The sky above was dark, with the moon hovering behind a large group of pale clouds. The light however, was just enough to illuminate the sign of a restaurant upon the street on which Aratana walked. The building was bright with the lights cranked up, and as you approached more and more little bits and pieces turned up together. You could hear the chopping of knives upon cutting boards, the boiling of noodles in hot water, and all the other kinds of noises you’d expect out of a late night restaurant. It appeared as though it was a flower coming to bloom the closer you got. Eventually, you could smell the fine aromas scattered throughout such a complex place. Small whiffs of pork cutlet and time crafted spices passed by Aratana’s nose, before finally he heard the most welcoming noise of all, his grumbling stomach.

He shifted his glance towards the stand, and he stood there illuminated in the light. His short 4’5 stature was gazing up to the light with his little blue eyes. His messy brown hair shone in the golden glow in front of him. His normally plain overalls and simple shirt glowed with mystery. As he slowly approached Ichiraku Ramen, being led by his nose, he was about to find his own nights little golden egg.

As he pulled back the thin decorated curtains to the stand, it was if he was welcomed into an entirely different realm. The scents intensified, bringing all of the soups aromas towards you in one quick blow. Aratana glared towards the action, another sense that was dancing with the kitchen. Pots and pans were placed back and forth, noodles perfectly cooked, a soup base that glowed with enthusiasm. It was all harmonious to Aratana, like a ninja that had been practiced for years and years and had perfect control over all his abilities. It truly was something else. Aratana wriggled his hands through his pockets to see if he had anything left on his person, but it was to no avail. He glanced towards his small little hands, only to see that they had dust and lint in them.

He then proceeded to pout a bit, but it had been a long day for him and he was too tired to continue walking home. Soon, he approached the counter at which the ramen was served, moving over to a stool on the far right side. He walked over to it slouched, with his hands in his pockets and an unsatisfactory look upon his face. He proceeded then to climb up onto the chair, working up from his hands to his knees before he was atop his own little throne.

He had decided that for now, it seemed all he could do was wait until he was ready to head home. He placed his arms folded over one another atop the counter before resting his forehead upon his arms in defeat. It was as if the harmonious dance of the restraurant was mocking Aratana’s empty stomach, but this was all he could do for now.

518

From within the grassy plains outside the village of Konohagakure laid the body of a woman with a large circular straw hat lightly tipped over by her nose that acted like a sleeping mask blinding any light to disturb her as she lightly snored while she was asleep, this woman was known too many in her life as Mokuzai Senju as a boy but now took the name of Mikumi after a medical experiment with her clans special kekkai Genkai altered her DNA to female chromosomes.

Mikumi had a home in her village but the reason she was sleeping on the grassy fields outside of the village was due to her just returning from the Land of Earth on a much-needed vacation to get away from the duties of a shinobi, the trip proved to be enjoyable as she meant a very capable Iwagakure shinobi that she hoped in the future, but alas she was still a shinobi and duty called for her to return to the leaf once more, but after three nights without rest she had finally found a comfy spot to sleep and now here she was resting.

As a cold wind blew across her upper body that was only covered by multiple layers of cloth fashioned into a bra and the jacket nestled on her shoulders with the Land of fire on each side but the mark of the Senju clan on her back she visibly shook before sneezing causing her straw hat to fall off her head and also succeeding in waking her up. Now a little cold Mikumi got up somewhat groggily  and stretched while a yawn emanated from her mouth, with her eyes still half awake she began to look around her surroundings realizing she must have been sleeping for hours as it was now well into the night,  she then looked up into the night sky and saw how gray clouds were drifting about as her jacket gently blow in the direction which also caused her to sneeze again as her body shivered and she moved to cross her arms over her body, "Well looks like I better get something warm to eat in the village, can't have myself getting sick after coming back from my vacation and all." Mikumi quickly grabbed her Ninjato and katana blades that had been hidden so well into the grass unless you stood over it a thief wouldn't be able to spot it, she then put them between the spot between her mid-length skirt and belt on her right hip and kept on moving towards the village for some warm food.

Night sky:

Fifteen minutes later Mikumi had speed walked herself right into the village, however, it was rather late and the streets of Konohagakure weren't as lively as they usually are, but even through the thick of the night Mikumi smelt something that practically was slapping her in the face with its smell, it was the smell of meat being finely and slowly grilled on a small barbecue, the exotic spices of many lands combined bursting into an aromatic explosion, Mikumi's stomach at the sensation began to grumble and she knew wherever the smell was coming from she had to eat their.

Mikumi practically ran like a moronic fool as she literally let her nose tell her where to go and put her body on autopilot to follow, after a few moments she would see a small shop in the distance with the lights cranked up, it was the famous ramen shop that the o third through the seventh Hokage visited, Mikumi was once upon a time was supposed to come here with another shinobi of the leaf named Honnari, but alas just as they were ready to go her transformation from her medical endeavors took effect and the whole plan had been delayed. But having the delicious yet intoxicating smell of the food pierce her nose was more then what Mikumi's hungry self could bear, she immediately ran up to the small shop and flipped over the curtains and spoke boldly to the cook behind the counter, "Hey! One bowl of Tonkotsu Ramen, please!" she would say as she gleefully sat down at the counter humming a happy tone.

It took her a moment to realize but there was a boy with his arms folded glancing at her from the side as he bore little blue eyes and messy brown hair, but Mikumi noticed that although the boy was there he looked sad and had all the qualities of someone who quietly suffered from hunger, a feeling she had also known in her younger years. "Ah, and get this boy whatever he wants to eat as well of the largest side you have, I'll pay for his meal" Mikumi then took out from between her breasts a large Ryo amount that would easily pay for five meals.

Mikumi then took off her hat and placed it on the empty side of her and looked over at the boy, "Hey there my name is Mikumi. What's yours?"

WC:889

As Aratana sat there, he threw thoughts back and forth of how he may be able to swing a bowl of the ramen. His first thought was to offer his wooden sword, however he soon came to the realization that the sword held a lot of his own sentimental value, yet no real world value. He then skimmed over the ground below, scavenging for what he’d hope would be something valuable enough that a drunkard had dropped which may enable him to purchase a meal. However, eventually he realized that there’s simply wasn’t anything he could do, and he placed his head back down depressively.

As Mikumi entered the stand, flickers of shadow invaded the vibrant light that occupied the restaurant. Although Aratana could’ve desperately pleaded for either the shop owner or the newfound customer to offer him a hint of the glorious food that was being articulated throughout the kitchen, his will forced him to not give into mooching off of others. He then glanced towards the kitchen once more, and it seemed that every time you peered into the canvas that was the kitchen, new colors would suddenly splash back and forth before creating a messy, yet stunning final work.

This display however, only proceeded to progress his hunger even further, pushing his bodies groans to exert themselves far more frequently, and with far more volume. As Mikumi took a seat, he glanced over to her. Not with pleading eyes, but eyes of curiousity which slowly diverted him from his hunger as he glanced at his tiny toy wooden sword which paled in comparison to the blades the mysterious woman hand brought in.

As she offered him a meal, at first it flew by him, as he not only was too busy admiring the blades, but also the likeness that this woman held to his own mother. The generosity, going above and beyond, the gentle yet firm presence she held, forcing him to almost straighten up out of his hunch, and the blades, which reminded him of his goals brought forth from his upbringing alongside his mother.

Eventually though, the offer came back full circle when his stomach offered a gentle rumble, as if a reminder of why he came here. The sudden surge of the two statements however had split his attention in two, as he had difficulty intently focusing on one or the other. He then pondered for a few moments, as if in practice of choosing the right words. This was to no avail however, as he suddenly burst out a plethora of words which could almost be considered a sentence.

“I’ll have the Aratana please!” he’d blurt out, before finally coming to the realization that he put the two sentences he thought of together.

He then proceeded to pinch the bridge of his nose, and closed his eyes for a couple seconds with an intense focus before rebuilding the two different thoughts into two different statements.

First, he glanced up to the kitchen and excitedly exclaimed “One deluxe ramen please!” with stars in his eyes and a golden glow held upon his small face, nodding up and down a couple times before redirecting his attention to Mikumi. “It’s nice to meet you Mikumi! I’m called Aratana!” he’d state.

550

The two shinobi were casually talking together. It was heart-warming. Adorable. Wonderful ohhh yes. Yaru could feel the potential love and PLOT going on right between the two guests. But before she could make any snippy or witty remarks about it, the noodle Master would thwack the snek lady on her head with his rolling pin. Yaru ouched out loud and complained about the obvious physical abuse she was getting here. Working as a hand in the ramen shop wasn't really her favourite past-time nor did it fit her usual delight of luxury. But one of Yaru's snakes had supposedly eaten two of Master's pigs and she was now here to 'learn her lesson' and 'work things off'. Not that she couldn’t pay for the damage. But some part of her found the idea of being 'forced' to work in the noodle store insanely amusing. She would laugh a crazy laugh inside her head. While giving a gentle, sane and happy smile to the customers. Yaru would stay in the background. Just helping with the dishes and preparations. The actual cooking parts were holy to the master chef and he wouldn't let his helping hand mess things up and eventually tarnish his name over the perfect noddle soup. She would prepp the final dishes together just as Master seemed ready to fill the bowls. Having her palms properly covered in towels to work against the super heat. Yaru would casually place the dishes on the counter. Wiggling her curves away to get the chopsticks.

"One deluxe ramen for the strong young man… and a Tonkotsu for the almost as strong lady." Yaru would chuckle and tease. The age and rank difference obvious and visible between the lot of them. But she wasn't in a position to judge. Instead she just wanted to give the cute young a boy a little confidence booster. Eventually it seemed that no other customers were around. The chef would yell a bit around about how to keep track of the cooking pot. Yaru simply grabbed a bowl on her own and mixed a random miso soup with some of the left overs from the pot so she could simply turn it off instead of keeping it going. Hence, with this sly move she was out of work to do a bowl of ramen richer. Moving out the back of the shop to sway her butt to the customers part, eventually starting to nibble and nom away on her noodles as she eyed the two of them. Chuckling again. Especially the little boy seemed so out of place but he was indeed a next generations shinobi. "Now aren't you a little warrior Aratana-kun. You must eat a lot of Masters noodles and become strong." She chuckled again, leaning back against the shops wall in her rocky chair. Gazing at both of them. Wondering what they might be thinking. Wondering what kind of ninja the girl was. Having surely an odd aura to herself and all.


500

Before the boy could fully answer her question the silence between them would be interrupted by the sound of a gentle rumble would resound, and Mikumi slightly chuckled as the boy's stomach was quite honest despite the circumstances of them never encountering one another before. Mikumi was quite entertained as the boy seemed to be struggling between hunger and trying to answer Mikumi's question until finally, he blurted out a strange sentence after moments of pondering,  “I’ll have the Aratana, please!” he’d blurt out and Mikumi could instantly feel the regret of his word choice coming through him.

The boy in his frustration pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes for a couple seconds in what looked like intense focus as she was sure he was aiming to not make the same mistake again, after a few moments he seemed to be fine now as he looked towards the counter and placed his order for one deluxe ramen bowl with a twinkle in his eyes and nodding up  and down not being able to contain his excitement, he then redirected his attention to Mikumi. “It’s nice to meet you Mikumi! I’m called Aratana!”

"Well nice to meet you Aratana, so what's a fine boy like you doing out all alone in the streets of Konoha all by yourself?" Mikumi's eyes lightly glanced over the boy's wooden blade, "Perhap's a fellow shinobi who had been training and lost track of time?" Mikumi hummed while thinking about the possibilities of the boy's solo training before her thoughts were interrupted by the hostess, "One deluxe ramen for the strong young man… and a Tonkotsu for the almost as strong lady." Mikumi pushed her hands together in prayer and said, "Thank you for the food!" before taking the chopsticks into her hand and beginning to eat her meal, the hostess who had given them their food commented to Aratana, "Now aren't you a little warrior Aratana-kun. You must eat a lot of Masters noodles and become strong."

"That's right Aratana, making sure your well feed is also a way of life." Mikumi throw in as she took a twirl of noodles from her chopsticks into her mouth to eat.

WC: 406

Total WC:1,295

Aratana sat there excitedely, continued to watch the primary chef do his craft, and Yaru meticulously piece together everything towards the end. He greatly enjoyed watching the primary chef however, as just by watching how he moved his hands, you could tell that he had done it many times before, moving this particular restaurants cooking to not just be cooking, but a form of art being created by a seasoned painter.

As Mikumi was simply just attempting to make conversation, Aratana saw her next question as a question that held great importance to him. One that he felt he had known the answer to for a long time. He stared at the ramen, losing his childlike flair, and that expression being washed over by one with a strong stoic nature.

The streets fell completely silent for just a moment, before the natural breeze returned forcing a chill to run down Aratana’s back. He used this silence to sit there for a minute, organizing all of his thoughts together. After all, they had hit a topic in which Aratana was passionate about to a high degree. After what had seemed like a minute, he was ready to speak, and with a serious tone he began to break off into a concoction of both a story and an explanation in regards to her question.

“Why I’m out on the streets alone... a fellow shinobi... that would mean you would consider yourself one...” he’d speak out loud, before giving the others a reassuring smile, yet deep inside he held a sense of precaution. “A couple years back, I was just adventuring as I am doing tonight.” he’d hold a pause, not too short, nor too long, “I came across an alleyway, looking for little creatures to chase around, and I came across this group of guys...” the same pause was held, “It was then, one of them picked me up, and all I remember was him threatening me, threatening to kill me I feel I didn’t talk,” before suddenly, a sense of rejuvenation came over him, “It was then when I was saved, by someone or something. A swordsman.” now was the time he had offered a genuine smile, “It was him who taught me, you never know when you’ll find someone in danger,”

He returned his look to the ramen, and gave a gleeful smile to it, his feet tapping in anticipation. Within the same time it was set out, Aratana was hovering over the bowl, “Thanks for the food!” he’d exclaim, before taking a few bites, trying all the different flavors separately at first. To begin, he slid a pork cutlet into his mouth, before hopping to some vegetables. The deluxe ramen bowl sure was a treat, as it offered a boutique of flavors and items throughout the bowl. He’d then take a couple bites out of his side rice to refresh his palette and return to the digging in. Each bite of the bowl offered more and more flavor the deeper he got into it, slurping the noodles up rapidly and piecing together flavor combinations out of the contents which must have been done time and time again in such a famous establishment.

Aratana then watched as Yaru shifted her position in the restaurant from the front, back to the other side where the guests were with her simple, yet complex, makeshift bowl of food. He’d offer her a polite smile, before stating passively, “If you know my name, I guess it’d only make sense for you to tell me yours.”

“As for even calling me strong...” he’d give an intense glare to the people around him, particularly Yaru, “I’m not even close yet.” he’d say calmly, before shooting a determined smile to the group, then proceeding to continue to follow their advice to eat to grow stronger, although not directly mentioning that part to the women.

660

One hundred fifty Ryo. Kaida squinted into her money pouch and made a face. Beside her pouch, her Hidden Leaf forehead protector hung from her belt, displaying its symbol forward for anyone to see. Putting them up for a show like that seemed to be popular around here.

Kaida had heard that missions at her rank didn't pay well, but she wasn't prepared for the disparity between her expectations and her reality. Really, she could jump from the first to the second and break both legs. How would she afford to eat on such a meager commission? Her stomach made such a sound that she was glad no one was around to hear it. "Heck," she grumbled, nonplussed.

Okay, Konohagakure... why was the city such a jumble of planning and decisions? It was like someone had taken the whole city apart and let a child put it back together again. She sighed and started walking. Whatever she managed to find would have to be good enough.

The night air felt cool on her skin with its little breezes. The Village Hidden in the Leaves must have been idyllic for the people who actually lived here. She pondered whether she should include herself on that list now. The notion of it stirred up strange emotions in her chest. Excitement, fear, discomfort.

She had to stop at a power pole and lean against it. Between her hunger and her stupid feelings, she was getting nauseous. One of these things had to go. She tried to choose the one she could control, but her mind immediately began to fill with thoughts of "home."

"Nope!" she announced to the moon. She opted out of that one as quickly as possible. The sword on her back seemed to grow heavy, but she ignored it-- was that... what was that smell?

Whatever it was, it was heavenly to her senses, and she let her nose lead her down the street until she came upon a restaurant, the source of that heady scent. "Ichiraku Ramen," the sign read. Her stomach growled again, loud enough that someone would certainly hear it. Glancing sidelong in embarrassment, she paused for a moment and then walked inside.

Kaida chose a spot at the bar, pulling out a chair for herself to sit. "One bowl of whatever that smell is," she requested.

Looking down, she tried to ignore the people around her. Typically, at least three people would be staring by now. It put her in a sour mood, but she absolutely had to eat.

425

Yaru gazed at the boy as he started to tell his little tale. She slurped on her bowl as she could feel it in the edge of her belly as he spoke. "Oh no, is it going to be one of those super edgy stories where he loses everything?" Yaru wondered, having heard it too many times. She couldn't help being a twat about it. But to her surprise the story shifted. The knight in shining armor appeared. To save the young boy and turn it all into a happy ending. Radiant as he glared into the depths of his bowl. Heroic almost. Determined by the depths of his own words to become strong and save people. Yaru grinned. Finishing up her noodles and slurping the bowl empty and placing it with a loud thud on the counter. For a moment she forgot that she'd have to go back to the other side of the counter again and clean that up. Seeing the little boy being way too cute to pass up she got up and hugged him hard. Due to certain height difference Ara's face would for a moment find its way to cushioned heaven in Yaru's chest. Patting him on the head. "Dawww you are adorable. You'll be just fine. Keep training and you end up being a great warrior just like the other guy." She grinned and winked at him. Picking up the empty bowls at last and moving back around to get the dishes to the washing pedestal.

"Ah yes, forgive me young hero, I am Orochiyaru!" she would say casually. To underline the slight fact that she knew that her name would easily give away her heritage. Yaru would push out her tongue. The snake like thing with its cut spiked ends making a hiss noise like a real snake there for a moment. She would proceed to laugh the little display of odd physical attributes. Her eyes focusing back on Mikumi. "Hmmm so I'm a snake, he's a shiny warrior and what might you be darling?" Yaru asked the seemingly more experienced and powerful looking kunoichi at the table. While she was contemplating such, yet another guest appeared. Leaving Yaru to drop the bowls and offering some seconds to her guests in fresh one. Nodding quickly as the new person demanded food too. Yaru slapped one of the towels nearby to the sleeping chef's thigh. "Oi old geezer. Customer for you." She would say and the disgruntled cook would get up. Taking the new gal's order and quickly started to move and cook. Giving Yaru not rarely one of his stares since she had dared to thwack him like that. Snek just giggled to herself and then face back around to see what Mikumi would eventually have to share. Then gaze over to the newest addition within the bunch of weirdos. Leaving Yaru to wonder where all these young ninjas came from at this time of hour. Here and there hearing a slightly pained growl of hunger from the newest girl. "Oi, hurry up old man, that pretty chick there is literally starving."

520 / 1020

Once Mikumi finished speaking a cold wind blow into the shop as everyone had been silent for a few moments, once again Aratana seemed to be contemplating her question but this time she could tell her guess was more so on the mark or at least more important as he took his time to consider it before asking, after a minute or so he seemed to have gathered his thoughts accurately enough to talk speaking with a rather serious tone conveying his emotion about the subject, “Why I’m out on the streets alone... a fellow shinobi... that would mean you would consider yourself one..." He then paused for a second, "A couple years back, I was just adventuring as I am doing tonight....I came across an alleyway, looking for little creatures to chase around, and I came across this group of guys...” he paused once more, “It was then, one of them picked me up, and all I remember was him threatening me, threatening to kill me I feel I didn’t talk,” Suddenly in his voice Mikumi could hear a new feeling pride? no..it was more like he felt energetic, “It was then when I was saved, by someone or something. A swordsman.” now was the time he had offered a genuine smile, “It was him who taught me, you never know when you’ll find someone in danger.
”

After talking up Aratana shifted his attention back to his bowl of ramen taking time to really appreciate the dish, Mikumi simply smiled at the boy, she never had a master that taught her the sword although her late father wooden sword was the start of it all, the boy reminded her of her past self just but six years ago. Once he had eaten most of his food he thanked the hostess for it and fixed his attention to her, he’d offer her a polite smile, before stating passively that if she knew their names it was only right for her to tell them in return, but just before getting back to his deluxe meal commented on the hostess words on how strong he was, Mikumi herself heard it but it was no trouble for her and she quite liked the idea of the boy being as strong as her, all the more competition to make herself want to train more.

After speaking another fare traveler late at night walked in, but unlike Mikumi or Aratana this one immediately ordered and begun to look down as if to avoid contact, Mikumi didn't mind not everyone was so willing to share a good chat so late into the night. Now that the stranger was settled in the hostess that Mikumi and Aratana had been conversating with spoke as well beginning with calling Aratana the young hero and introducing herself as Orochimaru, Mikumi was familiar with the clan as the legendary Sannin of the past Orochimaru was an ancestor of the clan but she had no idea they still existed, as proof of her heritage she stuck out her tongue that was split slightly down the middle and has pointed ends like a regular snake which Mikumi found fascinating.

Moving the topic forwards Orochiyaru spoke facing Mikumi, "Hmmm so I'm a snake, he's a shiny warrior and what might you be darling?" Mikumi tilted her head back while contemplating the question with an audible hum in her voice while she closed her eyes for a moment, she then answered straightening herself back up, "I suppose in this story you can call me "Tree of Knowledge" " to show what she meant Mikumi held up her right hand as she used a small portion of her chakra to turn her fingers into roots that grow upwards forming a miniature tree that even had leaves as her skin turned green and flowers blossomed in her hair while her eyes turned into a slightly darker shade of brown. "I guess i forgot to mention it but my full name is Mikumi, Senju." Mikumi would say before her hand returned back to normal but still green, she then reached into her pocket and grabbed a small flask with liquid in it and drank a few sips before the form she had previously returned.

WC:739

Total WC:2,034

With yet another guest entering the restaurant, Aratana glanced around the small room at the various people surrounding him as he drank the remaining liquid that was settled at the bottom of his bowl. His small blue eyes innocently glancing around to take in all the people that had made his presence. He kept his thoughts and his opinions of them quiet, yet analyzed each one of them to some extent.

Right before he was about to process his information further however, and before he knew it, when his mind came back to reality he was engulfed in someone’s chest quite tightly. Due to him being taken aback, he attempted to hold his breath for a few seconds before forcing himself to just accept the fact, after Yaru had withdrawn, he’d offer her a slightly confused smile, unsure of if he should yell at her telling her that he considered attacking her, or if he should thank her for the food. Instead, he just let out a small sigh and looked down into his empty bowl, satisfied with the job he had done. Soon after, when he had heard her name, the heritage of her completely flew over his head. Rather, he thought it was just a peculiar name. Then, when her tongue had stuck out, he was struck with a huh moment. Then, when she said she was a snake he came to a couple assumptions. One was that she was insane, but with all the things people can do, this was on the bottom of the list. The second was that she quite literally could’ve been a snake, and because the fact that her tongue came out the way it did, that was the most reasonable assumption.

When offered seconds by her, he politely declined. Not because he was full, but rather because he believed that a person should never take more than they are offered. She also had seen her take out the small flask, and held a slight look of despite, hoping the liquid inside wasn’t the same one that led to the downfall of his father. However, since she only took a few sips, he tolerated it. Soon after, he returned to his analysis.

There was Mikumi, a woman who reminded him of his own mother and held a particular interest in swords. She also was using an element different than his own, referring to herself as a tree of knowledge, and the element used had appeared to be some kind of tree. This idea led him on to think further into it. Could this have been the wood element he’s heard mentions of through books and the mouths of those he’s passed on his personal missions? Perhaps, but his overall demeanor towards it shifted to admiration, with his little eyes giving off a subtle hint of it. The second thought that followed was one of slight internal caution. She clearly didn’t want us to know exactly what she did, and she also had appeared to have done stories before this, meaning she may be experienced.

Then, there had been Yaru. Before this, Aratana had not a single clue of the Orochimaru heritage, and when her tongue had come out and appeared the way it did, he felt a bit on edge, but due to the various experiences from his childhood, he withheld a sense of fear, and that soon began to flourish into a sense of curiousity, a desire to learn more about this woman. This desire however, would have to wait until further notice.

Then there was the other girl who came in, and because he was so focused on his own internal workings, he didn’t see her expression to avoid contact until it was too late. “If you want whatever the smell is, the deluxe ramen is a fusion of everything in here.” he’d state purely for informational purposes, with no regard to emotion whatsoever.

655

The pretty chick? She'd never heard that one before. Clearly, someone was laying it on thick. How sarcastic can a person get? But no one else reacted that way. Maybe the snake woman was really that... open? Friendly? Kaida wasn't really sure what to call it.

"Deluxe" ramen. Sounded expensive. She weighed her options and decided quickly. "Hold the deluxe, ojii-san," she told the cook. Her voice was flat and bored, leaving no real room for any response but maybe an accepting grunt. The old cook served her, and she managed to mutter a thank you as she put the meal's payment out on the counter for him.

The whole thing was infuriating. She needed a faster way to make money than the typical missions Konohagakure would assign to its lowest ranking genin. As it stood, there was no way she'd be able to defend herself by the time they caught up with her. They couldn't just be dead. Even with the destruction of her family's home, she was certain that at least a few of them would survive. When they did, they would find her eventually, and then there would be-- she glanced at herself. Steel was forming on the skin of her arms, and likely her face, as well. For the last two years, this had always happened when she got herself geared up for a fight, but this wasn't a fight.

Kaida took a deep breath and let it out slowly, quietly. There was no need to get worked up over it right now. She was at a restaurant, about to have a meal, and surrounded by other people. The metal melted back into her skin. It would be too much to hope that no one had noticed. She looked around at the other shinobi who had gathered in the restaurant that night. Of course, they had all stuck out for one reason or another. Were those even real? She peeked down at herself and felt self-conscious for a moment.

Her green eyes flickered up to the three of them. She cleared her throat quietly. "Thanks," she told the kid. Instinctively, her hand dropped into her side pouch and she drew out a pair of silent Baoding balls. She cycled them anticlockwise in her left hand while she used the chopsticks with her right. It was an old trick she used to settle herself down. The balls gave her something outside her own head to focus on, and that seemed to be what she needed just now.

433

Yaru gazed with wide eyes at the element of wood to be put at display. Hmmm the genetic inheritance of the first Hokage. Such a rare and beautiful gift. Yaru instantly wanted to research and dissect the tree girl. Only a little… just for a while? For the betterment of humankind? Maybe? Fine. No dissecting. But still. Her interest could barely be hidden. So, seemed the little boy, adorable little fighter to be amazed as well. Tree girl would probably be proudly gleaming at all the attention that was basically thrown her way. But for now. She probably deserved it. A little…

Yaru placed her head against her palm. Leaning to the counter. Eventually hissing a few times with her tongue to Aratana cause Yaru found it hilarious how he'd stare at her when she did. If he only knew what a snake tongue could do with human. Yaru licked her lips. Her genetically engineered appearance seemed to put at least the newbie a bit in distress. The young lady getting all sorts of rushed emotions. She could literally see how the flames flickered in her eyes. For a moment there it was pretty obvious that something formed on the girl's skin that wasn't really considerable to be human. Yaru laughed. She took up the bowl as soon as the chef presented it to her and placed in on the counter. This time sitting down right opposite of the newest one. Staring into her eyes for a bit. Yaru didn't mind if it distressed her, or made her a bit uncomfortable. However, seeing a few sweat droplets of emotional turmoil culler down the girl's cheek made Yaru excited. "Hmmm the snake… the hero… the living tree… so what would you be huh?" Yaru purred to herself. Eventually one of those 'scales' appeared on the 'pretty chicks' skin again. Snake tongue would shortly lash out and have a lick at it. The stranger would certainly not be pleased at the sudden… uninvited lick of the snake monster. "Hmmm tastes like metal to me… how in the world does that grow on your skin huh?"

Yaru was cheeky, but she also backed off a little. The chance of the girl hopping over the corner and yelling at the snake was there. But Yaru wasn't stupid either. Soon a big loud growl of the metal girls' belly would roar into the room again. Yaru would, gently push the bowl of ramen forth in order to give the 'pretty chick' a second consideration over her behaviour. She was hungry after all no? "Hmm come on, don't play so secretive! We are all little monsters in our own ways. I haven't heard of iron scales yet to be frank… and I'm sure I've read a lot about nasty abilities…" Yaru could honestly not pin her finger down on it. She had certainly heard or read of Steel release before, but she lacked actual information and to eventually tease it out of her customer was way more entertaining anyhow.

510 / 1530

Mikumi after stating herself as the "Tree Of Knowledge" saw a twinkle in Aratana's eyes that proved she had grabbed his attention with her statement and little display of her ability, however, it didn't last long as he turned his attention to the new addition to the little get together and stated that the deluxe ramen was a bit of everything the shop had to offer based on the assumption that the smell lead her to the shop much like himself and Mikumi. The cook who thought Aratana quickly began to get the work on the meal but was quickly interrupted by the women herself to stop, although she was trying to hide it the women was clearly frustrated about something and the fact that she didn't order her food after all this time made Mikumi come up with the answer that much like Aratana she lacked the proper funds to afford her own meal.

After a few minutes of resistance, the women seemed to give up and accept the meal and gave a word of thanks to Aratana, not long after the chef had prepared the meal and handed it to Orochiyaru and placed in on the counter, to Mikumi's surprise the snake women sat exactly opposite of the women and Mikumi could feel the awkwardness from where she was sitting and then popped a familiar question, "Hmmm the snake… the hero… the living tree… so what would you be huh?" The following scene to follow only escalated the awkwardness of the situations as Orochiyaru snake tongue shortly lashed and gave her cheek a lick.

Mikumi visibly sweated from the awkwardness as her hand lightly shook as she continued to drink her water as Orochiyaru talked, "Hmmm tastes like metal to me… how in the world does that grow on your skin huh" Orochiyaru changing the tone yet again gently push the bowl of ramen forth after the familiar sound of a growling stomach was heard "Hmm come on, don't play so secretive! We are all little monsters in our own ways. I haven't heard of iron scales yet to be frank… and I'm sure I've read a lot about nasty abilities…"

Mikumi now interested looked over to the new women recalling something she read from a book and saw first hand in her younger days, "Could you possibly be a member of the Steel release Kongo clan?" She would say calmly

WC:424

Total WC:2,458

Kaida's green eyes narrowed at the snake woman, briefly calculating her intentions. She wants a rise out of you, she mused to herself. When Yaru licked her, Kaida couldn't help but jump and shiver. A chill shot up her spine, and she straightened up immediately. The displeasure was plain on her face, but only for a moment, before the professional calm settled back onto her face. "Thank you for the meal," she told her server. Her tone was chilly, to say the least. If she had noticed the intrusive questions about herself, she certainly showed no signs of it. Her stomach complained again, a bit too loudly for her to ignore, and she began to eat, still cycling the Baoding balls in her left hand.

Her fortune would continue exactly in this way, however. It probably served her right for thinking about personal business in the presence of strangers. "Could you possibly be a member of the Steel release Kongo clan?" someone asked her. Ah, she'd been pegged. She let out a sigh. A little pained, a little exasperated, mostly tired. Kaida had to try hard to not roll her eyes-- this wasn't the first time it had happened. Even among the Kongo clan, attaining the Steel Release was up to a genetic lottery. Up until she was fourteen, her gift hadn't surfaced at all, and she had heard that it was unusual even at that age. Naturally, anyone who fancied themselves an academic would be interested.

"I am," answered Kaida, adjusting her stance on the bar seat so that she could look at Mikumi directly. "My name is Horikita Kaida," she said, testing the waters on this one a little. The Horikita family had lived in Sunagakure before its destruction, and were entrusted with the powerful weapons smithed by the Kongo clan and its other families for safekeeping. She wondered, practically aloud, if this too was something that her inquirer knew about.

Kaida spared a glance in the direction of Yaru and turned her head to the side, scratching her neck with an awkward feeling. She sighed. "It doesn't grow from my skin. It flows from my chakra. It's just a response to--" her voice faltered briefly, "to bad thoughts. I'll try to keep it to myself in the future."

396

Yaru chuckled to herself. She had gotten the info that she wanted and the situation itself unfolded quite the way she had desired for it to be. She hissed another time with her snake tongue. A pet peeve of herself. One of her many small snakes would slither up her leg curl over her boobs and past her throat to hiss something into Yaru's ear. Then eventually disappearing back into the girl's cleavage. Yaru seemed pleased by whatever news her messenger had brought to her. But for now, the experimentalist was here right at home between the multitude of interesting characters. She especially had a fetish for that Senju one. The wood element was one of Orochi's most desired things to obtain in her career. Unlike her great ancestor she wasn't the type to kidnap and forcefully steal it though. But still, she glared at Mikumi. With eyes that would tell stories that Yaru would do endless number of things to get hands on those juicy… yummy… unique and godlike power holding cells of their clans' kin. She found herself quickly ecstatic at the thought of possessing such a power. Anything that would show more of the wood girls' abilities would come in in favourable ways to her. She was however not an expert on the whole act of extracting an advanced element from someone… she wondered if it was possible to do so without necessarily killing the victim. Again. She wasn't quite the Orochimaru type for such a cold-hearted plan.

Then again. This woman was strong. Orochi just recently rebirthed into this body. She was weak. Her genetics might be good looking but her flesh was far from strong. A mere civilian at best. Her previous identity lost to herself. Lost in the misdeeds of a long-forgotten evil. Lost to the after effects of a terrible Kinjutsu. If only the authorities of Konoha would know about what or who she could be. She would probably be tied down in a laboratory herself and await to be dissected until they had broken her far enough apart to figure out what or whom twisted creature she once used to be. Yaru hissed again. Her eye contact eventually breaking with Mikumi. Unlike most people she didn't even feel awkward for staring at her. She didn't care. She lacked a certain depth of empathy as it completely vanished within the absolutely narcistic self-love of her. She was a terrible, weak little snake. But still. She was intrigued. Interested towards what all of this could lead to. Watching the young boy smile happily and play about on his seat. The tree lady eyeing Yaru suspiciously and the now revealed Kongo Clan girl trying to somehow deal with her absolute social irritation. Yaru had to admit that her lick to the girl's skin might have added another layer of awkwardness to the poor lady. But then again it all had its effect. They now positively knew that she was a steel clan. And who would love to see that element in action. Even the glorious senju might be intrigued.

520 / 2050

Upon asking her question Mikumi heard an audible sigh escape from their lips mixed with a number of emotions but with exhaustion being the most of it all, "I am" would be the women's answer and Mikumi would take note of it. The women then turned towards her to face her before finally stating who she was in full, "My name is Horikita Kaida," Mikumi didn't know much of the Horikita clan besides they had a close relationship with the Kongo clan, the fact that she had an ability of a Kono but was named after the Horikita told Mikumi she was a mix of both those two but also gave her the feeling that the two clans weren't supposed to be mixed since she didn't take the Kongo name.

Kaida then glanced in the direction of Orochiyaru althought Mikumi could sense a twinge of awkwardness from earlier, "It doesn't grow from my skin. It flows from my chakra. It's just a response to--" her voice faltered briefly, "to bad thoughts. I'll try to keep it to myself in the future."
Moments after Kaida explained herself Mikumi spotted something small making its way up her shirt and around her breasts until she was meant with the sight of a small snake, it was small enough that nobody could see it but Mikumi's eyes were quite trained, Orochiyaru grinned as if it shared a piece of information before slithering back into her shirt.

But Mikumi set that aside as she finished her meal completely and was now taking her cup of tea to finish it as well, although she had thought this would be a simple meal it seems fate had another idea for a quite meal experience as she was now sitting next to a boy named Aratana who dreamed of becoming a swordsmen just like she did when she was still known as Mokuzai, Orochiyaru who was quite frankly a very odd..no...more like downright bizarre person but she didn't seem to be bad natured at heart, and the socially unadept Horikita Kaido, a mixed blood of the Horikita clan but possessed the abilities of the Kongo clan, Mikumi couldn't help feel interested, she needed to know more...no...she wanted to know more. But what was the most troubling is how Aratana and Kaida found themselves practically starving due to the lack of funds the village provided for genin missions, a easy fix with what she was about to say.

She glanced into Orochiyaru's eyes, "Thanks for the food, I know have a full stomach thanks to you" She would say with a smile before glancing over to Aratana and Kaida, "Although you didn't say it the fact that you didn't buy your own food means your lacking proper funds even as shinobi, It seems the pay for genin is never quite payed enought even in my days as a genin. But nevermind that I have a proposition for you, I'll be happy to bring you along on higher-ranked missions under my guidance," She then looked over to Orochiyaru meaning that she was included as well, "However i would never bring a shinobi not prepared for the risk, if your interested then the test is simple, all three of you versus me in a little sparing match, what do you say?"


WC:578

Total WC:3,036

Aratana kept his focus on Kaida well, awaiting her response, the baoding balls restlessly shifting in her palm. Aratana watched as Kaida burst up from the suddenness of Yaru’s actions, and blinked a couple a times before Kaida once more pulled herself to, Baoding balls and all. Following that, he listened as she gave her answer to Mikumi’s question, letting out a sigh, revealing some sort of emotional connection. “I am.” he’d listen, thinking of the bluntness of the response before perking his ears up once more “My name is Horikita Kaida.” This was quite the learning experience for Aratana already, just in this single night out.

Aratana then glanced over, seeing Mikumi as she was finishing her tea and seeming to reflect over
something, or perhaps her mind was just wandering. Aratana figured it be best for him to do something similar, making use of all the information he had gathered throughout the night, trying to ensure that he won’t forget it. After all, it is not every night that a young boy sees 2 rarer forms of releases, as well as discovering multiple new clans. However, of this information mattered less to him than the value of one overarching fact, the fact that he saw these people around him as people with the possibility to help him grow stronger, and to train alongside him. For him, this had been a milestone within his journey.

Following Mikumi’s silence, she came out with an array of statements, catching Aratana’s attention when she stated this, "Although you didn't say it the fact that you didn't buy your own food means your lacking proper funds even as shinobi, It seems the pay for genin is never quite payed enought even in my days as a genin. But nevermind that I have a proposition for you, I'll be happy to bring you along on higher-ranked missions under my guidance,". These words almost made the young genin jump out of his seat. “Mission? High Ranked Mission?” he’d state, slightly awestruck by the woman’s words, grasping onto the edge of his seat.

He then continued listening, letting the genuine awestruck look continue into a look of happy curiousity of what The Tree of Knowledge could say further. It was then when she offered a spar that he took into consideration the seriousness of the situation, and acknowledge how far he’d have to push himself if he thought he’d have any chance at a fair fight with a shinobi of her calliber. Although she had yet to mention anything in regards to her battles, just a quick glance of her could tell you that she had much more experience under her belt than the typical shinobi.

“I’m all for it.” he’d state calmly, yet holding a slight sense of edge. It was difficult for Aratana to understand any of there’s intentions. Kaida, well that one was easy enough, another struggling genin. However, Yaru and Mikumi remained a perplexing mystery to him. He had yet to learn more than what he could off of the subtle hints offered in both their speech, direct and indirect. Maybe, he considered, it wouldn’t be the worst thing to keep these people around.

550

A tiny serpent slithered its way up Orochiyaru's body and hissed into her ear. Considering that she called herself a monster and a snake, Kaida had already grown accustomed to the other woman's mannerisms. Yaru would try to yank Kaida's chain every now and then and feel pleased when she got a reaction or perhaps even a lack of one. Her mother had hired many wandering ninja to train Kaida in her youth. Every one of them had a strange personality or unusual habits. Some of them were just plain crazy. She supposed it simply went hand-in-hand with the occupation. Summing up the other genin like this, Kaida's eyes glazed over and she moved her attention onto the next one.

“Mission? High Ranked Mission?” the little boy asked. Wait... that pipsqueak was a genin, like herself? Wow, she thought, you sure can't judge that book by its cover. She silently hoped for him that passing that genin exam hadn't been a fluke. He was so young. Everything about his manner betrayed that fact. He was practically drooling over the idea of training with them.

Ah, right. Training with them. Kaida hadn't caught anyone's name yet, and someone was already offering to help her. Konohagakure was nothing like her family home, but far be it from her to turn down an offer of better pay, and an opportunity to get firsthand training from a more experienced ninja. Not only that but a chance to put her mettle to the test. "Sure," she answered quickly. "Sign me up. I'll take you one-on-one if you want." She had a feeling it was a package-deal kind of offer, but on the off chance it wasn't, she couldn't turn this down.

Giving Mikumi the once-over, she openly sized up her opponent. The difference between them was clearly great, especially considering the more experienced kunoichi's offer about missions, but that didn't put Kaida out of the running entirely. It only meant that direct force wouldn't be the answer. She'd have to use lateral thinking and a more tactical approach than she would have liked, but she relished the chance to gauge her progress and the distance left to travel.

Kaida finished her ramen with the speed and grace of the truest glutton, only barely taking the time to actually enjoy the meal put in front of her, and only then so she wouldn't choke herself from eating too fast. This, too, was one of the lessons imparted to her by her mother. Many of her meals in her formative years had been timed. It was a part of her conditioning. She was rewarded for speed, docked points for making noise, and then punished when eating too much or too quickly made her sick. She had to find the line between the two. And she had succeeded. Kaida set the bowl down in front of her, finished already.

512

Yaru watched the situation unfold before her. She was pleased by the progress so far and would simply observe the conversations proceeding onto this. She however, while all of them seemed so quickly to agree, had a different idea in mind. "No deal." She would start out. Crossing her arms beneath her large cushions and hissed a few times with her snake tongue. Seeing as how she was going to be the only one to disagree, Yaru was sure to have caught their attentions. She chuckled inside of herself but kept playing the act. "I have no need for money ~ I have aaaall the coin I could ever wish for." She would boast a bit. Of course, this wasn't entirely true. She certainly was sitting on a huge wealth and was comfortably sucking up on the Orochi family rich resources. But it was far from 'all I could ever wish for' levels. Then again. Yaru just wanted the conversation to go the way she desired it. She wouldn't probably manage to fully manipulate the Senju… not yet. But she could still create a feeling that would end in her favour. "However, … I have my own interests and desires." She would bite her lip. Obviously ecstatic again as she focused her eyes on Mikumi. Her palms touching her neck and another one her chest, caressing her fingers down her skin as the facial expression she exhaled could easily be misunderstood as erotically induced excitement. It indeed wasn't that far away from the truth.

Yaru's body was glowing with joy as she could only day dream and imagine the power that was slumbering in the Senju genetics. The unique talents. The element that creates life. She'd start to bite around on her lip, almost gnawing into the skin. "No, my interests are of fairly more… physical nature…" she would speak and slowly move to sit down in front of Mikumi. Slowly bending over the table as she creeped up past it. Her large bust waved towards the tree girl as Yaru's face came intrudingly close to her. The hissing snake tongue threatingly close as if she was going to lick her not unlike she did with the steel one. But she did not. She inhaled Mikumi's scent once loudly and slowly retreated. Exhaling an almost erotic gasp of joy from that smell she breathed in. "Hmmmm I want something else… I want some of your hair… let's say… a few strands of your hair, YES. That'd be my price and I'll happily follow you into any combat you desire. I'll make my body work and sweat for you darling ❤"

Yaru laughed a slightly crazy and irritating giggle away. Slowly calming down again after her slightly insane display of ecstatic joy over but the single reason to be near and close the tree girl. She didn't mind if she was seen estranged by the others. She was a happy, smiling little bundle of joy. There was no reason to actually be scared of Yaru other than to probably find her ways of interaction rather odd.


520 / 2570

Aratana seemed to be thrilled with the idea and immediately replied agreeing to the idea and while Kaida seemed to be less thrilled she agreed nonetheless and even stated she would be thrilled with a 1vs1 in which Mikumi would keep in mind that she was quite brave, or had something to prove. "No deal." would suddenly erupt from Orochiyaru's mouth bringing Mikumi's attention to her as she crossed her arms and begun to hiss with her snake like tongue. "I have no need for money ~ I have all the coin I could ever wish for." Mikumi highly doubted that as anyone who had true wealth such as that was intent on keeping it that way, but regardless Mikumi let her go on to see where this was going as she had been getting strange looks from her since the moment she announced her clan.

"However, … I have my own interests and desires." Mikumi hair started to stand on end as Orochiyaru bit her lip as her eyes locked on to Mikumi's, her hands finding their way on her own neck and chest with a face drowning in some amount of ecstasy, a sweetly sounding exhale of one would expect from a female who had just been sexually pleased by another or was anticipating it. This time she bit into her own lips slightly harder before speaking, "No, my interests are of fairly more… physical nature…" she would speak and slowly move to sit down in front of Mikumi as she slowly bent over the table as Orochiyaru's face came intrudingly close to her, her tongue becoming, even more, close but not directly touching her, but to Mikumi's disgust and surprise she inhaled her scent very loudly and a chill crept up her spine before the girl retreated. With an exaggerated and honestly orgasmic sounding exhale she began to speak, "Hmmmm I want something else… I want some of your hair… let's say… a few strands of your hair, YES. That'd be my price and I'll happily follow you into any combat you desire. I'll make my body work and sweat for you darling ❤"

Mikumi exhaled a sigh of relief as she thought the nature of what she wanted would be far more...physical in nature, although she didn't say it the fact that she was a snake led her to believe that the nature of her wanting her hair was for research purposes, however, Mikumi was not stupid, she knew the havoc of the late Orochimaru caused with the cells of the first Hokage and Mikumi's great ancestor Hashirama, Senju but she also didn't want to deny the fact that Orochiyaru had nothing to do with the past. In response to her question, Mikumi plucked out five strands of her own hair that immediately took on a green color as it became something akin the plant silk and then handed it to her, "I don't know why you need it but be advised my genes are closer to life itself then  average Senju to the point where even Hashirama, Senju was more human than I. I'll give you one warning, misuse my kindness and I'll have to do something I'll regret" Mikumi would say honestly and seriously as she leaked her intense chakra to the point the counter begun to crack from it just to prove how serious she was on the matter rather or not Orochiyaru would take her seriously.

"Well if that's all taken care of follow me." Mikumi would finish sealing back up her chakra and lightly running her finger over the cracked counter using doton chakra to repair it with ease, Mikumi would lead them to Konohagakure's training ground in a matter of twelve minutes as she took time to enjoy the view of the night and it's eerie yet peaceful nature. Upon getting to the ground she would turn around and look towards the three shinobi in front of her while using her chakra to create a one-inch layer of skin that was invisible to the eye unless you had special types of eyes to see it, "Feel free to come at me at full force." she would say while she relaxed her body leaving tons of openings on purpose.


Chakra: 335/350

Jutsu used:

WC:750

Total WC:3,786

Aratana watched over Kaida as he finished his statement, as it seemed she was going to be the one to offer a response next. Watching as she would glance over Mikumi, attempting to find some confident foothold on her. 1 on 1? he asked himself, and although he handn’t considered it yet, it was in this instance that Aratana was already attempting to formulate the foundation of a plan. He understood that in some circumstances rather than looking for an opening, one has to create one through their own process. All he had now in mind however was that one of them used steel, and one who had a possible weapon of a tongue, the extent of this unknown. Does wood release burn easily? he’d question himself, followed by another and another internal thought regarding battle, his hair was starting to go on edge after all.

This battle plan was soon interrupted however by Yaru bragging about all the money she had, and making it seem like a high rank mission was of some low worth to her. Aratana scoffed at this, developing in both a poor, and hardworking family. She then went forward in what could be seen in what’s could be seen as an act of desire and erotic attention. Aratana however, would be too young to understand this, mentally considering that Yaru may have some kind of developmental issue. When she had asked for Mikumi’s hair, this had caused Aratana to gasp. Could a person be so off their rocker they see hair as payment?

He then saw Mikumi sigh, and follow along with her request giving her strands of her hair, causing Aratana’s gawk to display exponentially more. What kind of people was he talking to? Do the lunatics come out at night? He wondered, not crudely, yet curiously. Seriously wondering if there was some underground cult of loons that only came out at night. The next phrase spoken by Mikumi, and the fact her hair had turnt green when removed, however, redirected his thoughts into a greater level of wonder.

"I don't know why you need it but be advised my genes are closer to life itself then average Senju to the point where even Hashirama, Senju was more human than I. I'll give you one warning, misuse my kindness and I'll have to do something I'll regret". Closer to life itself? Was Mikumi not fully alive? He then proceeded to watch as Mikumi had shattered the counter rapidly, forcing him to question her strength, before proceeding to watch her replace it with ease.

As she requested to go battle, Aratana propped himself down from the chair he was on and pursued her, trailing behind. Looking around at his village at this hour, as usually at around this time he would be getting ready to crash. Of course, he’d only see things that he had seen many times before, but it was as if some eerie glaze had washed over the surrounding environment. As he arrived at the grounds, he watched as she landed on one side, and assumed his team was going to take the other, so he placed himself there, behind wherever his teammates would be. Following this, he kept a focused, watchful eye on Mikumi. Of course, he noticed the openings to just dive in here and there, but doing so wouldn’t be wise if you didn’t know what your opponent could do, let alone know if she held a false defense.

”I’ll allow you both to take a lead,” he’d softly speak, keeping an eye on Mikumi to check for any signs she could hear his words, or had any plan to attack. “I have some thoughts going into this, so whether or not you decide to listen to a ten year old is up to you.” he’d state seriously and calmly, finishing it off with a small smirk. “If our initial attack doesn’t succeed, rather than waste energy it’d most likely be best to come up with a plan.” he’d hold the same seriousness in the statement, as well as the same watchful eye over Mikumi, in saying this, he held onto a hope that his teammates may lend him an ear, regardless of his age.

724

Wherever Mikumi was leading them, Kaida didn't mind. As they walked, she prepared herself for the approaching conflict. The expression on her face clearly read as deep thought, even as she retrieved her weapon-- a viciously spiked leather and steel gauntlet-- from her tool pack and began strapping it to her hand and arm. She tested it out, flexing her hand into different shapes and her arm into different positions while she followed the more experienced ninja. Where they were going didn't really matter, as long as it didn't involve something weird, like volcanoes. Her koton didn't do well in the presence of fire. The heat seeped into it and made it soft and difficult to control. She knew she didn't have to worry about that, though. Odds were, Mikumi wasn't really taking them seriously. Sure, she had experience on them, but there was that thing often called beginner's luck. It wasn't really luck, of course, but the unpredictable nature of the inexperienced. They were likely to try just about anything to get the job done, especially when backed into a corner.

A quick and quiet twelve-minute journey and they were already there. A plain, flat ground that offered no environmental conditions or objects to take advantage of. Great. A fair fight, she thought, though the sarcasm practically flowed off her.

Okay, time to plan. Their new chaperone had mentioned high-ranking missions. If she could handle those, then there were no straightforward tactics that would work here. She'd have to start with misdirection, but Mikumi was also aware of the difference in experience between herself and the genin, so she'd be expecting misdirection. There was also the matter of Kaida's time limit. Once the fight started, she'd have maybe a minute before the heightened activity started having an impact on her-- one of the side effects of her nightmares and the incredibly poor quality of sleep she got. Fortunately, one she was prepared for. Her plan would need to come to fruition before the end of that minute. The obvious answer was to use a full frontal assault and hope to defeat the Senju with superior force, but again, not an option. She had seen Mikumi's strength firsthand. In that case... maybe she shouldn't be trying to defeat her opponent, but harry her. Odds were the more experienced ninja was just using this mock conflict to learn the strengths and weaknesses of each genin, so Kaida's objective should be to impress Mikumi, not defeat her.

”I’ll allow you both to take a lead,” someone said softly, bringing Kaida out of her haze of thought. Oh right, she had allies. Those were also good resources. If they were all genin, then they all knew the Academy techniques. “I have some thoughts going into this, so whether or not you decide to listen to a ten year old is up to you.” he told them, finishing off his statement with a devious smirk. “If our initial attack doesn’t succeed, rather than waste energy it’d most likely be best to come up with a plan.”

"That's stupid," Kaida said plainly. "Why would we start with an attack? You only attack when you know it's going to get you ground." She transformed the chakra within her body, generating a layer doton ores, slid katon through them, and a gray liquid sheath flowed out from under her clothing, covering her skin with a thin, flexible coating of constantly-moving steel. She flexed her right fist, concentrating the koton around that arm until additional steel flowed along her gauntlet and up to its point, rippling and flowing in defiance of its nature as a solid metal. "Everyone starts with getting their defenses up, anyway. We need a plan that will make her defend herself so we can break through, and then attack. Right?" Despite her dismissive attitude, she had still addressed Aratana directly, treating him like she would anyone else, despite his age.

700

Chakra 230/250

Jutsu Used:

Orochiyaru was satisfied. They payment had been made. The locks were quickly placed into small philtres of thicker glass. Their now green liquid-like form leaving Yaru to have shiny eyes just from staring at it. What QUALITY gene, what unique cells. Even among the weird tree people she must have been an even stranger version and creature. Ahhh the fun she would have analysing these cells. But for now. She had to put them aside. Lowering the vial to her cleavage one of Orochi's snakes would emerge from between her breasts and casually swallow the item as if it was the most normal thing possible. Yaru followed the other two and their supposed opponent onto the battlefield. It wouldn't be long until Mikumi had somewhat laid down the basic setup of this spar and Yaru would make certain that physical strength or ranks were not necessarily required to absolutely mess things up on a battlefield. Considering the idea that Yaru wasn't a real human but probably a genetically engineered creature, she was technically around 4 years old mentally. At least her brain lacked any information from before the time she was supposedly 14 and apparently, she did not exist before that moment either. So, considering the three of them. Orochi had probably the lowest experience with life as a human being in the first place. But her absolute lack of human standards would turn her into the uttermost perfect battle machine as you could bet she would always do something else than one might expect from a human.

While young soldier boy prepared his defensive stance, steel girl went forth to raise her layers of thick defensive properties but also seemed to ready her weapons. Good. That would be useful. A steel types. Someone with hardness and power values far above its usual rank. Aratana wanted to offer his tactics but Yaru also, not unlike Kaida, dismissed his thoughts of going full nerd on planning this stuff out. Yaru was here to test and see what the tree lady was capable off. She did not really care much about the other two at this point. Just mere tools that would serve her at her disposal. And so she would proceed. First she would exhale an absolutely insane laugther while her mouth instantly exhaled a thick mist known well to exist in the nebula of Kirigakure. Completely changing the whole terrain of the 'battlefield' in an instant as neither of the other three could really see anything anymore. Mikumi probably had the skills of a shinobi with perception high enough to see some shadows and blurry images move within the mist. But Yaru would make that part of her plan. She raised a reflection clone from nothing but a skin cell of her own body. The clone would quickly start to run towards Mikumi's location. Afterwards Yaru would stomp once as the earth beneath her would become liquid to her and she'd simply disappear within it, underground. While the technique usually intended to trap your opponent. Yaru had a very different idea this time.

She would grab Kaida feet and pull her body to 90% below earth. Not much more than part of her face would remain above ground. Yaru would proceed to shove Kaida's body along with her below ground towards the location Miku was just seconds ago. And then proceed to push Kaida from below ground back onto the surface. If Mikumi had been curious as to what the newbs might actually be up to. She might soon face herself in a situation where potentially Kaida would surprisingly raise from the ground below with an iron fist ready to strike (despite her own situational confusion) and a reflection clone of Yaru coming at Mikumi somewhat from the side.

While either of the Genin did not really have any powerful physique. The reflection clone was a different matter. His D-3 fist would be ready to do considerable ouches and even knock back Mikumi if she ended up caught in it. Either way. Even if nothing of Yaru's plans would come to pass. The simple fact of having dragged a potentially terrified Kaida along the earthen ground and then shoving her into their enemy's face was joy enough to just do it for fun.

720 / 3290

Chakra 215 / 250:

As Mikumi stood there waiting for either of the three to make a choice it seemed none of them were that stupid to just attack her head on, it was a very good sign although she felt somewhat disappointed by it on a personal note. Regardless of how she felt Mikumi wouldn't move until one of them had made a decision or some type of strategy for her to react to, Aratana had hidden himself behind the two older female shinobi, although he was a good kid and his dreams were quite similar to hers in design as she started out their approach couldn't be any more different when it came to battle as Mikumi had been more out-going yet still keeping her wits about her in battle. To her great misfortune, her ears were way to trained and Aratana who was speaking in hush whispers sounded as if she was right next to him  as he told Kaida and Orochiyaru that he let them take the lead and said that he had some sort of plan on how to approach her saying that he would rather waste energy on a well thought out plan then waste energy on an initial assault, although the plan was very logical in theory the success of a plan actually succeeding was a fifty-fifty chance, although with Mikumi being able to hear them from where she stood it was almost zero but she stood in her spot regardless in patience.

Kaida in response to Aratana didn't refrain from speaking her mind as she told the young shinobi quite frankly his plan was stupid telling the boy that you shouldn't attack unless you knew it was going to actually get you somewhere, and although that was technically true there would be some cases where you would have to trust your gut with an out of the box idea to get any true ground.  Suddenly from her body gray liquid sheath flowed out from under her clothing, covering her skin with a thin, flexible coating of constantly-moving steel, Mikumi was amazed by her steel release clan taking note that she would love to get a more detailed look another time, she flowed some metal to a gauntlet she was wearing before advising her teammates to put up some defenses and then force Mikumi to defend herself so they could attack which was never a bad idea since Mikumi at the moment was an enemy they didn't know how to react too, good thinking that Kaida girl.  

However to no surprise to Mikumi based on her behavior so far Orochiyaru disregarded the more thoughtful plan of Kaida and immediately begun exhaling a technique she hadn't seen in quite a long time, the hidden mist jutsu.
Although her perception had been dulled somewhat by the mist, Mikumi had the positions of the three recorded into her mind as she was now surrounded by fog, after a few seconds Mikumi started to hear the sound of running and a blurred image coming from her nearly exactly from where Orochiyaru was standing and Mikumi who admired her bravery was prepared to meet her with hand to hand, but just as Orochiyaru got closer Mikumi suddenly felt the ground beneath her feet begun to crack and realized it was a diversion and immediately flipped back to see Kaida shoot out of the ground albeit looking somewhat out of place, but still will the steel shine over her body as she popped out attempting to swing at the place Mikumi was just standing.

Although with Kaida attitude and Orochiyaru's bizarre behavior she seriously doubts the two were working together in tandem so well together and suspected one of them was being used, Mikumi automatically finding herself pinning on Orochiyaru as the culprit as her heritage was literally a snake in nature, either way, Mikumi planned to use the opportunity at the moment to her advantage to show them just how a situation they created can turn on them.

With Kaida out of the ground, Mikumi ran past her picking up speed as she attached ten chakra strings to her arms and legs that were now covered by the same material as any other shuriken and kunai allowing her to control her movements by overpowering her as long as her own steel technique was activated, as Orochiyaru came Mikumi was poised to teach her a lesson as once she got close enough attempting a strike she easily dodged it before using a part of her strength(C-1 Strength) as she thrust her right hand in a palm strike straight into Orochiyaru's stomach only for it to connect and Orochiyaru to vanish into a cloud of smoke, a clone Mikumi would muse to herself as it was made so well she didn't notice despite her suspicions.

Either way with her Orochiyaru's clone destroyed Mikumi begun to move her hands in the way she would watch Nova  done with her puppets when she watched her in the Chunin exam to move Kaida's body by force back to the location Aratana and Orochiyaru were previously standing in , but unlike a puppet Kaida was flesh so she could only move at a speed her body could physically follow so when she moved her fingers in a way to send Kaida back it wasn't as fast as she hoped but Mikumi did it anyway, once Kaida made it out of the mist Mikumi would re-arrange her fingers so she swung her right fist at Aratana and then proceeding a sweeping kick to test the boys ability and his reactions to his own teammate fighting him, rather or not it hit Mikumi would release the chakra strings giving Kaida back her movement


Chakra:330/350

Jutsu used:

WC:954

Total WC:4,740