The wind was strong on top of the cliff as the leaves in the surrounding trees rustled loudly and the village noise almost drowned out completely, the sky dotted with drifting clouds and the occasional bird. The view was spectacular alone, overlooking a vast wilderness and part of the village itself but the real beauty was underneath the view in a temple that she stumbled upon with her mother back when she was a child during one of their morning runs. It was a huge temple, well kept and still in use but oddly formed, instead of it being like any other ordinary temple it was built to be upside-down, a characteristic Adzumi herself always loved.

As she stepped closer to the edge she looked up toward the sky, her bright blue eyes shining in remembrance as she turned on her toes and fell, back first, over the edge with her arms spread wide. The usual flood of adrenaline filled her veins as she neared the ground and with accuracy and speed she drew two Kunai knives from the pouch strapped to her thigh and struck them into the cliff side, focusing her chakra in the blades her body began to slow down enough for her to drop to the floor, landing in a crouch. Flinging her head back ,causing her hood falling onto her shoulders, and she smiled, making another perfect landing. The cliffside was torn apart by the many times she completed her little stunt, and she was honestly proud of it, as if it were her own personal art work. 

Bringing her arms up behind her head she lets the strong wind from the temple entry way cool her off, her heart beat slowly coming down form the rush.

Why exactly did he come here again? Was he really planning on going through with his initial thoughts? Questions like that and more were being repeatedly asked within the deeper part of his conscious; a silent mantra only being heard by him alone. Shielding his eyes, russet brown in color, from the sun’s intense rays that were bearing down on him heatedly, he continued peering up at the relatively large cliffside as he wrestled with his current thoughts.

Having left, more like kicked out, the comforts of home within Hi no Kuni about a week ago, Razan had made his way to Kumogakure after hearing about the Chuunin exams, and more importantly to visit the village and check out a rumor that piqued his curiosity since he was a child working in his parent’s forge. Within Kumogakure no Sato, there lies a temple located somewhere within a cliff. A temple that, from his understanding, didn’t honor a single deity or influential person. But that wasn’t got him intrigued by it, no, the rumor that the pantheon was built upside down did. From what he could remember, speculation , but none Kaminari natives, were abound on why someone would build a temple in such a manner. What purpose did it serve? Was it to hide something? Or did whoever built it did it to mindfuck those after him?

Razan didn’t know these answers, but maybe the temple would shed some light on the mystery of it? There was only one way to find out. . .

Making his way down the cliff, having walked up a beaten path during his inner monologue, he would stop at the base of the cliff. If he remembered correctly, the temple would be somewhere underneath it, and so with that he went about searching for. Surprisingly it didn’t take him long to find the awe inspiring temple and to verify with his own eyes that it was indeed built upside down.

He took a moment to bask in the presence of the temple before scaling the cliff walls, chakra anchoring his feet to it, black strands of hair fluttering in the wind as he walked parallel with the cliff-face. Coming to the entrance, seeing the floor below him, Razan cut off the chakra from his feet, and dropped down to the floor, landing with as much grace as someone of his caliber could.

After a quick check to make sure he didn’t accidently injured himself, Razan allowed himself to look around the room. As his eyes gaze over the central room, at least what he deemed as such, they would lock onto a red haired woman. When did she get here? How long had she been there? Where Razan’s thoughts as he spoke, loud enough for the lady to hear “Hey. Didn’t realize someone else was here. . .”

---

479

The view of the cliffside was interrupted as a figure began walking down the wall, calmly as if they knew it was there are were on their way intentionally to view the temple hidden within the cliff side, as if hearing her thoughts the figure suddenly fell, landing properly on their feet and taking a few moments to check themselves for harm. 

At this moment Adzumi dropped her arms from behind her head and straightened her shoulders, her hand hovering over the pouch strapped on her thigh as the figure turned and noticed her. Noticing the headband, even from this distance, her nerves calmed a little as he greeted her, giving her the sense that he wasn't someone to fear if they started the conversation with admitting that she wasn't even noticed. Raising an eyebrow in astonishment, as she was in the middle of the temple opening, how was she not noticed. 

Clearing her voice she replied, taking a few steps forward in the process, "You really didn't realize someone was here? Come on man... it's not like I was waiting to pounce on any unsuspecting explorers."

As she stepped closer the ends of her white dress fluttered up slightly against the oncoming wind, she neared the man til there was only a few feet between them, and she watched him very closely as she spoke again, "So a traveling shinobi? What are you doing way over here.. isn't this a bit far from the main attraction of the village?"  Her tone was cautious but genuinely interested in his reasoning, she crossed her arms across her chest, keeping her stance strong as she awaited his answer.


Adzumi wasn't much of a stickler for the rules but she was so unused to the sight of other shinobi in her village it put her on a slight edge that she didn't exactly know how to deal with. When looking at her she wasn't much in terms of threat level, being so small and thin she looked to be no more than what she, a fresh Genin, but she had enough know how to defend herself if this stranger got out of hand.


Glancing toward the temple again she longed to be able to walk among the intricately carved walls and just relax but as she returned her eyes back to the stranger she was unsure she was going to be able to do just that at all. Casting her eyes down to his feet and up to his face, taking in his height over her and any possible weaknesses she could use against him if she had to,like his long black hair held in a low pony tail. 


She kept her emotions held back but from her earlier distance she was unable to see the beauty that were his eyes, and only as she had gotten closer was she able to see them, a deep russet brown and if the sun hit right, a bit red. They were opposite her bright blue eyes, that almost seemed to glow, the contrast was something she enjoyed. Looking away from his eyes suddenly she slightly bowed her head as she retracted her earlier behavior, "I'm sorry that was rude of me...Welcome to the Kumogakure.. and to its Hidden Temple. My name is Adzumi Mizuno.... I promise I'm not usually so stiff with my words."  She nodded once more as if to confirm to herself that she had done all she could to fix the uncomfortableness she had caused.

No sooner had the words left his mouth, Razan knew it might have seen farfetched that he hadn't noticed her presence until a few seconds ago. That as he was falling to the ground, or rather a floor, below him that he didn't catch a glimpse of another human standing in the center of the room. Yes, it might have raised some eyebrows at his lack of above average situational awareness, but then again, he is only a civilian with only enough shinobi training, and know how, to deal with typical low-life bandits and the common thug. His sixth sense, being able to feel  another presence even without some form of sensory ability, wasn't honed like those of shinobi: however, it has gotten sharper after been kicked out of the house by his parents, and left to wander the Elemental Nation. He hoped the sincerity in his words, of not knowing she was there, would've been enough to diffused any hostile situation. . .

Apparently not; for a split second, his eyes flickered down towards her hand hovering over pouch, presumably a weapon one. "Of course, I would run into someone that's armed. . .", he silently mused, making a mental note to buy some weapons while in Kumogakure, having misplaced, lost, the pair of knives he forged, somewhere during his travels. Musing on how to diffuse the hostile situation, Razan thoughts were suddenly cut off by the clearing of the stranger's voice and the words that followed.

Shaking his head Razan' spoke "Nope, I didn't realize anyone was here. I mean, I figured that there was a chance that someone might be here exploring the temple, but didn't think I would run into them. ", raising an eyebrow, and shuffling back a little "How do I know that? You could just be trying to get me to lower my guard before pouncing on me, as you say. ", he said with a not so subtle mirth "Not like you would get much. ", he mused as an afterthought.

This time, when she stepped towards him, Razan didn't bother in shuffling back, instead staying his ground in an almost relaxed posture. His eyes remained trained on hers, never straying from them even when the ends of her dress fluttered upward due to a breeze. Someone else would have taken the opportunity to try and sneak a glance, but not Razan, he wasn't that type of guy.

Taking a glance around the temple, Razan collected his thoughts, eyes returning back to the expecting stranger, " I wouldn't call myself a shinobi, more like an amateur blacksmith with some shinobi training sprinkled in.", he said, speaking the genuine truth in regards how he view himself. Razan wasn't some wandering shinobi, no, he is simply an amateur blacksmith looking for a place in the world. The statement is proven true by the lack of headband or anything on his persona that suggested he was a shinobi from another village or a wandering one. Him being dressed in a short sleeve button up black shirt with two of the top buttons undone, a pair of dark blue loose fitting pants, and black shoes, only seem to convey his claim more. "During my childhood, working in our family store, I overheard some regulars talking about Kumogakure's hidden temple, and the beauty and mystic qualities it possessed. Through talking to others, I learned about its unique design and was intrigued by why someone would build a temple in such a manner. It is only recently, after I left home, that I was able to come here and see the temple for myself. ", he spoke, probably given her more insight about him then she wanted.

"As for the main attractions in Kumo, I'm new here, so I wouldn't know where to begin. ", he said, smiling at the stranger before him and giving her an open invitation for a future meeting. He only arrived in Kumogakure yesterday and promptly went to sleep, being wary from his traveling, therefore, he hadn't had the opportunity to explore the village and visit its main attractions. So, if this stranger, who granted he still didn't know her name yet, could show him around the village at a later time then he would be grateful. "So, what about you? Why did you come here? Of course, you don't need to tell me.", the last part being added in case her reasonings were personal.

Once when her eyes lost contact with his, after returning from looking around the temple, and began scrutinizing his appearance, did he do the same. ”Roses. . . “, was the first thing that came to mind when looking at her shoulder length pink hair. Never had he seen someone with that particular hair coloration, having been use to seeing the typical blondes, blacks, browns, and some white/grays, until now. The exotic color shade only further accentuated the stranger’s looks in a good way. Looking away from her hair, his eyes continued downward, taking in her appearance before returning back to those striking blue eyes of hers.

He had an irking on what she might be during while looking at him from head to toe; she probably was looking for any weakness in his stance and anything that she could use against him. She would find these things, his posture throughout their whole interaction being relaxed and non-threatening.

He chuckled when she averted her gaze from his, her eyes having stared a little too intently into his, and apologizing for her early behavior, her head slightly bowed. Now that wouldn’t do, “There isn’t any need to bow your head, even slightly.” he said, wanting her to look at him like the strong woman she portrayed herself early as. “No need to apologize. You had every right to be suspicious of me. But now I do hope your suspicion has waned?”, he asked a gentle smile on his face. Even though she came off a little bit hostile, he couldn’t hold that against her. If the situations were reversed, he would have acted the same way. "Thank you, for the warm welcome, Adzumi-san. I'm Shimura, Razan,", he spoke, giving his surname name first and bow slightly. Returning back to an up position, Razan looked around the temple once more before looking back at Adzumi and smiling “Since we are both here, mind showing me around? Unless, of course, you got other plans.”

---

1087(1566)

The distance between them growing less and less with each step she took toward him, the slightly wet dirt kicking up small dust clouds whenever he shuffled his feet, while her steps were light and intricate, leaving almost no trace to her even disturbing the earth she stepped on. Interestingly enough when she advanced once more he stopped moving back at all and instead corrected her earlier assumption that he was a shinobi, feeling rather embarrassed she swallowed the lump of shame that had grown in her throat, as she now felt rather silly to have needlessly harassed a civilian.

His eyes were so intently trained on her own that it was almost entrancing, and rather courageous in her own mind for someone who openly admitted to not being a shinobi and even stated that they were only trained well enough to protect themselves from robbers and bandits of the like, for she knew what she looked like when she was gearing up her body for a potential battle. Even with the short lapse in eye contact he didn't hesitate to return them to hers, a deadly trained killer of whom he didn't know was of a high moral standing or not.

The more he spoke the more at ease she found herself, and even found herself looking around as he mentioned the temple in his explanation of why he was there in the first place, apparently she was so focused on this being her spot she had forgotten that other people, just regular people, also liked to travel. With his words more guilt built up on top of the embarrassment for her mistaking him for an enemy.

She had to contain a slightly blush as she caught onto what his next statement meant, he was asking if she would mind showing him around her how village, and now with her  nerves coming off high alert she wasn't as opposed to the idea as she was a few moments ago. Sighing a little in thought of his question she replied, less cautious than before, "It was the place my mother and I used to come to, nothing personal.. it's also the spot I jump from." She cast her eyes up at the multiple carvings in the cliff side that she had caused over the years before returning to look at him and apologize for her behavior.

As she bowed her head slightly he told her there was no need for such things and she lifted her head back up to stare into his eyes once more, mixed feelings flooding her mind. She felt an odd comfort being around him, maybe it was simply due to the fact that she wasn't in any real danger or was it something else about him, it was just soft, calming and respectful. 

As he smiled to her, after asking if her suspicion had waned at all she found herself relaxing and returning his gentle smile with a genuine one of her own. She felt her muscles release tension and her shoulders fall back into a comfortable position. He then proceed to introduce himself, Shimura.. Razan, and the best part was after scolding her , albeit kindly, he himself bowed to her in greeting. Unable to contain it she laughed a little and shook her head, sending the ends of her hair swaying against her collarbones. 

Placing a hand on her hip and leaning a bit on her right foot she spoke, a joking tone obviously in use, "So I can't bow my head but you can? Apparently after this long the gender double standard still exists." She looked up once more at the cliff side then back into the temple before starting toward the entrance, after a few steps she looked over her shoulder, a smile sneaking up on her lips, "It's just Adzumi by the way.. and you better keep up Razan, if anyone knows these temples it's me."

She couldn't shake whatever it was that made it so easy for her to be comfortable around this stranger but for now she would enjoy the moment. As she stepped into the entrance the wind got stronger, blowing her hair back with enough force to make the leaves on the surrounding trees shake. Unfortunately for anyone in her company Adzumi wasn't one to be shy, except for certain security protocols, which resulted in her not even paying attention to the way her dress fluttered about in the wind. Nothing reached to high for anything to be seen, but on more than one occasion it got dangerously close.

"The temples have been here for as long as anyone can remember, I believe they were just renovated recently though so as to allow more of an air flow... but the renovated stuff isn't what you came to see now is it Razan?" She glanced into his eyes again as the hallways they were walking down into began to twist more and grow a bit dimmer with fewer lights strung on the walls. She stopped just before she entered a room that was much brighter than the rooms they had been passing thus far and flopped back against the wall in front of it, motioning him to enter first without saying a word.

The room she was urging him to enter was her favorite room, the strange shape of the temple seemed the most exaggerated with the ceiling being obviously bigger than the floor underneath it. The part that made this room so special was the walls actually, as time had passed many people had visited and carved a step into the wall leading it up and around the room in a circular motion. the steps weren't very high, and since the walls were so old in this part they were soft enough to be able to carve into, on each step was the name of the person who had done it.

After he entered she leaned in the doorway, with her arms crossed on her chest and her legs crossed together neatly she surveyed the walls,her eyes filled with fondness that it changed her whole face to something truly soft and beautiful. For a few moments she lost herself in those walls, just running her eyes along the walls like she had done every time she had come before.

Even from such a small exchange, Razan shuffling his feet backwards as Mizuno closed the distanced between the pair, one could easily tell the difference of skill level between them. While his movements were slightly uncoordinated, heavy, only showing minor signs of being trained in a shinobi-esque way, kicking up mini clouds of dust with each shuffling of his feet, Mizuno's were not. Her steps were light as the lightest feather, not disturbing the ground in the slightest, as she seemingly glided, in Razan's eyes, across it, towards him, only stopping her advancement once he stopped backpedaling. And even when she came to a stop, Razan noted, didn't give any indication that she was standing on it.

What make this so frightening is, her movements were all natural and not robotic, it was like, Mizuno was born with the ability to transverse ground with such ease and quietness. No, that isn't accurate, it's more like she was trained to such a point where moving graceful as she did came second nature to her; just as simple as breathing. The gap between a genin and a wanderer trained in the shinobi arts, like him, was terrific. And for a brief moment, Razan wonder, could he have been the same if he attended the academy in Konohagakure no Sato?

Most civilians, similair to him, would have long since broken eye contact from a trained shinobi, either looking elsewhere or trying to spot any weapons they might be carrying at the time. He, Razan, did not do any of that. His eyes were solely trained on her, never once wavering in their commit to remained eye contact, gazing into her pair of twirling galaxies, instead of wandering to spot any weapon she might have on herself. He did not need to know what visible weapons Mizuno might be carrying, although, he did note, it looked like she was gearing up for war, because the most dangerous weapons are those unseen, invisible to the naked eye, tucked away somewhere on her person. He feared those the most, yet, didn't allow that to show on his face. No, those dark russet brown orbs still retained their appearance from before.

Did he fear Mizuno? Of course, she was a shinobi after all, they deserved to be feared as much as they were respected, and even though it might seem like a lie, Razan really did only had enough training to deal with the common thug and lowlife bandit. Despite that, he wouldn't forfeit his life over to her without putting up some resistance, fighting till his last breath expel from his lungs and even beyond that. Razan might not be the best fighter physically, but he was a fighter at heart, and that's just as dangerous, or so says his mothers. Yes, if things happened to go that way then he would act accordingly.

Thankfully they did not, his words having seemed to ease her apprehension of him. The barely visible ice chips on the corner of her eyes, slowly melting, as she seemed to become relaxed around him. His gaze followed hers, taking their first, hopefully, many more, looks over the temple he came to visit. While there wasn't much to offer in what, Razan, considered to be the main room, it was still enough for him to get a feel of the places. He marveled at some of the priceless artifacts placed throughout the room, eyes squinting to try and make out some of the depictions covering them with no success. He took note of the massive pillars around the temple, some leading deeper within, and he was amazed by their size. They were so big! Never had he seen something that big in his life, not even studying and reading about such large constructs could have prepared him for seeing them in person.

Any more excitement were reigned in, Razan having noted his earlier words have affected his companion in a negative way. He really didn't mean for his other admission to cause her to feel guilt for her actions. There wasn't anything she did wrong. She acted like a shinobi protecting their home should have, at least in his opinion she did.

Razan almost cocked his head to the side in a sign of confusion as his eyes noted the dusty red hue spreading across her cheeks. Why was she blushing? Did he - Oh! He probably should work on using better word choices when conversing with others. Don't want to them to get the wrong idea, like Mizuno undoubtedly had. Yes, he asked if she would mind taking him around her village, showing him various places. Yes, it might seem like he was asking her own a date or sorts, he did ask HER if she would take him around, never saying she could bring a friend, however, dating was the furthest thing from his mind at the moment.  And that's why, a dusty hue also appeared on his face; Razan being embarrassed at the other implication of his comment.

However, his embarrassment washed away quickly, her sighing having broken his train of thought, as he listens to Mizuno speak fondly, even though she said it was nothing personal, about coming here with her mother. He didn't know what to say in response to such a statement. What could he? There were no words in the human tongue to express anything worthwhile in acknowledgment of her comment. So, instead of speaking, Razan just smiled, nodding in understanding, eyes showing genuine acceptance when they made contact with hers for that split second.

A warm smile and eyes greeted her when she popped up from her bow, Razan having stated it wasn't needed. Dark russet orbs stared unmovingly into a pair of miniature galaxies whirling with emotions Razan couldn't place. However, he did note the once tense atmosphere having fallen, being replaced with comfortable one. Razan found himself relaxing even more, if possible, in the presence of a woman who, moments ago, he thought might get physical with him. It was strange, but welcoming comfort between the pair. The strange portion didn't last long, being completely replaced by an comfort that's similar to one share between friends or the likes.

Her laughter were like wind chimes on a morning breeze, dancing as they reached his ears, their melody still being heard even after it had died now. Those long red strands of hair, swaying against her collarbone, drew his attention, only for a second, though. They oddly enough reminded him of a pick-up line he used once upon a time when he tried date a red-haired civilian; something about the red string of fate caused them to meet. Remembering that incident caused him to chuckle slightly though the chuckling continued when Mizuno jokingly mentioned about double standards apparently till exist "Nope! I don't think a strong woman and shinobi like yourself should be bowing, at least not to a civilian like me. I on the other hand. . . it's a force of habit, having worked in my parents shop for such a long time." he quipped.

Following her gaze at the cliffside and back to the temple, Razan watched as Mizuno made her way towards the entrance before looking back, a smile on her face, something he return in kind, imploring him to call her by her first name, Adzumi, and telling him to keep up. "Very well, Adzumi. And I will try to keep up. Just don't go too fast, I am a civilian.", the last part coming out in a joking manner, catching up to her at the entrance.

The changed in the wind was immediate, Razan's hair being whipped around from the strong gust, thankfully it's in a ponytail or else, it would have surely got into his eyes. Although, that might have been better, for there were more than a few occasions Razan had to almost divert his eyes from Adzumi, the wind causing her dress to flutter dangerous high, flirting with showing him more than he wanted to see at the time, giving him ample view of her more of her leg. He still couldn't stop the blush from forming as he moved to stand beside her, listening to her about the temple having been renovated recently "It's a pity they had to renovate such a beautiful temple. Although, I see the point behind it, apart of still feels like certain world beauties don't need to be touched, modified, by man. " he said, nodding to her statement of him not coming here to see the renovations. He truly cared very little for such things when it pertain to his interest in temples.

Walking down the hallway beside Adzumi, Razan's eyes wandered over the various walls and pillars they passed as they descended further into the temple. Corridors once straight, now bent and twist, leading to different chambers within the temple's heart. His eyes adjusted accordingly to the change of light, it becoming noticeable dimmer the further the pair went in "You say, you know your way around this temple. Have you explored everything within it? If not, how far did you get.", he inquired, throwing a glance in her direction when the questioned was asked.

After more time walking, Razan stopped beside Adzumi, a front of a room that were brighter than the others they passed. Throwing a glance her direction, and unspoken questioned asked, he watched a she flopped back against the wall, and urged him into the room. Shrugging his shoulders, and trusting his partner, Razan did just that.

"Amazing. . .", the word came out before his brain registered it, Razan were truly enthralled by the room he had entered. Eyes travelled along each step that spiral up the wall, trying to read each name carved on them, but only being able to reading a few of them. Moving towards one of the walls, his fingers brushed against one of the steps, removing a thin layer of dust that hid a name there, "Adzumi, what is this place?", he asked, finally looking at the one who brought him here.

"Adzumi, you okay?", he asked with a hint of concern, having noticed a change within her demeanour that almost seemed like fondness. Could this have been another place where she and her mother use to go? Why haven't they continued going? Is her mother ---

That thought was stopped completely, Razan not wanting to think about that, so, instead, he waited for her answer.

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Time ebbed onward for the young black haired male as he waited for an answer from his partner.  The one who he had stumbled upon while entering the temple prior to this. The individual who he confronted like any other shinobi might have,  him in regards to his reasoning for visiting said place, and after finding them to be significant offer him conversation that quickly became exploration with someone who knew the place better than he did. He followed her through the many twist and turns, listening to the words she spoke, answering them the best of his ability along with throwing his own in there every so often, as they went deeper into the unusual pantheon. A sense of awe came over him at the different carvings, glyphs, and scarce artifacts they passed.

However, nothing prepared him for what laid ahead of him. What awaits behind a pair of doors that only his partner, Ameryuuu, knew about(at least he assumed so).  When she had stopped a front of the door, moving to the side, allowing him to enter before she did, thoughts and questions bubbled to the forefront of his mind, threatening to come forth even before stepping into the area. Such thoughts and queries were put on hold the moment he had stepped into the room.

The feeling overcoming him was hard to explain; surrealness, awe-inspiring, mystified, or maybe it wasn't as difficult as he once thought? All those pretty adjectives summed up his feelings at the time quite well, of course, there were better word choices he could've used, but that wasn't important now. Those dark russet, brown orbs of his took in everything about the room; touching all with their curiosity gaze, leaving nothing feeling unwanted. Touches, soft and gentle, caressed the spiraling walls, running across the names that had all but been faded out by time.

Yes, he did all of this and more, moments prior to now. And when he had looked back at his partner, the one who brought him here, questions no longer being able to contain themselves within his any longer, spewing out, hoping to be answered, they were halted with the haunting look of Ameryuu; an emotion of sadness being prominent about her. When asked what was wrong, no reply was giving, only silence.

He really didn't know what to do in the current situation. However, he couldn't stay here much longer, having some prior engagements to attend to, therefore, with a promise to meet again, hopefully in better circumstances, Razan left the temple, however, not before hugging the woman.

-exit-

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