Each Blade of Grass...

[Tenyua]

The sound of three pairs of footfalls echoed through the trees and snow, sound waves bouncing against each other and multiplying. To the trained, they would be able to pick out that it was a small pack of three. To those even more trained for hearing such things, they'd realize that it was actually a pair... and that one of that pair was a four-legged being. A being that clearly wasn't human...

Tenyua trudged through the snow, shivering only slightly, even though she wasn't quite properly dressed for cold weather. The canine beside her, who was only a couple of heads shorter than the human, didn't seem bothered at all... Of course, the canine had a nice, fluffy coat of hair that protected her from the cold. Another shiver later, and a small chattering of teeth, and the dog looked to the girl, issuing a small bark.

"Oh, Ruby, you're so sweet~" the girl cooed. "But don't you worry your pretty little head, my lovely. I'm totally fine, honest!" The kunoichi, for a kunoichi she was, smiled brightly, raising an arm and flexing, as if there was something to flex. She wasn't weak, by any means, but she also didn't really have muscle to show. She was just.... skinny.

"What the heck are we doing here, anyways?" Tenyua suddenly asked, talking to no one in particular. Ruby, her canine companion, gave her an irritated look, but then just shook her head. The two continued walking, Tenyua's arms now crossed, a contemplative look across her face. Suddenly her face lit up, and a fist slammed into her palm.

"Oh, right! We're, like... looking for other Kusa-nin. Right?" she said, turning to Ruby. Ruby gave Tenyua one of those looks... one that basically said 'Are you stupid, or something?' Tenyua just stared, smiling brightly, until Ruby finally barked at her. Then the human girl burst into laughter, a hand rising to rub the back of her neck.

"Yeah, you're right, Ruby. I really should remember these things. They're kind of important, huh?" Again, another laugh, and the two continued on their way. There was no real destination in mind for Tenyua... In fact, she didn't even know where she was. Her and Ruby had been wandering for a quite a while... The Village Hidden in the Grass had been destroyed... They didn't really have a home to go back to...

"TO THE HORIZON, AND BEYOND!" she suddenly screamed, causing Ruby to jump several feet in the air. The canine growled angrily, which caused Tenyua to chuckle nervously...

[Apple]

Whether or not she was to make her mark on this place wasn’t exactly important to her at the moment- She had, as she had with other places, grown tired of seeing the same thing again and again- What did the country of Tetsu have to do with her plans anyhow? As such questions went through her mind it only made her wonder as to why she was still sure- Surely enough she had met some interesting people but soon it was time for her to leave and go elsewhere. Looking around the place, her eyes would meet with the crystal-like formations that hung from the trees, and yet, her face held a slight look of distaste, as if what she has seen, despite looking pure and well, white, was bound with dirt and grime.

Continuing to move across the area with her shoes sinking in to the fresh snow, it wouldn’t be long until she would reach a certain area that seemed to already be stained with the footprints of others- geez. So she hadn’t been the first here? It wasn’t all that bad but to think that she might bump in to some other person that seemed less keen on talking than a stump of wood was pretty undesirable. However, these tracks- They seemed to be quite different- One being quite small, whilst the other was of average human size- Not too big, nor too small. Looking at where they led off to she would soon catch sight of what would appear to be a red-haired female with some kind of animal by her side- A dog? Or at least some kind of canine that was for sure.

And- From looking behind, she would make out the headband upon her waist, the gleam of the metal displaying the marks of Kusagakure- So, another fellow nin? ”YOU, REDHEAD!” she would shout towards the girl who seemed perhaps not a girl but a woman- No, somewhere in-between for sure. With her gaze still resting on her red hair she would soon draw down to the companion that walked alongside her, who upon closer inspection seemed to be some kind of husky- Or something like that. Her knowledge of dogs and animals wasn’t all that great as her knowledge of human anatomy and all things medical, so she wasn’t quite sure. But to put it simply; The thing was huge.

Now awaiting for the girl to turn, she would cross her arms, wondering exactly why she had come to this land, as she had done. She was unsure of where this venture would take her but to say the least this girl seemed to be the first well- Other female from Kusagakure that she had met, assuring that she truly was a shinobi from the land and not just some runaway with a stolen band. What techniques did she know? What age was she? Such questions continued to move through her mind, but all she could do was wait until her audience was taken. ”Turn around- Your band says that you’re from Kusagakure- I’m assuming this is correct..?”

[Tenyua]

”YOU, REDHEAD!”

'Huh?' Tenyua thought, looking back and forth to the front of her, not realizing that the voice of a person had come from behind her. Then, thinking about what the voice actually said, she turned to Ruby. The girl had frozen, so as Blanche would approach, the red-headed girl's eyes were focused upon her canine companion.

"Are they... talking about you, Ruby?" she asked, the dog again giving her one of those looks. A small bark, and Tenyua would turn, finding a blonde-haired girl walking right towards her! Her initial thought was... that the girl was totally gorgeous! That blonde hair was amazing!

"Dear heavens, is that your natural hair color?!" she basically squealed. Needless to say, the question went unanswered, as if the girl had other priorities. Tenyua quickly forgot about the whole hair ordeal as the other girl mentioned Kusa. It was then that she spotted the Kusa hitai-ate hanging from the blonde's neck.

”Turn around- Your band says that you’re from Kusagakure- I’m assuming this is correct..?”

"Yes, yes, yes!" Tenyua cried happily, bounding forward, landing just a few feet away from Blanche. Her eyes shining mysteriously, she gazed upon the blonde like a beacon of hope. This girl, this fellow Kusa-nin, was like an angel descended from the heavens. That's when Tenyua thought of something, and he smile fell a little...

"I'm not dead, am I? I mean, last time I checked I was still in perfect condition. I don't wanna die! I still have so much left to do!" she whined, body shaking wildly back and forth. Just as quickly as the strange, emotional outbreak had occurred, she got a very serious look.

"Seriously, though.... I didn't know mother Kusa had birthed such a beautiful girl. I'm kinda jealous..." she trailed off, wandering off into her own little world. Meanwhile, the canine stood patiently, watching the two girls interact. Even as a ninja dog, she still was just a dog. Human affairs were silly, and usually unimportant.

[Apple]

"Dear heavens, is that your natural hair color?!"

To say the very least, it hadn’t been the response that she had been hoping for, but it nonetheless channelled some sort of hope that the girl wasn’t to simply run away- And it was always nice to receive a compliment. Of course for herself, Blanche found compliments as common as rain in ame, and as meaningful as.. nothing. Although she was quick to hit anyone who called claimed her so, she was quite vain, she knew of her beauty and she took such words as meaningless; Was it a sad thing that she saw it as this? Or was it simply selfish? It was unsure which one, but this praise of her hair seemed to cause the one frowned curves of her lips to turn in to that of a smirk, happy that the girl seemed to take some interest in her. But as of now, she would say nothing.

However- The time for speaking would soon arise as the girl would excitedly respond to the question as to whether she was from Kusagakure- She would respond, perhaps more content than Blanche had hoped, but optimism was never a good thing. It was sure enough that most of the time Blanche didn’t show that regularly but the girl seemed at least somewhat excited that she had found someone else from Kusagakure, so Blanche would but nod her head understandingly- Perhaps she hadn’t seen anyone from the village since she had been there last? The blonde herself had seen many- This girl being the first female, seeing as her village origins had been now grounded.

”Seriously, though.... I didn't know mother Kusa had birthed such a beautiful girl. I'm kinda jealous..."

As Blanche simply stayed there silently, taking in what she was saying as her arms crossed across her bountiful chest, her smirk would stay intact. ”I assure you, my hair is all natural. I’m pretty sure that you too could get the same effect if you used a bit of conditioner but genes play a large part in it.” she would tell her with her right hand then raising and flicking the back of it somewhat, displaying the thick, curled masses of hair that she had growing from her pristine head. It looked like the kind of hair that you would think would probably smell like coconut, or something pleasant- And in truths, it was. It was well looked after and bare of split ends or any grubby little things that could cause it to lack its glow. It was such hair.. that women died to have! And Blanche had been through hell and back to get it that way!

But now on to the more important things.

”Darling; I am the embodiment of Mother Kusa herself. My presence graces the land like her own had done with our fair village. However; she would then pause in her words as her baby blue eyes would linger upon the red head, wondering exactly why she was out here and what the dog by her was exactly- As far as shinobi went of course, she was unsure if the dog was a shinobi herself but seeing as its owner was, she would figure that the dog was too. ”I’m also assuming that you’re still faithful to our village?” she would question; If she was to respond with a no, she would be quick to apply her souin to the situation- But the girl seemed tolerable- As far as it went now.

[Tenyua]

”I assure you, my hair is all natural. I’m pretty sure that you too could get the same effect if you used a bit of conditioner but genes play a large part in it.” The response ended any thoughts of the angelic nature of this blonde-haired girl standing before Tenyua, at least for the time being. The kunoichi began to nod her head, considering what her follow shinobi had said. Yes, it was good information indeed! Although Tenyua was rather fond of her own hair color, because it matched Ruby's oh-so-perfectly.

"Yeah, yeah, that sounds about right! Though, I dunno... I'm not sure it'd look so good on me..." she trailed off once again, one of her own hands rising to gently clasp the crimson tendrils between two digits. She twisted them, spinning them for a few seconds before allowing them to cascade back down against her frame.

”Darling; I am the embodiment of Mother Kusa herself. My presence graces the land like her own had done with our fair village. However;" Whatever intelligence Tenyua held, it didn't stop her from believing such a claim. There was no intuition of a possible deceit, or fib of any variety. She simply was persuaded easily, with no resistance, that this female standing before her was super-duper-awesomely important!

”I’m also assuming that you’re still faithful to our village?” The emphasis on the word 'our' really made it stick out, and Tenyua almost felt blessed to be from the same village as someone like Blanche. She smiled brightly and nodded her head, resisting the urge to jump up and down and scream her head off. It felt so incredible to succeed in her goal, and to believe that whatever celestial being above that smiled upon her was letting her know... She was traveling down the correct path!

"Of course!" she chimed, bobbing up and down a bit, still resisting the urge to break out into dance, or some physical expression of her excitement. "Woooooow, I can't believe that we're from the same village! That's so totally amazing! I'm so so so happy that we got to meet! My name is Tenyua, Ma'am! This here is Ruby, my oh-so-special buddy!" she would say, indicating the canine behind her. At the sound of her name, Ruby would look up, and then bend her front legs, completing a sort of bow for the blonde-haired kunoichi.

[Apple]

Her baby blue eyes, fixed on the girl and her crimson hair and dog, appreciation and wonder seemed to be seeping from her very pores, which Blanche quite enjoyed as the girl seemed to take in everything that she had said, Idolizing the very ground that she stood upon, which, the idea of it gave her quite a smug look on her face, a smirk which stayed there for the duration of meeting the girl. She would almost slur her words with some kind of excitement but she could make her words out from what she was saying, thankfully enough. Was she drunk on life itself or on something else? She could understand how someone would be so happy to meet her of course, so that could always be a valid option for why the girl was so happy.

"Woooooow, I can't believe that we're from the same village! That's so totally amazing! I'm so so so happy that we got to meet! My name is Tenyua, Ma'am! This here is Ruby, my oh-so-special buddy!"

”…I see..”

A lack of words- That was for sure, but it would just prepare for what she would say next- So, Ruby the dog, and Tenyua, it’s owner. In her mind she could recall the names of many grass nin she had met on her travels but she could safely say that none of them seemed so.. excited to meet her, most of them had been dicks to say the very least. However harsh her judgements were, it would seem as if this girl would save herself from being branded as a bad person in Blanche’s books from her enthusiasm- Unsure whether it was just sucking up or generally just excitement, it was no matter, she enjoyed every moment of it.

”..And you would like to see the village built once more?” she would ask her in an inquisitive tone, wondering if she wanted to go on as she was planning to do. Her right hand would raise up and flick her hair once more; A habit she had aquired as a child from having such long hair. By simply flicking it it seemed to draw in all kinds of attention, and she was quite glad because of that. Always liking to be in the spotlight, she enjoyed being looked at in the way that Tenyua was at the moment- Blanche felt herself to be a goddess, and she was sure that others saw that too.

And then- Time for the final proposition; ”Girl- I do not take to underlings easily, mark my words. But I will give you a chance. Would you be interested in joining me in the restoration of our great village, Kusagakure no sato?” she would ask her this with iron in her words; She didn’t want any messing about, no. The girl would prove to be quite an ally to her should she comply and she was sure that it would make a few matters easier. Despite the fact that there was only a few years age gap between the two, she saw her as much younger than her, probably because of the way that she spoke- But that was no matter; Would she join her, for the good of Kusa?

[Tenyua]

”..And you would like to see the village built once more?” If it were possible for Tenyua's eyes to be any brighter, they could have lit a darkened canopy of trees when the light of the moon had been smothered by clouds. This girl was a beacon of hope for the young red-head, something beyond true imagining. She'd never once thought of rebuilding the village, and even if she had, she wouldn't have known how to go about it. But here, this blonde-haired, beautiful female, seemingly had a plan... almost as if the restoration of the village had been her goal all along.

"I... I..." Tenyua stuttered, unable to bring herself to form her words of appreciation. Tears welled in her eyes, tears of the uttermost joy that one could feel. Her smile, beaming, body quivering. Surely, she had died... died and gone to heaven, where this angel from above deceived her. Perhaps not deceived, but basically offered her the wildest of dreams she could have envisioned.

”Girl- I do not take to underlings easily, mark my words. But I will give you a chance. Would you be interested in joining me in the restoration of our great village, Kusagakure no sato?”

"YES! YES, OF COURSE!!!" Tenyua cried out, with no hesitation at all. Her body quaked, and her knees gave way, dropping into the snow. She stared up at Blanche, her fellow kunoichi, seeing her as something far beyond just a normal human. Whatever she may have been, she was something incredible. For her to offer Tenyua the chance to restore their village was incredible enough, even if it meant being an 'underling'. But what was a shinobi to a village, anyways? Underling was a title that one could proudly wear when it came to the servitude of a greater cause.

"I swear I will do everything in my power to assist you, oh Beautiful daughter of Kusagakure!" Whatever may have touched Tenyua, Ruby, the canine, remained calm, and composed. Again, she was not interested in human affairs... though she was glad to see Tenyua so happy. If it was what the red-headed girl wanted, then so be it. She would protect her through thick and thin...

[Apple]

Now it was getting a little bit strange as the waterworks opened up within the girl, casuing her tears to glaze over with innocent tears of what could but be described as joy- Did she really think this much of her? Of course Blanche had been given attention similar to this in the past so it was no shock to her, but to see it from someone such at Tenyua do it was quite irregular. Shrugging ever so slightly, the blonde would keep her arms crossed as her gaze would continue to be on the girl herself as she watched her actions- Her knees growing weak with the shock of being approached by someone alike herself, of course. It wasn’t long until the girl tumbled to earth, starstruck.

Her response had been one that Blanche favoured- So, she now had a little minion of her own to control and sort out- Surely enough, Blanche being at least humane she wasn’t going to flog her each night and force her to steal things for her, no. That wasn’t her style. However- Aiding in restoring Kusa and the plans that she had within her mind required others, and this, this girl would be the first of many. The time of grass would come, and Tenyua would be blessed thoroughly by helping to get it back to its former glory- Perhaps Blanche would teach her a thing or two in the meantime during their travels. She knew where she needed to go first- So she assumed that the girl would go with her.

”Assist me you should do well- Tell me, what statistics do you have? Techniques- Any genetic abilities, clans- List them all..”

A pause.
”If you prove to be a good asset to me, I might consider taking you under as my student.”

This was an offer that was only rarely made- Back in Kusagakure, should the war and all its horrific incidents happened, there was no doubt that Blanche would be leading a team of sorts at her age now, but after all that had happened to both her and the village, she wasn’t too keen on doing so. The girl she was looking at now wasn’t exactly of usual genin age but then again- Blanche herself was a genin, so there was no harm in it, really. To learn more about her she would need to learn what power she held- The markings on her face belonged to the Inuzuka, her canine being an obvious pointer to this- the rest, however, was a mystery to her.

And with the option of perhaps learning how to perform medical techniques from a woman who knew her techniques well, it was quite the offer. However- What would she have in store for the girl? But Blanche knew, but the girl would find her life not in danger should she comply and go along with what she had said! If anything, having now made some kind of ally like relationship with Tenyua, the most risky thing at the moment was her making a wrong comment and finding Blanche annoyed by what she had to say. ”We’ll be setting off to another land soon- I’m unsure if you have any belongings elsewhere but I’d suggest you start packing. I’m ready to go.” she would tell her- Although they had just met, the first hurdle would need to be jumped, and this first step would be that of many for the two- Maybe.

[Tenyua]

”Assist me you should do well- Tell me, what statistics do you have? Techniques- Any genetic abilities, clans- List them all..” The actual actions of Blanche, and her expression were lost to Tenyua. Perhaps it was a bit of a failing at being a shinobi, for one not to analyze someone else, but... She was just so overjoyed by finding a fellow Kusa-nin. On top of that, one whom seemed to be charismatic, and leader material!

"Yes, Ma'am!" Tenyua said, her hand rising to her forehead in a salute. As if military actions were appropriate or something... Perhaps they might have been, but regardless, the red-head looked rather silly, saluting on her knees in the snow. The red-coated dog behind her shook her head in disappointment, her owner an embarrassing sight to behold.

"I belong to the Inuzuka clan, and have honed my sense of smell to rival that of a dog's! I also specialize in the healing arts of Iryou! Although I'm still kind of new to it," she admitted, hand dropping suddenly. She seemed to fidget then, realizing that... well... She didn't sound all too useful, when she thought about it. Her healing talents were subpar, at best, and she really needed to practice her clan jutsu...

Ruby issued a soft growl, and then a bark. Tenyua turned to her for a split second, nodded her head, and then turned back, her smiling returning, at least halfway.

"And, of course, Ruby here is oh-so-helpful at tracking and combat as well! I definitely need to catch up with her," she would say, hand rising to gently rub the back of her neck.

”We’ll be setting off to another land soon- I’m unsure if you have any belongings elsewhere but I’d suggest you start packing. I’m ready to go.” Blanche hadn't really cut Tenyua off, but neither had she really acknowledged Tenyua's abilities. It was kind of understandable, in a way, so Tenyua wasn't going to take it to heart. She merely nodded, and saluted again.

"Roger! Ruby and I only have what is on us at the moment, so we are ready to follow you anytime, Ma'am!" Again, the canine shook her head... Embarrassing red-headed girl.

[Apple]

"I belong to the Inuzuka clan, and have honed my sense of smell to rival that of a dog's! I also specialize in the healing arts of Iryou! Although I'm still kind of new to it,"

The girl’s military-like response to what she had said, along with a swift list of what she could do was said, and, from the third thing that she had said about herself, it caused her mouth to once more curl in to a grin. It was something that the two had in common, and something that Blanche herself was quite skilled at- So the girl could easily learn off her, if she was truly worth the title of medic. Excellent chakra control was needed, and at the moment from all that she had seen of the girl, the only thing she had was excellent dog control. But this was to be revealed later on as time went on- Who knows, perhaps she’d be second best to Blanche herself- Which wasn’t probably right, as Blanche took over first, second and third place. She was the best.

”Iryou? I might teach you a thing or two, then. What do you know as of now, Tenyua??” she would tell her with a slight nod of her head- Of course, this was only as some kind of bait- If the girl did what she wanted, later on in their journeys, she could reward it with knowledge of the most beautiful sense- How to heal. The girl might have known basic techniques, but she didn’t know the things that Blanche knew, no- The blonde haired medic knew that she didn’t. No-one could compete with her. She was at top of the food chain, and this girl would be simply someone under her, like everyone else, yet should she remain faithful to her and her cause, the chance that she might rise up in the ranks should the new age dawn, would increase.

To learn that both she and her dog could track, was good for her plans- Of course she was unable to track people herself- That was a skill unattained by her as of now, so having two people, or a person and an animal that could track people down and having a great sense of smell would profit greatly. Looking at her as she said that she was ready to leave, Blanche would nod her head. ”Our first journey is to Kaminari no kuni. I won’t tell you why just yet-This will be your first test. If you stand by me with this and don’t get in my way, you might be sticking along for the rest of the journey.” her almost angelic tone would speak softly to her, she truly treating her as somewhat of a child as her attitude reflected that kind of personality.

But, although the girl seemed happy enough to serve her, she couldn’t trust her enough just yet- They had met minutes ago, so her trust would need to be tested through the things that Blanche would do next. Usually her plans would be a one-person job but seeing as this girl was along for the journey she’d have to change it accordingly. Changes would have to be made, and she was hoping that the girl understood the things that she was doing for her simply by changing her routine- ”Once we get there, you will do as you are told and follow my lead.” Of course, Blanche knew full well what she was doing- and full well she knew what she had to do. Kumogakure was awaiting her should she be able to find it! Her blonde hair flicking back and forth in the breeze, she’d await her response, wondering if she would bow servant to both her and her terms.

[/blockquote]

[Tenyua]

”Iryou? I might teach you a thing or two, then. What do you know as of now, Tenyua??” So this blonde-haired girl was a medic, too?! Tenyua smiled brightly, oh-so-positively happy to be alive! This girl here... she was definitely a role-model! This was someone that Tenyua could look up to, and follow orders from! The excitement grew and spread throughout her form, finally creating a warm, tingly sensation all throughout.

"I'm currently versed in Shousen, Naite, and In'yu Shometsu, Ma'am! I guess I didn't really get too far with my last teacher... and haven't had much time to practice in my wandering..." she trailed off again. It might have sounded sort of like an excuse, but it was also the truth. Tenyua didn't really want to think about the past... it was far too dim... especially with the current possibility of her future, which looked rather bright.

”Our first journey is to Kaminari no kuni. I won’t tell you why just yet-This will be your first test. If you stand by me with this and don’t get in my way, you might be sticking along for the rest of the journey.” The evaluation seemed complete, and Tenyua merely gave Blanche a nod of acceptance. She was a little curious, sure, as to why they were heading for Kaminari no Kuni, and what they would be doing there... Even more so what it had to do with testing her potential as an underling to this daughter of Kusagakure.... But she held her tongue, Blanche having already said that she wasn't going to say why.

Now came the awkwardness of joining another being in travel. It'd been such a long while since Tenyua had even interacted with someone that she felt friendly towards that wasn't a canine named Ruby. Clearly traveling with another human wasn't going to be the same. Change was already swirling into effect...

”Once we get there, you will do as you are told and follow my lead.”

"Yes, Ma'am!" Tenyua responded, still sounding bright and cheery. Of course she was expected to follow orders, since she was an underling. She wondered just how far the chain of command extended... What exactly were the sort of things that this blonde-haired girl would order her to do? How far was Tenyua willing to go for this future leader of Kusagakure? Only time would really tell, she thought to herself. Only time would tell...

[Apple]

It had been somewhat like how she had expected- The girl wasn’t all that talented in the medical arts, only listing three techniques. Of course there was no telling how far she was at learning those techniques or if her healing hand matched his but she soundly doubted it. The girl was a novice, and she would soon need to increase her skill and up her game if she was going to compete with Blanche’s own. So it was decided. The girl would train under her in Shousen, should she do well to serve her, and perhaps, a few more techniques on the side if she shared certain styles with her. But would she do well enough to deserve being taught such things by her?

”Well isn’t that a shame. I assure you, I am far greater than any teacher that you’ve ever had.”

The first part- It was hard to tell whether she was being sarcastic or not, but her confidence soon shone through once more with the second- She did view herself as one hell of a medic, and she didn’t see herself as anything below extraordinary. Those who saw her as otherwise were deemed incorrect. The girl’s peppy behaviour hopefully was the same during training sessions, as if Blanche was shown anything but a determinated student who was iron-willed about learning medical techniques, she would see quick to disowning her right on the spot. The girl would be tested in more than one way, and even now, she was walking on a thin line. Her blonde hair still moving side to side gently in the wind, she would then decide what to do next.

Surely, the first thing she’d need to do was acquire a world map to assure that she could begin marking down places that she was to visit during her travels- This girl would be following her, and perhaps be lurking around in the shadows whilst she went ahead with her plans. ”Tell me this, Tenyua; What are your plans as far as your future goes? What do you wish to become?” she would ask. Did she want to become a Chuunin? A jounin? Did she want to just resign from the shinobi life later down the line? She was interested in finding out- Not that it would change much. If you had asked Blanche the same question at Tenyua’s age, she would have probably said happy or something naff like that; By now, those times had gone.

With her question eagerly awaiting an answer, the woman would then turn as a sea of blonde hair would flick behind her, curls bouncing around before then falling in to place again, as she’d begin to walk away, giving no sign that Tenyua should follow her yet- It suggested that she should do so. With her eyes looking to the air above for a few moments, her face would find itself dotted with pieces of snow which quickly melted against the warmth of her skin. Gazing back towards where she was heading, silence would swathe the area once more- But Blanche didn’t feel awkward or anything. There was nothing to be said on her part.

[/blockquote]

[Iizuka]

The skies here seemed to never clear up, blanket upon blanket of snow cascading down from the heavens to settle upon this tainted earth. Winds from harsh gales to gentle breezes moved about this country freely, carrying with it a chill that sunk straight to the bone. It was truly a harsh country, harboring only the strongest of the current world order, the Samurai. The Five Great Nations still lay in near ruin, but I was sure that soon, that would all change. Afterall, the Samurai couldn't hold their dominion for long.

Here I sat, perched within the frozen canopies of the trees surrounding the area. My eyes were locked on the duo before me, craving the knowledge they might hold. Although they did not bear the appearance of samurai, I could never be too sure. Even if they were ninja, or common villagers, they couldn't be underestimated. My eyes never moved from their position, and although their mouths continued to move, I couldn't pick up on the conversation. Silently moving forward, I'd try to incline my head in order to hear better, when suddenly...

BOOM! Snow plummeted from the treetops, and as it collided with the ground in an uplifting of clouds of snow, my heart sank. With the fallen snow, the trees would be bare, my form sticking out clearly against the white background that rest on the other side. I'd quickly leap down, one hand dipping into my pockets to grab hold of a kunai. My other hand lifted up, palm open and arm outstretched, as if commanding them to halt. I looked nervously from one to the other before clearing my throat and speaking,

"Aburame, Iizuka. I do not wish you any harm."

[Tenyua]

”Well isn’t that a shame. I assure you, I am far greater than any teacher that you’ve ever had.” Tenyua squealed, and there was no masking it. She was legitimately happy that fortune had smiled upon her! She just couldn't help expressing herself, even if it came out in the form of a potentially annoying high-pitched noise. Ruby's ears flattened against her head as this happened, her superior hearing causing the sound to hurt her more than it would have hurt any ordinary human.

”Tell me this, Tenyua; What are your plans as far as your future goes? What do you wish to become?” That was a fairly good question, truth be told. Tenyua blinked several times as she attempted to process the words in her head. It wasn't so much that she was slow about it, but that she hadn't actually just flat-out thought about it like that. Several moments of thinking, and then her head would tilt to the side, a bright smile embracing her face.

"To help you rebuild Kusagakure, and become a fully certified medic, Ma'am!" Maybe the girl was just an idiot sometimes... But she honestly didn't really have a good answer beyond that. She'd been wandering around with Ruby nearly aimlessly, the only real reason she could muster was 'To find other Kusa-nin'. And here she had found a Kusa-nin, so... What other plans did she honestly need?

Just as soon as Blanche had turned, Tenyua totally missing it due to her eyes being closed from her extraordinary happy smile, Ruby let loose a warning growl. The red-head's behavior instantly snapped into something else, her face instantly draining of all emotion, eyes almost seeming to gloss over. It was like she wasn't even the same person anymore.

"Someone's there," she said softly, taking a small leap ahead of Blanche and holding an arm out before the blonde-haired girl. It wasn't that Tenyua wanted to boss Blanche around, or anything.... but she wanted to protect Kusa's treasured 'leader'. Her free hand reached into her pocket, a few flicks of her wrist revealing, and readying, a butterfly knife, now glinting softly in the low light of the day.

Ruby moved slower, nose audibly sniffing at the air. She took up positioning to Tenyua's side, opposite of Blanche, and slightly behind. A small bark revealed the location of the intruder to Tenyua, though she made no indication that she understood. Instead, she simplay waited, prepared to position herself between Blanche and an incoming attack.

"Aburame, Iizuka. I do not wish you any harm." This black-haired guy, whoever he was, was met with a blank stare from the red-haired girl, and an angry look from the red-furred beast beside her. Silence ensued on their part, Tenyua not feeling right to speak out. After all, Blanche was her upperclassman, teacher... her leader. She was simply an underling... a tool meant to protect the future of Kusagakure!

[Apple]

Her response had been taken quite seriously by Blanche- Of course there was no right or wrong answers but she judged what she had just said- She judged what she had been saying, and she judged her with every passing moment. A conclusion? This girl, although no doubt in her late teens, was still given the mind of a person years below. She still had an air of childish innocence about her, the same aura that Blanche herself had many, many moons ago. ”Your answers are correct, Tenyua. You might be useful.” How she spoke- It was.. peppy. Of course, some may have found it to be a positive trait, but she saw it simply as stupidity. Of course, Blanche was quite a cold person and she saw things like this as bad aspects in people, but, she had lost her patience for adults years ago after certain events.

However, for the sake of the girl’s sanity, she already going ahead and calling Blanche the beautiful daughter of kusa, almost as if she idolized her, she took this in to consideration and decided that if she was to judge her right her and now on the spot, she would surely break her. Although inhumane at some points, her mind seething with clashing thoughts and negative emotions that constantly ripped her from the seams, she knew how to control herself sometimes. But it was no matter- The girl would prove useful in the future as a tool of her work, and nothing more. It was decided, and with a flick of her blonde hair, it was official. She would walk onwards, awaiting the girl to catch up to her. Should she lose her track and get lost in the snow, that was her own fault.

Crash!!
"Someone's there,"

There was no need for her to say anything- With quick senses her blue eyes would guide towards where the sound had come from to see a figure come up from the snow below, the tree near it shifting somewhat from the sudden jolt, its branches now bare from the snow that had once covered them. Had he been peeping at them? Spying? Whatever it was it looked quite shady, and he now having a kunai in his hand made nothing better. In retaliation, she herself didn’t do anything but instead gave him a foul look that of slight disgust, and noticed that Tenyua, the girl, seemed to be positioning herself between Blanche and the figure- She was learning well. A smug, almost sadistic smirk coming to her face, she’d look on as the spiky-haired figure introduced himself as Aburame, Iizuka

”Well isn’t this pleasant, Aburame, Iizuka.”

But to notice- How she referred to the party as me. Once more placing herself in the limelight as she always did, although she didn’t exactly ignore Tenyua being quite brave and placing her life on the line should the man attack, she solely refered to the situation as him pointing a kunai at her. She was the most important, anyway. Upon gazing at him further and taking in his appearance, having once been blinded with the snow, he seemed to wear glasses, and bore quite an interesting appearance- Aburame, where have I heard that name before?

[/i] she would muse, before turning to Tenyua, then back to Iizuka. ”Drop the weapon for Gods’ sake. I feel as if my IQ is lowering just by looking at you- If you say you mean no harm, why are you pointing that at me?” her tone wasn’t of horror or of concern, but more of annoyance. Surely enough though, she was willing to listen. With a sigh as her hands lowered to her generous hips, she would look at the male, asking;

”So? What is your business?"

[/justify][/blockquote]