Having spent a week or two, he wasn't entirely sure, taking in the sights and sounds of everything, least what he knew of, Kumogakure no Sato had to offer. After meeting some interesting and diverse people the likes of; Akemi Haruo, Masayoshi Mari, and Adzumi Mizuno, learning and experiencing new things through simple interaction between them. Razan decided it was nigh time to focus on what he had sought out to do upon first stepping into Kaminari no Kuni - learn more about the shinobi culture, something that was touched on briefly when he met Masayoshi-san, and more importantly train.

He didn't have any delusions about his prowess in combat. While his parents did teach him something before letting him leave the house, like they did with his sisters before him. It wasn't exactly enough to constitute an overconfident, arrogant persona. He knew he didn't have the strength and skill necessary to go toe to toe with the likes of anyone above the level of an untrained civilian, and that's assuming everything went his way. Sure, he might know his way fairly well around weapons, being a Blacksmith one must have some intricate knowledge about what they forge, and being introduced to some basic weaponry, however,  it would do little good against those who trained extensively within the field, as he assumed most genins did during their time in the Academy and under their instructor guidances or had better teachers than him.

A desire to train, improving himself both mental and physically, wasn't only stemmed from him wanting to become stronger, but also, from wanting to survive. Unlike others bounded to a village, Razan didn't have that luxury. He is a wandering blacksmith, transversing the lands and seas, experiencing the full scope of the world. Of course, there are certain dangers coming with such a way of life; bandits, thugs, and other unsavory people waiting to prey on someone like him. Therefore, in order not become a victim of opportunity, Razan must become stronger. An argument could be made he could just settle in a major village, and join their militia, but, for the time being, settling down was nothing more than an afterthought - something he thinks about when his mind wanders about.

However, his mind didn't have the opportunity to wander about currently, it being focusing on recalling anything and everything from a book regarding chakra affinities, and how one goes about finding out their's. Razan had finished reading the book, that he got from the library two days prior of meeting Masayoshi Mari, detailing the subject matter early this morning in the privacy of his hotel before grabbing some of his gear and head towards a forest clearing a little bit east of Mt.Ikkyu to practice what he had learned. Along the way, he made a purchase, albeit it took some negotiating skills on his part to obtain the item in question, that would undoubtedly help in the training he was about to do.

Now, here he stood, dressed in a simple black t-shirt, shinobi-esque dark green pants, and black footwear, in the center of the clearing, morning dew still being present on the foliage surrounding the area; rays of light fractioning through the tear-like droplets. His hair being a held together in a low ponytail by an intricately designed metal hair clip with a tribal motif.  Dark, russet brown eyes were focused on the thin piece of paper in his right hand in between his index finger and thumb. This small piece of paper being the thing that caused him some grief when he tried to purchase it. What was it?

Chakra paper. Something only used by shinobis to test their affinities or to find out if they had any other than the one inherited from their parents or clan. The paper was made from a chakra sensitive trees  found throughout the Elemental Nations. Theses trees react violently when chakra is injected into them with the effects varying depending one's affinity(ies). Normally someone like Razan wouldn't be able to purchase the item, it being exclusive to Shinobi, but luckily the merchant turned the blind-eye and sold it to him, after hearing why the young man wanted it. And with that, Razan was thankful.

Channeling a miniscule amount of chakra into the paper, he watched as the paper started turning to dirt, showing that he had a Doton affinity, but split in two, showing that his second affinity was Fūton, something he didn't know, before crumbling away. With that in mind, Razan made a mental note to find anything regarding Fūton while within Kumogakure. He hoping that the village would have something to offer towards strengthening said element.

Any other thoughts were put on hold when someone entered the forest. . .

---

812

Missing Home

How many years has it been? Five? Six. It all seemed fuzzy to her, in fact the past few years were like a blur. She hadn't changed that much after she came to settle down in Kumo with her sister. She lived and breathe to work. To care for her sister. To keep their house. To keep her bug collection and garden. To live a normal life. And a normal life is exactly what she had. She was known throughout Kumo as the Fairy. Not the most frightening or respectful name at all. In fact many in Kumo saw her as their small princess, a flower in their garden. But the adults and anyone who crossed her knew better. She may have seemed as if she was plucked from a fairy tale of ole', one that can do no harm but the truth of the matter was far from innocent. She had no temper and showed no signs of a typical sociopath or psychopath whichever you preferred. She doesn't regularly break the law; those instances are far and few but even then she isn't necessarily the bad guy. She doesn't constantly lie or deceit others. In fact it's not normal for her to lie; she has a habit of being straightforward and blunt without remorse. And she is only impulsive when someone pisses her off and that rarely happens just when some threaten or intended to destroy nature or wrongfully harm a creature of mother earth be it mammal, bird or insect. Nor did she display aggressive tendencies and her somewhat violent threats are contained and mature. Not to mention she was extremely mature for her age and responsible. She could hold down multiple jobs without error and never failed a mission before, very much an ideal shinobi. So really she just seemed pretty normal, except for the thousands of beetles inside her body. Yes quite normal indeed.

If I Had Stayed

If I had stay she wondered, what would she had become. Surely not that much different from her current self. She was a very free-spirited young woman so the marriage or conquest or arranged would not do her any good. No doubt she would be more alienated from the tribe than before as she could not agree to their ways. She found them very foolish, weak, primitive even. If she had stayed she imagined her parents would be constantly pestering her and she would've moved into the huts for the unwed far from her sister and more than likely would've stayed their till she reached seniority and moved in with the elders without kin. She had no desired to sire children nor to marry. Such frivolous vices were not important to her. However if her sister became interested, she wouldn't mind taking the role of the over protective father. Actually she could see that working quite well. Besides it wouldn't be that difficult. Her little sister pretty much worshiped her. Keeping her away from any pesky and unsavory individuals will be a piece of cake. Of course unless they were her sister's prey. That would be an entirely different story. She and her sister were no strangers to violence for it had been around them all their lives however her sister cared for it more than her. It was completely the reason why Mifune bother t become a medic at all considering her sister developed a strange habit of a masochism, a an art she had become rather familiar with in the past few years.

The Past is in the Past

Her breath was caught in her throat and she bent down to the ground grabbing the child's ankle."Don't take another step" She gently pushed his back from the specimen and picked it up. It was a rather large stick insect and she searched her memories trying to remember its name. Meanwhile the insect happily crawled up her arm and onto her head, resting there nonchalantly before the elf like creature blinked as she finally remembered. She couldn't believe her luck, for she had come her and circled around the lighting country's borders many a time but hardly or rather never had she found something like this. She must absolutely bring this home and find a way to breed it if she could.. She had found a rather rare specie of stick insects: a Lord Howe Island Stick Insect. It was about roughly the size of her hand, well more so the male since her's were rather small and thicker than most with a coloration darker than night. It was odd to find such a beauty here. Perhaps it had escaped from someone's collection.

Lifting herself off the ground she got a good luck at the boy."What are you doing here" Her tone was accusatory but it was hard to tell since it was rather monotone. She tiled her head and down the stick bug crawled down on to the palms of her hand hands, humming softly as she gently caresses it's body with the tip on her finger completely fascinated with it. She murmured softly "You almost squashed him" Her heart almost broke at the thought of just how close this insect, a rather rare one at that almost met her untimely demise. Why was he here? Was he lost? He didn't seem so. That was until she saw the chakra paper in his hand and instantly she backed up hiding the insect away from him and glared. She would not let it die. She refused to let it happen. "This isn't a training ground but a protected habitat. Leave"She was lying of course but who was he to know that. She was being truthful about it not being a designated training ground but actually part of a resort, but she didn't care. She hate seeing someone destroying or intending to destroy a beautiful part of nature.

1006~

Razan took stock in the individual who had entered the forest; they doing nothing to hide their presence from him, even though he probably couldn't sense one if he tried. The person, in fact, was of the opposite gender as him. Dark, russet brown eyes, noted almost immediately the stranger's red hair. The color unintentionally bringing forth memories of another woman, at the hidden temple, he had met a week prior to this, Ameryuu. Since leaving the woman in the temple, he hadn't seen any signs of her, nor knew her whereabouts, he hoped she was okay. Pushing those thoughts to the fore corner of his mind, he went back in taking in strange san's appearance. Asides from her vibrant hair color and large, sprinkle eyes that seemed to make her appear blind(he wasn't sure she was), her clothing; her dress being thin and strapless and going just passed her knees, showing a lot of skin - just like someone else he knew. However, unlike last time, he didn't blush at the amount of skin. Having become used to seeing much with Ameryuu playing such a part in getting him out of that. Her complexion was pearly white, a far cry from his own bronze skin, and seem to illuminate when the sun hit it.

As he was about to greet her, foot in motion to take a step forward, the woman suddenly went low, grabbed his ankle and told him not to take another step. The monotone voice of strange-san disturbed Razan slightly, nevertheless, he did what was asked, albeit being somewhat miffed at being grabbed without consenting to it. He didn't get time to wonder why strange-san had grabbed his ankle. For he was pushed back, the actions barely moving him at all, and only causing him to place his foot back beside the other one that had yet to move.

Looking down, wanting to see what was so important that pushing another person was required, Razan raised an eyebrow at the rather large stick bug. His eyes following the impressive insect as it crawled up and along stranger san's arm. Those dark brown orbs of his showing some semblance of surprise at the girl for not being afraid to handle such a large insect. He couldn't get any girl at home to handle bugs. They would normally scream away or try to kill it with whatever they had nearby. Of course there was the exception to this, however, they were few and far between.

Seeing the girl handling a bug, as large as this one, was an interesting sight and it intrigued him. No, only because she allowed the insect to crawl up her arm, but also, because she pushed him out of the way, stopping him from accidently killing this insect. While her apparent love for bugs were different and curious, he wished she had gone about stopping him differently. But, there wasn't any use in crying over the past.

Taking a step back, watching as she got up, Razan mentally cringed at such a dead voice, lacking any emotion or distinction about it. The voice eerily reminding him of stories of shinobi who developed such vocals after spending years in serves, and becoming 'dead' to everything around them. Part of him didn't want to believe those tales, however, it seems like there might be some truth behind them. "Came here to get away from the crowds and learn, Strange-san. . .", he answered her inquiry though he didn't bother in elaborating on what he meant by 'learning' for there was no need to. If she wanted to know what he meant, she would have to ask "What about you?", he inquired.

At the mention of him almost squishing the little guy, he glanced down at the insect being gently caressed by stranger san's fingers "Didn't see him when I first came into this clearing. Sorry." He said, rather he was truly sorry or not being unknown to all but him. The apology only coming forth to ease the woman before him.

"Yes, well, while this might not be a training ground. I can't go to the normal training grounds. You know, being a civilian after all, strange-san", his voice being calm and without a hint of deceit. Even if she wanted to question his statement about being a civilian, he can always say he is a blacksmith who uses chakra for metalwork, nothing more nothing less. It wouldn't be a farfetch lie, he was taught how to enchant the creation of weapons through embedding them with chakra. "As for this being a protected area. Where are the signs? Why aren't there anyone patrolling the area? And wouldn't the tourist guide warn people like me by this being a protected area?", he asked, questioning her statement regarding the place between a protected area. He doing so in a curious manner, and not in an aggressive way. A small smile was present on his features as he awaited her answer.

---

853 of 1665 Total Words

**Closing this thread due to Partner interest being on primary characters**