Her form would shift, settling her rump against her feet, kneeling within the underbrush, her movements almost seeming fluid, unhindered by the tight black bodysuit, the specific item of clothing covering her left side from ankle right up to her jawline completely, whereas the right side showed visible flesh of her chest and arm. Yet draped about her form, giving some form of cover to her chest and the area from her waist down to her thighs in a diagonal slant, was a lightweight material, its colour that of deep clotted blood, her gloves the same in colour and material. Carefully she would remove the glove from her right hand, peeling each finger out first before slipping her hand free. Folding the glove once she would tuck it carefully into her obi beside her Amai, of which he left hands index and middle fingers would brush before shifting both of her hands to remove her old battered looking kuni from its place, beneath her bust, sheltered from view by the draped shroud that lingered about her shoulders, shielding the majority of her torso from view. Beneath the folds of the draped material ton either side of her, what covered the rise of her chest, on either side would be found her sheathed Ripa tsume blades, one each side with the arched curve of her blades set upwards so that their tips pointed downwards for easy access, should such, at any point be required. Her hands would brush gently into the shrubbery seeking out the greenery as she thread her fingers through the winding leaves, occasionally leaning close to inhale their scents, discerning the a-ray of variety even within such a small area. Each time her form leant in close to the lush plant life, her snow coloured strands would fall like a river cascading over her shoulder to coil against the greenery. Her hair tied up neatly in a high bun whilst the section of hair that would usually be classed as the ‘undercut’ however was left to hang loosely, trailing right the way down her back like a flowing river to brush against her rump when stood. However the left side of her hair, including the left side of her fringe, would be tightly braided with dull loops entrained, attached to said loops a thin veil that would, in turn, be attached to the high collar of her bodysuit, completely covering the left side of her face from view, whilst the right side remained exposed, her cheekbones high enough that she could be considered a regal beauty with the addition of her pointed features and pale flesh, if it was not for the traces of malnutrition set deeply within her, accenting the deep scar that set in a line along her upper and lower lip the material black to match the body suit. Whilst it covered the left side of her face it would also encroach back over the side of her head below the makeshift hood to also cover her ear and though insipid for an onlooker, with the material so close to her she would see through and hear through with very little discomfort now.

With a smile crossing her lips at the sharer mass in such a small area about herself, this land, truly a foragers dream, especially in comparison to the places she has crossed within her short life. Carefully she would brush her right hands fingers along the leaves of a plant, seeking its texture before raising the leaves, using the kuni she would scrape away the upper layers of soil before removing the rest with her fingers raising the plat free from the ground and fully in-tact, a burdock still young yet perfect in its age for its qualities and uses. She would place the burdock into her woven foraging basket before losing another to place beside it, careful not to disturb the range of currants and berries she had already picked, the berries juices staining her right hand's fingertips a deep shade of purple. Continuing she would again, with care shift just a short ways to raise whole, dandelions placing them in turn beside the burdock. Her search had begun in the wee hours as it always did, after checking on the genin and other members from Iwagakure no Sato, she always found herself just a little ways from the busy village hidden within the leaves, seeking out fresh ingredients for not only for food but medicine and healing balms in which she then had been producing rations for any that wished to take and use within Iwagakures quarters.  

Dusting off her hands after cleaning her kuni, as to which she would replace within its holster she would place a hand against her knee to rise from the ground before picking the basket up and looping her left arm through it before making her way out of the underbrush and past the tree line leading herself back to the footpath. Breaking through the tree line her right hand would lightly grasp a tree, pausing to watch the footpath for a few moments before strolling out along it as though she had never left it. Within the slowly strengthening sun, a soft hum would rattle within her throat, as she strolled along allowing her footfall to return her to the building the visiting nations and their exam participants had been staying, courtesy, no less, of the hosting village Konohagakure no Sato. Entering the oddly shaped building she would veer off to the southern corridor, quietly passing by the other corridors, her hum quieting to a simple vibration within her throat as she passed by the sleeping quarters of the Iwagakure participants, only returning to the melody of her hum once reaching the communal area. She would head straight to the kitchenette, placing the basket on the side beside the sink. Continuing to hum she would slip her left hand from the glove before proceeding to carefully rise the contents of the basket before washing and drying her hands. Immediately she would slip her left hands glove back on, ensuring that the thin padding of her specially designed glove would rest appropriately against the space of her missing digit, having had the glove specially designed to accompany the disfiguration of her left hand, missing the space for her missing pinky digit all together, instead made as a perfect fit as though a pinky finger had never had a place within a pair of gloves, a subtle padding within to give some form of not only protection to the hand but comfort, whilst reaching up to her elbow, ensuring the flesh of her left hand and arm would be covered as it lapsed over the bodysuit itself. Laying out the cutting board she would set the pans ready on the stove before retrieving one of her knives, carefully selecting and striding down the different a-ray of rations she had collected. With the knife in her left hand and her right hand holding the item she would, with a rhythmed speed, cut and slice as required, allowing her humming to continue steadily as she worked.

---

Word count: 1193.

Shifting restlessly from left to right on a bed was a restless Kizmaru trying to remain asleep. Despite how hard he tried, he just couldn't sleep anymore. He was feeling a bit anxious because of the chuunin exams that was taking place that he so happened to be attending. It was in between rounds for him so he decided to catch some sleep here and there or whenever he was free to do so. Alas, this time, he had slept far too long and was feeling fidgety to stay asleep any longer. Reluctantly, he rose up from the lopsided position he was sleeping in and got to his feet. Yawning, he mad his way over to the facilities to make use of them. Starting with the routine of getting into the bath and scrubbing himself clean. He enjoyed taking long baths in fairly hot water as it would quickly wake him up. He twisted the knobs to release the water from the shower head, filling up the tub below it. Slowly, he'd adjust the water temperature to his liking. He enjoyed it hot but not too hot to the point it was scalding his flesh to enjoy the experience. Letting the water run, he occasionally dipped his finger in to check if the water was too hot or too cold. It was fairly warm but he still preferred it to be on the hotter side of the thermostat.

He adjusted the water a bit further so some steam was rising out of the tub and tested the water once more. He placed a finger into the water and pulled out quickly. Finally, it was just right. Kizmaru went back into his room to find his rubber ducky and loofah. He checked near his bed where a small desk resided finding the duck before remembering the loofah was in the bathroom already. He promptly returned to the bathroom with his ducky and placed it into the water. Smiling, he stripped off his clothing and slides into the tub slowly, easing himself into the hot, almost burning water. Settling into the water, he started to tense up at first but eventually he completely eased into the water and breathe a sigh of relief. Now comfortable, Kizmaru began to play with his said ducky. A little while later, Kizmaru had gotten bored and decided to sit back into the tub, now frowning. He decided to use these spare few moments of peace to think about what he wanted to do with his shinobi career. Where he was going, what he decided he was gonna do. He wasn't sure where to go from here now that he was a Chuunin. He was one step ahead of being a genin but in the long run of things, he was still at the bottom of the food chain. He didn't crave fame, attention or anything superficial like that. He did however want to learn more about Jutsu itself where itself and on how he could use that knowledge to further his own powers.

Right now, he only knew three jutsu that he could use offensively and that alone isn't enough for the types of expeditions, missions and shinobi activities he wanted to partake in, in the near future. The thought of his inadequacy had made him lose some confidence in his ability to combat enemy foes. Sure, he's won his fair share of spars and fights but he's never been in anything as serious as war or a life and death situation and when that happens he didn't want to be caught with his pants down. Still, he decided he would need to do something about his "insecurities" in the near future but for right now, he should just sit, relax and enjoy the moment. Kizmaru soaked in the bath for another twenty minutes before he decided it was time for him to get out. He didn't want to turn into a prune so getting out as soon as he was content was in his best interest. He climbed out of the tub and grabbed a towel from a near by rack, wrapping around his body before grabbing a second one. Using the second one, he dried himself off from head to toe and wrapped the second towel around his head before going to bathroom sink. He began to brush his teeth for a few moments before finishing and leaving the bathroom.

After putting on the appropriate hygienic products to freshen up, Kizmaru puts on his usual attire of his yellow button down shirt, navy blue pants and black ninja tabi. He wasn't sure what he was gonna do on his day off but he was sure he'd find something. With that, Kizmaru had stepped out of the room he was residing in for the time being. Walking through the streets of Konhagakure, Kizmaru placed his hands into his pants pockets and started to observe the places he was walking by. He wasn't use to all the greenery so the strange smell of plants and what not made him feel a little nauseous but he was mostly fine. While traveling down the path, he noticed something that caught his interest. A female that was seemingly gardening and foraging was nearby. It didn't seem like she was a native of Konoha but more like a tourist like he was. Well, he did have a valid reason to be here other than sightseeing. Kizmaru decided he would pause for a bit to watch the way the woman handled her knife. He was somewhat impressed that she knew how to handle that knife as if she used it for more than rummaging through the greenery.

W.C: 959