Mission Details:

Sitting at a worn down old wooden table in the tavern known only as the Crossroads Inn, Midori was reading a book known as Tusk Love, a romantic novel about a princess that was kidnapped and eventually fell in love with an orc warrior. It was a means of passing the time as Midori waited for the genin that would be helping her guard both this tavern and the rest of the crossroads outside. Luckily, they were given free room and board while here, which was nice, so Midori couldn't complain too much despite her more refined tastes. It was a quaint little place though, and even someone like Midori had to agree that it had it's charm. With a fireplace large enough to heat a mansion, multiple old cats laying about, purring for anyone that came around, and the middle aged woman at the bar always had some wise crack remark to make, though she was a kind woman.

Midori had already been stuffed full of eggs, sausages, blackberry pie, and warm apple cider. The smell of banana nut bread brought back memories of her family's estate in Hi no Kuni where the chefs would always give Midori first dips on anything they cooked up. Besides the food, the place wasn't busy enough to feel crowded, but had a steady amount of people coming and going, which was to be expected with the number of traders, travelers, and general wanderers that past through the crossroads. The road to the north led to Kumogakure, to the west was the nation's capital, to the east the largest trading port Kaminari no Kuni  had to offer, and to the south was the road leading to the Land of Hotsprings, a constant tourist destination.

There had already been a few minor conflicts here and there, mainly fights between vagabonds and the like, but Midori had also been tasked with locating a thief a few hours ago. She hadn't had the chance to really catch the guy though, as he ended up getting caught by the bodyguard of someone he was attempting to steal from. Midori was more than happy to let that playout as fate saw fit, but nonetheless locked the thief up in the small two cell prison she and her new partner would be able to use for the next three days. Their was also a raven they could use to send messages for a patrol to come out and fetch any criminals, but Midori decided to wait until the last day they would be here just encase they arrested anyone else.

So here she sat, at a large wooden table where she could overlook most of the tavern while keeping an eye on the front door for whoever the village had decided to pair her up with. Midori really didn't have much of a preference when it came to things like this, they weren't expecting much combat, which was fine, as Midori wasn't really in the best shape for that sort of thing. It seemed the years spent training to become a doctor had caused her earlier skills as a shinobi to fade. Even if she had to retrain to gain her previous skills back, that was fine by Midori, training was have the fun and always came easy to her. After all, she had been declared a prodigy at a young age, not only with the fundamentals, but also with more specialized skills of the shinobi world, such as Fuinjutsu.

For the time being, Midori was happy enough to finish reading her romantic novel while the random people passing by left her alone. She din't have to report to her post till nightfall, and unless something happened, she was left to do as she pleased. This mostly meant deflecting the repeated attempts by the woman at the bar to feed her more blackberry pie or some other home cooked dish, as well as ignoring the various glares she received from the various men and woman about the place. Seemed most of them weren't use to seeing someone like her, and Midori wasn't sure if it was her beauty or the fact she was so well dressed for a shinobi. Her big black leather boots, fishnet stockings, black leather corset and slate gray jacket made for a striking appearance when compared to her moon colored skin, pale pink eyes, and silvery-white hair. Not that Midori minded the attention.

Nil was beside himself as he set foot at the crossroads he and this "Midori Hyuga" would be guarding. Though the area seemed quiet enough, with only the occasional passerby or wild animal that ventured too close, Nil was certainly intimidated by the sheer scope of responsibility of his very first mission! Well truthfully that wasn't ALL that had him intimidated at the moment. The Hyuga Clan were known.. well.... through the entire world! Not the least of which for being exceptional Shinobi in their own right, and more than a little intimidating by reputation, but Nil was also concerned that he might fall behind in his duties with someone like THAT as his partner.

Taking a moment to hug his bag of belongings to his chest Nil approached the door, his headband dangling around his neck like necklace while being tied securely in the back, allowing it to lightly bounce and bump into his chest between steps.  As Nil raised a hand to push open the door, he paused, a familiar sensation reaching him of being... watched? Blinking and turning to his right, Nil spotted a distinctly familiar form staring back at him. A pair of ruby eyes glinting in the grass as a small, pearl white snake stared at him. Nil tilted his head, curious, and glanced back at the door before biting his lip in consternation. He KNEW his partner was expecting him inside but the mystery of this little snake that seemed to follow him was gnawing at him.

Finally deciding on a course of action after mulling over his options Nil lowered his hands and turned to walk over to the mysterious little snake. The small creature raising it's serpentine body to maintain eye-contact with Nil as he approached, only to quickly slither away and flee around the building. Nil jumped, startled by it's sudden burst of speed.


H-Hey! Wait a second!"

He stammered, unsure of whether or not the creature could even understand him as he jogged after the slithering serpent. Rounding the corner of the Inn as he followed where the little creature seemed to have disappeared to. Much like he last time Nil saw the mysterious little creature however it was nowhere to be seen. Nil sighed, adjusted his bag of belongings, and walked back to the front door of the inn. Taking a moment to fidget his nerves away, at least as much as he could for his first mission, Nil slowly nudged the door open to the inn with his hip. His arms still hugging his belongings to him as he made certain to be as quiet, and respectful, as possible.

People generally take too much notice of the slight boy as he made his way into the room, quietly searching for anyone who might match the description of his partner. It didn't take him all that long to find her, in fact, she stood out rather starkly to the rest of the simple clientele in the room. Nil had to... blink, multiple times in fact. A wave of warm, heated nervousness flooding his face to paint his normally pale cheeks a rosy pink as he laid eyes on Midori. She was... beautiful. Never mind the fact she seemed to be well older than him and, quite likely, much more experienced.

Nil took a hesitant step towards the woman, his legs suddenly feeling as if they were made of jelly, and a cold, fluttering feeling coursed it's way out from the pit of his stomach to the very extremities of his limbs. Lightly numbing even the tip of his fingers and toes as he tried to work up the courage to speak, all the while drawing closer and closer with each shaky step to the other Shinobi. His bag of belongings, once grasped to his chest out of a habit of timidness, now acted as a security object. His grip tightening on it's fine, leather surface emblazoned with the Raiu Clan insignia to the point his fingers turned stark white, then pink from the blood pressure rushing to them.

As Nil got with three or so meters of Midori he paused, taking a moment to look at the book she was reading and, upon seeing it's title and genre, could only bite his lip to keep from blushing further. Taking a shaking, nervous breathe, Nil attempted to prepare what he had wanted to say. Who he was, how he would be her partner for this mission, what his skills and abilities were, essentially, everything he could offer as an asset on his first ever mission. Instead, as Nil stepped forward next to Midori and opened his mouth, all that emerged was a short, timid squeak of a hiccup. Leaving Nil staring rather blankly at her for a brief moment, mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water before he murmured a very quiet noise.

"U-Uumm....."

Nil groaned quietly, raising his bag of belongings, partly to dejectedly bop his forehead against it and equal parts hide his still-flushed face from her. Nil stood like that for a moment, the briefest of second passing by and a rather large amount of nerves being gulped down by the young Raiu before he managed to stammer out in a breathy whisper.

"M-My name is Nil...umm... Nil Raiu and... a-and umm I am your assigned partner for this mission."

Nil paused, his grip on the bag tightening a bit as he continued, his nervousness still very much prevalent in his tone.

"My skills a-are... mainly Ninjutsu. W-With both Raiton, Lightning Release and Suiton, Water Release. I... I umm... am not much in close quarters combat... a-at least not yet."

He swallowed, something about the idea of admitting his flaws to Midori making that cold, wavering feeling in his stomach only intensify before he finished speaking.

"It... it um..... It's n-nice... to meet you Midori Hyuga."

Taking a moment to nervously shift foot to foot Nil slowly lowered the bag and raised his face, glancing off to the side as his blush was very visible as his stared off into an empty corner of the room, trying his best not to seem wholly incompetent and rude without directly looking at Midori. After all, he was raised to show his peers respect, regardless of how cute they were. So with more than a little trepidation does Nil dip a quick, shaky bow and sit down across from her, still unable to look directly at her as cradles his bag in his lap. His seemingly overly large kimono hanging loosely on his thin frame to the point the very top of his bandaged midsection could be seen over top of the bag he held. His soft, rosy colored features accentuating the cool, ice-like chips that shone in his eyes. The very edges of his irises visibly infringed upon by something resembling strokes of lightning within grey, dark storm clouds. As if the glacial blue coloration of his eyes was emanating from the center out into the swirling grey mass around his iris' outer edges, only penetrating into the smoky grey in jagged, stark bolts.


Word Count: 1,208
Word Count Total: 1,208

The woman from the bar came by briefly to place a plate with a loaf of what smelled like fresh banana nut bread and a cutting knife on the table for Midori. Offering the woman a short nod of appriaction and smile, Midori took a sip of her apple cider before returning to her book. Movement in her peripheral caught her attention as a older boy, not yet a teenager, walked through the front door dressed in a beautifully made kimono. Midori didn't know his name, but it was clear by the Hidden Cloud headband around his neck that he was going to be her partner for the next few days. He was an adorable little thing, and obviously had good taste, but Midori couldn't shake the feeling like she'd seen him somewhere before. If the kimono was anything to go by, perhaps they had both attended one of the more affluent parties in Kumogakure before and simply missed each other's introduction.

Midori was about to wave him over when he caught sight of her, but by the rosyness that flushed his cheeks, she couldn't help but grin at the realization of what had just happened. Opting to let him approcher her at his own pace, she turned her attention back to her book, holding it up so the timid boy could easily read the title. Together, the two of them spent the next few moments in a sort of tug of war, he was inching his way closer and closer, growing ever redder in the face, and she was smiling behind her book, enjoying the flattering effects she was having on him. She noticed the way his knees wobbled when he got close, the way his face tightened in embarrassment when he finally noticed what she was reading, until finally he spoke, standing at a distance as if she might reach out and wound him at any moment. She cast him a glance and a smile as he spoke, hoping to reassure him he was safe, as he began rambling on about his skill set.

Ninjutsu. Midori couldn't lie, she was disappointed, but it made sense, he was still young and ninjutsu was the easy alternative to the more specialized skills of the shinobi. After all, she'd graduated from the academy seven years ago and was only now beginning in her role as a shinobi because she opted to be trained as a medical-nin. Ninjutsu being this boy's focus could be overlooked for now, because he was still young and so adorable. Standing up suddenly and moving toward him, Midori picked the boy up, his kimono ruffling in the motion, before she hugged him closely to her and kissed his forehead. "It's so wonderful to meet such a cute boy, my name is Midori." She quickly put the boy down before anything awkward happened, but she patted his head before offering him a seat at the table. "I'm a medical-nin, but I'm also skilled in fuinjutsu. Don't worry about any close range combat either, I got you there, so if anything happens I'll deal with it. Besides, we wouldn't want the beautiful kimono of yours to get damaged." Midori said, fawning over the boy as she pulled the banana nut bread over and offered him a slice.

It wasn't long before the woman from the bar made her way over, putting down another large cup of apple cider, two pieces of blackberry pie, both for Nil, plenty of eggs, sausages, toast and biscuits, hash browns, and even some freshly made peach cobbler. Midori couldn't help but smile as the woman fawned over Nil as she had, practically force feeding him with guilt just as she had done to Midori. Once she left, Nil had enough food to feed three people, much less a twelve year old boy. "Better eat it all, or she'll get amd and feed you more. I'd help, but I'm already stuffed and if she sees me eating some of your food she'll probably beat me with a switch before making me eat even more." Midori chuckled, picking up her book again. She had two more pages to go before she finished the chapter and she wanted to get that done with before they had to report in for duty.

"Not much has happened so far, a thief is in the lock up, but I didn't even have to deal with him. Any way, have we met before? You look familiar, perhaps we met at a galla? My father owns the emerald mines just outside Kumogakure, the finest emeralds in the world, or so they say." Midori finished her chapter quickly, watching as Nil ate, wondering if it'd be possible to persuade him into taking a specialized field of jutsu besides ninjutsu, or if he'd even consider it. She could definitely teach him Iryōninjutsu, but she could only show him the most basic elements of fuinjutsu. It wasn't so much that Midori didn't understand the value of Ninjutsu, it was by far the more versatile and well known use of chakra in the shinobi world, useful in so many ways, but also limiting. Without a more specialized skill set, it was rare for a shinobi to make a name for themselves with just ninjutsu. Those that did were truly skilled shinobi, Midori wouldn't deny that, but they were so rare in the shinobi world, much less Kumogakure.

Never in his wildest imagination could Nil have foreseen what was about to happen to him. Before he could finish seating himself after his disastrous introduction the older girl stepped over to him, earning a wide-eyed, blank stare of a boy who had no idea how to react to the situation, and proceeded to pick him up. In the briefest of seconds before she embraced him, Nil's feet leaving the ground, his face went from a light, flushed pink to a powerful salmon pink that reached the very tips of his pale ears. A small, confused noise leaving him in the form of a monosyllabic yelp.

"E-Eh?"

In the next moment Nil found himself going from looking up at this beautiful girl to being pressed to her chest rather forcefully. Nil's body going as rigid as a board as he felt the soft cushion of her chest touch his own. A flaring surge like lava flooding through his veins and, in that moment, Nil was supremely thankful he wasn't a perverted individual. His hormone-filled body was flaring with so many signals, twitches and half-formed coherent thoughts that the kiss on his forehead only made him shiver. Before the frazzled, sparking remains of Nil's brain cells could even hope to fire and make some sort of sense of the situation she called him cute and introduced herself. Nil couldn't even attempt to answer her. In fact his legs nearly give out beneath him as she sets him back on his own feet, his face having gone from a pale, clear complexion to a lightly flushed one, to a heavily flushed one and lastly to where it was now. His face a full cherry-colored declaration of complete and utter confusion, embarrassment and nervousness.

The only saving grace that snapped Nil's short-circuited mind from staring meekly down at the floor between his feet was the affectionate pat on his head that came a moment later. Nil's attention immediately turned up Midori, his eyes locking with her own out of hard-wired etiquette lessons and he regretted this decision as soon as he made it. Had.... Had his heart always been this loud? Nil was so distracted that before he was truly aware of what happened he found himself numbly sitting at the table across from Midori, still clutching his bag of belongings to his chest as he stared at her. Only blinking himself to something akin to focus when she offered him a piece of banana nut bread, the slight rumble in his stomach refusing to be ignored no matter how worked-up the young boy's hormones got.

No sooner had Nil simply begun shyly nibbling at the offered piece of bread did the hostess set him out enough food that even his rich-blooded self had to gawk for a moment. Midori smiling at him making Nil duck his head and murmur a quiet thanks before beginning to eat, making sure to heed her warning. Deciding to nibble at the eggs and sausage first Nil was in the middle of a bite before he blinked in response to Midori filling him in on the situation. With fork raised, cheeks blushing and egg hanging barely hanging from his lips did Nil simply... nod. At least, he began to, when Midori asked if they had met before.

Nil paused, taking a moment to actually think over her question or, more accurately, try to turn his brain back on. In the past minute or so his brain had done very little thinking after all and had went expressly from instinctual reactions of "Cute Girl" to "Hugs" and lastly to "Food". Needless to say there wasn't much room in there for even forming a coherent thought on his end. With a slightly startle did Nil remember the egg still hanging from his lip and gulp it down, biting his lip in thought and embarrassment as he glanced off to the side. Steadying his thought process before looking back to Midori and tilting his head inquisitively in thought. He studied her and did his best not to stare at her more than he had to.

Midori did look familiar to him which was not surprising the Hyuga Clan were almost beyond famous even in Kumogakure. While Nil hadn't been one to actively attend, because he was not allowed, his parent's parties with the other wealthy families of Kumogakure he did sneak out to see them on occasion. Though, after some thought, Nil came to the conclusion that he didn't THINK he had met Midori before and answered her.... in his own way.

Nil hunkered down a bit lower in his seat, half-hiding his face behind his bag again as a soft blush returned to his features. His bag now fully hiding the bandages around his mid-section as Nil gave a meek shrug, causing his thinly-muscled shoulder to flex and draw his kimono up a bit tighter on his frame. Quietly whispering his answer.

"I-I.... I don't think so. I would never forget meeting someone like you M-Midori-Sama."

It took Nil all of a second to realize how his answer had sounded and he groaned quietly in exasperation, hesitantly attempting to explain himself.

"W-Wait I... I didn't... umm...."

Nil trailed off, once again flushing fiercely as he gives a small, awkward wiggle in his seat not unlike a playful snake.

".... I-I didn't mean it.... l-like that...."


Word Count: 928
Word Count Total: 2,136