •

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[Nickito]

'The note said Hanashiba Gardens... Didn't it? I hope I didn't come to the wrong place...'

Kagami Taihen, dressed in her best clothes, stood at the end of a cobblestone path that seemed to cut off and give way to a trail made from earth and dirt. She slowly began to walk forward, making sure not to allow any article of clothing except for her sandals to touch the surrounding plant life and soil. She had been dirty enough during her childhood to last her an entire lifetime. Possibly longer.

Still, the place was summed up in one word; beautiful. It didn't do the garden nearly enough justice of course, but it was the only word the fourteen year old could think of. Beautiful. Flowers and bushes, trees bearing what could number in the neighborhood of thousands of leaves. The Genin couldn't help but inhale deeply, taking in the myriad of scents that swirled around her.

'It's too bad that my home wasn't dirty in this way.'

And it truly was. Maybe if she had been exposed to more beauty as a child she wouldn't have hated her life as much as she once had. Thankfully though, things were beginning to change, to look up. Only weeks after her graduation from the Kusagakure Ninja Academy she had received an invitation attached to a kunai. Though it's arrival had startled her -- it had been thrown into a wall only inches in front of her face -- it's contents had thrilled her. She was being asked to join a team.

"SOUGEN-KO."

The name of the squad passed through her lips like silk, the sound of it caused her heart to skip a beat and the knots in her stomach to tighten. She was going to be part of a real ninja group within her village rather than be left alone to figure her path out by herself.

As she continued into the garden, she was able to see more flowers, each one more beautiful than the last. She began to smell things she had never smelled before, and soon they all blended into the most fragrant of scents. It did justice to the Village Hidden in the Grass, and it almost made Kagami smile a little bit.

Soon enough, she came upon a clearing and decided to stop just in the middle of it, allowing the sun to shine brightly on her white skin and her frail countenance. She didn't remember being told to find a specific part within the garden, and the place she found herself in seemed as good as any other. It was there that she chose to wait for the others that she assumed would be arriving shortly.

[Megaguest]

Daichi found himself wandering through the garden that had been detailed in his letter as the meeting place for his team. He knew he was running a little late, but the Genin just couldn’t help himself. Daichi had always had a sort of fondness for nature. It was perhaps a trait of almost every shinobi that resided in Kusagakure no Sato. Daichi had not been blessed with a special bloodline or born within some special clan that provided him certain powers over nature. He was not like some who resided in Kusa who could control the flowers or make the trees grow. It was a very special talent and although Daichi bore skill in both Suiton and Doton he had yet to learn how to combine the two elements. He had heard that such was possible, but it would no doubt take him years of training. Staring at the trees he felt his desire reinforced and knew he would one day achieve it.

Little information had been given him in regards to just who he would be meeting in this beautiful garden. He knew that today was the day that he would officially be placed on a team, but beyond that the letter revealed nothing other than the location. He had to admit he had become a little anxious since leaving the Academy. So many of his friends had gone off to do their own thing with their own teams, leaving Daichi to merely sit around and wait. He wanted to have a good time, to share life experiences with other people of Kusa. A team like this was his perfect chance. He was excited to be doing some good for the village while also having a great time with people there for similar reasons.

The young man took a sharp inhale of fresh air. He felt his lungs expand with oxygen refined by dozens if not hundreds of trees. He smile broke out large and white from the tingling sensation the outdoors brought to him. As corny as it was he found himself jogging through the gardens, aimlessly running around. It only took a minute of the running before he found himself in the middle of an opening with a woman standing in the middle. He found himself waving emphatically as he shouted, “Oi! Sougen-Ko?!” With a burst of speed he found himself standing before the mystery woman. ”Hi there! My name is Daichi. You a member of Sougen-Ko? My name’s Daichi…wait I already said that…” He managed a blush of embarrassment, but he was still smiling widely. He had always been a bit of a talker.

[Nickito]

"SOUGEN-KO?"

The name left her lips with a somewhat surprised tone of voice. She'd only ever read the word and heard herself say it. To register the word from another source was a shock. The fact that this source sounded male didn't soften the metaphorical blow either.

She turned on her heel and looked in the direction that she had heard the voice come from. Her red poncho swished quietly around her before settling against her body once again. Without skipping a beat the girl's hands moved to fix the fabric and put everything the way it had been before, neat as neat can be. Her red eyes shone brightly in the sunlight, and for a moment the glare was too much, so she stepped to the side where a tree was offering shade.

Kagami listened as Daichi introduced himself twice, and she couldn't help but smile at it. Though it wasn't her trademark Cheshire grin, the smile was obvious on her lips and in her eyes. She nodded at his question and her eyes lit up as she realized that he must be part of the team as well.

"I'm really excited about this. I just graduated from the Academy a couple of weeks ago and I'm already being asked to join a team. It's so strange, but I couldn't be happier."

She spoke with a hint of childlike joy, and though times of true happiness came far and few between for the illusionist, this was certainly one of them. A feeling of realization suddenly replaced the warm and bubbly feeling as it dawned on her that she hadn't given him her own name.

"Oh, I'm sorry. My name's Kagami. It's really nice to meet you."

Her words were sincere and soft spoken, accompanied by another small smile. Usually she treated people indifferently when first meeting them, and felt the need to assert that she was strong and capable -- especially when they were ninja and even more so when they were older than her. However, his earlier blunder of introducing himself twice seemed to have put her at ease. The fact that he was going to be her teammate also made her a little bit friendlier than usual.

"So, do you have any idea why we were told to come here? I wish we could have just met somewhere in the main part of the village. I'm not really big on nature, even though it's really beautiful here."

[Megaguest]

"I'm really excited about this. I just graduated from the Academy a couple of weeks ago and I'm already being asked to join a team. It's so strange, but I couldn't be happier."

The more Daichi heard the more excited he got. It seemed that this person like himself had never been on a team before. They both were very new to the whole team aspect of being a Genin and both would get their chance to learn and have fun together. He couldn’t wait for figure out just what was in store for the two of them. He wanted to hurry up and get stronger so that the two of them could have some serious fun adventures together.

"So, do you have any idea why we were told to come here? I wish we could have just met somewhere in the main part of the village. I'm not really big on nature, even though it's really beautiful here."

Diachi was pleased to finally learn the name of this mystery woman. Granted they had only met for just a few seconds, but he wanted to get to know her as much as possible. Kagami was a pretty name. He was pleased to hear his teammate had such a pretty name. All that was left was to meet whoever else might be joining them today. Since the note that had been given to him was so vague he had absolutely no idea who else was going to be assigned to their team. Was it just the two of them? Did they have a squad leader even?

Diachi was so lost in his own thoughts that it took him a minute to finally register Kagami’s question. He managed another charming little smile in embarrassment. He then said, ”Kagami is a very pretty name. Afraid though I have no idea why we were told here instead of somewhere else. I don’t even know who else is even going to show up. Didn’t even know you were going to be here. Though I think you are in the wrong village if you aren’t a fan of nature. Nature sort of comes with the territory when it comes to Kusagakure no Sato. As for me I love me some nature. Give me a tree to climb or some flowers to smell and I’m a happy camper…. I’m rambling aren’t I?” He managed another embarrassed smile as he began to pace around the small field his eyes enjoying the sight of nature around him.

[Apple]

NPC: Hanakora, Neru

As the two shinobi had gathered in the gardens and made themselves familiar with each other to the best degree that they could on the first meeting, unknowingly to them- or perhaps too obviously, the head of the group- Rumoured to be a Hanakora, was late. Or were the two simply early? Regardless, it would allow for both to converse for only a few moments before against the green of the gardens themselves soon came a bright, almost fearasome shade of red, belonging to a very healthy looking crop of hair. From this came the image of a woman- young, but at the same time, she had an air of reservation to her, perhaps slight snootery at first impression by the things that she wore- a dress that seemed much more fit for an official garden party or some kind of ceremony rather than a simple meeting, although it portrayed her elegance perfectly. Her hair gently floating on the morning air as she made her way through the gardens, her feet on the other hand were unable to be seen from the length of her dress, leading to the impression that she was almost floating across. In her hand was a fairly hefty, the name of which undetectable from the way that she was holding it in her arms, crossed before her chest. But of course- although her attention-grabbing figure was more than likely to have been noticed, she nonetheless made her way calmly over to the two, her expression somewhat irritated- almost as if they had been the ones who were late.

As for me I love me some nature. Give me a tree to climb or some flowers to smell and I’m a happy camper…. I’m rambling aren’t I?”

It seemed she'd managed to pick up on Daichi's last choice of words- and fortunately for himself, it seemed that his affinity for nature and the environment had struck a common trait with the red haired female. Of course; seeing as he'd seemed to wander off slightly, she assumed that her arrival would bring him to return back to herself and Kagami.

"..Daichi, isn't it?
I'm glad to hear that you appreciate the village's preservation of its plantlife."

Had they not guessed already who she was by her authoritative presence, then the next few things that she'd speak would unveil it all to them, spoken in a soft tone, each word beautifully highlighted, although at some points, she seemed to be discontent- bored almost. However, as the two would soon learn if they showed enough dedication to stick on the team, it was simply within her personality to act like that. Though not as stubborn or intimidating as the Kusakage was rumoured to be, she definitley held some degree of similarity in the way that she held herself- although, undoubtedly not as extreme. Looking from the boy to the girl, she'd then nod her head and loosen the book in her arms slightly.

"..You two will be serving under my name- and in turn, under the prosperous name of the Kusakage, and the village."

A pause, to let it sink in.

"Understood?
My name is Hanakora, Neru.
My family and I help tend to these beautiful gardens."

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After speaking, she again paused, letting the two of them take in her words as if she doubted slightly that she'd be able to feed them that many batches of information before they'd lose interest or become confused. An intelligent woman, perhaps she wasn't the best with her social skills, frankly, being able to make herself look like a bit of a bitch even in the most simple of situations. Crossing her arms tightly again to keep ahold of her book, she'd turn towards the green-haired shinobi. Needless to say, she knew all about the two of them, having been given a thorough briefing on them before being placed in to lead, with information as insignificant as personality which would surely be revealed anyway through their interaction, to their blood type. However, in order to make conversation, a talent which she wasn't too good at herself, she pushed the topic of heritage forward, which she herself had shown first by speaking of her own family and the harmonious garden which they now stood in as not single entities, but as a team.

"..What do you hope to contribute to not only this team, but to the village?
What are you hoping to achieve?"

Perhaps they hadn't expected being quizzed on the first day, but she wanted to find out how they worked- how their own goals could reflect on the team itself. She was sure that the two of them would work well, if not brilliantly together, especially under her leadership, but- what did they want? Did they wish to develop on the skills they already had to protect the village? Did they want to become Kusakage one day? It was these small details which weren't placed on a standard issue shinobi file - ninja, bred to become weapons. Nothing mattered as long as they followed suit with the others and didn't base their actions on their emotions- it was standard to learn that, but such rules were always overstepped. With wide eyes moving from person to person until the male shinobi would join the girls in the duo they'd created, she'd await an answer, silently interested in what they could possibly respond with.



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[Nickito]

"I've seen enough dirt in my life to last me awhile is all..."

Her voice came out much softer and quieter than before, and she nodded a small nod to the question he ended with, trying to offer a smile as well. It was difficult, and she found that she could barely manage to tug on the corners of her lips to form the expression. Memories of old were rushing back to the forefront of her mind rather quickly, and the Genjutsu user had a terrible time of trying to push them back down beneath the surface.

As she finished her brief statement, she noticed a red blur out of the corner of her eye enter the area, and readied herself to fight. Her legs grew further apart and her center of gravity was pushed down slightly. She'd never seen real combat as a ninja, but she knew it was all too possible, and in actuality, very likely. In a place such as the garden, who knew what kinds of people might be lurking? Even when they were within the safety of their home village, there were still bad people about. She knew that to be an absolute truth.

But as she gathered herself and made use of her keen powers of observation, she saw that it was a woman that was approaching them. A woman who seemed to be dressed rather regally. Too fancy for a garden in the young kunoichi's opinion. Almost instantly, Kagami had a dislike for her based solely on her appearance. The rich were often -- if not always -- rude and thought themselves entitled to anything, and this woman's appearance shouted "I'm a snob!" into Kagami's ears.

'Please don't be our team leader. Please don't be our team leader.'

As she thought this mantra to herself, the young woman straightened herself and smoothed the wrinkled parts of her clothing. She seemed to tune out momentarily as she did so. Kagami wasn't interested in listening to the words of a woman that she had already assumed was wealthy and incorrigible. However, it seemed she wouldn't be able to stay completely gone from herself, and she was reeled back in by her own subconscious.

As she listened and let the fact that this was her squad's sensei sink in, it took all the will power that Kagami possessed -- and then some -- to bite her tongue and keep from saying the words she wanted to say. She could only imagine what would happen if she came out and said that she didn't particularly like this woman. A Genin versus what was most likely a Jonin. Though her illusions were powerful and she was no pushover, the kunoichi rumble would likely end in her own defeat and embarrassment.

The moment she asked what they wanted though, that surprised Kagami. Her impression of the rich had so far been that they did what they wanted and what was best for them. Maybe this woman who, in Kagami's eyes, was the prissiest example of the female gender, wouldn't be as bad as she had originally thought. Maybe everything wouldn't seem so bad. Maybe Kagami actually would be able to see her goal realized.

"I want to be stronger. I want to get to a place where nobody can hurt me, and where I can prevent people from hurting and bullying the weak and the meek. I want to change Kusagakure for the better, and make it so that nobody ever has to experience the childhood I had for themselves, no matter what it takes."

Though the entirety of her mini speech was heartfelt and full of seriousness and emphasis, the final words that she spoke were filled with the most intensity of them all. When she said that she would do whatever it takes to make the world into what she thought was better, she meant it.

[Megaguest]

"..Daichi, isn't it?
I'm glad to hear that you appreciate the village's preservation of its plantlife."

Daichi didn’t manage to notice the third person until she was practically atop him. Although they should be perfectly safe within the village he couldn’t help, but chastise himself a little bit. He probably should be a little more alert than how he was acting even within the confines of the village. You just could never know when an enemy would appear. However, this new person certainly looked interesting. Her style of dress seemed a little out of place for their meeting place, but he wasn’t about to tell her to go back and change.

"..You two will be serving under my name- and in turn, under the prosperous name of the Kusakage, and the village."
A pause, to let it sink in.
"Understood?
My name is Hanakora, Neru.
My family and I help tend to these beautiful gardens."

Daichi had figured she was their squad leader from the moment she had appeared. It wasn’t that she gave off some sort of aura, or not one that Daichi, who was inept in such things, could pick up. It was simply common sense. She was seemingly the last to arrive on scene and she knew Diachi’s name. Since he had not been given the names of those within his squad and neither did Kagami it was a fair assumption that only the Squad Leader herself had known the names beforehand. Thus leaving him with the obvious answer. Her being Hanakora was interesting though. He had heard rumors about them, nothing substantial, but the rumors had been interesting nonetheless. They didn’t exactly utilize the same style of ninjutsu that Daichi was hoping to achieve, but from what he had heard their art fell into nature enough to peak his curiosity.

"..What do you hope to contribute to not only this team, but to the village?
What are you hoping to achieve?"

Daichi heard her words and made his way back to the group having to think long and hard on how to answer. As he did so he listened to Kagami give her own answer. As he expected she had given a good answer. Trying to protect the weak was an admirable goal. Although he felt a little intrusive hearing Kagami hint at a past that might have been much more painful than his own. When it was clear it was his turn he cleared his throat and spoke, ”I guess I want to make sure everyone can live out their lives exactly how they want to. Whether that’s my fellow shinobi or the man who owns the ramen shop. No one should die with any regrets. For right now that’s probably my only goal in life.” With that he merely smiled waiting to see if his answer would be found acceptable.

[Apple]

NPC: Hanakora, Neru

Of course, as she faced the group and spoke her words, there wasn’t a moment that she didn’t pick up on the things that the two were doing- the mannerisms. Not exactly a people person, Neru however had become somewhat adapt at reading people, allowing her to divulge that two of them- the girl in particular. However, what she could also gather was, having heard them speak so fluidly to each other before she had made her own arrival, they surely felt awkward to stand in her presence. Of course, she didn’t doubt that the two of them would answer her question, but even she sensed the tension that had begin to amount – although she did nothing to lessen it or make the meeting perhaps more casual for the three of them, nothing but continue to clasp tightly in the book before her and look towards the two of them, her chin slightlty raised to give illusion that she was looking down on them. In actuality, this was simply how she usually looked at thing and people alike – but they wouldn’t know that straight off the bat, of course. Each person had their negative traits and Neru’s was simply.. more obvious on first impressions. Deep down, she was as kind and understanding as any other. But sadly for the duo before her, they wouldn’t learn that for a long while if they chose to stick with her in the team that they had created. Removing the grip on her right hand, she’d then re-adjust the shinobi headband on her head, which appeared to be some kind of lace-adorned headband. She had a style of her own – that was for sure.

However where the two students were concerned, she seemed quite.. content with the answers that they’d given her, her head lowering a little bit, almost as if she was preparing to think over what the two of them had said and respond, but instead- there would be perhaps a minute’s pause after the both of them had spoken, as the red headed woman seemed to contemplate on how to reply.

”..I see.”

She almost seemed.. disappointed.

”Your answers are..

..Standard.”

”But nonetheless promising.”

It wasn’t meant as an insult, but it sure did manage to sound that way. It wasn’t that she was calling their dreams mediocre, it was simply that she’d heard so many people say similar things during her previous profession working as an academy teacher. Of course- they were noble sentiments; to want to protect the future and livelihood of the village for the sake of not themselves, but the others around them, and if anything, silently, Neru was more than happy with the answers that they’d given her. ”I’m glad to see that you’re inspired to do your best as shinobi of the village – and, I’m sure that this will reflect in the work that you do.” she’d then nod her head a single time to notify her agreement with her own words. ”At the moment we hang in a harmonious era – but there’s no telling when this will end.” her tone was.. solemn, understandably. Keeping her focused eyes on the both of them, she’d soon continue. ”..I simply hope that by the time that it finishes, you’ll both have developed in to mature, talented shinobi capable of fulfilling the aspirations that you’ve just revealed to me, and your teammate.” a pause, perhaps the most that she’d said by far, her voice still soft and gentle, yet at the same time, so rigidly firm. She wasn’t going to accept less than seeing them blossom in to the capable shinobi that they were due to become. She had some idea of how powerful and able the two of them were at the moment, but after more training and work, she wished for them to aquire great things- as her students couldn’t fail. She wouldn’t accept anything less than brilliance, and although to some degree it was simply her need not to allow her own standards to drop, but it was also that she didn’t want to see them fall when under her guidance. The two would flourish, and become excellent shinobi under her hand.

"..But I do wonder.."

A pause, her right hand gently touching the bottom of her chin.

"..Just what do you believe defines yourselves as not shinobi, but citizens of Kusagakure?
Is it the band that you wear? Simply the knowledge that you live here?"

It perhaps sounded like a trick question but- she wanted to find out what they thought made them belong to the immense community of people within Kusagakure. Was it their heritage? Or a common goal to better the village? Since the Shodaime's ascension lives in Kusagakure had become more pleasant with her additions to the village and her careful attention to detail where the village came in to the question - a woman who cared deeply for her people, Neru looked up to her to some degree due to her dedication, but that didn't mean that she didn't find the woman scary.

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[Nickito]

'You see? I doubt it. You couldn't possibly know what it was like for me growing up, and you'll never know how much I want to change things.'

The kunoichi was visibly irked by the tone of voice and the insult that floated through the air with the woman's comment. Her body tensed and her fists clenched tightly. Her lips pursed together and she squinted her eyes just a touch. Maybe she was taking it the wrong way, maybe she was biased and therefore had placed a negative connotation to everything this woman had and would say. Nonetheless, Kagami felt the sting of being told her dream was "standard", and she was not at all pleased. She almost didn't hear the woman say that they were promising. But she did, and it was enough to bring her back to her set point.

'Relax, Kagami. You can't just jump on this woman for what she says, no matter how much you want to. Think of it as a test. If you can put up with her, you can do anything, and that is something every Shinobi should strive to be able to do.'

She continued to listen carefully, and partway through she raised her hand to smooth out the auburn fringe that covered her forehead. Some said that it made her seem vain, but she didn't care. In most cases it was something that she did to keep her hair at least somewhat presentable, but sometimes it just made her feel more comfortable and was done solely to that end. It helped her to feel less rigid and on edge in tense or awkward situations, and her current experience was turning out to be nothing but those two things.

Slowly, the feeling that this woman might not be all bad began to return to the female Genin. It appeared that she wanted the two of them to be ready for the inevitable end of the era of peace that currently shrouded Kusagakure. She wanted them to grow to a point where they could achieve their goals and that was something that Kagami truly appreciated. Maybe she actually had misjudged her soon-to-be sensei. She certainly hoped so at this point. She was going to be stuck with the woman for some time.

And then came another question, one that made Kagami cock her head to the side and truly look at the Hanakora for what was definitely the first time. She looked into her eyes, almost searching for the meaning of the question. It was something that she had really never considered before, and it was unlike anything she had ever been asked. What did made her a part of Kusagakure? She thought hard before answering, and stared into Neru's eyes the entire time.

"I've been here all my life. I was born just inside the village gates after my mother returned from visiting the Endless Forest to look for something to eat or something she could grow to sell or use to feed her expected child. Kusa has always been my home...

... I've never really thought about what really made me a part of the village though. I've always just considered it my home because I was born here. I don't share any of the common characteristics that everyone seems to have. I'm not a fan of nature and I have no green thumb whatsoever.

Maybe what makes me a part of Kusa is that despite all of those things, I loved it here enough to stay. I could have run away at any point in my life to somewhere that would suit me more, to somewhere that might present an easier life. But I didn't.

I stayed and I cultivated something entirely different. A dream to make my home -- the place that I grew up loving and caring about -- a better place for everyone that calls it their home and is proud to be from here. For people like Daichi, and even you... Neru-sensei. There's no village I'd rather be from. There's no place I'd rather recognize as home."

The young woman spoke every word with seriousness and dedication. Though she was far from being an adult, she knew what it meant to have responsibility, and she felt now more than ever that it was her job not only as a Shinobi of Kusagakure, but as one of it's citizens, to fight for it and keep it alive. That meant not only fighting outside of the village, but within it as well. Not only carrying out the duties she had to the village, but to her fellow kinsmen.

Maybe one day, she would even see that everyone was equal, no matter who they were or what kind of upbringing they had, because she was just as guilty of stereotyping as the people she had come to have so much prejudice towards.

[Megaguest]

Daichi wasn’t exactly sure what to make of his answer being called standard. After all he didn’t exactly have other answers to compare his too. He had thought his answer was pretty original, but it didn’t seem so. He also had no idea that Kagami’s answer was so unoriginal as well. He had always known that the life of a shinobi wasn’t nearly as heartwarming as his own, but he hadn’t figured it was so common place that it would make her response seem average. All in all his sensei wasn’t turning out to what he had imagined.

Regardless Daichi was pleased that the question was over. Now they could focus on what was to come next. Perhaps they would immediately get started on some awesome mission or another. That could be fun. Heck he would even be excited to find out they were picking weeds at this point. Anything was better than this just standing around talking. He was always up for a bit of socializing, but this wasn’t really the kind he was a fan of. He usually preferred his conversations to be a bit lighter than this one, but it’s not like he could change the topic.

Unfortunately for Daichi it seemed he was going to have to jump through a few more hoops before they could move on to the good stuff. He felt his brow furrow as he did his best to wrap his mind around Neru’s question. What defined him as a citizen of Kusagakure? What the heck did that mean? He was Kusa cause he was Kusa? He didn’t really understand the point of the question. Even after hearing Kagami give her own answer he felt himself still unable to form any real response to the question. How could he answer something that he had never ever questioned before. With a scratch of his head he finally managed to mutter out, ”Ummm…I don’t know? I don’t really try to think too hard on that stuff. I mean why question it? I am what I am. I guess I’ve never really bothered to think about whether the GRASS was greener on the other side….If you catch my drift…you know, grass.” Daichi was practically beaming now. I mean come on. Who cares about the answer when you got a punch line like that? Thinking on stuff like that made his head hurt so he just wanted to get this questioning over with.

[Hogosha Kenji]

He was late. A personal distaste in such was held to himself, despite what it was he had been busy with. Order, that was one of his primary focuses. Without order, there was chaos. And with chaos, there was inescapable mishaps. A small amount of anger was held inwardly for himself, for being late, though his reasons for being late were unavoidable, and at the current moment in time, no one's business other than his own.

Kusa no Kuni and Kusagakure were home to the Hogosha clan, among many others of course, for many years. Currently, Kenji was the head of the family. He was finding the responsibilities of such a position to be quite time consuming, and stressing to say the least. He had not expected such to be the case, since his parents had never shown any reaction to such responsibility causing a lack of time for anything else. They still managed to have time for the family in a non business or political sense.

Regardless of these facts, he rushed to the meeting place as quickly as he could. And once he had managed to catch up to the group that had all gathered there ahead of him, he emerged silently from the shadow of the trees. He was already disappointed in himself, and expected the leader of the group to be equally annoyed. Despite such, Kenji simply leaned up against the nearest of the trees he had emerged from, and folded his arms over his chest.

He was dressed in his usual gear, a white dogi, with a green sleeveless robe worn over it. The Hogosha crest was emblazoned on the front of the robe. The robe was slit up to the hip. He would not appear as a shinobi, if it not were for the forehead protector, almost out of sight behind the bangs of his upper back length hair.

He had a frown on his own lips as he nodded lightly to those gathered there at the meeting place, his teammates of course. As his only excuse for his lateness, he stated simply. "Family matters." It was all he would say, not really needing any more words to explain why he was late. On top of that, the less time spent explaining the better, to cut down on the delay of things, and allow this meeting to progress towards its conclusion.

[Apple]

NPC: Hanakora, Neru

The brown-eyed woman would merely smirk a little in response to the reactions the two had taken to her calling their hopes standard. But it was true. So many shinobi shared the same goal but in the end only few stuck to it to the end. People gave up hope and people found other dreams, but for the sake of the village she hoped that the two of them kept to it. It was something that she had; a common goal that she, admittedly, also had. Just, the difference was she’d kept ahold to it tightly across all of these years, whilst they- they had so many paths that would soon be placed in front of them that they’d need to choose from. Would they stray? Or stick to the path that would in the end, ultimately benefit the village? It was something that even she, the red-haired woman before them couldn’t guess correctly, but instead she could only hope to shape them in to shinobi capable of making the right decisions. With her students so mouldable and impressionable at the moment, she’d need to take all of the precautions she could to assure that they’d be strong enough to not only pass the chuunin exams, but continue their lives as shinobi.

As the two of them answered her question, it was more than clear to her who perhaps the most intelligent member of the team was, the girl’s answers heartfelt (Although, it wouldn’t provoke any emotion from showing on the face of the jounin) and meaningful, a keen rendition of her life within Kusagakure. How she felt as if she perhaps didn’t fit in exactly to the criteria that the majority of Kusa shinobi were fitting with a love for nature, but she regardless found herself highly protective of her homeland, alike any other. As she spoke, the only indication that would reveal Neru’s content disposition to the things that she’d said had been the subtle nod of her head and the small smile that she’d adopted. At least Kagami could rest knowing that she’d impressed her new teacher with her speech. A light breeze flowed through the entire area, carrying the sharp, causing the sharp red threads of the Jounin’s hair to rise alongside it. Turning her head towards the boy, waiting for his response, she’d noticed the almost quizzical nature on his face as he surely pondered his answer. What would be the first thing he’d think of? With such a brilliant answer having been given to his female accomplice, the pressure started to amount for him to respond in an even better way. However- as he began to speak and Neru began to take in her words, to say the least, she wasn’t perhaps as stirred as she’d been with Kagami’s reply, but, it was.. uh.. noble .. or at least in it’s own way.

"..I see.
So you believe that your affiliation to the village isn't a physical presence but instead.. a manifestation of your pride and love for it, which can result in strength in the most dire of circumstances?"


"..Maybe you kids aren't so hopeless after all."

It was a truth that she’d chosen to ignore a part of what the green-haired genin had said, but all within good measure. The choice of words had perhaps been complicated, but they held meaning and they actually made a great amount of sense if they understood each and every word that she'd laced together. Although she had her own sense of humour, she didn’t share his, and even though the pun used could be seen as a novelty, it wasn’t exactly the case in the eyes of the team leader. And then- almost perfectly appearing after the question had been asked and she had responded to the answers the two had given, came the third member. She’d been unsure if he’d actually turn up given that he hadn’t been there upon her arrival, but as he came near, she’d rummage in her book for a moment or so, taking out a sheet of paper, her eyes occasionally glancing towards him as he neared, although, to say the least, she didn’t seem all too happy with his late entry, placing the paper back carefully after she was done. He was, admittedly, older than the other two members; but it wouldn't change anything.

"Hogosha, Kenji, I presume?"

"Family matters."

"I see."

She'd pause, if but only for a moment, before turning her gaze back towards the other two, pushing herself back a single step so that they could get a clearer image of the new addition to the team. "This is Kenji- He'll be the third addition to our team. I'd like you to introduce yourselves to him, as he was unable to join us previously." And then, she'd allow them to speak amongst themselves for the next minute or so. Already having stepped past her schedule as far as timing went, she was quite looking forwards to going on their first mission together as a team- and although it surely wouldn't be anything too challenging to begin with given that they had only started out, it would be interesting to see how they would work - and how they would work with the new addition. Too often she'd see people introduced somewhat late to the group pushed away due to relationships having already been formed, but for the sake of the long-haired genin, she hoped that the two would be able to open themselves up to his presence. Even as he'd arrived late, the team still had the potential to face the world and become great.

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[Nickito]

'She's... Smiling...? Guess I'm not so standard after all, now am I?'

The small tug on the woman's lips felt like a small victory to the Genjutsu user, and internally, she had a sense of pride in the fact that she had elicited some sort of recognition from her new sensei. Even if Neriu was the epitome of all the things that she had grown to dislike over her few short years -- though she had no proof other than the woman's apparel -- she still wanted to be recognized for what she knew she was capable of, and what she already possessed within her. The fact that she was a fellow kunoichi who had clearly been able to prove herself as a shinobi made it even more important to her because that was what she strove for herself. She would never admit it though.

After she had gauged the Jonin's reaction and savored in silent pleasure, Kagami turned to look at her teammate, Daichi. She waited for him to give his answer to the question posed to both of them, and she was genuinely curious about what he would say. He had already revealed to her that he was big into nature -- the opposite of herself -- so she expected that his response would be largely different from that of her own. The girl almost looked forward to learning more about him from his answer, and when he began to speak, she listened carefully.

'... Did he... Did he really just say that?'

The kunoichi couldn't help but grin her signature Cheshire grin at the pun made by her comrade -- with her love of riddles, it was no surprise that she enjoyed the occasional pun. Her head turned down and then to the side away from him, almost as if she were attempting to hide her face and her reaction to what he had said. Where she had been more serious and intense, he had been funny and, truth be told, a little bit awkward. She had already picked up on that last bit before, though. He had repeated his name twice, and he had rambled only minutes before after being asked why they were there in the garden. Surprisingly though, Kagami kind of liked it. It took the pressure and tension that she felt in her chest away and made the whole situation easier to handle. In a way, she was thankful for it, and him.

When she finally managed to gather herself after hearing the joke, she cleared her throat and returned her head to the normal position of being held up and looking forward. She looked at Daichi for a moment, retaining a hint of her smile, but then shifted her gaze back to Neru. The woman spoke, giving them a somewhat indifferent response once again. Kagami was starting to get the impression that that was just her personality though. After all, she had smiled when Kagami had given her reply. It was that inkling that kept the young woman from getting irritated and going off on a tangent in her head once more.

It was after that that Kagami noticed a new arrival on the scene. He emerged from the trees almost without a sound, and had she not possessed a stunning attention to detail, she might have missed his arrival entirely. Her eyes stuck to him for a moment, examining him as closely as she could without being too obvious. Though she knew that squads were usually composed of four people, and further more that her particular type of squad usually had three Genin to a Jonin, she found herself a little confused. It was clear that Neru was their Jonin, but this man didn't look like a Genin to Kagami. To put it simply, he seemed too old to be one. Her train of thought was ultimately cut off when their sensei introduced him as the third member. It seemed she had been mistaken.

"Um, hi there. I'm Kagami, it's nice to meet you, uh, Kenji. Welcome to the team."

She tried to act normally and friendly toward him --even waved a little bit -- but the simple fact was that she didn't know what to make of him just yet. Not only because she had just met him and knew nothing about him, but because she was still in a sort of state of intrigue and surprise. She couldn't help but wonder why he was still a Genin. There were so many possible answer to the question, but she tried to push the thought from her mind. Instead, she waited for things to continue, glancing from Daichi to Neru and back to Kenji, trying to keep a polite smile on her face.

[Megaguest]

Daichi was waiting patiently. Not to see if his answer would be deemed acceptable. He really couldn’t care much about that. He wanted to see if they could finally be done with all this quizzing and get to the good stuff. He was getting positively bored with the twenty questions game they were playing here. What was he hoping to accomplish as a shinobi? Why did he consider himself a member of Kusagakure no Sato? What the hell did all that mean? He was a shinobi because he was a shinobi dammit and he was Kusa because he was from Kusa. All this introspection was making his head hurt. He hated this kind of stuff. The only thing you got from trying to answer deep questions like this was more questions. Not worth your time if you asked Daichi.

However, lucky for the Genin it seemed he might get a bit of a reprieve from his personal thoughts. His attention shifted as another shinobi approached the group. Judging from his two worded answer and the way he strode over confidently he must have been the last member of their little group. Daichi listened intently as Neru-sama addressed their new comrade, naming him for the rest of the group. She then left it up to Kagami and Daichi to offer their own introductions in return.

Kagami’s introduction was rather modest and he could tell she was the more reserved type. Having had his confidence bolstered a bit since originally arriving on the scene he felt a more appropriate introduction was in order. His fingers formed a V for victory which he displayed to the other man before beaming a smile and saying, ”Yo! My name is Hayashi Daichi!....Or wait is that Daichi Hayashi? I always forget the order the surname has. Bah, either way I’m your new teammate. Let’s have fun and get mowtivated.” Daichi had to stifle a chuckle. Two GREAT puns in a row, he was on fire!