After war Naruto X (IC)

[Fearan]

http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/naruto/images/8/8f/Konoha's_Memorial_Stone.png/revision/latest?cb=20100528174100

Another grim day in Konohagakure.

By all traditions, genre conventions and other stuff Jiraiya loves with such passion, it should be raining. Gloomy skies reflecting the moods of gathered people, rain hiding tears and adding cold shower to the overall bleakness. Yet the weather was wonderful, the Sun shined brightly, as the ignorant heavens refused to shed a single tear over funeral of Asano Nakuru.

You stand at the Konoha's cemetery, recalling the last missions. You are no strangers to death, you've met bandits, Cloud deserters and Iwa-nin - you were as ready, as Genin could possibly be. However, nobody was prepared for the trio of missing nin which ambushed your group at the routine "sweep the forest for bandits" c-rank. They acted not like your average missing-nin - no boasting, coordination, unrivaled by any your opponents so far and ruthless efficiency. However you held the line, dispatching one of the attackers, before Asano-sensei called for abort mission and retreat, while she leads the opponents away. You've meet her seemingly safely on the designated rendezvous point and returned to Konoha, accepting the failed mission and licking your wounds. However, Asano-sensei never left the hospital alive - she probably was hit harder then you thought. And now - she's here. In the coffin.

For the fresh Konoha jounin, the funeral attracted a lot of village's finest. The Hokage himself attended, squeezing a half-hour from his time-table to make a speech. He struggled with words - A young fellow like him haven't yet acquired skill to spit the usual propaganda-filled funeral speeches - but at least, he was sincere. The Snake sannin was also here, accompanying Nakuru's brother. Obviously, only the presence of his sensei kept the guy from tears. And last but not least, you caught glimpse of Uchiha Fugaku who kept his distance, yet event with that leaked killing intent which you could literally feel. "The one-eyed fish' doesn't leave his clan compound often, busy with the whole "clan head' routine - why is here?

Outside of this highlighted by the bright September sun spot, you all have families and friends to support you.With some luck, the Konoha officials will maybe arrange a new sensei for you in reasonable time. But here and now, each of you got the ominous feeling, that you four were just thrown against the whole freaking world. Well, at least you're ninjas, so that's a pretty good matchup.

[Moro Asahina]

http://i.imgur.com/xZk49nk.png

While many showed up to the funeral with family in tow, Ren came alone. She knew that her mother didn't understand why she'd wanted to go by herself; Nor did her sister, but she would eventually. All shinobi did. She needed to be with her team, needed to see that they were still alright, and she couldn't do that with her mother clinging to her. Telling her that everything would be alright.

She arrived wearing one of her mission outfits consisting of a pair of spandex shorts worn beneath a skirt, a simple halter top, and her favorite fur lined jacket. It was a bit warm for the jacket, but Asano-sensei had once told her it looked nice on her so she'd decided to wear it anyway. Though, perhaps strangest of all, she was hugging a well worn book to her chest. A closer look would reveal it to be a rather spicy bodice ripper novel, those who knew her may recognize it as the same one Asano-sensei had allowed her to borrow after her first kill.

Ren didn't much care who on her team she found first, but when she did find one of them she moved to lean against their side with a whispered, "Sorry..." The normally cheerful girl looked as though she had been crying recently, and it wasn't very far into the Hokage's speech for the tears to begin flowing once more; Though she remained quiet about it. She'd already spent much of her grief at home after hearing about her sensei's fate, but she still felt that Asano-sensei should know that at least someone would shed a tear for her passing. There were rules against this sort of thing, but right now she didn't much care.

She didn't pay much attention to who else had decided to attend, though she did spot Yukito, and made a mental note to speak to the boy after the ceremony. It was also hard to miss Fugaku what with his agitated chakra. She vaguely remembered a rumor that he had known Asano, but wasn't really sure of the details.

A bit sappy, but about the best I could figure to start with given the first IC post.

That said, unless someone claims the spot of being the one she ends up leaning on, it'll be decided by a die roll since it's just the first one of you she finds. 1=Katsumi, 2=Hahn, 3=Taiho

[roll0]

[Shimmer]

(I suppose Katsumi doesn't mind taking the slot)

If there was one thing the war had taught Katsumi it was that the life of a Shinobi was not kind nor was it fair. Yet staring down at the pale still face of their sensei the young genin couldn't help, but feel cheated. It seemed so wrong that the four of them had managed to make it through the war, become genin, and get placed on a team together only to lose their sensei within the first three months. Schooling her features, much easier behind the cloth and leather protection of her mask, Katsumi fought down the tears that pinpricked her eyes when she felt Ren step up beside her.

The two girls had never exactly seen eye to eye. Their personalities meshing about as well as oil and water, but such a thing was to be expected with early genin teams still working out the kinks. Yet despite this Katsumi still offered one leather clad arm to the other girl to cling to in support if Ren felt she needed it and did her best to dutifully ignore the other girls tears. If anyone asked she wouldn't mention seeing any of her teammates crying.

Katsumi wore what she always wore, her lightly padded leather and cloth shinobi gear with it's laminae plates. She couldn't afford a formal funeral kimono with her genin pay, but she had gone through the effort of stitching up any snags and cleaning the leather so is shone dully. In her hands she gripped a small bouquet of a few stray wildflowers to place on the grave once everyone was done.

Numbly she wondered what would become of them and if they would be assigned a new sensei or not. They were a young enough team that Asano-Sensei had yet to make her mark on them as a whole. Then again there was always the chance they would be slated for individual apprenticeship and broken up. Not her and Taiho, but likely Ren and Hahn. Ren for her Fuinjutsu and clan techniques and Hahn for his interest in medical jutsu. Clan kids always got snapped up as quickly as possible when it came to these sorts of things. If she was lucky maybe her an Taiho could stay together and maybe put on a flashy enough of a performance to impress some Jounin that might be willing to take them on.

Glancing back an Uchiha Fugaku she wondered if he'd give them a chance if such a situation came about. Yet given his anger she wondered if perhaps there wasn't more to their sensei's death then met the eyes. She wouldn't be surprised if the Missing-nin had been sent after them on purpose or perhaps Asano-Sensei was attacked in the hospital. There was a reason Shinobi hated them. They were just so vulnerable in those white washed walled rooms.

[pfm1995]

Taiho had arrived early. His father's formal suit itched horribly under the hot sun, his little brother fidgeted but stayed quiet. Together, they watched the workers chisel 'Asano Nakuru' into the memorial stone and the guests arrive.

Seeing that the others had arrived, he moved to them and wrapped them all in a massive bear hug, wincing when one of them pressed a cut on his arm. Stony faced, his arms and shoulders were trembling.

Catching Yukito's eye, he bowed as low as he could without going down on his knees.

Later, after the Hokage was done speaking and he had promised the others he would meet them shortly, he stood alone in front of the stone. The shadows had grown, enough to hide the mottled bruises on his face and hands, and the guests had finally finished making their ways home. Moving slowly, jerkily, he knelt down and pressed his forehead to the ground. Now, he cried.

[Lokyar]

http://i.imgur.com/oxTBRy8.gif

Hahn arrived to the funeral in a black version of his usual clothing, with the exception of his scarf. Though they'd arrived together he immediately broke away from his father once he could do so without making a scene and sought out his team mates. If he were still in the state he'd been in since hearing the news he likely would have wanted to make at least a little bit of a scene to make a point, but he was too exhausted right now to ignite the spark that would let him maintain that 'to hell with consequences' mindset that had resulted in harsh words and a reminder of the difference between a genin and a special jonin, retired or not. As cold as he was right now he was all too aware of how little good it would do, no matter how good it would feel. Instead he sought out his teammates. Finding Katsumi and Ren together he took up a position nearby. Taiho would find them, or they'd find Taiho afterwards.

With a bit of careful focus Hahn let a pair of blood tendrils poke out of his shoulder, wrap around his torso, and finally secure themselves around his legs and into the ground. The support let him stand both still and at attention. He wasn't about to slouch at Asano-sensei funeral. His team would understand, and if anyone else noticed they could keep their opinions to themselves.

The thought made him think of, and unconsciously glance towards, his father. The man clearly noticed what he was doing but kept the disapproval Hahn knew he'd be feeling from his face. Hahn pointedly looked away. He might not be willing to make a public event of it but he wasn't ready to let it go either. 'She may have been the jonin but I'm the medic. Asking to see the medical file for cause of death is perfectly reasonable.' The worst part was that he wouldn't even give a reasonable explanation for why he couldn't have the file. Just 'no'.

To him, an unacceptable conclusion.

[Moro Asahina]

http://i.imgur.com/xZk49nk.png

Ren muttered a soft, "Thanks..." when Katsumi offered her arm, which she promptly hugged, rather than just push her off as she'd half expected. She knew the girl didn't care for her all that much, and truth be told she wasn't Ren's favorite either, but she was still her teammate and it made her at least a little happier knowing that Katsumi would try and give at least that small amount of comfort.

When Taiho arrived and joined the hug, she gave him a watery smile and a soft, "Hey..." before carefully tucking the book into a jacket pocket so she could use one arm to continue hugging Katsumi, and slip the other around Taiho. Even Hahn came to stand near them, though he apparently wasn't as big on hugs as Ren was. Of course, he also seemed a bit distracted by something, so that could be it. Either way she'd get him later. For now she was content to enjoy the closeness of her other two teammates while it lasted and rested her head lightly against Katsumi's arm.

Though she'd tried not to think about it, as she started tuning out the latest speaker, thoughts of what was going to happen to them now began worming their way to the fore of her mind. Would they be split up? She hoped not. While they'd only known eachother for a short time they'd also been through a lot together. Maybe she should talk to Kushina. She didn't really know how much clout the elder Uzumaki had in the village, but she was a Jounin so that had to count for something. Obviously with a new baby she couldn't take them on herself, but maybe she knew someone. She took a quick glance back at Fugaku, wondering if he was a possibility as he seemed upset. Ren assumed it was over Asano's death as well, but she'd never been very good at reading the Uchiha so for all she knew he was angry cause the weather wasn't right for a funeral and it wasn't proper. With a soft sigh she turned her attention back to the funeral, though still distracted enough that she didn't realize she was speaking out loud when she muttered, "We'll figure something out..."

[Shimmer]

Dutifully Katsumi ignored Ren's soft thanks. The only acknowledgement that she had heard the girl being a slow blink of her acid green eyes and the fact she purposefully relaxed the usually spring taunt muscles in said arm only flexing them once in a mimicry of a comforting squeeze of a hand before going back to pretending to listen to the various speakers. Quietly she had to remind herself that her teammates had not been to nearly as many funerals as her and found herself silently grateful they had not in doing so. For all she was upset at the loss of their sensei she couldn't help, but be relieved that her death had been in the hospital rather then the field. Had it been in the field it would have been her responsibility to clean it up and she really didn't want to think about her acid eating away at Asano's flesh and bones or the eyes of her teammates as they watched her work.

Just thinking about it made her shudder, but the shivers were easily remedied by Taiho's near bone breaking hug. The impact drew a soft breathy wheeze from the girl as she used her one free arm to pat the other genin on the back. The pats growing much more rapid and hard to signal the fact that she would like to breath now before the boy released her to bow to their sensei's younger brother.

Covering up her rapid suck of breath with a cough and a sigh Katsumi shook her head eyeing her last teammate Hahn. He looked...troubled and was doing the blood tentacle thing again which only confirmed the fact that he was troubled. Not that it was hard not to be given the situation. Hearing Ren's words though the genin couldn't help, but let out a real sigh this time.

"Genin typically stay with their Jounin sensei's for at least a year to two years minimum. Sometimes if they make it to chuunin or close to chuunin they might get taken on as an apprentice if there is a jounin that sees potential in their skill set. Otherwise they stay with their Jounin sensei as Chuunin." Katsumi explained her voice low, quiet and the most she'd spoken to her teammates in quite some time.

"Asano-Sensei hadn't even had us for half a year and had only taught us the basics. So unless you or Hahn are taken on within your respective clans it's unlikely we'll be picked over by any Jounin for apprenticeship being so fresh from the academy. Then again there's no telling who or if anyone we'll get for a new sensei. The fact they stuck four of us together and under a newly minted Jounin formerly from another village already shows that they're strapped for teachers. On the other hand they need shinobi to replenish the ranks of those lost to the war so they can't afford not to train us. It's just a toss up to see where we go." She finished explaining hoping to ease her teammates minds a bit even if her prognosis was practical at best and grim at worst.

[pfm1995]

The question had been scratching at the back of Taiho's mind as well, but he had pushed it away. Not thinking about things was easy, once you got into the habit. At Katsumi's summary, he whispered back

"Today is a day for the past, we can worry about the future tomorrow. Besides-" A shudder ran up his spine. The One-Eyed Fish had glanced in their direction. As sponsor of their sensei he was, in a sense, their sponsor as well and his word would carry a lot of weight in the coming days.

Turning a little, so Uchiha Fugaku couldn't see, he made a quick shushing gesture and re-focused on the speakers.

[Lokyar]

http://i.imgur.com/oxTBRy8.gif

Hahn released a small sigh and shook his head just enough for his nearby teammates to see the motion. "By tomorrow things will be in motion, whether we want them to be or not. We should know what we want and take steps before that. The training field, an hour after the service. But for now, you're right. We can't lose the day, but this moment is for her."

[Shimmer]

Following Taiho's gaze she can't help, but scowl at her teammate's actions though the gesture goes unseen other then the slight narrowing of her eyes to reflect her displeasure. With a nudge she elbows her fellow genin. "Be polite. He might be our new sensei for all we know and even if he's not he's still in mourning just like us." She whispers in a hushed tone as she tries not to drop her small bouquet of wild flowers. Still both Taiho and Hahn are right albeit for different reasons.

"We'll pay our respects to Sensei and then meet at the training grounds. She wouldn't want us to be caught unaware. She taught us better then that." Katsumi murmured softly pausing to carefully remove her arm from Ren's grip so that she could go deposit the now slightly haggard looking boquet upon the grave before it became completely destroyed. Once she was done she returned to her team and in an unusual show of patience even silently offered Ren her arm again if the other girl still felt she needed it.

[Moro Asahina]

http://i.imgur.com/xZk49nk.png

Ren blinked a bit, then a light blush lit her cheeks as she realizes that she'd spoken aloud. Though a small smile was soon tugging at the corners of her lips as Katsumi said her piece. Despite all the things that had gone wrong lately, it was nice to know that some things stayed the same. Still, she did have a point. While she wouldn't accept an apprenticeship, she would need to talk to Kushina-nee to see what she thinks about their situation. After all, it wasn't very likely that they were the first Genin cell to have this happen to them.

She took a quick glance back to the Uchiha when Taiho gestured to him, but then went back to ignoring the man. She'd try and worry about that particular mystery later. When there was mention of meeting up after the funeral, she gave a soft nod, "You're right...I'll have to stop by the house and grab a couple of things, but I'll be there. Might have to talk to Kushina-nee soon too and see what she thinks." Ren stood a little straighter as Katsumi disengaged to go leave her offering, which reminded Ren of her own and she quickly trotted up to leave the book she'd been hugging earlier; Likely earning a few funny looks for her effort.

All the same, by the time she returned to her team, she'd wiped her eyes and seemed to be feeling a little better. Though she did go ahead and take the offered arm as she felt Katsumi could use the hug about as much as she could right about now, even if she was better at hiding it.

[Fearan]

The ceremonies weren't long, as the officials clearly had much more things to do - to them, jounin's death was no big deal. The first to leave was Fugaku - one moment he was there - and the other he's gone. Then left the Hokage along with administration officials, who were present at the funeral to officialy confirm the death and the funeral itself. Soon, the cemetery spot was nearly empty save for you, and Yukito, who finally gave in to tears with Orochimaru's absense. Your families moved to the cemetery's entrance, waiting for you, but giving you time for yourself.

[Shimmer]

Katsumi finished the rest of the brief ceremony in respectful silence. She didn't however, wish to remain to witness a fellow shinobi at their weakest moment when she doubted they wanted such observers. So instead she settled for offering Yukito a respectful nod whether he saw it or not and removing Ren from herself. Once free of her teammate she quietly signaled to them that she was departing as unlike them her own family was not waiting at the gate. Slipping away she navigated Konoha's rooftops towards their usual training ground, wishing to avoid the usual hustle and bustle of foot traffic in favor of the Shinobi route.

Landing in the still currently abandoned woodland meadow of Training ground 4 Katsumi sighed her usually taunt shoulders slumping as the masked genin pulled her Kusarigama from where she kept it folded, wrapped about her arm and hidden up her sleeve. Snapping the well cared for black blade into place she let the chain spin in her hand allowing the familiar rhythm to sooth her in a way no words ever could. With a flick of the wrist she sent the weighted end flying, letting it thud into one of the targets posted on the trees before she turned wrenching it back and lunging to follow up with a few quick slices of the bladed kama end. Thus Katsumi danced about her target mourning the only way she knew how as she waited...through complete single-minded destruction. After all if she saw the faces of those Missing-nin instead of the worn red painted slats of wood tailed to tree bark then that was no ones business, but her own.

[Moro Asahina]

http://i.imgur.com/xZk49nk.png

As the ceremony came to an end and Katsumi made to leave, Ren decided that now was as good a time as any to make her move. She ran a hand through her hair and sighed softly. She really wasn't looking forward to this, but even so she slowly made her way over to Yukito; making sure to make enough noise that he'd easily hear her coming. It was never a good idea to sneak up on a shinobi after all.

It took a few moments for her to work up the nerve to say what she wanted to say, but while her voice was still tinged with regret, she did manage to keep it relatively steady. "I know I'm probably the last person you want to talk to right now...but if you need to talk or anything you can come find me." She turned a bit to glance back at her team, before returning her attention to the grieving boy. "I mean, I'm sure the others wouldn't mind if you sought them out either really. But I'm told I'm the chatty one." A slight blush lit her cheeks as she added, a bit softer. "Well...the actual phrasing was a bit more colorful than that, but still."

If he made no move to stop her, she would reach down and give his shoulder a gentle squeeze. While it was true she didn't know the boy very well, she had paid attention whenever Asano-sensei was around and she'd been every part the proud big sister when she spoke of him. As far as she knew, sensei had been all the family the boy had had, so she couldn't very well just let him stew on his own. She'd give him some space, but she'd have to be sure and check up on him later.

[pfm1995]

Taiho tossed his head at his little brother - Get going. - before turning to the others. "I'm going to stay here for a little while longer, I'd like to be alone. I'll meet up with you all in a bit."

Later, after he had paid his final respects, cleaned himself up, and changed he arrived at the training grounds. Well, more properly, he cleared the final tree and immediately dropped flat to avoid a spinning kusarigama. Standing back up and brushing himself off, he looked around. What's everyone thinking?

[Shimmer]

"Good reflexes." Katsumi complimented pulling her Kusarigame back to herself and wrapping it once more around her arm and sliding her sleeve over it. It was almost as though the weapon had never been there.

"You're the first one to arrive. I suspect the others will be here shortly." She added letting herself flop back on the grass to stare up at the bright blue sky watching a few stray white clouds skirt the surface. Scrunching up her nose she glared balefully up at the offending weather formations. Asano-sensei had always hated sunny weather. Something about burning easily...not that Katsumi could entirely blame her. She too was pale as a ghost under her armor. Some people even questioned if she wasn't really actually a ghost under it all. Sensei had been trying to encourage her to show herself to her teammates to prevent any...distractions should she be injured in combat, but Katsumi hadn't quite reached the level of trust where she felt that comfortable with her fellow genin yet.

"How's your family taking things Taiho? I know they don't exactly...well you know." Katsumi trailed off remembering the few times she'd gone to pick him up for training and the arguments she'd overheard. Her and her cousins apartment were on the very edge of the Shinobi district being mostly refugee housing and cheap low rent living for displaced nin bordering right alongside the civilian district. She could practically hit his families ramen shop with a rock if she really wanted making it convenient to stop by on the way to their training.

One day maybe she should take him up the mess of wire and railings and show him which convoluted mass of rooms belonged to her and her cousins in case he ever needed to get away. Course that would mean eventually exposing him to her cousins and she hadn't exactly been entirely willing to let any of her team into her personal life yet.

Maybe she should change that just in case....

Just in case maybe one day they were gone like Asano-Sensei.

[pfm1995]

Squatting down next to her, Taiho shrugs. "They've been... trying. They don't really understand it, or at least most of them don't. Father does, but he doesn't go to funerals any more."

And Masaie. He's too young to understand, really, but he came anyway.

"He just cooks. I hadn't realized how different a shinobi funeral would feel. A proper one, I mean, not just a field cremation."

So many people, and so much talking. When we buried Mom we had half that many, and I don't remember anyone saying more than a few words. At least it was raining then.

"Not sure which one I prefer. What about your cousins? I don't think I saw them in the crowd."

[Shimmer]

For a long moment Katsumi was silent considering his words and how best to explain the difference between their two view points. She'd never been invited to a civilian funeral, but had seen enough in passing and helped with enough burials to know what they were like. Usually either dead silent with quiet tears or a lot of screaming and mourning. Vastly different from a Shinobi funeral which was usually cordial at best or solemn and vengeful at worst.

"There's usually a lot more fanfare if the Shinobi is a part of one of the big clans, but small time families are generally more...subtle. Death is a regular part of Shinobi life and we're expected to continue doing our duty despite it." She explained patting the spot beside her in a welcoming motion to let him know that if he wished to lay instead of crouch he was welcome.

"It's often considered an insult to a Shinobi's memory to cry over them or to allow their loss to keep you from doing your duty. The best death a Shinobi can hope for is either a quick one upon the field serving their country or a quiet one within the safety of their own village where they know they can be buried in village soil instead of a nameless grave somewhere. Upon the field the most acceptable process of mourning is to kill your comrades killer and then kill their share of the enemy." Katsumi spoke pausing for a second to pull her Kusarigama from her sleeve once more and lay it out between them where Taiho could see the black metal of the weapon and how the blade slid out of the handle of the kama with a press of a button to click into place when in use.

"You don't honor their memory by drowning in your sorrow though it's not frowned upon to cry so long as it doesn't stop you from continuing your work. You honor their memory by carrying on their duty, by telling their stories, by seeing their techniques live on and wielding their weapons." She murmured trailing gloved fingers in a gentle caress over her weapon her touch almost reverent.

"This was my dad's weapon. He was a Tokubestu Jounin who specialized in hazard techniques and poisons. He's where I got a lot of my ideas from. I remember him by wielding his weapon so in someway he can still look after me." Katsumi spoke, her confession quiet, solemn and the most she'd said about herself and her family since their genin team introductions.

"My cousins got sent out on a three week mission to the border of Water country. They don't even know what's happened yet which is probably for the best. They can be a bit smothering at times since...since the accident and I want them to know that while I appreciate them I won't break like glass if something bad happens and they're not around." Katsumi added putting her Kusarigama back in it's hiding spot.

"They'll probably bring me back loads of souvenirs and fuss for about a day or two and try to coerce me into bringing you all over and then things will go back to normal. At least until they try to interrogate whoever our new sensei will be." She added.

[Fearan]

With Ren
Yukito was busy crying, when Ren approached him, so even if she didn't try to sneak - well, that kinda happened on its own. When she started talking, the kid have bitten his lips to collect himself, looked at the girl with his red from crying eyes and answered. "-Ugh, look, no offence, but you're right, the only person, I want to see less, then you four is... -" suddenly he stopped, breathed heavily and continued in a bit confused tone - ...actually, disregard that, Uzumaki-dono. Please, forgive the attitude, it's not the easiest day for me - as if he'd reminded a few things - the obvious one was "Properly speaking with pompous clan brats 101". - Anyway, thanks for consideration, but I'd rather pass for now. No hard feelings.. The guy then silently endured the squeeze from Ren and quickly left the cemetery spot just after that, provided, said Ren wouldn't make an effort to stop him.

[Moro Asahina]

http://i.imgur.com/xZk49nk.png

Ren gave the boy a soft nod. She had a pretty good idea how he was feeling just now given the way her father had passed last year, so she wouldn't have held it against him even if he'd turned around and hit her. All the same, as he turned to go, she spoke once more; soft enough that it would have been easy to miss if he'd been much further away. "Family is everything to the Uzumaki...I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough to protect yours." She stayed for a few minutes more, turning her mind towards what she would need to do in the near future. She'd been putting off work on her project for too long. Asano-sensei might just be alive today if she'd just hurried up and sorted out the medical seal she had in mind.

In the end, what ifs weren't going to do her any good. There were things to do and plans to make, and with that she turned to head on home. Though she did still stop to give Hahn a quick hug before leaving. Thankfully, given the time of day her mother would still be at work and Mizuko would still be in class so she would be able to get what she needed and leave quickly. She loved her family, but she knew there would probably be a discussion about how she should give up on being a shinobi like her father in the near future. Her mother had never really given up on convincing both girls to take up a trade as she had and live a nice safe life. That, however, was precisely why she had to become a shinobi: So that people like her mother could live their lives in peace.

Shaking the heavy thoughts from her head, she went inside and retrieved her usual training gear. She wasn't sure what they would be doing, but she wanted to be prepared when she arrived. Since she had plenty of time til their appointed meeting, she didn't hurry overmuch on her way towards their designated training ground; Still managing to arrive a good fifteen minutes early.

[Lokyar]

http://i.imgur.com/ihRE8kA.png

Hahn arrived at the training ground earlier than the time he'd stated but was unsurprised to see two people already there, Katsumi and Taiho talking together, and he noticed Ren approaching at the same time from a different direction. He'd planned on coming directly here after changing his clothes but had been blocked by his insistent father, unwilling to let things deteriorate. Context was helping him to deal with the situation with a more level head. He wasn't happy by any stretch of imagination, but he could focus a bit better now.

Though the meeting was far from their usual Hahn followed through with his usual ritual, casually walking up to the lone tree in the middle of the otherwise grassy field and sliding into his 'chair', a deep indentation a few feet up worn smooth from repeated use. Hahn smiled ruefully, thinking about the time Asano-sensei had designated his tree as the team's 'civilian' for an escort practice drill. It had certainly motivated him more than a sack of sand with a face drawn on it.

"We'll have to make sure whoever takes up our training understands the important of Tree-dono." He shifted his posture slightly to better see the others. "Because let me make it clear from the outset, getting split up is not an option to me. A Hanaro's lifespan is limited, and a new team would be a waste of valuable time and energy."

[pfm1995]

Standing, Taiho stretched a bit as he talked. "Agreed, though I'm not sure how much say we have in the matter. Regardless, we need to start moving now - you were right to say we meet today on this, the initiative is all important. We can start talking to elders - The Hokage..." he shot Ren a quick glance "Uchiha Fugaku, perhaps even Orochimaru all have some personal interest in this."

He sat with a heavy thud, wincing as it put pressure on another cut. "But, before we talk to anyone, we need to have a plan to give them. How do we want to progress our training, and whom do we want to do it under? Thoughts?"

[Lokyar]

"Shape manipulation, elemental control, and fuinjutsu. At least for me. The first one I could supplement in-clan but I'm already pretty advanced for my clan, outside of the council, in terms of sealing and there are no other fire users among them. On that topic, don't expect much from my clan in terms of an instructor. What I said for myself in terms of time investment goes triple for them, and there's no appealing to emotion with anyone strong enough to matter. Some of them will trade for limited instruction on specific techniques and topics but that's about it. With a Haharo you're not just paying for the information, you're paying for the lifespan it took for them to impart that information."

"Orochimaru would be ideal but I don't see it happening. He already has a team, and that team includes Yukito-san. I doubt he wants to see us right now, much less every waking moment. Namikaze-sama is even more of a pipe dream. I can't think of a single thing he couldn't teach us, it's more likely the opportunity there is beyond my ability to comprehend. But he's the Hokage, we're a bunch of genin, and the logistics of war recovery are probably consuming his every waking moment." Hahn sighed at the thought, both of the turmoil in the region and what could have been. "Uchiha-dono, if he could be convinced as to our potential, would work well. The Uchiha are famously fire natured, which would benefit both myself and Taiho, but they aren't uniformly so. A Sharingan user as prodigious as him likely has techniques we've never even conceived of in every element."

"And Kushina-san..." Here Hahn stumbled slightly, cheeks warming ever so slightly. "Would also work..." Unlike his previously detailed analysis Hahn sort of trails off.

[pfm1995]

"I had just meant that their opinions would carry the most weight; none save maybe Uchiha Fugaku would I consider asking to teach us. But I believe he's busy teaching his new son at the moment."

[Shimmer]

"Meh like someone would ever try to part you with Tree-Dono and besides you're too testy to be put on another team Hahn-kun. They wouldn't know where to begin with you." Katsumi drawled from where she lay still sprawled out in the grass staring up at the sky contemplatively.

"I'm interested in elemental manipulation, Ninjutsu theory, and hazards such as poison and acid obviously. Wouldn't mind picking up a summoning contract to flesh out my skills a little as well. Still that being said they're not going to put us with a Jounin that already has a team or anyone from your or Ren's clan Hahn. There'd be too much risk of favortism not to mention technically as Taiho pointed out the Uchiha are our teams roundabout sponsor. It would be looked at as a major insult to them and no ones willing to risk that." She added stretching out like a cat as she felt her shoulders pop and eyed the way Taiho kept wincing.

"I think our best bet would be to be assigned an Uchiha if they have one to spare. I doubt we'd luck out enough to get Fugaku-sama since he's the clan head and is doubtlessly incredibly busy. However, while Orochimaru-sama is unlikely to take us on there's still potential for recommendations from both him and Fugaku-Sama. Both have likely heard a great deal about us from Asano-sensei and there's a decent chance that if we could get written accounts of the complimentary variety from the both of them that we're more likely to be slated a competent Sensei then just getting stuck in the village with wet-works Chuunin to oversee our progress." Katsumi explained sitting up slowly her acid green eyes bright and calculating with a look that could only mean trouble for her prospective target.

"Both Fugaku-sama and Orochimaru-sama are also not connected to us via clan so if we brought their recommendations to the elders their words would carry more weight. I think it would be wise for Ren-chan and Hahn-kun to target...I mean seek out Fugaku-sama. Your clan connections will give you better access to the Uchiha district and you're more likely to be able to get an actual audience with him. Taiho-kun and myself would have a better chance with Orochimaru-sama. He like us isn't from a bloodline clan and is more likely to respect our initiative at taking our fates into our own hands." She spoke fist tucked under her masked chin as she put together a plan of attack.

"Ren-chan and Hahn-kun could likewise scout out potential Uchiha Jounin while in their compound if Fugaku-sama isn't open to suggesting one. If that fails we start targeting Jounin with our elemental natures that are currently without a team and not village bound unless we want to get stuck with a paper-ninja." Katsumi added elaborating a bit on her strategy.

"What do you guys think? Sound like a decent plan? With those recommendations and any suggestions Fugaku-Sama might give we could potentially target who we get for a Sensei or at least ensure we don't get tossed aside or split up." She asked with a tilt of her head waiting for her teammates opinion on her plan.

[Moro Asahina]

http://i.imgur.com/xZk49nk.png

When Ren arrived she seemed to be feeling a bit better as she gave her usual cheerful greetings before hopping up to her favorite low hanging branch in their tree and laying down on her stomach so she could still see everyone while she got comfortable. "True, I just got Tree-kun broken in the way I like so it'd be a shame to have to find a new spot."

Ren thought for a few moments about what she wanted to learn; There was quite a bit after all. When the others finished, she gave a little shrug. "Ideally I'd like to focus as much as possible on Fuinjutsu since I have a particular project in mind that could be pretty helpful if I can just figure out how to get started. It'd also be nice to learn some Kenjutsu beyond the basic stuff I've been able to pick up too. Beyond that, I want to keep up my studies in field medicine, and work on getting a better handle on sensing Chakra while I'm at it. A summon could be nice, but it'd need to be something as cute as they are useful which rules out most of the combat summons so probably a utility summon of some sort. I wonder if there is a rabbit contract..." She cocked her head in thought as she said that. She'd never really heard of such a contract, but if creatures as gross as frogs, slugs, and snakes could have a summon clan, why not something adorable like rabbits?

"As much as I'd love to get Kushina-nee as our sensei, she's not really in a position to take on a team of genin, but she might be able to recommend someone we don't already know." She gives another little shrug as she goes on, "Though to be honest, we aren't likely to get an Uzumaki sensei purely because there aren't many that are both a Jounin and in a position to take on a team at the moment rather than any potential issues of favoritism."

Ren thought for a moment when Hahn mentioned the Uchiha, then nodded, "True, an Uchiha probably would be pretty ideal for most of our goals, but yeah, I doubt we'll get Fugaku-sama himself. Clan heads don't really get to go on too many missions outside of the village since they've got to keep the clan running." She frowned a bit as Katsumi went on to suggest who they approach and why, "You should probably be careful approaching Orochimaru-sama though. Dad used to say you should always be careful when dealing with a man who wears more makeup than your average streetwalker. Whatever that is. That said, it's a good place to start, and we can always shift our targets as we learn more names."

[Lokyar]

"Sounds like a plan. Depending on how the first two meetings go Ren could speak to Kushina while the rest of us follow up on new threads, and finally bring a proposal to the Yondaime. If we're lucky with all that's going on he won't already have details ironed out and welcome us resolving the situation for him."

Using a tendril to push himself back up into a standing position Hahn stretched a moment and turned to Ren. "Shall we?"

[pfm1995]

"Dad used to say you should always be careful when dealing with a man who wears more makeup than your average streetwalker."

Taiho breaks out into a hacking cough at that, finally settling and looking up with tears in his eyes. "I... I don't think that's makeup... But yes, the plan sounds good. You two go talk to the respectful, if distant, clan head and we'll go talk to the terrifying snake sannin."

[Moro Asahina]

http://i.imgur.com/xZk49nk.png

Ren giggled softly at Taiho's comment before simply rolling off her branch to land lightly on her feet near Hahn. "Honestly I doubt we'll get to actually meet him today. Unless we're really lucky we'll probably just be making an appointment to meet him being a clan head and all." She made her way over to stand next to Hahn, a slight frown marring her features. "Though honestly I hope we do get a meeting today. Otherwise we'll be expected to dress formally or it could be seen as a slight given what we want. If we're just coming from the funeral there is a bit more leeway in the social hoops we'll have to jump through." Her frown deepens and she sighs softly, looking to Hahn. "Still though...it might be best if we did go ahead and change into something a bit more formal. The Uchiha tend to be a little...stiff. Kind of makes me want to meet with the terrifying snake sannin instead."

[Lokyar]

http://i.imgur.com/ihRE8kA.png

"Still though...it might be best if we did go ahead and change into something a bit more formal. The Uchiha tend to be a little...stiff."

Hahn slumped slightly. "Ugh. I'd forgotten about that. Is it too late to grab a random chunin and be done with it?" Despite his words it was clear he was joking and began heading for the edge of the field, waving one last time over his head to the others. "I'll see you at the entrance to the Uchiha district."





http://i.imgur.com/0v1rfll.png

Hahn stood just outside the entryway to the Uchiha clan district in a formal kimono he'd received from his grandmother the previous year. Though uncomfortable in the bulky attire he didn't twitch or fidget as he waited for Ren to arrive.

[Moro Asahina]

http://i.imgur.com/eM2nd0R.jpg

It had taken her longer than she'd have liked to get ready, but then getting into a formal kimono on one's own was a pain. Then there was the expected makeup and putting her hair into something a bit more stylish than her usual "let it hang" style she wore on her off days. All in all it took the better part of an hour and a half after she got home to get herself sorted out, all the while muttering various unladylike things about the man they were going to go meet and how he'd best be grateful she was going through all this effort.

Still, she did a good job of it in her opinion, as expected of the girl who may very well end up the clan heir if nobody else stepped forward to take the lead in rebuilding the Uzumaki, and gave Hahn a warm smile as she made her way up the road; Walking a bit more slowly than usual to maintain proper ladylike grace. "Sorry to keep you waiting. It took a little longer than I'd thought it would to do everything I needed to." She chuckled softly, "Though the whole thing reminded me why I hate wearing these things. But theres nothing for it I suppose. So shall we?"

[pfm1995]

Looking to Katsumi lying on the ground, Taiho tips his head and says "We may as well get moving as well - though I don't think there's any reason to get dressed up. I doubt Orochimaru cares. Know where we can find him? I'd rather not ask his team."

[Lokyar]

http://i.imgur.com/0v1rfll.png

"It helps to have some extra hands getting into them. Why do you think reds and blacks feature so prominently in our attire?" Hahn smirked slightly as he let a tendril show from his sleeve. "Let's hope he's available today, I'd hate to have wasted the effort."

Turning to pass through the archway Hahn kept an eye out for any possible leads. Any adult would make a good first step, but an active uchiha ninja or even better a member of the uchiha police force might be able to lead them directly towards their quarry or pass along a message.

[Shimmer]

Sitting up Katsumi hmm'ed wracking her brain for what she could remember hearing about the legendary snake sannin. "I remember Asano-sensei saying Orochimaru-sama really liked eggs and it's still early enough for most of the restaurants to be serving breakfast. Why don't we scope them out and if that fails check in at the mission desk to see if he's reserved a training field for the day." She suggested getting up as she brushed what ever bits of grass might be clinging to her away.

"And you're right. I doubt Orochimaru will care if we dress up and he might take it as an insult if we did." She said with a shrug motioning for Taiho to follow her as the two of them took off for the food district.

[Moro Asahina]

http://i.imgur.com/eM2nd0R.jpg

She cocked her head and brought a finger to her lips in thought. "I always thought that was just in case a ninja's date went particularly poorly; and I've heard council meetings can get pretty heated too so there's that." With a little shrug, she joins him in looking around for Hitaiate. Given that it's a clan district she didn't figure it'd be too hard to find a guard or two at the entrance, but then she'd never been here before so she didn't know that. "But anyway, even if we can't meet him I wouldn't call it a wasted effort. He'll hear that we were looking for an audience with him this soon which should help us make a good first impression. And dad always used to say that the first impression is everything when it comes to meeting new people."


Perception: 1d20+10
Was supposed to be a perception roll, but the dice roller doesn't seem to want to cooperate with me today. That or I'm doing it wrong again.

[pfm1995]

Nodding, he sets out alongside her for the food district with his head on a swivel.

Perception: [roll0]

[Lokyar]

http://i.imgur.com/0v1rfll.png

"I can't speak for other clans but the council meetings I've seen are fairly quick and level headed. People have better things to do than seeing who can make their point the loudest. Makes me glad the Hanaro Clan doesn't subscribe to the genetic succession model. If I end up living long enough to get stuck on our council it won't eat up too much of my time, and someone with more patience can represent the clan in the village council."



Investigation(Gather Information): Make inquiries to lead to Fugaku
[roll0]
Perception: Looking for members of the Uchiha police force, or otherwise higher ranking uchiha ninja
[roll1]

[Moro Asahina]

http://i.imgur.com/eM2nd0R.jpg

"Huh, I guess it varies from clan to clan then. I'm not old enough to really remember the old Uzumaki council, but we've always been a little on the rowdy side so, you know." She gives a little shrug. "To be honest, I don't really like the idea of someone I've never met getting to decide things like who I marry, or what I'm allowed to specialize in as a ninja."


Lets try this again. Dunno, maybe it's something to do with that post.
Perception [roll0]

Gather Information [roll1]

[Shimmer]

Katsumi like Taiho scanned the area around her. The food district was busy and a bustle with life as various shinobi and civilians alike grabbed something to eat before heading to the morning markets.

[Fearan]

With Ren and Hahn
The Uchiha district is buzzing with life. Clan members going here and there for their own matters, returning from shopping trips or just idling around. Not much of police officers on duty here, because, who would be insane enough to stir things up in the district ruled by the most powerful of Konoha's clans. The only thing out of order was perhaps, that creepy kid with a blank stare sitting on the nearby roof and mostly ignored by the locals. However, you weren't left alone for long. A man in official robes appeared from the building closest to the district border and moved towards you.
Greetings, Uzumaki-san, Hanaro-san. - he said, after a slight bow - - I'm Uchiha Keitaro, please, be welcome. Would you like to follow me into the guesthouse - the man nodded towards the building, he appeared from - - and discuss, to what we owe the pleasure of your visit?
It was good to be a clan member - no matter how insignificant you were, at the very least, you would get some formal reception.

With Kasumi and Taiho
The dinner time was approaching and the food district was livelier then ever, filled with multitude of delicious smells coming from all angles. After nearly an hour of searching in the crowds, Kasumi caught the glimpse of a peculiar situation in one of the sweets shops. There stood Yukito, still with a sour face being obviously pestered by the girl from his team. She obviously tried to cheer him up, but from the looks of it, she wasn't the most social person. Her attempts involved shouting, shaking and trying to stick a dango in the poor guy's mouth.

[Lokyar]

http://i.imgur.com/CKLqq0E.png

Hahn bowed his head politely in thanks as he diverted his path towards the guesthouse. "Thank you, Uchiha-san."

As they passed through the doorway he resumed. "As you may know my cell recently suffered the loss of our commander. We know that Asano-sensei was sponsored by Fugaku Uchiha-dono, and was respected by her. We had hoped to arrange an informal meeting with him if his schedule allowed, to convey our respect and if possible to seek his council."

[pfm1995]

After having the two members of Team Orochimaru pointed out to him, "Hm. I had hoped not to see Yukito - we're likely the last people he wants to talk to." Taiho muttered mostly to himself.

[Moro Asahina]

http://i.imgur.com/eM2nd0R.jpg

Ren gave the man a warm smile and a polite bow as she gave her thanks as well. Once they were settled in, and Hahn explained their situation she nodded softly, "Ideally we would like to meet with him today, but we understand that tending to the Clan's affairs as its head is a never ending job. So if he is unavailable today, perhaps we could make an appointment to return and meet with him within the next couple of days?"


Persuasion, just in case it's needed
[roll0]

[Shimmer]

"You and me both. That's also Mitarashi-san with him and I'm not sure if we want to risk engaging with her. However, I hear you almost never find her far from Orochimaru-sama so there's a chance maybe if we hang back with can just observe and maybe she'll lead us to him? Or at least if Yukito-san leaves we can give talking to her a try without upsetting him." Katsumi reasoned eyeing the pair warily.

[pfm1995]

"You and me both. That's also Mitarashi-san with him and I'm not sure if we want to risk engaging with her. However, I hear you almost never find her far from Orochimaru-sama so there's a chance maybe if we hang back with can just observe and maybe she'll lead us to him? Or at least if Yukito-san leaves we can give talking to her a try without upsetting him." Katsumi reasoned eyeing the pair warily.

"Seems reasonable, lets find a place to sit."

[Fearan]

With socialites
The Uchiha's official listened to your petition thoughtfully. When you both finished, he bowed slightly again. - Please, accept my condolences for your loss. I will forward your request to Fugaku-sama immediately. Please, enjoy the tea, I hope, I'll be able to get an answer for you in a matter of hour. - with this, Keitaro brought a steaming teapot, two cups along with some sweets and left. For some time you were left alone. But nearly five minutes after Keitaro's leave, that kid from the street came in. You can see him clearly now - about 4 years old, typical Uchiha black eyes and black hair, "swallowed a stick" posture, clearly drilled in and a creepy, empty stare. He looked at you and spoke:
- Ninja-san. Your loss. I sorry. A question. May I?

With street detectives
The quarrel in team Orochimaru ended with Yukito hastily leaving the scene. From the seats you've found near that sweets shop you can observe the girl - Mitarashi-san, as Kasumi called her, made a few steps after him, following the teammate with the astonished look...and jump over the dango stick, dropped by the guy in the middle of their heated(at least from the girl's side) discussion. The next few moment, she spent trying to blow dust from the sticky dangos - with occasional look towards the street, Yukito left into.

[pfm1995]

After Yukito had left, Taiho stepped into Mitarashi's field of view and slowly approached.

"Mitarashi-san, I'm sorry for the intrusion. We were looking for Orochimaru-sama to ask his advice, do you know where we might find him?"

[Moro Asahina]

http://i.imgur.com/eM2nd0R.jpg

She bowed in return as the man brought out tea for them and gave the man a warm smile. "Thank you, both for your kind words and for your efforts on our behalf Uchiha-san." She was honestly surprised that they'd been able to find someone as quickly as they had. She'd half expected to spend at least an hour or two playing detective to try and find the right person, so she wasn't about to complain about their good fortune. Goddess knows they were due a bit of that after their last mission.

When Keitaro left, she took up the teapot and offered to pour Hahn a cup before filling her own. She had just taken her first sip, giving a soft "mmm" of appreciation, when the strange boy they'd seen came in and spoke. While the boy certainly had an odd air about him, especially those eyes, Ren had always liked children so she gave him a warm smile. Since the boy looked rather young and seemed to be just getting used to speaking, she responded in a kind tone, though a little more slowly than she would normally speak to help him understand. "Thank you little one. Though, you can call me Ren if you want." Gesturing to herself when she said her name. She paused a moment to let Hahn introduce himself if he wanted to before continuing. "I don't mind answering a question. Though depending on what it is, I may not know the answer."

[Lokyar]

http://i.imgur.com/CKLqq0E.png

Hahn bowed gratefully. "Thank you for your efforts." As the man left Hahn's posture drooped noticable. "Tiiiiriiing~" he droned out half under his breath. When offered he accepted the tea with a muttered thanks and sipped lazily while they waited.

He was somewhat surprised at the sudden appearance of a child, and when Ren responded he gladly ceded primary 'talking to the kid' duties to her. Instead his own response was a slight nod and a sound of mild disinterest. After all, the kid was an uchiha. Nods and minor grunts were at least 30% of the vocabulary with them.

[Shimmer]

While Katsumi wasn't afraid of Anko per say she had a healthy enough respect for the older kunoichi to be at least wary. Thus when Taiho just stepped right up to the other girl all Katsumi could do was try to look as respectful as possible and hope for the best.

That and follow Anko's gaze down the road hoping Yukito was not quick to return or if he was he would do so after they had left. He likely would need the support of his teammates in the future and Anko, though odd, was in her own way trying to be supportive.

[Fearan]

With tea ceremony
The kid nodded at Ren's words. - Ren-san - he repeated the girl's name to remember it. - I Uchiha - he, introduced himself, then after a small pause, he figured, that maybe, for some reason his clan name wasn't enough - Itachi. It is a honor. The question: Dying. What's point? - he finally asked, what he wanted from the visiting ninjas.

With dango shopping
The spiked-haired girl turned to Taiho, as if ready to strike at him - You sneak up on me again - I'll have ton of boring paperwork afterwards. So please, don't - apparently, she wasn't going to admit, that she was carried away by either thinking of her teammate, or dango stick in the mud - Now, who are you, what do you want, and what's in it for me?

[pfm1995]

Holding his hands up, Taiho takes a step back. "My apologies, I hadn't thought I would surprise you. My name is Taiho Inoue, this is Oboro Katsumi - we're members of Team Nakuru. We are looking for Orochimaru-sama to ask his advice, do you have any idea where we might find him?" He pauses a moment, thinking. "I don't suppose I know what's in it for you."

[Lokyar]

http://i.imgur.com/CKLqq0E.png

Hahn's eyebrow quirked up. 'Well that's a rather interesting thing to go asking strangers about. If I had to guess he's already tried asking around and either didn't get an answer because of his age, or didn't like the answers he got.'

Though not particularly morbid, like most of his clan he was more aware of the inevitability of mortality than most. Hahn found himself interested in spite of himself, and though he didn't correct his posture one could see his attention in his gaze. The child's ability to make himself understood was still developing but he hoped his interest in such a nuanced topic meant that he could understand a response without oversimplifying it. "What is the point of singing, or family, or home? There isn't just one purpose, we give it our own meaning. A ninja makes death, our own or others, have a point. We kill or die to preserve, to promote, to punish. Even if we don't die by choice we can make our life before that moment mean more, use that limitation to push ourselves to be more than we would otherwise be."

[Moro Asahina]

http://i.imgur.com/eM2nd0R.jpg

Ren gave Itachi a warm smile as he introduced himself. "A pleasure to meet you Itachi-san." Though her expression turned thoughtful at his question. When Hahn beat her to it she nodded in agreement before adding her thoughts. "Unfortunately, what Hahn said is right. There is no simple answer to that question since each person chooses their own reason for fighting and dieing. That said, I think you have things backwards Itachi-san. What is important is not how a person dies, but how they lived."

A warm smile graces her lips as she thinks back on her father's life. She hadn't been able to know him as long as she'd have liked, but she still had fond memories of him. "A lot of people focus on the fact that as ninja we are expected to kill, or even give up our lives for the village. But it's what we do with the time we have that gives our lives, and even our deaths, meaning. Do your best to live your life without regrets, to protect those you hold dear, but most of all, to make it so when you look back on your life you can do so with a smile."