Invite: Nayoko Nozara

Today was almost too good to be true. Blue sky, good weather, a peaceful city garden, and a successful escape from her chaperones. Granted, she was not gone just yet, but she allowed herself a brief moment of repose nonetheless. Having ditched the robes in the Siren's Bar, and the schoolgirl outfit she had worn for her disguise, Nariko was now wearing a pastel purple dress, with a butterfly hairpin beautifying the black hair which covered her dress loosely in the back. With her fair skin and natural beauty of her youth, she looked almost like a dream with the garden's flowers behind her and the gentle murmuring of a little river nourishing the verdant grass at her feet.

Sitting on a stone bench, she took out her favourite music instrument - the flute - and played one of the soft tunes she had learned in her spare time to calm herself down. Even if she had not been able to produce a sound-based genjutsu with the flute, at least she loved to believe that the entirety of the scene now could be considered as one. If anything, just this brief moment, she wanted this dream to exist forever - her Elysian Fields - before she had to move on again towards a better place. A place away from her father, and thus away from Kiri.

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Nayoko stretched and yawned quietly as he stood in front of the huge glass window that made up almost one entire wall of the honeymoon suite that he had managed to get into with the help of his friend and travelling companion, Shimada. He had awoken early this morning, and found himself standing at the window, trying to garner some inspiration for what to do that day. He had already completed a couple of missions in the village, and he had met some other ninja that lived in Kirigakure no Sato, but today he was unsure of how to proceed. He knew that someday soon he would have to finally head to the Swamp of Sorrow and fulfill his purpose for being here, the strange man that had challenged him to come to the foreign nation seemingly still waiting for him without repercussions. But Nayoko knew that eventually this mystery man’s patience would wear out, and judging by the knowledge that he seemed to have about Nayoko that the young Hattori himself was unsure of, the twenty two year old knew that he could not take any chances when it came to waiting. With that thought in his mind, he decided that he would tell Shimada as soon as he returned from whatever he ended up dong that it was time to go, but until then, he was going to take the beginning of the day to relax. It may be the last chance he got.

After throwing on his jacket, grabbing a book for a possible past time, and stepping outside, Nayoko knew that if he was to die, he had certainly picked a good day for it. The sky was nowhere near as cloudy as it had been of late, and the sun was shining brightly in the blue sky. Releasing a sigh of relief and contentedness, Nayoko proceeded to walk through the Village Hidden in the Mists, to which he was a stranger. It did not take the young man long before he found himself wandering through a beautiful city garden that had a few other locals traversing it. It was peaceful, and the ambiance that Nayoko picked up on what exactly what he had ben looking for when it came to calming himself down. Nodding in approval, Nayoko strode over to a small stone bench in the middle of this garden next to a large tree and opened his fantasy novel to read. While sitting there he found himself becoming lost in the pages of his story, delving subconsciously into a narrative filled with magic and mysticism that managed to enrapture Nayoko for some time.

He was not sure how long he had been reading for when he was snapped out of his self induced trance by a beautiful and unexpected sound. It was a flute being played beautifully somewhere nearby. Nayoko smiled as he listened to the notes drift by him in a perfect melody that was calming by its very nature. Slowly, Nayoko marked his page and closed the book that he had been reading. He then stood, craning his neck around and listening closely to try to find the source of the music. It was not too long before Nayoko was able to spot a young woman sitting on a bench similar to the one he had found, sitting and playing the flute that he had heard. She seemed quite a bit younger than Nayoko, and her long black hair that fell down her back was accented by a butterfly hairpin and a pastel purple dress. Her presence there, framed by flowers and a bubbling brook nearby, reminded Nayoko of the book he had just been reading; she seemed magical. The thought made his smile only grow more as he leaned up against a nearby tree and listened to her playing.

When she stopped to take a break, Nayoko would wave to her. “Hey there! I just wanted to say how beautifully you play that flute. It’s wonderful to listen to out here.” If she acknowledged him, he would step forward and extend a hand to shake hers, introducing himself. “I’m Nayoko Nozara, shinobi of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. What’s your name?” Otherwise, he would just continue to listen to the lovely music she was making.

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Nariko had felt gazes being thrown into her direction as she played. Unlike the usual gawking, it wasn't for the rarity of seeing a girl with wings but for her performance that seemingly reached out, touch their hearts in ways few could do. The ease with which beautiful music could lure people into a false sense of security was touching. And foolish. At moments as this, she wished she would have had sound-based genjutsu that allowed her to play with their minds. Put them asleep, maybe. See her as a goddess, maybe. Or call upon the most sad memories lurking within their minds. Maybe.

Finishing the last tones of her self-written song, she removed the flute from her lips and opened her eyes again. People flashed her a smile from a distance and she shyly smiled back, feigning a blush. One of those people, seemingly smitten by her performance was waving at her, trying to get her attention. Did he want an autograph? No, he wanted to compliment her like the others. In person. Coyly she smiled back at him, blushing slightly as she looked down a brief moment before laying eyes upon his again. His were a warm brown colour. At that point, the young man came closer and as he did, Nariko eyed his clothes. Short-sleeved jacket, sleeveless shirt, grey pants with a belt and black boots. The attire of a man who valued early readiness, dressed for efficiency. Rural combat, maybe? No. Shinobi, seeing the headband on the black belt.

As Nayoko arrived, he promptly extended a hand as he complimented her performance, upon which Nariko stood up, curtsied before him first, and then offered her hand loosely to him by resting it a little above his. Would he understand she meant for him to brush his lips over her hand like a true gentleman?

He presented himself as Nayoko Nozara, shinobi of Konoha and asked for hers in return. Konoha, huh? At least he would have not a single clue who she was, no matter which name she used to mask her identity. But the Land of Fire... Perhaps that was not a bad place to flee too. It wasn't as if she had a distinct idea of where to go to - every place would just be as dangerous as any other. Well, Kumo was off the record considering that Kiri and Kumo didn't really see eye to eye currently, but there were plenty of other places remaining. Sorrows for later.

"A pleasure to meet you, mister Nozara. My name is Nariko. As you noticed, I'm an artist.", she replied, using her trained singing voice to match her artistic allure. Just another image. Just another disguise, even if this voice and this attitude approached closely to whom she truly was. An artist, playing the emotions and the mind of the people, distorting the mundane by imposing her reality onto theirs. "Your compliment is heart-warming, much like your origins. The Land of Fire, is it not? What brings you to Kirigakure, if I may ask?"

Surely it was not the nice weather or the presence of a strong law? If anything, Kirigakure was an unruly place to live in, filled with all sorts of strong people aiming to get stronger still, corruption, the Siren's Bar and other expectations that wasn't always allowed to be seen during the daylight. At least, that's how she had always experienced it as soon as she left the main street.


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Nayoko watched as the young woman before him curtsied politely and offered her hand up into his, resting it slightly above his own. The young Hattori raised an eyebrow before gently taking her hand in his, shaking it ever so lightly and the letting go of it, completely misreading the situation and not understanding what he was expected to do when offered a lady’s had like that. Nayoko smiled as she responded and introduced herself. "A pleasure to meet you, mister Nozara. My name is Nariko. As you noticed, I'm an artist," she replied, her voice like that of a beautiful singer’s, full and pure. Nayoko had never really met an artist before. He had only ever found himself in the company of other ninja for the most part, which left him in a bit of discomfort as realized that she was not just any other person. She had dedicated her life to something greater than just fighting for a village. She had decided to bring joy to others through music it seemed. It was something that Nayoko knew he would never be able to do, but he admired it in any case.

"Your compliment is heart-warming, much like your origins. The Land of Fire, is it not? What brings you to Kirigakure, if I may ask?" Her question was welcome to Nayoko. It gave him something tat he knew well to talk about, rather than some sort of artistic question that he would not be able to answer. He smiled in response, “That’s right! From Kiri’s western allies across the Kaizoku Sea. It’s good to finally see the village that mine has allied itself so closely with.”  He paused, contemplating how to respond to Her other question. He certainly could not refuse to answer, as that would be seen as very rude to someone of her stature, and he was not comfortable lying to her either, so instead, he decided to reveal as little as he could. “As to why I am here, well I will admit, it is both for personal and professional reasons. Myself and a friend of mine are participating in the Konoha-Kiri Shinobi exchange program to continue to strengthen the bonds between out two villages. But I would be lying if I did not have my own reasons for being here. An old family friend recently sent me a message asking me to come visit, so I decided to kill two birds with one stone and get in some extra work while seeing him.” He sighed happily and glanced around the park, taking in the sights once again. “Like I said earlier, I’m glad to be here, but it’s not exactly what I was expecting. I’ve found it... rather dreary usually. Not that I mean to insult the Village or the country, but I'm just not used to it. Maybe it’s all the mist, but I’m used to having clear and sunny days all of the time, not just on a select few days, like today.” He said, gesturing around him.

“But enough about me and my travels. Certainly, the life of an artist is one that is much more eventful than my own! Are you from around here? Or did you also travel here from a far off land to spread your talents around the world?” He was genuinely interested in her response, wondering how talented she really was and if his own stories would even begin to measure up to the stories of travel this young woman might have experienced.

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So he didn't have an idea of high society etiquette? A little disappointing, but all together interesting. He shook her hand firmly instead, a sensation she wasn't really used to due to her upbringing. His hands were warm and firm, obviously from the training he had received as a shinobi, but it was mostly the direct physical contact she wasn't very familiar with she registered. To think that her father wouldn't even allow such simple formalities because 'this is not how people of our position behave'. The fool. Oh, how tired she was from being in the clan, meeting all of his buffoonish expectations.

Nayoko explained why he travelled here. Allies? A Konoha-Kiri exchange program? Those sounded unfamiliar in her ears. Since her clan didn't bother much with alliances and village politics, such topics were rarely, if ever, discussed. And her father was extra obnoxious on those things, considering domination of the clan as the utter and only dedication required of a Santaku. She felt already bored just thinking about it. Unlike him, she'd prefer to subject the whole world to her mind games and dominate the weak into new, most enlightening ways of life. She smiled softly.

He proceeded to talk about his family, and she nodded emphatically along the conversation. As if those were precious in life. As in, they did not serve a purpose of servitude? How curious lives could differ so much just by living in a different Village. Not that she blamed him for caring, she cared about a few people as well.When he mentioned he 'killed two birds with a single stone', she couldn't help it but wiggle her back ever so little. Sure, her wings were sealed, but the reference remained. The Santaku weren't that far of from being humanoid birds themselves, after all.

"You're a good man to remember your family's friend.", she praised him with a smile, hiding the discomfort from his saying. "He must have been happy to see a familiar face. I hope he's doing well?"

Then he spoke about the weather and she nodded along with his finding. Kiri was a dreary place, if any. While she had no clue how the weather was in other villages, she would soon enough be able to find out. "Yes, Kirigakure isn't exactly a tropical paradise, so I heard. You'd not be the first one that finds the weather to be... a bit lacking. I do hope you'll find it an interesting place nonetheless. New faces, new places, new art, new styles. Am I not mistaken?"

Once again, she coyly looked down for a brief second before facing him again when he asked about her artistry and her intentions. She shook her head at that and explained, "I'm not quite from Kirigakure, I'm afraid. I live in a small village more to the north-east, occasionally coming here for supplies, groceries or just a day out. Like now. I would love to travel the world, however, but that's quite a dangerous thing to do by myself. Now, since you mentioned Konoha to have such lovely weather, I'm inclined to hire an escort and see for myself." She giggled softly, averting her eyes once more. "Who knows what art Konoha has to offer? Would you mind indulging my curiosity before I make any solid plans?"

Nariko sat back down on the stone bench, resting her hands properly in her lap,  and looked up to Nayoko with a smile.

"Oh, do come sit with me. It's not the most comfortable seat, but it's more relaxing than standing upright the whole time."

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The young lady seemed interested enough in the stories that he was telling, though something deep down told hint hat a girl with a much talent as her probably did not care for the adventures of a ninja like him.  He smiled and nodded as she complimented him on his remembrance of this imaginary family friend, and when she asked him how this friend was doing, Nayoko could not stop himself from wincing slightly. “I’m actually going to be seeing him either later today or tomorrow, but last I heard from him he seemed well enough…” His voice trailed off. It hurt him to be so deceptive to the young lady, especially with how open she had been with him, a stranger in her land. Regardless, he could not allow another to be tied into this mess. He needed to confront Tano Koyanagi alone, and the presence of others would only complicate things.

He nodded on with her assessment of the Kirigakure weather, and found himself smiling and agreeing with her statement about new places and discovered being interested, although the most interesting thing he had found here so far had been her. Nayoko had never been much for culture, but he could appreciate art where he found it; and he had certainly found it in her ability to play the flute. The young Hattori continued to watch Nariko as she looked down for a moment before she responded to his question to her. "I'm not quite from Kirigakure, I'm afraid. I live in a small village more to the north-east, occasionally coming here for supplies, groceries or just a day out. Like now. I would love to travel the world, however, but that's quite a dangerous thing to do by myself. Now, since you mentioned Konoha to have such lovely weather, I'm inclined to hire an escort and see for myself." She giggled softly, averting her eyes once more. "Who knows what art Konoha has to offer? Would you mind indulging my curiosity before I make any solid plans?" She then sat down on the stone bench that she had been sitting on while playing and offered him a seat. He took a seat tentatively, trying to think of how to respond to her new question.

Nayoko would have no problem telling the young woman about the weather and the people of his village; he had lived there his entire life so that much would be east. But to tell her about the culture? That he was not sure of. Shaking his head, he looked up at the sky once again as he began to speak. “Konohagakure no Sato…I will admit, I’m probably biased since I adore my home so much, but if I were you, I would definitely think of hiring that escort you mentioned and going there. It would be worth it for the weather alone. It’s beautiful there, with the sun shining high in the sky and lovely forests surrounding it. There are rivers and lakes much like here, but there are more fields and the winds blow stronger and everything is less…well….damp I guess.” He chuckled and tired to think of a reply regarding the culture, but came up lacking. So, in a moment of panic, he decided to shift his answer to something he did know well; books.

“As far as music and art goes over there, I must admit my knowledge is lacking. But,” he paused to pull out the book he had been reading earlier. It was a fantasy novel by a well known author from Konoha, but it definitely was not the most refined title one could read. “Literature is more my style. There’s a very rich history in Konohagakure no Sato. It revolves around the Senju, the Uchiha, and every clan in between who shaped much of the world into what it is today. And the books written on it are fascinating. So if you’re into culture, that would be the biggest focus for me.” With that, he smiled, hoping that she was impressed enough, though if she wasn’t he would be fine. He was just happy for the distraction if he was honest with himself.

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As Nayoko sat down, he started to talk about his homeland after a brief pause of collecting his thoughts. Nice weather, forests, rivers, less fog. It almost sounded like a tropical paradise from her point of view. Did such a country really exist? The more he talked about it, the more Nariko was inclined to go see it for herself. If anything, after all societal tyranny her father had put her through and all the hard work to escape the 'destiny' her father had shaped for her to follow up, a place like that sounded just like what she needed. A holiday, so to speak.

"The beauty of your country is envious. Since you persuaded me, I have decided Konoha will be the next place to visit. I'm curious to see all you speak about.", she replied as an intermezzo, then allowed him to continue his story on art and music further. He suggested books about the history and culture of Konoha, about clans called the 'Senju' and 'Uchiha' - whatever those were. Not the most intriguing reads, but certainly useful enough to look up to discover a potential weakness in the 'mind' of the Village she was about to visit.

"Thank you for your suggestion. I'll bear it in mind and, should I find the possibility, will look those up. Now, since you seem interested in literature, perhaps I can advice a few books as well. I have a few in mind, a little bit of everything.", she offered. It was true that, when it came to books, her home offered a whole library of literature running from societal oriented things like etiquette in high society, domination of the mind, psychology, to artistic readings about the paths of scribes and writers and proper composing of song - one of her favourite themes, as far as she could be bothered to read - and even 'light-hearted' stories about intrigue, romance, political ploys and occult mysteries. Since he mentioned literature, Nariko assumed he was more the kind to read non-fictional or fictional stories rather than lore.

"Let's see... ", she began, thinking a few titles she remembered. "I can suggest 'Murder under the Moon', if you like investigative thrillers. It's a true story about a detective in love with a painter. When she gets murdered, he decides to investigate the case and uncovers a web of intrigue about the situation and her true identity.", a good read, if she said so herself, mostly because the writer knew the world of an artist and had beautifully brought it into existence.

"Then there's... 'Little Doll Laïs'. I'm not sure if that's really a topic for guys since it's quite romantically tinted but I'll suggest it anyway. The story revolves around Laïs, a woman in love with a man dying of an incurable illness and wooed by a second man. I'll spare the ending, but it's about how she needs to choose between true love or a future of safety.", she allowed herself a pause. She had personally liked that one for the romance, and the seeping discord that put the characters in a mental and emotional helpless state. A real delight to read.

"There's also 'Second Sight'. It's about a scientist that, through misguided faith in a cult, delves into Forbidden Arts and uncovers unorthodox ways to use his life-force. It has a little more straight-forward combat, but despite it's fictional nature it holds actual findings on research by scientists and crafted theories of possibilities.", she purposely left away the part of how descriptive the writer was in his physical and mental terrors - his descriptions on corpses had actually made her reel as well - but it was an otherwise fun pass-time, and perhaps something which would interest Nayoko more than her previous suggestion.

"If, however, you're more looking for cultural stories, I'm afraid I'm a little short on inspiration. Most books at home which do not belong to the leisurely readings mostly talk about politics, the meticulous details on artistry, psychology and mentalism, and more of those heavy topics which are bound to put your mind in a knot." The sort her father had forced her to read while she hadn't even understood half of it. They were a real choir to chew through and often gave her the feeling that they were killing her mind in the process.

Having given Nayoko a few suggestions, she wondered if there would be any of those that interested him. If not, she'd just have to put up a mildly saddened expression of being denied.

Her eyes briefly shifted to something moving in the distance behind Nayoko. Rin? Had he discovered her trail already, or was this just a coincidence? No matter, if he spotted her, he'd recognise her quickly enough as she hadn't bothered to put up a henge jutsu, as she was simply relying on different clothes, make-up and demeanour to hide her identity. She had to get away fast.

Returning her gaze to Nayoko, she'd bother to listen to his reply on the suggestion of his books before thanking him while offering him another coy smile, then apologising that she had to leave now since her parents would be waiting for her, upon which she'd finish the conversation with a curtsy before leaving. She really couldn't get caught now.

[Exit]

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Training:

((Sorry for all the colour burning your eyes D:
I might edit this post to add the [exit], depending your next post))

Nayoko was happy that the young woman seemed to find his description of Konoha so agreeable. He had hoped to do his home justice, and it seemed he had accomplished that much through his talk. Konohagaure no Sato and the entirety of the Land of Fire had always been important to Nayoko. His family had always stressed the importance of loving one’s home, as it will be the place that protects you as long as you do right by it. Though that had been when his mother was alive, and little did they know that Nayoko himself would become one of the shinobi that protects his village one day.

The young Hattori listened intently and with great interest at the series of suggestions that Nariko gave to him regarding what books he should read. They all sounded so interesting and exciting that Nayoko wished he had brought a notebook of some kind to take down all of the titles. He made sure to keep them in mind as he nodded along with each description that she gave, allowing his imagination to run wild with the possibilities surrounding the tales that she told him about. He had always been a big fan of fiction novels, particularly fantasy novels like the one he had brought with him today. He had always enjoyed the idea that there was another world for him to travel too, and all he had to do to get there was crack open the pages of a book. They had helped him a lot when his mother had passed away, and now that he was older he still found comfort in them.

“These all sound really great! Thank you so much for the suggestions, I will look into getting them for sure once I get some more free time here or back home.” He smiled, truly grateful for the entire encounter. It had been a nice break from the intensity of missions and preparation for his confrontation in the Swamp of Sorrow. As he watched Nariko’s face, he saw it shift from a cheery demeanor to one for slight concern for just a brief moment. He opened his mouth to ask her if something was wrong, but as he did, she quickly thanked him with a coy looking smile before apologizing for having to return home. She then promptly curtsied and turned to leave. Nayoko barely had a chance to bid her farewell as she walked out of the city garden at a quick pace. Raising an eyebrow, Nayoko shrugged and turned back toward the entrance to the garden himself. It was time that he got back to the hotel to talk to Shimada. They needed to take care of business. Still, the way she left in such a hurry lingered on his mind for a while before he decided to let it go.

Artists...I’ll never understand them.

[Exit Thread]

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Training

B-A Rank Scaling Jutsu: Step Away From Sight and Sound (2500/2500)

Unused WC: 13