There was always a calming feeling that Naomi had gotten from a cool cloudy Spring day. The village Market District was lively today despite the looming rainstorm that seemed to be approaching overhead, and it was most pleasing sight indeed to see people out living life. These were the days that made her proud to be from Konoha, proud to look over each of the stalls and street carts and know her home was alive with the the innocent inner workings of day-to-day life. Vivid scents and sounds capped everything into a perfect scene that gave any tourist a true taste of what the Hidden Leaf village truly was, and always had been in her memory, a vibrant and culturally active community. Everything was as it should be, and there was a smile on her otherwise passive face.

There was a certain level of indiscretion that was needed to be a street vendor, something that Naomi lacked, and her discomfort was something she did her best to internalize whenever she was called to by a shopkeeper eager to peddle their wares. It was not that she was particularly shy, but with her siblings she was always the one singled out for not being as physically gifted. Strength was something her body just did not possess, and even through training she had seen only moderate improvements to her meager bulk. This was all fine and good to her though, being bulky would have slowed her down, and through the recent years with a more specialized curriculum from her family she managed to embrace her smaller and more agile frame to a more tuned purpose beyond simple brute strength. Where her brothers and sisters excelled in shoving something aside, she excelled at finding a way around the barrier through speed, and this, she felt, was her greatest strength beyond the Byakugan.

Of course she possessed other gifts as well, due in part to the physical frailty with which she was born, and to the desire her parents had to seeing her grow up well despite her infirmities. Naomi coughed in the chilling air, the storm was growing closer and the streets were starting to empty in preparation for the rain that was most assuredly on its way. The humidity had increased greatly, and there was a feeling in the air that it would come down at any moment, something that excited the young Hyuga girl greatly as she was always very fond of spring rains. The rain never provoked her sun allergy, and it was one of the very few times in which she could leave the house without wearing long sleeves and a sun hat. Sometimes she wondered how she ever got the chance to be a Kunoichi with the limitations her allergies and her sickly nature had put on her head, but she was proud to even call herself a Genin at all. Even on days she spent in bed rest were good days when she could look at the headband and reassure herself of the value that was placed upon her in granting her this opportunity to serve the village. If only Naomi could handle public settings better.

It was a garden she had been seeking, peaceful serenity in an otherwise chaotic environment served her well, and would pacify her growing discomfort in large crowded areas. In the shade of a small tree she would seat herself and close her eyes, the single greatest defining feature on her otherwise unimpressive visage. Quiet, it was magnificent after the walk she had been on to find a place for silent contemplative reflection upon her fear. Naomi felt it was improper for a Genin, or any Kunoichii, to be truly uncomfortable with gatherings no matter how big or small. Secrecy was only a portion of the Ninja lifestyle, it did not truly dominate the entirety of their being, and as such her social life came with great difficulty.

Her greatest regret at the moment was not having anything with which to write her thoughts, it was one of her passions and often times she would re-read that which was written in order to attempt a greater understanding of herself, and her life as a Genin. It completely slipped her mind that she would have wanted to write down her impressions of the Market, and in the isolation of the garden she was left with her thoughts.

734

Mornings, absolutely not Risu's favorite part of the day, which just as always became apparent from the very instant she opened her eyes, almost blinded by the sun's light coming through the window next to her bed.

Moaning a bit, she tried to get back under her blanket, yet despite still feeling tired, she knew she wasn't going to be able to get back to sleep again until it had gone dark again, one of those quirky bodily functions of hers. As such, she threw off her blanket, her back making a crackling noise when she got up, almost slithering to her bathroom half bend over, almost like how an eighty year old woman would be walking after a full day of sitting in a chair. With a deep sigh, the young kunoichi pulled off her black tanktop and undies, slipping into the warm and soothing shower to get herself a more suitable morning call.

She could hear the raindrops dripping on the plexiglass piece of the bathroom's ventilation, which meant that the weather had turned from sunny to rainy, which all in all wasn't something Risu hated.

As she got out of the shower, towels wrapped around her hair and torso, she made some coffee, using the black, bitter liquid as a jumpstart for her day and while the hot coffee slipped through her throat with every sip she took from her cup, she started to look through the amount of reports and letters that had been brought to her appartment by her uncle. Somewhat surprised that he had made no effort to wake her this time, the Orochi Lady still sighed at the thought of her uncle somehow having gotten his hands on a spare key to her own livingspace, what a persistantly obnoxious man he was indeed.

Seeing that there were no urgent requests in the staple of reports and letters and with enough ryo in her pockets, Risu decided not to go looking for a mission that day. Rather, she thought it might be a good time to stretch her legs in a purely recreative way for once.

Not much later, she found herself walking strolling through the streets of konohagakure no sato, Her village, looking at the wares of merchants, talking to people she knew from either the academy or even simply because of her status as a noble within the village's hierarchy of the clans.

Though it was quite refreshing to not be called a monster so frequently anymore, Risu could still feel the constant stares of younger and older people on her back, which lead her to seek some sanctuary in a small, yet peaceful garden, which she believed to be part of the late eight Hokage, Sarutobi Konohamaru's plan to give the village a more friendly and peaceful nature.

With the rain again pouring down in a soft drizzle, Risu got underneath a small cherrytree, noticing that she was not the only visitor in the small, yet beautifull garden, as not far from her position, a young girl, which she thought to be around her own age, was sitting silently, almost as if she was dreaming with her eyes open and those eyes were just the thing that made Risu bite on her lower lip. That girl was a member of the Hyuga clan, though the Snake Princess couldn't see if she was part of the main or the branch family of the Hyuga clan.

"So, what brings you here?" Risu spoke on a sly tone, while walking from underneath the tree into the Hyuga girl's direction. "Doesn't the Hyuga compound have its own gardens and parks?"

615~

The rain had started in earnest now, a slow drizzle more than the downpour the thunder and lightning had implied, but the ferocity of the storm was approaching more slowly than she had anticipated when she took her seat beneath the tree. Naomi had not blinked for quite some time, lost in thought staring at the swirling clouds and flashing lightning, in awe of the tremendous power that nature commanded. These were the times she truly felt small, when something so inspiring as a thunderstorm loomed overhead even though she knew it was an all too mundane occurrence. There was a majesty to it all that she could not possibly emulate with her own Lightning Release that served to motivate her, to push her towards seeking to command even one fraction of the power held in the clouds.

The raindrops were cooling, more so than the air had been, and while the sun was not totally out before the rains had started it was still warm enough to make her consider a return home to retriever the sun hat she needed on most days; at least she had her long sleeves though. Thankfully the tree had provided enough shade when she took her seat beneath it, and kept her from breaking her travel because of her health. It frustrated Naomi to no end that her sun allergy had hindered her so much in the past, and threatened to slow down her progress as a Genin if she did not take better care of herself in this regard.

Just as it seemed the desire to nap in the garden had taken root, a voice pierced the veil that had clouded her otherwise remarkably clear vision. A young woman, for sure, but only until she looked up had she noticed the appearance that gave away their Clan just as her own Byakugan had done. There was no hiding her Hyuga blood, the eyes were omnipresent, and anybody with any sort of cognitive thought could put two and two together to know exactly from where she had come. Naomi sighed quietly to herself, and worked to overcome the discomfort with strangers to speak politely, "The same reason that brings anybody to a garden, tranquility and solitude. Though the latter is now lacking, much like the Hyuga compound."

She stood up and leveled her gaze at the stranger, and remained closer to the tree than the approaching Kunoichii. Observation would have shown the rigidity of her stance, her displeasure was masked behind a pleasant enough facial expression. One of the things her mother taught was to be graceful in social situations, even if they feel tense, and Naomi certainly felt tense after her contemplation had been disturbed so bluntly. Respectfully though, she nodded and continued on with her explanation, "Gardens are special to me, and while the ones in my home are lovely, diversity in all things. That is why I have sought a garden away from my home, to enjoy something different than that which I see on a daily basis. I hope that answers your question."

1250

Was it the short, almost instant change in facial expressions, the quick shift from downright surprised to a faint moment of discomfort to a slightly stern, yet elegant expression on the Hyuga's face which triggered Risu's almost compulsive need to tear off people's masks and force them to show their true nature or was it that hidden threat, that witty, yet devious remark in that first sentence she had uttered?

Already from the first moment that girl got out of contemplating things, she irked Risu, or rather intrigued her. There was one thing the Orochi Lady knew already about this girl; the fact that she was far from social and probably more comforted by secluding herself from others.

"If I did hear that very well," The young kunoichi said with a soft grin on her pale face, granting herself a rather defiant expression and utilizing a smooth tone of voice. "Is the fact that you really made it quite clear you dont like company."

The Snake Princess made a quarter turn to the left, making it so that the Hyuga girl was standing at her right side now, while she herself simply lifted her hands, forming them like bowls, as if she was trying to collect the water pouring down from the sky.

"Beauty is such an overestimated quality in my opinion," Risu almost chuckled those words, though her facial expression showed a certain bitterness that did not go well with her chuckle. "So as you can see, that is never the reason why I'd visit a garden, no matter where it is and how many wonders it holds to become special or in that sense, beautiful. Though I do understand why you would come to a garden, simply because it let's you forget the usual daily situations. You hide from those, seeking sanctuary in places like this..."

Suddenly the young girl sighed, her eyes turning towards the hyuga girl. Two golden snakeyes looking straight into those practically colorless eyes that made the hyuga clan so recognizable among the clans. Her lips curled into a swift, faint smile, as she lowered her hands again, placing them at her hips.

"Oh, wait...sorry, I didn't want to impose on you like that, analyzing you like some weird, intel operative, go I almost sound like my uncle," The young kunoichi really smiled this time, her right hair combing her hair backwards a bit, as it began to swell and hang straight in front of her eyes due to the rain. "I'm Risu, Orochi Risu from the Ouroboros clan and you are...?

1051~

Naomi remained rigid, listening closely to the analysis of both the reasoning behind the desire to seek tranquility in a garden, and of her as a person. There was a disquieting voice behind her ears that told her to leave the situation behind and return to the safety of her home. It was the flight mechanic, and it had been pressed upon all day throughout her walk in the village and up until the point she had ignored it quite proficiently. Her eyes did not waver from the uninvited guest, and as uninvited as she was there was some level of guilt in the seemingly hostile way she had answered the initial line of questioning. The young Hyuga had not truly overcome her discomfort in social situations at all it had seemed, and while she was perfectly content at home surrounded by her family, this one stranger had broken her concentration and as such the peace she had erected in her mind, but it was not this Risu's fault that she was left with an overwhelmingly uncomfortable sensation that beckoned her to retire the interaction completely.

A sigh passed through her lips, one of resignation, as she continued to address the Ouroboros girl, if only out of propriety. "Naomi, though you seem to already know I belong to the Hyuga clan. There is no hiding that it seems. Consider it the curse of the Byakugan. It is an incredible power but at the cost of one's anonymity among their peers." her voice taking on a less confrontational tone as she spoke. The rigidity would soon pass as well, as Naomi began to acclimate herself to the situation in which she seemed to be firmly implanted. Social as it was she still felt awkward, she was not shy and could speak with others, of that she was certain, but she greatly preferred to engage the conversations herself and on her own terms. She had come to terms with this moment though, and albeit slowly, relaxed her posture to some degree.

"You say you do not value beauty as a measure of worth. But you sound as though you take a one dimensional definition of the word. There are a great many things in this world that can be called beautiful, and a great many of those things are never considered to be universally beautiful. Childbirth, is a beautiful miracle of life and love, but it is most certainly not a beautiful thing to behold, would you not agree? The blooming of flowers is just another birth, just as the wilting of flowers is a beautiful act that signifies a life lived." she said, finally moving to kneel next to the flowerbed that was taking in the rain. Naomi cupped her hands and dug into the softened Earth and lifted a flower out, a blooming lily, and held the mound of dirt and flower out to the pale-skinned young woman, "They do not live lives that we recognize, but each of them live, and each of them die. There is beauty in death, just as there is in life, but would you find many that agree to this idea? A death is just a natural part of the life cycle, and yet we generally mourn death as a terrible thing. Murder is a terrible thing, yes, but a long and rich life ending peacefully is nothing to be dreaded. Open your eyes to the world around you, and you will see the beauty in all things if you look hard enough." Naomi said with a soft smile, planting the flower back into the hole she had made. The young Hyuga was content that she had gotten to speak her mind on the issue, what Risu made of her thoughts was her own business, and if she wanted to share then she would.

She looked back to her guest and stood again, this time keeping her smile on her face, "Please forgive my initial coldness. You are correct, social situations are uncomfortable for me, but it is something that I seek to correct in myself in time." she said calmly. Naomi extended her hand, forgetting that it was dirty, as a means to bridge the gap she herself had built in being so closed to social interaction.

1968

The hyuga girl luckily replied, giving her own name, though apparently not glad with the apparent burden of fame from her clan and after that...it started.

Even though Risu really didn't really wanted to actually have a discussion, it was at least a lot better than being scoffed at or the apparent silent treatment of earlier. It was almost refreshing to have that hyuga girl suddenly talk a lot, a waterfall of words in which she seemed to find the courage to explain why she thought the Snakegirl was one dimentional in her view on the aspects of beauty. So it was social activity which made her lose her fear of communication, interesting, but somehow a bit contradictional and anticlimactic according to Risu.

After her arguments had been clearly given, she even apologized, which made Risu's expression turn from a slightly confused look into a soft and almost friendly face, well, as much as it could look friendly with her glaring, golden snake-eyes and white skin.

"Apparently Naomi, it seems you dont like someone looking at beauty as something dull and useless," The Orochi girl chuckled, looking at the flower the hyuga girl had so blatantly shown and placed back where it belonged. "Maybe I should ad the fact that I can see what beauty is, vut it simply doesn't really bother or interest me...not anymore at least. However, no need to be spouting out arguments to justify our own vision on a simple, single thing.

Why she had not noticed it earlier, was a riddle to Risu, but now that she had a closer look at the hyuga, she had to agree that despite the fact that Naomi was certainly an elegant girl, her skin was of such a sickly pale color, the snakeprincess couldn't help but wonder why someone outside of her clan would have such a light skin, which looked like the skin of a person who had never seen the sun, but just not yet as white as Risu's own skintone.

"I hope this doesn't bother you, but...are you feeling well?" The young kunoichi asked, slightly teethering on her feet, while keeping her eyes on the other girl's pale skin. "If you were like me, it wouldn't have been obvious, but as you are a hyuga, I wondered, how come you look so pale. It's almost as if your skin's dead, no offense."

1462~

The rain's intensity never picked up, in fact, it had slowed to a dreary drizzle that seemed to veil the village in a warming fog that rose from the dampened streets. In the sky the Sun was threatening to peek through the clouds which put a look of concern on her otherwise calm expression. "Among other things I was born with a rather painful Sun allergy, the light burns my skin easily and so I have to spend most of my time sheltered indoors away from windows. When I do leave it's on days such as this, or in long sleeves and a sun hat. Naomi said staring at the sky with an apprehensive hope that the clouds would not break. She would hate to have to leave this garden and retreat to the dull safety and comfort of her family compound.

The young Hyuuga stepped backwards under the shade of the tree once more, still staring at the sky, "I'm afraid it does not end there though, I am prone to anemia and type two diabetes. There have been quite a few scares when my blood sugar dips too low, it's probably not safe for me to leave the compound without some kind of citrus fruit honestly, but these medical rules are so stifling sometimes. Some days I wonder what it's like to be healthier than this, but I usually come back to my senses and recognize how grateful I am to be alive and living well. There are far more souls unfortunate than I and if I ever lose that perspective then I fear what I may become when what I have no longer pleases me. Naomi put her hand on the tree as she finished her monologue, though whether or not the other Kunoichi was listening she was unaware. She was perfectly content to live within her family's financial means, though the life of a Hyuuga was likely more comfortable than most; it was a factor of both the education and upbringing her mother had given her, and the way she viewed her sickly nature, that made her thankful for every single day.

2326

Risu sighed when she heard the entire reason for the Hyuga girl's sickly appearance. In the snakegirl's opinion, she wasn't bad looking, far from it, but you just couldn't forego the idea that she would just suddenly drop dead, which all in all was quite the gloomy thought to have about someone roughly the same age as herself.

"I reckon it would not be easy to live a full shinobi life in such a condition," The Orochi girl spoke sympathtically, understanding that such colbination of illness and protectionism could have lead to the Hyuga's social awkwardness and lack of social understanding. It was quite sad actually that they had so much things in common, as Risu was generally not a social person as well, though with different reasons and quite a different stance in life. "Perhaps, if you would not mind...would you like to come with me to the Ouroboros compound. You probably have never seen it, as in a way, it's quite the same as the Hyuga compound, with only rare visitors and highly guarded by the clansmen, but it could be something interesting for you to visit."

The fact that the girl had so many problems and not all to be considered lifethreatening on their own, but making up for quite the extraordinary combination, made Risu wonder why she had even taken on the idea of becoming a fully fledged shinobi, weird, but commendable in its own way.

"Just saying, but with my clan's medical background, maybe you should get an examination as well," The young chuunin said calmly, giving a faint smile, knowing that it was probably a weird offer, but she had faith in her clan's oftenly praised knowledge on the human anatomy and the machinations of practically all parts of the body. "Perhaps you might get some insight on how to improve your physical strength and refrain the effects of certain afflictions, it might help you in getting through your life on a more pleasant and fullfilling way."

1894~

The ray of sunshine broke through the dissipating clouds, a symbol of hope for a great many people save for the young Hyuuga that retreated against the tree completely. Her back to the wood, she looked to the Kunoichi that had intruded upon her meditative contemplation with a very ill look in her eyes, "Sunlight burns me badly, if we plan to leave we best do it in shaded alleys unless I want to risk a terribly painful sunburn. Naomi said in a quieted tone, clearly distressed that her own carelessness had allowed her to leave home without her sunhat. Her mood had changed from optimistic social activity to a desperate need to escape indoors.

There was a visible discomfort welling in Naomi's pale expression, she had been caught in the sunlight before because of her carelessness, and had to recover over the span of two-weeks for the severe burn to fully heal. It was what delayed her becoming a Genin, and what cost her the chances she had at finding a suitable sensei. The young Hyuuga was misty eyed, recounting the fresh memories was more than enough to cause her tender heart sorrow, a sorrow she knew was her own fault. She looked to the Kunoichi and in a very sullen tone, spoke plainly, "I will trust you for this, but only because of the desperate situation in which I have firmly implanted myself. If you can help me then so be it, but I have only just met you today and that means all I know about you is what I've seen here today. Forgive me for being a judicious guest, but if I catch any whiff of trickery then I will be gone faster than you can blink. her tone was reluctant and fearful acceptance. It was not the most inviting acceptance, and she felt guilty for being so upfront about her suspicions.

"My suspicion is not because of who you are, by the way, but because of how little I have known you. she trailed off, looking to the sky once more in the hopes that the sun would hide behind the clouds once more. Naomi's good mood had sunken so low with the breaking of the storm. The rain was her favorite, and even with thunder and lightning the darkened weather was far more inviting to her sun allergy than a bright and shining day. The Hyuuga girl hoped with all her might that the day would not, in fact, become one of those bright and painful days that requires her to retreat, but it looked to be headed in that direction.

2766

The sun started to get through the clouds, making the garden bathe in the deliciously soothing light, yet just while Risu was starting to enjoy the warmth of the sun, the Hyuuga started showing signs of serious distress and the snakegirl realized what she had said so earlier, she had some kind of allergy against the sun. Quickly, Risu took off her shirt and hung it over the girl's head, thinking to herself how this girl would ever even be able to become a decent shinobi, given that her physical condition was more suited to live in a place like Kirigakure rather than Konoha.

"I understand, but first we need to get you to a more suitable place," The young chuunin said softly, trying to calm the nerves of Naomi. Thinking about it, her offer to show the girl her own compound would be useless, since the Ouroboros compound was at the other side of town and the hyuuga compound wasn't a much better option, which left her with the only choice she could make. "I understand your...cautiousness, though we're both Konoha-shinobi here, what would happen if all of us started to distrust people like that. There are enough tragedies that show such behavior only leads to problems. Plus, I'm probably the same age as you and we're both girls, no need to be affraid or distrusting before giving me a chance."

With a quick motion, Risu took the cap from her waterflask, forming a few handseals right after opening it, so that a thick, cool mist started to spread in the garden, effectively sheltering it from the sun's harmfull rays.

"Now, let's see. Well, technically, you'll be seeing and I'll be simply walking in a straight line from here to the exit," The Orochi girl chuckled, amused by her own little joke, though she wasn't sure if the sickly girl would realize the fact she had just made a joke. "Anyway, both the hyuuga compound and the Ouroboros compound are out of the question now. I know, my apartments just half a block away, you can regain your strength there, while I take a look at any injuries you might've sustained."

She stretched out her arm towards Naomi, hoping she would grab a hold to her hand and follow her to her appartment, which all in all, was just around the corner. A small apartment in one of the many large buildings Konoha counted, a place she could call her own and certainly the best place to get this sickly girl in a short amount of time with minimal exposure to the sun. "just grit your teeth for a minute or two, I'll make sure no light coles into my appartment when we get there, good?"

2371~

This mist release had been a relief for Naomi, something she herself had practiced and learned in the time she had spent on training her own Water Release techniques. It was something that served to benefit her almost exclusively as the Hyuuga clan's Byakugan could see through the mist where most others would fail to see through the Ninjutsu. She had not yet used the technique herself outside of the Hyuuga compound and did not really consider using the power to relieve herself of the burden the sunlight placed on her from birth. She had just learned something and all she needed to do was put her health in great risk.

"Truth be told, I never considered using Hidden Mist to hide from the sunlight. It probably is not totally effective but at least I know I can use this same technique as a means to shield myself somewhat... Naomi said, trailing off as she allowed the Kunoichi to lead her from the garden to what she hoped was safety. It was a stranger, and while she had not gotten a distinctly hostile impression from what she hoped was a medical-nin. It sounded as though that was the implication behind her initial invitation. Naomi hoped there would be food in the deal, she felt somewhat ill and suspected her blood sugar was beginning to destabilize.

Upon leaving the mist she began to feel the stinging light of the sun on her hand, and what felt like a fire igniting on the back of her neck. The Hyuuga took it all with a cool and poised demeanor much like the rest of her clan dealt with things, it was not their way to lose their calm so decidedly discomposed. A blister was forming on the joint of her thumb where it joined with the palm of her hand, before bursting open painfully; it brought an agonized tear to her eye and the hope that they would soon arrive to a sheltered and shaded place, in which she could recover from this ill-planned journey of her own choosing. These difficulties would make her a very specialized Kunoichi, but at least she still had the drive and focus to pursue the career she had wanted from a young age. Sick or not she would serve and protect the people of the village with everything she had, right down to her final breathe and beyond if she was capable.

3176

With one glance at the hyuuga girl when coming out of the mist, Risu could tell that the girl's condition was way worse than she had anticipated. She had heard of sun alllergies before, but mostly those were the common milder versions like fatigue, quickly sunburned or dizzyness, yet this girl's condition was not mild, in effect it was one of the most severe kinds of sun allergies Risu had ever seen, with the girl's skin instantly starting to form blisters, which Namoi seemed to suppress painfully.

Luckily, Risu's appartment was but a single dash away from the garden and as she searched for her keys, she was glad that the interior of the building was quite dark and shaded. Opening the door, Risu made a quick dash towards the single window in her appartment and closed the thick, purple cotton curtains, making sure that there was not a single drop of sunlight entering the room, after which she quickly put the lights on, inviting the Hyuuga girl to come in and take a seat, while Risu would refill her waterflask, get a bowl of water and her medical kit.

"Ok this might sting a bit, so grit your teeth," Risu spoke gently, while pressing one of her antiseptic pads on the few blisters that had opened up, afterwards cleaning them with the cool and fresh water from the bowl. When she had done that, she placed her hands on Naomi's arms, slowly, yet steadily compressing her own chakra and sending it inside the young girl's own chakra pathways, stimulating the Hyuuga girl's chakra to flow towards the afflicted areas and fasten the healing process. "Well, I'm not as fast as the actual medic nins, since my clan has a peculiar affliction of our own, making it harder for us to use our chakra in a healing manner, yet despite that, many of our clan belong to the best doctors and medical shinobi in Konoha."

That was certainly not a lie, as Risu had witnessed first hand how her uncle had quickly patched up a visitor who had mistaken himself between the Ouroboros compound's public garden and snake cultivation garden, with the poor, albeit drunk man being bitten by almost a dozen poisonous snakes.

"Do you want coffee or tea?" The orochi girl asked when she had put away the medic kit and emptied the bowl of water and cleaned it up, already warming up some water. Then she pointed at a cupboard not far from her own position. "If you are in the need of some food, there are some premade onigiris and cookies in there and some green apples, just take something if your hungry."

Putting two cups on the small table at the center of the room, while taking a seat in one of the two chairs, Risu poured in whatever beverage Naomi wanted, while looking silently at the girl.

"To be frank, I used to hate you Hyuugas for a long time," Risu confessed, knowing that being honest would make the girl a lot more comfortable than she was at that point. "Not only the hyuugas, but also the Uchiha, the Senju and the Sarutobi clan, simply because those clans acted as if Konoha was theirs, not to mention the accusations made by the Hyuuga clan at my uncle's adress, demanding his head for the murder of three hyuuga members, ridiculous ofcourse. However, I came to realize that it's unfair to hate a clan for the actions of a few of its members and as such started to look at all of them differently, it's something I was thought by a Senju, who stopped a fight between me and a Hyuuga member near the Memorial of Fallen Shinobi. So now I respect the clans and their traditions."

For a moment, she kept silent, stirring the coffee in her cup while taking off the wrapper of one of the premade onigiris and taking a bite.

"Given your serious healthissues, what are you aiming for?" Risu suddenly asked, her expression showing sympathy, but also a keen interest. "If you woukd desire to be so, you could try to strife for a position at the ANBU corps...since they've got a lot of night missions, which would suit you, I guess."

3096~

Naomi had gotten used to blistering easily in the sunlight, but that did not make the experience fully bearable for the young woman, furthermore the treatment for these injuries always managed to sting just as badly. She hated herself for being careless enough to leave without her sunhat, and would not let herself forget this moment in time should she weigh the option of leaving with or without the protection she needed. It was a kindness that the treatment did not sting for nearly as long as the injury, and that it was treated in the first place was an improvement over her last excursion that left several scarring blisters on her upper arm. They were not grotesque like third-degree burns but she was still displeased with the reminder of her own foolish behavior. The Hyuuga knew she was prone to this, and yet she still managed to make a fool of herself for leaving without her sunhat.

"Speed matters little on minor injuries like this honestly, that you can treat it is a gift to me. Normally I have to rely on the typical treatments, this makes things much easier...but it also enables me to continue on with my careless behavior. I know I am prone to this, and yet I still left the house without my precautions because I get so fed up with such a regimented life. Naomi said with a defeated look on her face, as if she knew she would live this way forever but had not totally accepted it.

The Hyuuga sighed inwardly, reflecting very briefly on her ill-planned journey today before turning to the next line of questioning that called out her reasoning behind risking her health problems against the life of a Kunoichi, "It's in my blood, it's tradition. I may be ill, and I may not be well suited to daytime travel without proper precautions, but that has not dampened my desire to see to Konoha's safety and success in any way that I can. Be that as an ANBU or anything else, I want to protect my village and my home against any threats, internal or external. she said with her hands on the table, she had not made a move like she would retrieve refreshment until the treatments had been completed in earnest. Her indication came when the other woman began to prepare something for herself, which gave Naomi the freedom to take one of the apples offered and nothing more, she did not want to take too much of her host's time or wear out the hospitality by taking as she pleased or in greater quantity than she needed. Naomi began to eat slowly.

3633

Even though the snakegirl had been so kind to let the hyuuga girl into her appartment, not to mention give her solething to drink and something to eat, Naomi still had some quirky tendencies, like apparently not wanting to be a burden, while earlier Risu had said she was free to take whatever she wished for, it was probably the strict, traditional upbringing of the Hyuuga clan that made her so reluctant to impose on her host.

"Ah well, I'd say thank you for the fact you look at my skills as a gift," Risu chuckled, taking another premade onigiri, removing the wrapper and eating it up with a smile on her face. That was because after one bite, she remembered what kind of onigiri this was; a red beanpaste filled onigiri, her favorit. "Maybe if you grow a bit more, I mean in terms of skill and techniques, you might be able to learn medical ninjutsu yourself. It could help you along the way and in turn, you could use it to help others as well."

Again Risu listened to what the girl had to say, understanding that she was really part of the hyuuga clan in ways of honoring their traditions, hailing their bloodline, in a way ammendable to have such respect for your own clan, completely different in that aspect compared to the snakegirl, who tried to distanciate herself from her own clan's traditions and had chosen to rebel against them rather to bow down and follow them.

"I see..." The young Orochi Lady sighed, breathing out in the direction of her cup filled with steaming hot coffee. Gently she touched the rim of her cup with her lips, taking a small sip, after which she made a funny inhaling sound almost like a wheeze, obviously showing that her coffee was still a little bit to hot for her to drink. "I think it's never bad to have such loyalty to your village, even despite the physical condition you have. It's really a show of strength from you, having the desire to protect and serve both your village and your clan with such dedication and courage, especially courage since I would think it isn't easy for you to be doing those things while having that sun allergy and diabetes and stuff."

A faint trickling sound caught Risu's attention, who first thought she had not closed the tab properly, but when she saw that it was not dripping, the girl took a peek behind the curtains. It had started raining again and the sky had started to darken, being packed with dark, almost sinister looking clouds. A flash followed by a deep and loud rumbling noise completed the setting, after a bit of sun, chilly temperatures and a little drizzle, now it had turned out that they were going to have a full blown thunderstorm.

"Though I'm not really willing to throw you out or anything," Risu suddenly laughed, while opening the curtains and showing the weather outside to the hyuuga girl. "I reckon this is the best time for you to hurry to the hyuuga compound, otherwise you'd have to wait until the storm's over and who knows when that'll be."

3640~

"I'd love to learn anything that would make me a more effective member of the village to be honest. It would be useful to me personally to learn medical ninjutsu, but on the whole I would want to learn something that the village needs and if that happens to be it then so be it. There is no denying how much it would benefit me though, especially with all of my health issues. Naomi said just as the sound of rain had once again begun. There was a brief moment in which she allowed the trickling to take the stage and speak for her before she returned to speaking, "My family has been with the village for quite a long time, and despite certain...difficulties...in the past, we remain. Konoha is my home, and these are my people, whatever I can do I will do.

The Hyuuga girl stood slowly from her relaxed position and nodded her head politely, "Please accept my thanks for the hospitality you have shown me today. True kindness can be scarce and I appreciate the help you have offered and the advice you have given me. You are correct, this is the window of opportunity I need to return home and rather than overstay my welcome I will see myself out. Someday I hope to repay your kindness, but until then be well and always be prepared. she said before exiting the home back into the rain. It was both refreshing and soothing to feel the cool water, and even if she would be soaked by the time she arrived home she would be better off than if she had attempted the journey in the sunlight.

Her host was correct though, there would be a tremendous amount of difficulty in pursuing the path she had chosen with all of these health concerns. Naomi spewed hushed expletives at her seemingly cursed birth as she traveled quickly back tot he family compound. Why did she have to be born with these illnesses? Did it really mean that she was never going to succeed? Even if she did would she be truly ready to take on the village's enemies with these frailties? She began to run home, only the few that remained in the rain turning to catch the girl as she sped through the streets and out onto the trail that led to her home. Not a soul would see the angry tears welling in her eyes; the only thing that Naomi wanted more than to be well was to be a village Kunoichi.

4069

Risu accepted Naomi's thanks very diligently, glad that the hyuuga girl had finally softened down a bit and had shown the snake girl the beautiful personality underneath the exterior of illness and introvertiveness. Cleaning up her plates and cups, putting the remaining onigiris in the cupboard and taking a last one before she would do the actual dishes, the Orochi lady simply enjoyed the fact that Naomi had opened up a bit, compared to her earlier closed off reactions and behavior.

"I am more than glad that I managed to be of any help to you," The snake girl smiled softly, walking with Naomi to the door of her apartment. "I am sure that when you persist to follow and find your dream, you will achieve greatness, so dont let yourself be restrained by some uncomfortable afflictions, but focus yourself on the various qualities you have and exploit those."

After having given what she thought some good advice and a decent pep up talk to the girl, Risu closed the door behind her, walking towards the window to see the Hyuga girl run off through the rain, putting yet another smile on the snake girl's face, as she realized that her own words also were some kind of self reassurement to herself.

"I think she'll manage just right," Risu laughed, while walking to the sink, filling it with hot water and soap, so she could finally do those dishes. "If she wouldn't, my advice would've been bad and that's not something I want to hear when it is the same advice I've gotten some time ago. Such a small world after all."

Starting to wash the dishes, Risu thought about the afflictions the hyuga girl had: an allergy for the sun's light, a weak body and on top of that the diabetes, really not the combination of things to grant someone a fruitful and enjoyable life.

Shaking her head again, Risu decided to close the curtains put the lights off and undress herself, during which she looked at her white skin, thinking she should investigate that particular thing too, just in case.

4000 total wc
4000/4000 element training doton completed

-exit thread-