Sayuri woke early as was her norm, excited to begin her day of intrigue and adventures. The world was full possibilities and she didn’t want to waste a moment. She quickly scrubbed her face and ran her fingers through her long white hair, plaiting it hurriedly so that the braid fell forward over her left shoulder. She would let her hand rest on the door to the cabin and let out a small sigh. This had seemed easier yesterday before she had actually had to do it. She would let her forehead rest a moment on the door, the butterflies in her stomach leaving her feeling somewhere between terrified and giddy. It wasn’t enough to dissuade her entirely from her task, but it was pretty close. As she stood there she tried to think only of what wonderful things could come of this, and it helped. Food mainly. The thought of food would cause Sayuri’s stomach to audibly growl and it startled her out of her anxious lethargy, a dichotomy of apparently epic proportions. With renewed motivation she opened the door and marched her way towards Konohagakure no Sato, the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

The path towards the large gate was winding and what appeared to be a large wall with a large wooden gate from afar, was positively massive by the time she reached it. The green painted doors were swung open and there was a rather bored looking shinobi sitting buried under papers and a headache from the looks of things. He looked at her as she walked towards the gate, her intention to walk past, and motioned for her to stop. “Hey there, hang on a second.” He tried forcing a friendly smile as he spoke, but Sayuri could see the dark shadows under his eyes and figured he had probably been unlucky in getting assigned to this job. She paused and walked up to him, smiling and trying to not look nervous. “Yes… sir?” Sayuri answered quietly her voice squeaking as she tried to not think of either Mitsuo or Tsuyo, intimidated by the large piles of papers. “You’re not from here I see…” he looked her up and down with intense scrutiny, “Where are you coming from and what are you up to today in Konoha?” Sayuri felt herself blush fiercely under his gaze, this moment was why she usually hid from people. “I traveled here from the north, near Kumogakure no Sato in the mountains. I’m here to get supplies… I’m in desperate need of new clothing… and food… and, uh… a bath…” she would giggle shyly as her voice trailed off, both embarrassed and amused at the truth of her statement. The shinobi seemed to find some measure of truth in her statement as well as he would lean back as and casually gesture with his arm towards the gate, his eyebrow raised in mild entertainment. “Well, there’s plenty of all of those things inside. You’ll be keeping yourself out of trouble I expect?” Sayuri would let out the breath she had been holding and nod her head vigorously, anxious to be inside the city walls. “Yes, no trouble from me. I’ll be a model guest, have no fear.” And with those words she would quickly bow and scurry inside before anymore questions were asked of her that she had not thought of the answers to.

574

Ah what a glorious day. It was as though the sun had come out from behind the winter clouds simply to greet Lyon Hyuga, in all of his radiance. His silk sheets clung to him as he stood, as though even they, those beautiful inanimate sheets, wished to not spend even but a second apart from his beauty. Their hearts, of course, would have to be broken, as were the hearts of all who gazed upon Lyon and realized that they would never have him. His perfect body made its way towards the washroom, one glorious footfall after another as he moved to shower. On his way, however, he came across his greatest adversary, one truly worthy of him who always managed to bring whatever it was he was doing to a stand still...that adversary? His reflection. He was absorbed into those beautiful blue eyes, eyes that would melt the heart of any Aisu and quell the storm of any Misora. They sparkled above his perfect cheek bones, his beautiful nose, his sweet lips with just a hint of pout, and his hair, which even at this point in the morning, having just ascended from his slumber, was perfect. It was as though the gods themselves had blessed this young man with perfection, their goal clearly to add him to their pantheon. There was simply no other explanation.

After the painstakingly difficult process of taring him away from himself, he cleaned himself up and adjusted his hair before making his way back to his wardrobe, a massive walk in closet that was surrounded by mirrors so that he could glimpse himself from each angle in whatever he decided to wear. It was interesting to note that with Lyon, every single angle was his good side, nothing at all being negative with him in any way. He was, in a single word, perfection. As he ran his fingers through his clothing collection, he waited until he felt the thing that would suit his perfection best for the day. He would find a burgundy suit, made of extremely fine wools that were hand crafted and as soft as wool can possibly be, potentially even softer than one would expect. He picked out a simple white shirt, only buttoning it to just above his belly button as he wanted to give the world a glimpse of the perfection that laid in wait below the clothing. Most people would never get a chance to experience someone as beautiful as him, and he therefore decided that he would be nice and treat those who were lucky enough to, even though most didn't deserve it. He put on a pair of black shoes, polished to a glistening shine, and a belt to match, before taking another half an hour to simply admire himself in the mirrors around him, catching every possible angle that he could to bask in his beauty.

When he stepped out of the door of the Hyuga complex, it was as though that area brightened up, and his radiance was once again unleashed upon the world, none around whom could contend with his perfection. The people of the village whom he would pass on his daily commute would clearly find themselves honored to witness such perfection, absolutely positive that most were brought to tears at the mere glimpse of this gorgeous man. They truly were lucky that the boy's father was the great Tsuyo Hyuga, and that because of that man he had been brought to the village hidden in the leaves. Because of that he was able to bless every single one of them with the gift of himself every single day, brightening up an otherwise dull and colourless place. As he made his way towards the market near the village gates, he would find a man who was selling apples near the gate, which were a fruit that the gods had put on this planet simply to sustain Lyon, or so he was sure as they were truly wonderful just like him. He would approach the man and stand in front of him, looking off to the side as he held each of his arm out by his sides, palms opened towards the man so that he could take in all of Lyon's perfection in that single moment, the one that must have been the simple merchant's greatest moment of existence for he had gained the attention of Lyon Hyuga.

"My friend, it is your lucky day, as I am sure you already know. It is such because you are the man who is privileged enough to be able to attend to the god of beauty, the son of Tsuyo Hyuga himself, Lyon Hyuga in all of his radiance. I know, you are welcome." He would flash the man a smile as he would bring his left hand to rest on the lapel of his jacket, his right held out palm up in a closed fist to the man. When he opened up there were a few Ryo in it, enough to trade for a few of the red delicious apples that the man was selling. The shop keeper shook his head and sighed, clearly taken aback at the fact that this model of perfection was giving him the time of day and the honor of his patronage. He didn't even take the ryo, simply handing Lyon the apples as a token of his appreciation for the great gift that Lyon had given him.

"You know, kid, you shouldn't speak of Tsuyo Hyuga around here; you never know who might be listening." was what the man had said when he responded to the young Hyuga in front of him, but all that he managed to hear was "Thank you for blessing me with your time and your beauty, my wonderful lord. You are most gracious." Ah yes, it was going to be a fantastic day...

990

As Sayuri made her way through the gate towards the center of the city, she would stop dead in her tracks as in front of her stood what she could only fathom as being perfection embodied. Two men were standing just on the inside of the monument to Konoha’s translucently gilded paranoia. One was an average looking fruit merchant, selling some absolutely gorgeous looking apples. However their beauty simply did not compare to the other. A young jewel of a man that stood as a statue in a holy shrine. One strong hand delicately grasping his jacket lapel, the other in the process of accepting an apple, like a god would accept a sacrifice. It would take Sayuri a full minute before she realized that she was staring at the silver haired man with the eyes like clear blue ice. And sadly also realized her mouth was hanging open, this only was evident when she would try to speak and could not as her mouth was a bit dry.

For the second time that morning Sayuri would feel the heat rise from her core and colour her cheeks a bright cherry pink. It was certainly not the worst thing that could have happened, but it was not helping her to be noticed in any favourable was she was sure either. And as she stood there chiding herself uselessly she overheard the fabulously beautiful creature speak. His voice was like what she imagined angels must sound like. Perhaps he was a herald from the afterlife, to usher in a message… or a warning. The ethereal and melodious tone of his voice floated on the breeze over to her and softly caressed her ears and then teasingly whispered the words “the god of beauty, the son of Tsuyo Hyuga himself”. And instantly Sayuri would become alert, stride forward towards the man and reach a hand towards him in greeting.

“My friend, you are possibly the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen. I… I’m sorry I didn’t mean to be so rude. I just, I… I was hoping that you could help me. I’m new to the city and am in desperate need of food and…” she would look in despair at her own clothing and then in admiration at his before speaking again. “Clothing. I need clothing, yours is so beautiful… and… well I’m somewhat embarrassed to ask you this. But could you help me please? Oh… my name is Sayuri by the way.” She would flash him a shy smile as she gave him her name and fidget with her braid, hoping he would grant her simple request. She hadn’t been listening well enough to what he’d been telling the apple merchant, but to look at him now… it was possible that he was Tsuyo’s son… possible. She had to get him alone though. She was not aware that Tsuyo had any children. Not that she knew much of him in the first place. Though, if she were to check in on Mitsuo’s family, why would he not ask after his own?

This was a fortuitous event to be sure, and it would be most helpful if she could make the most of it. She was willing to wait for a reply however long that took, and trail behind him and seek favour some other way if not. This would not be the first time a beautiful stranger had something she required and was making it difficult for her to obtain. She had patience in abundance and she could out wait anyone. No, she would not fail them. Not through this immaculately dressed and groomed walking testament to divinity. It would take far more than that. As Sayuri waited for a reply a single tear would roll out of her left eye. I will not fail them.

646/1217

"As I said previously, you are welcome." He would hold the apple in his hand, examining it and making sure there were no imperfections. Foolish and dead would be the man who attempted to sell Lyon Hyuga an imperfect apple. He heard a voice behind him, the voice of one so pathetic that he wouldn't consider her even worthy to be breathing the same air as him. He was irritated that she would approach him, not even turning to look at her at first as it simply made him angry to be around her. This blemish was an insult to his perfection, though that was how he felt about pretty much everyone ever. He would begin to turn his head, more out of curiosity than anything else, and he instantly regretted it, his eyes being completely assaulted by the pathetic drab that was standing in front of him. Tattered clothing, lack of shoes, the odor of one whom had never heard of bathing, this was something that Lyon simply couldn't let stand. She spoke to him;

"My dearest humble lord Lyon, in all of your infinite wisdom and beauty. I am horrid to look upon and have no idea how to take care of myself. You are one of such divine beauty that I could never hope to achieve, but could you help me achieve at least a taste of perfection? I shall concede to your wisdom." He looked her over once more, attempting and failing to hide a look of disgust from his face as he did so. Of course she would come to him for help, as people the world over had to know of the divinity and beauty of Lyon Hyuga. He would take a bite from the apple, allowing the combination of sweet and bitter juices that mixed to create a perfect flavor to foll over his tongue before he began to chew, unlocking each new layer of flavor as he did so. It was quite good, though not as perfect as Lyon would have liked, but he decided that the person in front of him would feel his ire the next day, as today he had a new goal; make this girl look human.

"Girl, while I generally do not associate or mix with the common drab, especially ones who appear as though they have just come from falling off of a mountain and then walking through a forest, you are in luck. For you see, on this day the great Lyon Hyuga, son of the feared and powerful Tsuyo Hyuga, will help you look...well...lets just say better. You walk with the god of beauty and perfection, which I know is a great honour...you are welcome." He looked towards her face once more and could see tears beginning to run down her face. This of course, was a natural reaction when faced with the perfect son of the legendary Tsuyo Hyuga, as everyone was stricken with awe and brought to tears when faced with such perfection. He turned away and began to walk towards a store where he knew they would be able to find clothing for the girl. She didn't look like she had any money, but that was no issue when you travelled with a god, as Lyon was able to get anything he wished. He walked into his favorite shop, saying "Greetings Lyvia, I have come once more to bless you with my presence, and while I am not here for myself this time, I have brought one in a destitute state who must be revived and brought back to what she should be."

The woman behind the counter would approach the two of them, and Lyon distinctly heard her say "Oh my most gracious and kind Lord Lyon, this creature is not worthy of a second of your time, yet here you are out of the kindness of your heart to assist her in picking herself up out of the gutter. We simply are not worthy of your patronage, and are honoured that you have come to us." He smiled and nodded, and though the thing she said was more along the lines of "Oh Lyon, where did you find this girl? Come here dear, let us get you out of those rags and into some fresh clothing" he didn't hear any bit of that. He simply stood there, palms out once more and looking off to the side for the woman to bask in his glory as he once again spoke the words "You are welcome."

1754

As Lyon spoke and tears fell from Sayuri’s eyes, she would watch with inward horror as his perfectly sculpted face turned towards her and failed utterly to mask a disapproving look of… contempt? Disgust? Revulsion? She would continue to cry of course. It was fortunate she supposed that she did so regularly, as such no one thought much of it, and afforded her much more leniency as a result. She could understand that she was not very pleasant to look upon at the moment. Her clothing left much to be desired, torn and dirty, mismatched and now covered in blood stains. However, she had just spent the last few days travelling with Tsuyo Hyuga himself, and if this was truly was his son… why were they so terribly different? Tsuyo had been nothing but kind to her, but this man… She put the thought out of her mind nearly as quickly as it had arrived, she knew nothing good would come of dwelling on it.

So instead of angrily stamping her foot, glaring and shouting “You arrogant son of a bitch, how dare you look at me that way simply because you happen to have nice clothing and I don’t! And as it happens I DID fall off a mountain and walk through a forest to get here. With your FATHER I might add you sniveling bit of shoe scum! Who by the way, is TWICE the man you’ll ever be, you should be ashamed of yourself! How DARE you go around proclaiming yourself his SON!” Which was what her heart truly wanted to scream at the young man, she heeded the words of her grandfather and held her tongue, opting for kindness and grace to achieve her ends, even if he wasn’t giving those things to her.

She would merely bow low and offer a sincere smile of gratitude following along behind him at his heel as he strode along. “Thank you my most gracious lord Lyon, I cannot properly express my gratitude for the benevolence you have bestowed upon me this day. I… I have no way to properly repay your generosity, as I am all that you say, one of the common drab. However I would very much like to, and if you could perhaps give me some information as to how I could accomplish that in the future I would be ever so grateful.” She would interject her mewling platitudes where she could, although she could not be certain that they were being heard. There was no denying that Lyon was a creature of magnificent outward beauty. Though, at least as far as she could see, it stopped there. It was enough to make a tear roll down her cheek once more and she would reach a hand up and angrily swipe it away as they walked into a very expensive looking tailors shop. The woman, a warm and majestic creature dressed in cream and gold hurried over to them as soon as they entered. She had a look of genuine concern on her face that at once made Sayuri feel embarrassed and loved. Her earlier annoyance would melt away in the the presence of the shop owner, Lyvia, and she would smile shyly up at her and tug at her tattered rags self consciously. The words Lyon spoke to Lyvia were cutting to be sure, however Lyvia hardly seemed to notice her ‘destitute state’ and would merely take Sayuri by the hand and lead her over to a very comfortable looking bench and sit her down in it.

The bench was covered in a thin but firm silk covered cushion. The silk appeared to flow like fluid as Sayuri moved her head, the colour dancing and flowing in the light, changing from gold to fire. She would pull her legs up and sit on the bench cross legged, watching Lyvia dart around the shop picking up pieces of fabrics, articles of clothing, spools of thread. Sayuri and no idea what she was doing, but she seemed determined, and so she tried to just stay out of her way as best she could anticipate. She would look to Lyon at one point and bow her head respectfully before thanking him.

“My lord Lyon Hyuga, thank you again for you assistance. It is undeserved and will not go unremembered. I must ask though my lord, you are the son of a famous Hyuga? Is he here? Perhaps you could tell me of him, he sounds wonderful” She already knew the answer to her first two questions of course. However she had been given very specific instructions to not mention Mitsuo or Tsuyo by name… and technically she hadn’t. She would try to stifle a mischievous grin at her slyness, it was not entirely successful. And certainly he was here, however no one knew that, well she knew that but this man could not possibly know that. What she did not want was any more carrying on about how wonderful Lyon was. She would wait patiently for a reply, however would only listen for a few minutes if he insisted on describing himself more before she interjected with some excuse about have to relieve herself or something. Which undoubtedly would be true at that point. You should not be unkind, he may simply be nervous.

The thought had not occurred to her, and so she would stand and walk back over to Lyon. “I do mean it my lord Lyon, I am most grateful for your assistance and kindness.” She would extend her right hand and attempt to place it on Lyon’s left forearm in a gesture of friendship, assuming he would let her she would smile and return back to her bench. If not she would hold her hands raised, palms up in a show of passivity though still smiling. She did not want to harm the man, merely set him at ease. He had shown her kindness in his own way. Perhaps Tsuyo had been like this at this age. She would have to ask him.

“One more thing though my lord Lyon Hyuga, who is it that sits as the Hokage in Konoha?” She could have asked anyone this question, but she wanted to be able to tell Tsuyo as much as she could about his son. If he replied she would study him intently, trying to memorize his every mannerism, facial feature. If she had a child, these were things she would want to know, things that she would care about.

Meanwhile, Lyvia would be poking and prodding at her, wrapping a measuring ribbon about her and writing things down. It was a bit unsettling for Sayuri, as this was the most anyone had touched her for most of her life. She would fight down the urge to strike out by clenching her muscles, and would occasionally get a light tap from Lyvia and a “Relax child” for her trouble. It took some time, but finally the handsome woman smiled with satisfaction down at her notepad and swept her hand over Sayuri’s hair. “You’ll have to come back my dear, but I will have something for you. Run along to the market, return at the end of the day. For now though please wear these.” Lyvia would hand her a simple pale blue linen tunic and trousers and a pair of white embroidered shoes.

Sayuri was speechless. She had not had new clothing since she was a little girl, she would hold it delicately in her hands, eyes wide and face lit up with a smile so wide her face might split. At the urging of Lyvia she would take the clothing to a curtained of room with a small wash basin lined with soap and jars of oil and cloths and towels. She stood still for sometime staring, still holding the clothes, before Lyvia came to check on her and decided she did need help after all. “Lyvia,” Sayuri asked while getting vigorously scrubbed by the infinitely patient and unflappable woman “I need more than just clothing for me.” Lyvia would raise an eyebrow at this, and pause a moment in her scrubbing to look Sayuri in the eye before continuing. “I have two… friends. They need clothing as well. I um… know about how big they are. I can show you!” Sayuri heard a weary sigh from behind her and received a gentle pat on her head. “Of course dear, let’s get you cleaned up first, then you can show me.”

After bathing and dressing, and many ridiculous attempts at approximating the size of both Mitsuo and Tsuyo, Sayuri went to the marketplace to gather food. As she performed her errands, she would stare in awe at people who walked by. Most seemed happy and healthy, strong, safe. It was wonderful to see, and yet also sad. Not just for her of course. She wondered who of these people were Mitsuo’s family. She wandered close to people that were talking, trying to overhear, but she heard nothing. She was disappointed, but there was still time, they would be staying in Konoha for a while. There was more she could learn, she glanced up then at the setting sun. And with a heavy sigh she would look down at her feet and say “Come on feet, go.” And off she would go taking the food, gathering the clothing, leaving a sizable amount of Tsuyo’s Ryo behind with the tailor, and back to the cabin where she could at least hide with people now.

1602/2819

{Exit Thread}

STAT TRAINING

PER: D-0 > D-3 1175 words + 150 ryo
REA: D-1 > D-3 850 words + 125 ryo

794 words left over

The great God of Perfection, Lyon Hyuga drew all eyes towards him as he stood within the store, the question about the hokage almost not crossing through his mind until slightly after. He was asked whom sat upon the throne of Konohagakure, a position that one day would be his. "The Hokage? A filthy dog not worthy to even shine my boots. It will only be a matter of time before I accend to my rightful position." He looked around the place before catching the gaze of something that quickly stole his attention from everything else around him. He made his way towards the item that had gained his curiosity, before realizing that the gorgeous face that he had seen was infact his staring back at him in a mirror. "Ah, perfection..." It would take him a while to tear himself away from the sight of himself, something that was always a difficult thing to do. When he finally did he had decided that the public had had enough of his presence, for too much of such a great thing would eventually make the lives of such people seem so much more dull, for when one becomes too used to perfection in the line of Lyon Hyuga, they will forever have everything else that they view tarnished.

As he made his way through the streets towards his home he could see each and every head turn to view him, the stunning visage of beauty and perfection making his way past their views. Lyon, were someone to attempt to speak with them, would greet them with "You are welcome" before moving further along his way. He could tell that each and every one of them loved and adored him, and they all wanted him to be theirs, but that was something that could never happen. Beauty such as his was best shared with the world instead of being 'tamed' by a single partner, and Lyon would ensure that the world would have their chance with him, smiling and teasing as he made his way home. This village belonged to him...

{Exit Thread}

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