Each Blade of Grass...

[Iizuka]

As soon as my feet touched the ground, one of the two leaped forward, her hand extending as a canine companion also came forward to protect the blonde. She was obviously the leader, and although I had just fallen from nowhere, having previously gone unnoticed, she seemed unnerved by my entrance. Rather her expression showed some annoyance, while the other seemed genuinely interested in protecting her apparent leader. Her willingness to throw herself out to protect her amused me; it was cute how she was already just another cog in the machine.

Nobody spoke, and as such the tension increased as I carefully eyed the two of them. Finally, the blonde moved forward and spoke, her tone clearly displaying how annoyed she was with the current scene. And while her tone displayed annoyance, her diction displayed being a bitch. Clearly she had no patience for anything, and as I slowly replaced my kunai within my pouches, I'd come to stand with my arms crossed and facing them. I didn't feel that I was in any immediate danger, although if she continued to speak in such a way, I, too, would be quick to anger.

Simply gazing at the two of them, I'd sigh, a thick cloud forming before me with the freezing air. "It never hurt to be cautious." My own tone displayed slight annoyance, obviously due to her reaction. It, however, showed that she was more intelligent than the other, who within seconds of my entry showed that she was truly nothing more than a puppet. I didn't know much about their relationship, but any good leader would be able to protect themselves, and even with their little shinobi they would help defend their own lives.

Based on my own ideals, I deducted that this woman was either manipulative, or a coward. This was already a woman I was growing to hate, even if she was a pretty face. "I came here seeking information. I'd like to find out what became of my country..." My headband, shining clearly upon my right arm, would represent my origins, as would their silver Kusa bands show theirs. My gaze never faltering, I'd feel my heart skip a beat in my anxiousness to gather this information, "Perhaps you have heard news of Takigakure?"

[Tenyua]

”Well isn’t this pleasant, Aburame, Iizuka.” The red-haired girl stood her ground, and silently contemplated the situation. Combat wasn't exactly her forte, though, looking at her basic skills, neither, really, was healing. However, despite her lack of experience, she held firm to her own ideals, which as of now, was defending Kusagakure's future leader. She stared the male down, as if he were prey...

”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?” Blanche's words made sense to Tenyua, and she felt rather suspicious herself. After all, it wasn't they who had been spying on the man, or even bothering him in the slightest. He had just up and appeared out of nowhere, stalking about like a creep.

"It never hurt to be cautious." And despite understanding, and perhaps agreeing with the blonde-haired kunoichi's words, the male's followed a similar route. When dealing with strangers, especially dangerous ones, caution was customary. So it was that Tenyua felt rather... indifferent, not feeling the need to 'take a side' for both individual's statements. Not that she would have voiced herself, regardless, if she had gone one way or the other.

The male withdrew his blade, offering a moment of peace. The red-haired girl's eyes would dart to the side momentarily, conversing with her canine companion silently. The dog showed her understanding in the form of a nod, and Tenyua's butterfly knife was quickly retracted and put away. She allowed herself to relax- or to appear to be relaxed, arms gingerly folding beneath her breast. She was still prepared for an attack at any given moment, not trusting the mysterious guy in the slightest.

”So? What is your business?"

"I came here seeking information. I'd like to find out what became of my country... Perhaps you have heard news of Takigakure?"

'So, another small village that didn't make it?' Tenyua thought to herself in silence. It was a shame, really, and she felt a twinge of sympathy. That, however, was not shown at all, her face calm, and passive. Even her eyes, the windows that usually may give away a person's inner thoughts, were blank and clouded over. Perhaps the others might have assumed that it was due to her shinobi training...

'Wonder if he's lying,' she pondered, allowing Blanche to have the floor. As far as she was concerned, unless the man spoke to her directly, she didn't feel the need to speak. She had nothing to say to him.

[Apple]

Aburame.. a pause in her thinking. ..That’s right.. bug users? the clan had finally come forth in her mind, and she’d nod her head. Having been medic for quite a long time reading patient information and treating them, she could remember healing one or two Aburame in her time. It hadn’t been a common sighting for her to see one, though. This guy.. must be the third or fourth that she’d ever seen. With spiky dark hair and glasses he followed the same suit as the others had- The clothing- Covering him up, no doubt good for both hiding bugs, and for expelling them at the right moment. Old information moved through her mind, as all she could do was examine him, checking each box-

Definitley an Aburame.

Upon looking down at Tenyua and her position still between him and her, she would shake her head as what he would say next would be better off discussed without a lackey in the middle. However, her arms moving and removing the butterfly knife that she had in he arsenal, moving it back to its holster, Blanche would nod approvingly at this- The man had been polite enough to remove his, and Tenyua was right to do the same. Sure enough she wasn’t exactly happy with how quick she took out her weapon, but in some strange, sinister way it did please her how quick she was to go and protect her- But she would need none. If this Iizuka wasn’t going to be a little bitch, then they could just as well have some mature, interesting conversation.

"I came here seeking information. I'd like to find out what became of my country... Perhaps you have heard news of Takigakure?"

She had noticed the band a little while ago- But, he wanted to find out information on the country? Why didn’t he just go home and figure it out himself just as many of them had done in the past? But- It was just lucky for him that despite being a psychopath at times- She did have a heart, which she sometimes found prevented her from soaring the ranks. Distractions; Tenyua, Iizuka, Axcel- All distractions. And yet- She was willing to help this man. Seeing Tenyua and Ruby in front of her, Blanche would move past her, as she’d face Iizuka- The two had been in a similar situation with their villages, and luckily for him, on her journeys back and forth from Kusa no kuni and where the village stayed, it had been incredibly close to Taki, and she had passed through a few times. ”I have not heard any news of the village itself yet I have travelled across the country that it dwells in. The land is much more barren than you might have remembered- A few waterfalls and water sources have dried up or simply changed their course since the environmental change- It might still look like home but it will need some getting used to.”

Or at least, this was what she could remember. Water still was prized in the area but- Due to the amount of people storming the land with dangerous techniques, water now pooled everywhere and not just in certain places- The geographical parts of Taki no kuni had been messed up with the war, but, it was the same with Kusagakure, which had lost a lot of its jungle-like forests. ”Kusagakure and Takigakure alike have been ravaged by war.” she would say with a slight sense of distaste in her tone as she spoke of the countries- Moreso her own, but she did feel for those in other minor countries who had suffered similar effects. Her eyes having once been looking at the snow-covered grown below, now gazed back at the glasses-donning guy with her innocent looking baby blue lenses.

[/blockquote]

[Iizuka]

The shining blade flipped through the air, twirling effortlessly in the kunoichi's hands as it found its place within her inventory. A wise move, on both our parts, as needless casualties were unnecessary in these times. With the world slowly rebuilding from the ruins of what had been, even enemies would be forced to lower their arms in order to bring the nations back to order. Though one had to question if it was the proper decision, for surely it would lead us down another dark road of destruction and chaos. Hopefully, however, we would be able to prevent it the second time around.

I saw the approving nod and glance of the blonde woman, who appeared to not have enough manners to even introduce herself. Nor did her lackey, but as it was clear she was her pawn, she didn't seem like she would be doing much speaking anyway. She was meant to be seen and not heard, like most guards or children. Even her canine's menacing growl had ended some time ago, not that the companion itself was that menacing.

And now, although previously coming off as a bitch of the highest degree, the woman did have the kindness to respond to my question. I stepped forward eagerly as she began, taking in every word as if her very voice could save my own life. A smile came to my face, but it was short-lived, as each word caused the smile to diminish, slowly fading until my expression showed no emotion, and I calmly nodded to her. I put my gaze off to the side, muttering rather lightly, "Thank you." It was to be expected, of course, what she had said, but what I needed was information on the village itself.

I could have assumed there would be destruction, but what had just been described to me was, in all honesty, better than I could have imagined. A slight smile returned to my face, but it was, again, merely fleeting happiness. I hadn't returned home myself because I had come across Yuuza, the one ninja of Takigakure that I had come across since the end of the war. Even then, I found him to be a nuke ninja. With knowledge of my fellow shinobi fleeing our country, I had to travel and find any other stragglers, hopefully before their hearts had been swayed, just as Yuuza's had.

Suddenly the woman spoke again, and I quickly turned my head to face them. Traveling the Great Nations, I had seen the damage caused by this horrible war. Yet I felt that nothing I had seen would compare to what had become of the minor countries. With our minimal power in comparison to such great armies as Konoha, we would really have been no match. My heart reached out for the citizens of Kusa as well, for they surely experienced great hardships in these times, just as my people had. For a moment, silence overtook the air, hanging hauntingly between us before I spoke again.

"I'm sorry to hear that... I, for one, intend to repair the damages to my country, to rebuild from scratch... Should the resources be available, I would be happy to aide in your own."

Short and to the point, I knew what had to be done. Alliances needed to be made, even if the steps to making them were, for now, small. I knew the capabilities of the Great Nations by what I had seen in my time as a ninja, and as Kage. Even a single nuke ninja had the ability to storm into that summit, where Kages and their guards stood, and almost escaped unharmed, even uninterrupted. Yes, in a world where such power existed, we were truly in need of aide in order to combat these evil forces.

OOC: I started off with muse, and as I kept writing it faded really quickly, hence the crappy post.

[Tenyua]

The moment that Blanche chose to move ahead of her, Tenyua no longer felt the need to play 'guard'. The red-head believe the girl to be smart enough, and likely strong enough to take care of herself, should the need arise. As of such, Tenyua really didn't need to be so jumpy, even though her inital reaction to the boy's appearance was less thought out, and more an act upon her innate instincts. Then again, the boy should have understood, considering his own words, speaking of caution.

Regardless, Tenyua would crouch down, knees hovering mere inches above the snow. She reached out to her canine companion, a light smile slowly spreading upon her face. The blonde-haired, future leader of Kusa could do the talking... Her red-haired follower would immerse herself in another world. Fingers slipping amongst the canine's fur, the tips of her nails eagerly seeking out the sensitive skin below, Tenyua had begun to lovingly scratch her dog's form, Ruby's eyes closing at the pleasant sensation.

"Yesh, Tenny's favowite wuvs hew cheeks scwatched, doesn't she?" the girl cooed in whispers to her dog. If the other present shinobi could even hear her, though they would likely need to try, it likely wouldn't leave too much of a good impression. But it wasn't like Tenyua cared... Ruby was the most important thing in the world to her... even more important than the potential future that involved Kusa and Blanche. Ruby was... well... like an extension of herself.

The girl's right hand rubbed up and down the canine's cheek, eventually reaching behind the dog's ear. Though it would appear that Ruby enjoyed this treatment, she was still a bit on edge because of the male. This was, in part, due to the fact that she could smell all of the little creatures buzzing around the man's skin. It was unusual... a little too unusual. Ruby had chosen not to inform her human companion, however, deeming it unnecessary. It would likely be just another thing to invite the red-headed girl to act strangely.

"I'm sorry to hear that... I, for one, intend to repair the damages to my country, to rebuild from scratch... Should the resources be available, I would be happy to aide in your own." Tenyua's ears perked at the statement, though the red-head would keep her attention focused upon her companion. It seemed like this guy was pretty kind-hearted... maybe. It was noble to assist in the re-building of one's village, she knew that much. And it didn't seem too likely that he was one of those power-hungry types. Otherwise he'd probably be planning some attack on one of the major villages... one of those 'get rich quick' types of deals.

The most surprising things was his offer to assist the pair of girls with the rebuilding of their village. It seemed a little... out of place to the red-head. Not quite in the suspicious manner, but... did he really feel that there would be excess 'resources' available. It took time, money, and manual labor to re-build a village... Especially considering that neither place really had a village to start with... Overall, Tenyua really had to wonder what kind of common sense this guy had, or lacked, as the case may have been.

Or, at least, if his wording might have been a little off...

[Apple]

Her own interest in restoring her own land seemed to be matched with the aspirations of this man here- Iizuka of Takigakure seemed also quite adamant about making sure that his village was turned back to its own state prior to the war, so, she did seem to have if but the slightest of respect for him in the sense that he wished to do the same thing as she did- Just for this own country. Waterfall, Hmm? she was pretty sure that she had met another waterfall shinobi or two during her travels- Wait- Yes, that was it. That one she had met in Tsuchi no kuni, Yuuza, right? She was pretty sure that he had been of waterfall, but he was rogue, having left and deserted his village a while back with no wish to return to it. This Aburame, however, couldn’t have been different with his views on the village.

"Should the resources be available, I would be happy to aide in your own."

As this offer was made, Blanche could help but get a smug smirk to slowly grow on her face. Of course it didn’t mean that she was up to something, no. It was simply something that she did when she was pleased- Other people would probably smile, she, however, smirked. More sinister it was but at the same time, having not truly smiled in a while, it would probably look weird if she did. With no offense meant to her. She was beautiful either way, and could probably make killing look beautiful should she perform the act. ”It just so happens that my own goals are similar to your own, Iizuka. I also wish to rebuild my own village with the help of Tenyua here and whomever wishes to do so- I assure you, Kusagakure will be more than happy to aid in helping Takigakure, should we have the resources to spare.”

She would say- Of course, she was speaking for the entirety of her village as she spoke this, but this was simply the beginning- To make allies with other villages and assure that they had people to depend on if they needed help was always great, and it also meant that if they finished their own village early, they had connections to other villages. They could help them, which would probably mean that Kusagakure as a village would have Takigakure to help should they need such in the future. It was quite a plan, and although Blanche wasn’t too keen on making friends herself, she was always glad to make relationships which could be described as friendships for the sake of her village. With a nod, she would then extend her hand towards the Aburame, fully aware of the bug-using tactics that they used in battle- It was a strange talent for sure, but then again, being able to heal wasn’t all that normal either.

”I’m Blanche. Head medic of Kusagakure. Should your village need any aid as far as medics go, I assure you; My hands have no competitors when it comes down to my healing.”

Despite the fact that they were dealing in village affairs right now, after the war, the need for medics was quite dire, and Blanche, being very talented in it, had been quite proficient in the hospitals and on the battlefield itself. Although- To say that she was head medic was a lie as officially, she didn’t have that title, but there was no other that she knew of that had her unique medical talent. At the moment, she was unrivalled, and she hoped to keep it that way. ”I wish you best of luck with your own village.” she would tell him- Unlike other things that she had said in the past, this was the truth- She knew how hard it was not being able to go home, so she was looking forwards to getting her plan started. Kusagakure would soon rise- And hopefully along with it would rise the other minor villages like Takigakure, which the spectacle-wearing Aburame hailed from.

[/blockquote]

[Iizuka]

OOC: Fuck, how do you write so much everytime x.x Also I have no muse, sorry for quality.

IC:

Standing in these frozen lands, far away from the lands I called home, I would come to the realization that these two had no information to offer me. Even after having traveled a portion of the world, I was no closer to my goal than when I'd started. My efforts seemed to be in vain; could it be true that I was the only ninja of Takigakure who remained standing? It couldn't be possible that I would be the last one. Surely there were others, each with the desire to return to the village... There had to be more, I couldn't be alone. Takigakure would not be wiped from this earth.

No, for as long as my burning will carried on, then Takigakure would not die. But having gone so far and discovered nothing, the results of the war were looking quite grim for myself. My will alone could obviously not stand up to the rest of the world, even with the aid of Kusagakure. My ears perked up as this woman offered her own hand to the Waterfall, although her sinister smirk brought reasonable doubt to the authenticity of her offer. There was an odd beauty about this smirk, one that I couldn't quite captivate. True, she was indeed a beautiful woman, but the aura that she produced sent shivers down my spine.

I decided to take her offer as a serious one, or at least I would take her up on it one day. The road to reconstruction would be difficult; I could only assume the worst in thinking there were but a few common villagers left in the aftermath of the war. With what I thought to be only a handful of people, I didn't even know if Waterfall would have the resources I had just offered out to the Grass. I'd already put my village in debt, especially if Kusa were to help us in our time of need, for it would mean that much more that I would have to ensure is repaid to them.

Some leader I was, already leading my country and village into the ground. Yet I was taken from these dark thoughts as the woman even extended her hand, and I had to look at it with surprise. Her former attitude didn't exactly suggest that she could even make human contact, although I took her hand anyway and firmly shook it. Finally, I had a name to the face, and yet another offer of kindness from this Blanche. Perhaps she wasn't as horrid as she had come off before. With a light smile, I nodded, genuinely appreciative of her offers, even if there was some suspicion behind them. Although, the same could be thought of for my own.

Another moment of silence would pass before she spoke again, and for some reason I felt as though this one statement was the truest of all she had said to me. My smile brightened, growing larger as I even chuckled a bit. "And I wish you the best of luck as well." I turned my gaze off to the side, looking into the distance of this snowy wasteland. My sunglasses were beginning to frost over, so I'd remove them, placing them in my pocket as I spoke once more, "If you don't mind my asking, what do you intend to do once you've rebuilt your village?"

[Tenyua]

”It just so happens that my own goals are similar to your own, Iizuka. I also wish to rebuild my own village with the help of Tenyua here and whomever wishes to do so- I assure you, Kusagakure will be more than happy to aid in helping Takigakure, should we have the resources to spare.” Even as the thoughts floated about in Tenyua's head, Blanche would offer just about the same thing to this boy... With a slight change in wording. That 'should we have resources to spare' pretty much covered exactly what had been going through the red-head's mind. It was still kind of out of place to Tenyua, these offerings. Sure, the intention was good and all, but... Promises being made, and promises being kept were two different things. Words, and actual contracts held a bit of a different weight, from what she'd experienced.

”I’m Blanche. Head medic of Kusagakure. Should your village need any aid as far as medics go, I assure you; My hands have no competitors when it comes down to my healing.”

"Oh," Tenyua spoke, audibly, at the sentence, her head straightening and looking past the canine before her. It was a little silly of her, but she hadn't really realized that... Blanche had never actually given her name! Thinking on that, Tenyua thought it was a lovely name, which went beautifully with such a gorgeous girl... But on the other hand, she felt a little jealous that Blanche had seen fit to introduce herself to this boy, and not the girl whom had already promised to help her rebuild Kusa. Not only that, but she was from the same village, but this stranger, who had snuck up on them, got an introduction! Talk about unfair.

Still, beyond her feelings, and a slight puffing of her cheeks, Tenyua didn't plan to pout about it. Perhaps, just maybe, it had slipped Blanche's mind, or maybe she had gotten distracted by the more important matters. Whatever excuse there might have been, Tenyua was going to accept it... simply because she could. And for that matter, it didn't matter if Blanche realized it or not... if she had kept her name a secret for some purpose....

'Whatever," Tenyua finally concluded, shaking her head free of thoughts of something so petty, and unimportant. Her crimson tendrils whipped back and forth, andeventually rubbed against Ruby's snout, which caused the canine to sneeze. In response, the red-headed girl's fingers would resume the attentive scratching of Ruby's cheeks.

"Tenny ish sowwy, Wuby~" she would once again coo to her companion in a soft, quiet voice.

"If you don't mind my asking, what do you intend to do once you've rebuilt your village?" More questioning from the boy... Just when Tenyua had thought the conversation to be over. That was simply how she had interpreted it, but... well, things were working against moving on. Here she had been all ready to go, ready to move on as Blanche had ordered, and then this.

Tenyua would heave a light sigh before stroking one of Ruby's ears. It wasn't so much that she wanted the boy to go away, but that she wanted to move to the next phase in her life. She had been offered the chance to prove herself, to better herself by being Blanche's student! But then there was this bit of a 'distraction'. Sure, it may have been diplomatic, but... it was still a damn inconvenience.

[Apple]

[OOC: It's absolutely fine, don't worry! Your writing is great as it is. You take your time!]

'Whatever,"

Turning her head towards her young aide, she would but look absurdly upon her as she gave her quite a strange look, her cheeks puffed out as if she was annoyed at either of the two for some reason. Shrugging a little bit at this she would dismiss it and instead turn her attention back to Iizuka for now- She would see what was the matter with the girl after this meeting would end; But, it wouldn’t seem to be on the verge of finishing at all as he posed a question, which was quite understandable really, and she would respond to it with the same maturity that she had shown during the last things that she had said to him; ”What am I planning to do? Surely you mean what I am not planning to do- I’m going to work on all aspects of the village.” she would tell him, giving a pause for him to take in what she had said, before she would then go on to further explain;

”I wish to deal in trade after the village has its stability back; My shinobi have been vanquished by war and to give them a home and basic things would be a starting point- As the village would grow and prosper with its shinobi and trade we will hopefully soon find money drawing to the village which can be funded to provide for whatever ninja we have left who are still faithful to our home.” she would say- Of course, this revealed a bit about Blanche- She did wish to provide for them with a warm place to stay and also warm food, but they couldn’t get it without money- In this world, there was little you could get without it, so if she could find a way of drawing money in to the village after it had been rebuilt, working with the trades of locals and so on, it would all lead for the best- But what did he have in plans?

Of course, wanting her village to become top of the list was another one of her goals but it was unreachable should the shinobi be tired and hungry- It would lead to people going rogue, and that wasn’t what she wanted to happen. Looking down at Tenuya and Ruby as she caressed the dog, it was shinobi like this that she wished to have- Ones that still held the spark of faith for their home villages- She hadn’t met any which had deflected yet, but in the future she was bound to have a run-in with one or two of them. Agasp- As she had been pondering these things in her mind, she hadn’t noticed him remove his glasses- Finally, his eyes were visible, and she would look at them with clarity, having no lenses to shield them from her view any more, which perhaps, only made her icy blue eyes slightly more intimidating.

”A village depends on its people. A leader is an important part, really, but the people.. That’s where true power lies. You can’t have a village full of unhappy shinobi.. Not one leader can please everyone, and I’m not aiming to do that, but by gaining their trust and working together- It sounds fucking corny, I know- that’s the only way that a village can truly prosper-

..In my eyes.”

Working together wasn’t exactly something that you expected Blanche of all people to say, but despite the cold exterior she had the inner warmth of any other being- But she would only show it when deemed necessary- Or on automatic reaction. She wasn’t really showing it right now, but by speaking about her goals, it made it quite obvious. Of course she wanted them to look up to her like some kind of goddess- But being the benevolent goddess she was, she’d want to cater for most of their needs- Giving shelter being the most important. However- What she would say next she would pose to the Aburame himself, she still looking at him with the same cold yet determined expression, despite the grin that had grown on his face in recent moments. ”The people are the priority- Although I hope to form allies before the village has been rebuilt to assure stable foundations.

Tell me.. Aburame, Iizuka..

..What are your plans?"

[/justify]

[Iizuka]

Her responses took me by surprise; she had been so thorough with her plans that she had everything figured out. She wouldn't waste a moment in bringing her village back to its former glory. Her pride in her country forced me to respect her, although with each passing minute I was liking her more and more. Perhaps she wasn't as cold-hearted as I had been lead to believe. A smile came to my face as I turned to look at her, nodding from time to time as she spoke. Her passion to revive her people and her village was, to say the least, inspiring.

I sought similar goals; I needed to bring in funds in order to shelter those who would find refuge in Waterfall, not to mention the improvement of relations with the local people. And with such an ally, if Kusa could be called such, at our sides, together we could easily achieve new heights. Things once impossible for either of our villages would now come easily, all it would take was a little time and effort. My smile grew as I listened intently to this woman, Blanche, and her apparent change in attitude. She was now more serious, more passionate, and her words were more than poetic. Even her one interruption seemed to flow elegantly through her speech, as it was something to be expected. Her attitude change couldn't last forever.

Her people skills didn't seem too sharp, yet her want to help the people was impressive. And although her red-headed companion seemed to be brainwashed, she was obviously the type to stick around for her village, and even for that I had to respect her as well. She just needed a little initiative for herself, was all. It was gratifying to see such ninja, even if I could not find such people for myself and for Taki. Blanche truly had some luck in finding this girl and her pet, for even one person could make a huge difference. I was, so far, alone, yet I would hopefully be the one person who made that huge difference for Waterfall.

And suddenly, it was my turn to recount my plans. There was only one problem - I hadn't been able to reach Taki no Kuni to estimate the damages and further create plans. My smile faded as I thought for a brief moment, a nervous chuckle escaping my lips before I could even speak. "It's hard for me to say... I haven't had such luck in being able to visit my home country. After the Flash, I woke up in Tsuchi no Kuni, the earth around me ravaged and with debris strewn about. Since then I've been searching for the remnants of Taki's ninja, and to no avail." For a moment I winced in pain of this, sighing as I cast my gaze to the ground at my feet.

"First, I have to assess the damages to my village. But surely our ideas are similar; Shelter and funds have to be created in order to get the village to some kind of stability, not to mention a census to determine our numbers. We were never a large village, but now we could be in a very dangerous situation. Afterwards, it will hopefully be the quick reconstruction of our village and the advancement of our people. I cannot go in-depth because, quite frankly, it cannot be official until I have visited for myself."

[Tenyua]

”What am I planning to do? Surely you mean what I am not planning to do- I’m going to work on all aspects of the village.” The small collection of lines brought Tenyua into a new chain of thought, actually very interested in what Blanche was going to say here. Without much hesitation on her part, she would bring her arms around Ruby's neck, quickly pulling herself up, flipping around the canine, and landing expertly on her back. Ruby didn't seem to mind too much, her face unchanging as she continued to stare at the duo of 'leaders'.

Tenyua stared intently at Blanche, watching the girl, although it was from behind. She just... kinda knew that what the blonde was about to say was going to be very important. It could have potentially shattered whatever illusion Tenyua had wrapped herself up in... or it could send her further spiraling down that path. Regardless, she watched, quietly.... feeling the tingle of excitement, the electricity in the air coursing through her veins.

Blanche may have sounded a bit more human than Tenyua would likely give her credit for... But she definitely had the aura of a leader. Beyond her people skills, or lack thereof, beyond her 'gruff' nature, Blanche had the idea of being a leader. She expressed her knowledge of the importance of the village... That the village was not just her ruling over a gathering of 'workers', but that the 'workers' were the essence of the village itself!

Once more, Tenyua's eyes had lit up, joy filtering through her entire form as she listened to Blanche. She had definitely been right, there was no doubt about it! Maybe... just maybe, Iizuka would understand her a little more. Maybe it was possible that he could see what Tenyua saw in this blonde-haired kunoichi. She was something special, that was certain.

"Tell me.. Aburame, Iizuka....What are your plans?" Tenyua's arm would drape over Ruby's side, swinging slowly from side to side. The speech was now over, a bit of that happiness that had flooded her now fading. Still, all good things had to come to an end at some point, as the saying went. Not everything could last forever, even if you wanted it to. A small yawn lifted from Tenyua's mouth, and her chin was brought down to rest on Ruby's head, the canine's ear flicking the only note of irritation.

"Totally picked a good one, huh, Ruby?" she whispered to the dog. Even Ruby would have had to admit she was slightly impressed by Blanche's speech. At the very least, it had felt that Blanche had the proper energy flowing from her. She had the right spark, and a foot already down the correct path. And it was far more evident when Blanche was 'spilling her guts'.

"First, I have to assess the damages to my village. But surely our ideas are similar; Shelter and funds have to be created in order to get the village to some kind of stability, not to mention a census to determine our numbers. We were never a large village, but now we could be in a very dangerous situation. Afterwards, it will hopefully be the quick reconstruction of our village and the advancement of our people. I cannot go in-depth because, quite frankly, it cannot be official until I have visited for myself."

Again, to Tenyua, it felt like this guy worded things oddly. It may have just been her, but for him to speak of a 'quick' reconstruction seemed blasphemous. What kind of time frame was he looking at? Did he expect things to turn over in just a short while? Or was it that he was looking out too far, eyes seeing the future of his village in a span of many years, so that a small handful was a 'small' number? She simply couldn't be too sure... maybe she was just getting caught up on the little details.

[Apple]

”Ah- The great flash.” Where had she been when this had happened? She was unsure- She had chosen to remove the very memories that were linked to that and the war before it- Or at least bury them deep within her mind. She could remember brief things; Like her profession before the war, what she did, and that she had lost two people, the emotional tinge always digging at her. But, she couldn’t exactly remember herself before the war- It was strange really but she couldn’t imagine herself even alive, all that she knew is that she might as well been born on the day of the great flash as she knew little about herself except for what happened after that. Of course she had subtle hints of what had happened in every day life, but, her skill of regressing things that she didn’t want to remember- Things she couldn’t remember, was quite fantastic.

But listening to him, she would learn of his own story- Even though he had been a gentleman and had told her his own first, she wasn’t too fond on divulging to him the full story, of course- Not that she knew it that well anyhow. ”It’s taken me a while to see a few Kusa nin, but I am unsure if our numbers had been greater than your village’s own to begin with- I’ve seen about.. four?” She’d shrug a bit at this, recalling the people in her mind- Tenyua was the newest, and by far, the most compliant- The others were dicks. In one way or another. But when the time came when Kusagakure would rise, she would give them another chance of course. Flicking her blonde hair to the side once more, it was easy to say that with her ample bust, blonde hair and looks; She looked more like a movie star or a glamour model rather than a shinobi- But those who mistook her for anything but a brilliant Kunoichi felt the brunt of her wrath.

It was quite good that Waterfall was so close to Grass- They were practically neighbours, which allowed easy routes back and forth, so the idea of having an alliance would be quite good- In her eyes anyhow. And so the fate of their villages would already be decided before a leader would be appointed, and before the village would have been rebuilt. Looking at Iizuka’s own eyes as they seemed to glow slightly with pain from the last thing he had said, she would simply look on with her gaze of steel- It would seem as if she didn’t care from the gaze that she gave, but that was simply her exterior. Although her mind too was shrouded by a veil of hate most of the time- She was speaking to a potential leader, respect would be given, and she did see how he would feel upset- But she herself had lost that feeling years ago.

”If you haven’t seen it yet- Just go. It’s a bit north of Kusagakure- you can easily tell our village due to the tropical forests but a large portion of it has been burnt down.”

She’d tell him, suggesting for him to go back and see his country and what was left of his village when he felt it right. Of course you couldn’t rush in to these things, she knew that full well, but it was better to do it soon rather than leave it for months. ”I’m sure that Kusagakure and Takigakure will form a tight bond- When the time comes. Being so close too geographically it would give us a large boost.” she’d comment, recalling looking at a world map a few months ago. ”In the early days of rebuilding I think it’d be wise to keep close to prevent any attacks- If both of our minor villages could team up if but for a few moments militarily, I’m sure that we could deflect any attacks that may potentially come our way. I for one would be happy to do this.” she’d speak, her attention turned towards Tenyua, as if her divine presence was actually asking her on her input on it all- What did she think? Speaking with her dog once more, it would seem as if her attention was taken by another.

Even though obviously, Blanche was the most looked-upon in the area.

[/justify]

[Iizuka]

"Four? That's an army compared to the one I've seen..." My thoughts continued to darken as Blanche mentioned this, as Kusa was a rather small country as well. Why could I not find the ninja of Takigakure? What had become of our people? My friends, my family, my home... It was all, to my knowledge, destroyed, and I would not be able to recover that. I held back sorrow and anger, though my eyes might reflect it slightly. They lowered with a clear sadness as I reflected on my country... Would we ever rise to become anything?

And just as I was coming to the darkest point, she spoke once more, suddenly lifting me from my world as I cleared my throat nervously, wondering if she had noticed the pain I had just experienced. I didn't want to show that I was weak, as surely any tears would do, yet I had shed none, and hopefully I would appear calm besides a moment of depression. "I cannot return, not just yet. I have things to attend to before I can touch base once more... I can only hope whoever is there can maintain a stable settlement for the time being."

Even I couldn't tell if I was lying through my teeth or not; I had no real business to see other than the search for other shinobi, but it was true I could not return for the time being. My fears were too great that my land would be shattered by war, torn apart and destroyed by the acts of this world. And even if it should be broken into pieces and my people decimated, I would find a way to bring Taki back. No obstacle would deny me the return of my country, or my part in it. I will be the savior, or I will die helping the one who would rise to lead Taki.

While my thoughts wandered, the Kusa nin continued to speak, and it would seem as though this small pact would be coming to a conclusion. A brief smile adorned my persona, and I'd give an accepting nod as she finished. A light chuckle and my hand would extend, waiting for the true confirmation of this deal. "I, too, would be delighted to partake in this pact." I'd await merely her hand in mine, the firm shake, and the sealing of this contract. Yes, Kusa would serve as a wonderful ally in the reconstruction and in the years to come.

OOC: I had to post quickly so I am really sorry for the quality of this one xD It's actually really bad. Anyway, I'm unaware if I will have internet when I go on vacation tomorrow, so if I don't post by Sunday night I would either skip me or just drop me from the thread and this can maybe be continued another time.

[Tenyua]

At this point, Tenyua had gotten lost in her own thoughts, missing the conversation as they went into details about rebuilding villages, and what-not. Or, at least Blanche was... Tenyua just kind of stared blankly past both of her fellow shinobi, effectively 'staring off into space'. She had to wonder about a few things. The first being when they were going to leave...

'Sure would be nice to have Kusa rebuilt.... Me and Ruby could have our own little place to ourselves. And I could build her a dog house. And not just outside, but inside too! Of course my Ruby deserves the best. Oh, and it'd be best if it was really fancy, and had some tassels hanging all over it. Maybe a solid gold name plate for her.'

'... and we can get Pawprint wallpaper. I can have a small library right in the house! Yeah, I think that'd look good. Right across the room froma fireplace...' Her mind trailed on, the red-head completely missing the interaction between Blanche and Iizuka. But, well... that was just kind of how she was sometimes.

As the encounter appeared to be coming to a close yet again, Ruby would notice Tenyua's inattentiveness. She issued a small bark, and then would shake her head, smacking Tenyua right in the face with one of her ears. Tenyua's body quaked, and she sat up on the back of her companion, attention now completely focused on her surroundings. A low, nervous chuckle came from her for a split second... and then her serious face returned.

[Apple]

Aw- The guy seemed pretty upset about his village, that was for sure- Or the little inklings from his eyes seemed to give it away as they glazed over if but a small amount. But although she did understand how hard it was to have to back to your own country and see the wreckage around the place, over the years she had lost the ability to console others, so she wasn’t al that good with it; She could try, but the matter of herwant to try was the big part. Sure enough this Iizuka guy wasn’t all that bad; Hell- They might even stay friends in the future the way it seemed to be going, but she wasn’t too sure of what to do in situations when people were crying- She had lost the ability to work with such scenarios years ago.

”I’m assuming that in some places people have surely already started up camps of sorts. However; Perhaps with others there may be no stable community left.” she’d say, having been to her own village, seeing almost nothing left. She had only found one or two people there, but the ground had been inadequate to survive on, so they had chosen to leave soon after meeting her, which was a shame but- Not having a group of people there already surely meant that it would be easier for her to start her plans there and get rebuilding- Yes- That would be true, right? If there were makeshift houses set up, the owners would be quite distraught to see them go.

"I, too, would be delighted to partake in this pact."

To this, her mouth would curl in to a smirk once more- But by now, he either saw it as something quite strange, or he took it as her version of smiling- The war had shaped most aspects of her personality, and had taken away her ability to smile without making it seem as if she was plotting your death. Or- She could smile, just she rarely showed it. Listening as he’d laugh, she’d speak; ”Then it’s settled.” as she’d then stick her hand out once more towards the Aburame, her hand gripping in his and shaking it, should he accept her thin hand to entwine with his in the first place. Her grin was quite strong- That was for sure, but luckily for him, she didn’t use the power of souin by using it- If it was so, his hand would easily be crushed and he would find himself in quite a difficult situation- She desired to inflict such pain, however, Blanche ignored it.

With not much more to say or do upon either part she would then look down to Tenyua who seemed to have some kind of.. dreamy look upon her face, as if she was deep in thought- It was this instinct to gaze off in to space that she needed to rid of to assure that she could become one of the best medics- Less than Blanche herself, of course- around. A nervous laugh emitted by her, Blanche would then shake her head and turn her attention to Iizuka himself; ”It’s been a pleasure meeting you- I assure you that should I come to power in my homeland in the near future, Takigakure and Kusagakure will keep close contact.” she’d tell him on a final note before then releasing her hand from the grip that they had going on, and then crossing her arms across her chest, awaiting any final notes to be made by his part before the three of them would split.

[/justify]