Still waters [Kawaii]

[Apple]

Having finally managed to escape the clutches of the atrium which had in the past wrapped around me so tightly, I finally allowed myself some respite in the form of a leisurely stroll around the Eastern gardens of Kusagakure, requiring some fresh air after having been struck with a bout of nausea. Beautifully crafted by the Hanakora within the village under my guidance, it proved to be a popular spot for people to visit, given the amount of people that were currently walking among its greenery. Thankfully, given my position and the unapproachable aura I seemed to radiate, I wasn't distracted by anyone as of now, which allowed me to freely wander around and gaze at the plants that a good portion of which I had personally helped to plant. Moving on with heeled feet, the bottom of my dress gently caressed the vivid green grass on the earth, dampening it slightly with the morning dew that still lingered. Perhaps it had merely been the claustrophobic nature of the spacey office which had caused me to feel so.. drained, or perhaps it was just me. I wasn't sure, but despite whatever I was feeling at the moment, the image of beautiful plants calmed me, the fresh air was beneficial, and it wasn't soon until I felt perfectly at ease, in some harmony previously unheard of for quite some time. My hands falling to my side, I approached a sprout of flowers up ahead, bending my knees carefully, allowing me to kneel down towards the chilled ground as I studied the plants.

Pushing back the mass of shining blonde hair that flowed behind me, I then moved my hands to delicately handle the fragile heads of the flowers; Lily of the valley. They had always been my favorite kind, and so I was quite fortunate to see them take so well to the land of Kusa no Kuni, although truly, I wasn't that surprised given the affinity to nature that it had. Continuing to gaze at the plant, I kept my kneeled position, the soft, silken fabric of my dress pouring over my figure from below my bust like some kind of white waterfall, then splaying out on the ground, almost puddle-like in appearance.

"...."

Everything was so.. still.

It was calming.

..But at the same time..

..I missed the danger.

But things had become too complicated to even consider that.

A soft sigh escaped my lips.

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[Kawaii]

A delicate groan rolled from the lick of her tongue. The life of a shinobi was more than she expected, but she got what she signed up for, and that did not bother her. Tilting her head upward at the clouds lingering above, she let the rays of the sunshine slash against her face. Her eyes would close subsequently, and a smile would pursue. It was during times like these that she daydreamed of her family being together once more.

Kawaii travelled out to the eastern gardens of Kusagakure, one of the more limited flowerbeds harvested in her village. Her back rested against large tree, compared to her petite frame. Its massive trunk looped around her slender body as if trying to soothe her. Not even Mother Nature was able to put calm to her worry, but there had been one being who gave her the valor to be the mighty warrior she was.

It was none other than Madame Blanche, the 1st Kusakage, and leader of Kusagakure. There was nobody that she admired more, and this was evident in the way she exhibited her lifestyle. If push came to shove, she would die for both that woman and her country. Immediately, the presence of another could be felt. Her eyes sprung open, shifting back and forth, from left to right, analyzing her area in its entirety.

There, roughly ten meters away, she caught sight of a blond haired woman. From the rear, she could not tell who this person was. Kawaii had been curious to know who this individual was, and decided to investigate. Each of her steps were small, and likely inaudible. Making sure not to trample the precious flowers beneath her soles, it would not be long before she reached her new destination. Standing behind the woman, her hands gripped her hips.

“You!!”

Words bellowed from her gullet.

[Apple]

And, for the last few minutes, it soon came upon me that I was being watched. Or at least, from the soft prickling sensation that reeled down my spine, it sure did seem like it. However, pausing for a few moments to allow myself to truly pick up on this sense, I soon dropped the trail and continued on with my work, my knees still bent as I moved on to the second sprout of lilies, shifting my position slightly to the right. However, no matter how much I tried to refocus my attention on the flowers before me, that feeling still remained in the back of my mind. Of course; it wasn't as if I was used to it. People gazed at me each and every day as I passed through the village, but I was so used to it to the extent where it became numb to me. But this - It made me feel uneasy. Or perhaps that was merely my own paranoia breaking through to a new level. Of course, being the seasoned kunoichi that I was, I didn't need intuition to tell me that someone was close by, but that didn't stop me from being suspicious. I had b-

“You!!”



"....!!"

My body half-turned to face the unknown assailant, blue eyes picking up on the figure instantly. Had the voice not been so young, then I'd have probably reacted differently.

It was only a child - She couldn't have been older than 7.

And for the brief moment that I allowed myself to look over whoever had shouted, the first thing that came to stand out was the crop of vibrant green hair which was tied in to what appeared to be four ponytails. Along with that, eyes which matched the same color tone - it was a unique look, but everything else about her seemed average for someone of her age; she didn't seem all that different. Moving my hands, positioning the both of them on where my knees seemed to be on the beautiful cascade of soft white fabric, I'd pay her a curious gaze. I'd often been approached by people in the past - but none as.. bold as this. "..Is something wrong?" I'd inquire in a tone so gentle as I started to wonder about why exactly she'd approached me. Given my height, kneeling down, it allowed me to just about stand at eye level with the girl, such light blue eyes looking in to her own; was she lost? "Where are your parents?" Of course, it always concerned me to see children out on the streets. Sure enough, it was early in the day, but she seemed quite young, and the village, despite being smaller than some, was a big place for a little girl - or any child, really. Not that I was condemning her parents for allowing her out of their sight, of course. The village was safe enough, but the idea of not knowing where they were within the area was concerning enough. It only made me wonder about the future, and I had to drag myself back to the present.

Staying in my kneeled position, I'd wait for her response, my expression soft as I gazed on at her with such angelic, delicate features.

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[Kawaii]

Their encounter was more than she expected. The excitement coursing through her entire body at this very moment had almost been volatile. Shivers rattled her at the core as she stood face to face with the one she adored the most. Although she had already been a Kusa-nin, she never had a chance to meet her leader. She stared deep into the blue eyes looking into her own. There was something deep inside the heart of the woman.

Approaching her without caution, Kawaii went for a hug. Her arms were small, meaning she was unable to completely grasped Blanche, but the love she had for her was massive. Even if they never met, she felt like the woman needed it. It was not uncommon for the evils of the world to bring a person down, yet the degree of this had been off the charts. If only she could bring herself closer to her leader.

“E-E-Excuse me, Madame Blanche.”

Kawaii brought her hands to cup her lips. A gulp followed, she was left completely aghast. She attempted to utter words, but she truly had nothing to say. Anything she wanted to say was lost when they made eye contact. Tears would start to fall from her eyes. Perhaps she was hyperventilating. Closing her eyes, she could no longer bear to look at her leader. It was simply too much for her to handle.

[Apple]

Time passed and I watched as the girl seemed to.. have quite a drastic shift in emotions. Where she had been more than content with shouting previously, her eyes now soon became glassy beneath what appeared to be the mere sight of myself. Although I'd had mixed reactions from people in the past due to my presence, I couldn't exactly say that I'd had this before. Before I knew it, lithe, fragile arms wrapped around me, and I gazed down at the child, my expression concerned. What was wrong? She hadn't answered my questions, but from the way that she reacted, it seemed as if she was in a state of shock than anything else. I allowed her to grasp around me, before releasing once more and uttering a few sparse words which, granted, seemed almost terrified by the tone that she used - but so emotional, too.

“E-E-Excuse me, Madame Blanche.”

I wasn't quite sure what to say.

"..Are you alright?"

However, the very moment that I saw tears begin to trickle from the corners of the girl's eyes, my arms, which had once stood stationary on my knees, rose and outstretched towards the girl, pulling her in to my own embrace. Unlike her who had been unable to wrap her arms around me, due to the fact that I was much older and, of course, much taller and bigger than she was, I drew her in with ease, and held her close, rocking her form so softly as her tears continued to flood her face. "...Shh.. It's okay." Allowing my hand to cup the back of her head, I brushed the light green shade of her hair with my own gloved fingers. Perhaps it was a strange sight to see for those who had been so used to my figure looming over others with an intimidating glare, but such comforting actions came as natural to me as breathing. Holding her in this position for a few moments, I'd soon release her with the same gentle smile I'd offered her before taking her in to my grasp. Staying in my kneeled position, I addressed her once more.

"..What's your name?"

I inquired. Of course, given my nature, the feeling of worry towards her came with ease. If she was lost, or if it was anything I could help her with, I was, of course, more than happy to help her.

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[Kawaii]

Kawaii had never been this close to Blanche before. All Kawaii even knew about Blanche was that she was the 1st Kusakage, and the one who lead their village. Upon being grasped by Blanche, Kawaii tightened her grip around Blanche’s sides. Kawaii needed to be embraced after the recent tragedy that happened. Kawaii’s mother had died from an illness, leaving her to fend for herself.

Both of Kawaii’s parents were gone. First, her father died trying to fight Yonbi, and now her mother. It was too much for her to handle. Each second Kawaii stood holding Blanche, the thoughts lingering within her head were growing painful. As Blanche spoke to Kawaii, she released her hold, and rubbed the tears from her eyes. Blanche had been the most compassionate person she ever met.

Blanche asked Kawaii her name, but truth be told, not even she knew it. Ever since she was young, her parents called her “Kawaii”, for cute. Kawaii has always been an adorable little girl. The cuteness emanating from Kawaii was stunning. Lowering her head, Kawaii started ponder whether her parents even gave her a name. Kawaii did not know how to respond to the question, but still provided an answer.

“I-I-I don’t really have a name.”

Kawaii did not know who she was.

[Apple]

Continuing to stand close to the girl, I could see the expression on her face quite clearly as she retracted from my arms. There was something wrong that exceeds the initial burst of emotional excitement that seemed to evolve from her after seeing who I was, but I couldn't quite put my finger on what it was exactly. Merely standing here beside her and being unable to decipher exactly what was wrong placed me in a difficult position, and I just watched as tears continue to fall down her face, only for her to begin trying to sweep them up with her hands. Once she was done, noticing a few stray ones left on her face, I'd gently extend my hand, wiping away what was left with the same warm, compassionate smile on my face. "..Here, we can't have you crying, can we?.." I whispered softly to her as I kept kneeling on the grass, lowering both of my arms to my sides shortly thereafter. Such a .. motherly disposition came over me like some kind of immense change - a waterfall of emotions bequeathing such delicate, soft traits to my usually turbulent personality. I couldn't help but care. Not only did I find myself most comfortable acting the role of the protector to children, but seeing that she seemed sad merely intensified it, and whilst in no way was I trying to compete with her own mother or father, it all came naturally to me, and I didn't have the heart to stop myself.

"I-I-I don't really have a name."

It was.. a strange concept. How didn't she have a name? She couldn't have not had one, and the girl did seem old enough to know it. This simple sentence was enough to send even myself in to a somewhat confused state, leading me to wonder exactly how people would come to contact her. Perhaps she didn't even speak to people? Perhaps she was an abandoned child, having never served time truly speaking to other people of her age or had any connection with the rest of society? It was an incredibly skewed guess, but it wasn't as if I knew the truth enough to rectify it. There had to be some kind of logical reason behind why she wasn't too sure of her name, but I was sure that there was nothing that a search through the village indexes couldn't answer. By the shinobi headband that garnished her appearance, she was a shinobi - at such a young age, too. Perhaps, despite her typically child-like behaviour, her talents were much more strong than that of others of her age? I'd be sure to try and find her page in the records when I'd go back to the office next. Despite appearing to be a sweet young girl alike any other; there was something a bit off that I couldn't really bring forth from just looking at her. Momentarily weaving my fingers through the lush blonde hair that I sported, I began to start replying to what she'd told me; and the surprise that had come with her declaration that she believed she didn't really have a name.

"..You must have some kind of name - what do people call you?"

A nickname? Some kind of alias? there had to be something that she could call the girl. Keeping up my position, both of my hands pressing against my knees before me, the white fabric of the dress that I wore spread outwards on to the grass beautifully, as I shifted slighlty, allowing myself to sit in a more comfortable position. "Come, sit down." She didn't have to, but it was a suggestion. They'd been standing for a few minutes now and it was clear that the conversation wasn't over, and seeing as I'd already succumbed to a nicer position to sit in given the amounting pressure in my legs from kneeling, I expected that she'd be perhaps more happy sitting down rather than standing. Gazing over at her again with soft, caring blue eyes, I awaited her response, curious of what she'd reply with.

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