It had been a while since she had been given a day off. With her ending at the hospital, she was unable to escape Lin's worried scolding rant of Kage friendship. The odd mixture of a worried mother, a dutiful Kage and a warm friend had washed over her as she had been stuck to bed. However, the days had otherwise passed rather calmly, earning the occasional visit of her father and friends. Her duties as shinobi had been stapling slowly while she was unable to help out, and upon he release from the hospital she had found herself carrying a heavy burden of patrol duties, additional patrol duties and training on top of her habitual tasks at home. Three weeks had passed now, and she had barely been able to take a breather as she got thrown from one choir into the other. But finally, she had caught up, and she was now leisurely walking through Kumo's shopping district.

Not having shaken off the routine of duty just yet, Mizuki was wearing a simple grey tunic and trousers, feet warmed by solid boots. Her Kumogakure headband was bound tightly to her forehead and kept her long black hair in place on top of its usual protective measures. On top of the tunic, she wore the typical flak jacket of Kumogakure that Lin had given her. It bore the kamon of the Raiu clan, and the symbol of Kumogakure. As usual, her trusted katana rested was positioned around her hip and ready to be drawn at a moment's notice.

Unlike most female civilians, Mizuki's day off didn't necessarily consist of grocery shopping and flocking at the clothes shop. Dutiful as she was, she cared a lot for her equipment and had decided that, after an intense few weeks of training and guard duty, that she should visit the local smith for some maintenance materials. And perhaps, since she was there, she'd allow her eyes to feast upon the new collection of katana the smith would certainly have displayed. Even if she wanted to give herself a new weapon of a higher quality, she was just a little too attached to the weapon she had been bearing for so long, and as such she would ultimately refrain herself from spending her hard earned coin at a whims notice - as usual.

When she arrived near the smithies, there seemed to be quite a crowd today. It was so busy that the usual 'taching-taching' of the hammer beating the steel into shape didn't even resonate through the air for a long time as the master smith himself was forced to help out his assistants in the promotion and selling of his wares. Mizuki found it to be an odd experience to perceive, but smiled faintly as she realised this could only mean good business for the shop.

Eventually, she stopped at the smith's, standing a little to the side not too far from a supporting beam, overlooking the crowd in quiet contemplation. As per habit, she rested her hand on her katana, but did little to attract the attention of anyone. She'd speak up once it was a little calmer, allowing her eyes to take in the scenery for the moment. The few stares she was given faded as quickly as they came, the eager customers caring little for a shinobi's business as they expected to be served on the spot.

The forge still hot, black smoke roughly puffed up, ash and cinders throwing the nearby vicinity in a soft dark-grey hue. The anvil nearby bore a hammer, readily available for use and within arm's reach of the rather imposing master smith. Various tuns and crates stood nearby, some filled with coal or water, others with forged weapons and some simply empty and waiting to be used. On and off, the apprentices ran to meet the customer's wishes until they were brushed aside by the customer wishing to 'haggle' with the real expert of the house - as if they ever knew the real value of copper, coal or iron. Even if they successfully haggled down the price, Mizuki knew the master smith still won a pretty ryo out of it all. And this master smith was as shrewd as he was good with his hammer.

---

726
Total: 726

Of course Julius had been on another trip into the village. His sister left to her own devices for the time being. He had gradually begun to gather a list of activities he might do without burdening her with them as well and had set out with a particular plan today. After all on his own he wasn't the most impressive offensive shinobi and well, missions typically required a more violent hand. Hence his attachment to his sisters hip. He may be the older brother but he wasn't capable of much without her. So his plan had come to fruition without her knowledge. He was looking for shinobi to drag him along with a couple more C rank missions. Something to get the ball rolling. After all if he could be acknowledged to a higher rank he would need some missions under his belt. They had two C rank missions as it was but he needed a more reliable witness to his work. A kumo shinobi would serve that lovely roll well enough. A good impression was key after all. With him working as a support roll if he would keep it professional his sister and himself would have little issue gaining strength and resources within the village of Kumo.

That aside he had heard rumor of something that interested him a great deal. Of course it didn't pertain to him as it was a single individual entrance type thing and that was outside of his interests, but word had it the chunnin exams were coming. Certainly at such an event the world would observe only the best of the best of their youth rising to the top. It was there he had his intentions for his sister and himself to make a world renown debut. The two of them would challenge only the champion themselves to try and take either of the two of them down with all their might. To show that even their very best the villages had to offer were but salt of the earth in comparison to the Midas siblings. Of course for now he was getting ahead of himself. He needed to gain strength so nothing could actually touch them. That meant ranking up and that meant he needed to follow through with his plan and gain allies within the Kumo shinobi ranks. He just so happened to have found a way to make a penny while doing so.

Julius sat on a bench seat on a two wheel cart. The two wheels in poor condition as was the rest of the cart. Of course that was to be suspected when he simply collected it from the abandoned mine near his crash site. The wood barely holding together as it bumped back and forth traveling down the road. Led by a healthy but older looking mule. It was far from an impressive sit but the back of the cart was filled with coal. Something he could sell to anyone within the market. Still he was heading for a blacksmith anyway. Knowing they were usually in constant demand. Julius himself sat tall in a pair of black pants with a grey button up shirt and a black tie. His dark hair falling neatly around his face. Light boots tightly tied to his fee with a long white coat placed over the shirt. A fur neckline with green and blue designs upon it. The only interesting part of his uniform besides how pressed and neat it all was, was the symbol on the back. Three arrows crossed with a small sword over a green shield. The mark of the Iron Falls Mercenary organization. Essentially his headband.

Still Julius would pull up to the side entrance the the blacksmith as crowds tried to push their way around his cart to no avail. He had positioned it in such a way that getting around it to the entrance was impossible. It purchased him a couple of angry stares but all the same he would slide off the bench at the front of the cart and tie the mule to a post nearby. Patting the dirty animal on the head before adjusting his grey gloves. His breath came out as a mist. Still his sharp blue eyes would take in one of the smiths assistants and receive a nod which he would return. He would be seen too in due time it would seem. At least with the crowds and the smithy itself it was rather warm at the moment.

754

The day was surely going by very slow. Tomohiro would have normally preferred the comfort of looking into the horizon being lost in thought. Though, he figured that he would go out and do something worth his while. He had tanked out with training and couldn't possibly get any more exercise than he already had. His body had been tired and worn from overextending himself. Today, he would need to take it easy, but he found himself doing traveling into town. His brother said that he needed to find a suitable weapon worthy of the Nakir clan. It would have made more sense to him to have a clansmen forge a weapon for him. Everyone was too busy either working the mines or spending time with their families. The situation wasn't too his favor. Not only that, he was short on ryo.

His black boots made subtle sounds as he made his way toward the local smiths. It had been awhile since he visited any of the blacksmiths. The usual reason he would come into town would be to pick up small arms for missions. Tomohiro was unsure of what he wanted. Him being trained in kenjutsu didn't give him many options as far as weapon types were concerned. A katana, miao dao, wakizashi? The katana seemed to fit into his hands just nicely. It had a great range between you and your opponent. Then again, the wakizashi was better for close quarter combat. You didn't have to worry about swinging your weapon and hitting a wall or a ceiling. There were so many options, but he couldn't really make up his mind.

Tomohiro sighed as he adjusted his poncho. He exclusively wore his hood up with his Kumo forehead protector covering his awkward forehead. His rat tail wrapped into a tight braided man bun under his hood. Today he wore a red full body suit instead of traditional black one. He wore a black band on his right forearm with the red Nakir clan emblem. He seemed naked for a weapon specialist outside of a kunai and a few shuriken. Tomohiro's lilac eyes glared over the crowd that had graced his presence as he moved closer toward the smiths shop. The crowd of people made him feel a bit uneasy. Large gatherings weren't his forte, but he needed to find a suitable sword.

People carelessly were bumping into on accident and started to flare up his temper. His face emotionless, but his blood pressure started to rise in annoyance. All he wanted to do was find a suitable weapon, but it seemed like even that was a struggle now. Why did it have to be today that so many people gathered here? This was definitely ruining his day even more than his aching body.

Upon reaching the well renowned master smith, he caught his eye upon some great sights. The blades on display in front of him caused him to gasped. It was almost like a match made in heaven. It was a katana that had a red tsuba and a black wooden scabbard. His heart then felt like it fell through his bowels. There was no way he was going be able to afford any of this. He kept his composure, nonetheless. Showing any sign of weakness would have lost any favorable deal he would try to make. Though, he knew that he would most definitely pay for quality of a weapon. This smith obviously knew what he was doing.

Tomohiro watched as the smith met hammer with anvil over the wretched flames and smoke. Watching the smith do their craft, drew him in almost mesmerizing him. It made him want to be in the smith's shoes using raw strength and skill to forge a master piece. Tomohiro's heart felt warm and at peace as he watched the master craftmen. The young shinobi wanted to learn such a craft well after he established his goal as Kumo's greatest kenjutsu user. Though, you couldn't be the greatest without a weapon.

He rubbed his chin as he continued to daze into greatness of the master smith. That was until someone bumped into him. Tomohiro's eyes became fierce as he snapped out of his trance like state. Until he met eye to eye with a little girl. The young girl began tearing up and took off at the sight of his disgusted eyes. The girl who appeared to be five or six darted toward a young lady. The young lady looked up as the young child pointed at him from a distance. His eyes remained hardened and fierce as he met eyes with the stranger. The young lady then glanced down at his arm band and quickly moved along with the young child.

Tomohiro sighed as he went back to trying to watch the smith create greatness. Though, he couldn't believe that he didn't notice the black haired lady wearing a simple gray attire under a Kumogakure flak jacket. The young lady seemed to be very reserved and her katana must have been a marvel. Though, he wished to see the blade of the weapon. He was slightly tempted to draw his kunai to see what her reaction would be, but there was no need to cause a mass panic. It would just be easier to ask her.

Tomohiro stopped in place with his eyes looking over her in a deep stare with no emotion. It was like he lost all motivation to go up to her. You just couldn't go up and ask someone to take a look at their weapon. She also had attractive eyes that rivaled his own. The thought of walking up to her diminished. He sighed and went back to looking at the wares being sold. There was slight embarrassment for staring at her for so long. He didn't want to seem more disrespectful than he already had been. Tomohiro realized that he probably made her feel uncomfortable and started to feel regretful as his inner perverseness started to come forth.

WC: 1021

The crowd around the smith didn't seem to be of a mind to subdue anytime soon. In fact, things became even more chaotic when a rickety cart with an old mule in front halted on the side of the smithy, blocking one passage entirely and forcing the people to walk around it. Most didn't appreciate the idea of having to take three steps more to get any closer in the already overpopulated area, and more than once an uncouth wish escaped a pair of disgruntled lips, the words drowning in the noise of the day.

In stark contrast with the chariot, the charioteer was dressed to impress. Black trousers, button up shirt and black tie, covered by a pristine looking white coat. Even if Mizuki could appreciate the attire of the man, her watchful gaze disliked the contrast in a whole. A chariot of coal and an old cart lead by a dashingly dressed young man that seemingly had the means to afford better? Something smelled off, and it wasn't the furnace of the smith for a change. Why would a person be wearing such formal attire when all he wanted to do was deliver a cart of coal? Though Mizuki didn't trust the whole thing, she didn't move from her spot in the slightest. After all, until the man drew a weapon or proved himself to be a real threat towards civilian health, there was little reason to meddle in the affairs of others.

Another 'situation' rose up from the crowd as a pair of violet eyes seemed to be intensely focused on hers for, well, longer than was comfortable. She couldn't tell if he was just making sure he was actually seeing a Kumo-nin, or if he was smitten by her grace to such a point he didn't realise how rude he was being. A frown slowly formed upon her head, but as people around him moved, she spotted his affiliation with Kumogakure. Had he been hesitant to greet a fellow shinobi? It was hard to say. As he eventually averted his eyes, she slowly let go the tension of the build up discomfort and pondered on what to do next as it didn't look like the crowd would subdue anytime soon.

Her thoughts were disturbed by a few boys who were pointing at her headband with amazed eyes, talking enthousiastically about how they too would become a ninja one day. While one bragged about how he would become the strongest shinobi in the world, another was already defending that claim with some clumsy looking moves that, in their eyes, looked like the real thing. Naturally, they claimed to have seen the moves being performed by real shinobi in training, and as the talk went on, each of the kids' chest swelled more and more with prideful dreams. Mizuki found it somewhat amusing to see, as it reminded her about her dreams as a kunoichi.

As the kids were dragged away by their own hunger for more adventures, Mizuki overlooked the crowd again. She was mostly interested in the well-dressed young man's actions, as the combination within his presence didn't quite fit, but unless he approached her, she wouldn't bother him. Aside from his neat clothes, he looked like any other civilian doing his chosen duties in life. As for her fellow Kumo-nin, if so possible, the next time he would look in her direction, she'd reply with a curt nod in acknowledgement of his presence.

---

592
Total: 1318

Julius would step down off the cart with some grace as he ignored the curses in his direction. His hands brushing himself off and straightening his coat. The ride had been bumpy and if he had to admit anything his backside was sore. However it had saved him from having to walk the whole way. Something was a matter of comfort over exhaustion. It really didn't matter now anyway. He had come to purchase some whetstones or rather as he had decided, to trade for it. Instead of taking from their limited funds he would take from the nearby mine. It was hardly stealing since he had discovered in the library it was entirely abandoned. Really this loot was just gains made by abandoned resources. He would wait only a moment before one of the attendants would approach him. Inquiring about the cart. No one could really tell what was being discussed but after a few moments the cart was being unloaded by two workers. With that started Julius would smile and turn away from it. Perhaps with the extra bit he had just bartered he could afford a cushion as well. After all with as busy as they were they no longer had to send out an order for more coal.

Still it would take sometime for them to finish unloading his cart and loading in his order. However in the meantime they had brought out a feed bag for his mule. Part of the trade really. He truly had come across an opportune time of need for them. He supposed he was rather pleased with himself. Still his blue eyes would scan the crowd. He only had a few moments before he had other things to attend to but he did have some entertainment to consider. It was only a short matter of time before his eyes fell upon Tomohiro of all people. A gentleman he had met only the day prior. If nothing else the young man had a much more intense look to himself today. Forcing the crowd to give him space and yet, his eyes locked onto someone specific. Julius would follow the young mans gaze upwards towards a fair skinned young lady. Another Kumo nin by the look of her with an impressive sword. He couldn't tell if the young man was more interested in her or the weapon but he did notice the uncomfortable staring.

With a sigh Julius would move through the crowd. Avoiding touching anyone as he did as best he could. Muttering excuse me's and such as was appropriate. Still his entertainment had been found. The boy himself was perhaps a little on the odd side but still he was polite usually. That he would stare so blatantly was entirely different from his first impression of him. Still he would approach having noted the woman having glanced at him but the boy not so much. It was entertaining sneaking up on shinobi. Even if the crowd was the only distraction allowing him to do so. He would slip on a charming smile however and place a soft and warm hand on Tomohiro's shoulder. Informing him he was no longer alone. That Julius was actually right behind him. Of course it was only for notification. His hand did not pull to turn him even the slightest. Instead it would return to his coat pocket across from his other hand as he spoke. Using a head tilt in her direction to further define what he was referring to.

"Master Tomohiro, It is good to see you again so soon. I hope you are dedicating yourself in preparation for tomorrow. Though I suppose I can not blame you for admiring such a fair looking warrior. Even if manners suggest one shouldn't stare yes?"

1389

Tomohiro took a deep breath and went back to admiring the accumulation of blades in front of him. He was tempted to pick one up and began reaching his hands toward a silver razor. A felt a hand grace his shoulder. He was hoping that it hadn't been the woman that he gave a long awkward gaze to. The need to apologize started to fill his thoughts that he turned around really slowly. It had been only the blue eyed mercenary that he met the day before. Seeing Julius here really caught him of guard. He started to wonder why he was here and in this mess of a crowd nonetheless. Being called “Master Tomohiro,” made him feel really strange. No one had ever referred to him as such. He himself hadn't referred to too many people as master either.

“Sir Julius...I was only observing her weapon,” he quickly stated slightly blushing, “I actually am preparing for tomorrow. I can't decided on what I should get. There are a lot of choices. What brings you here?”

Tomohiro covered up the fact that he didn't have much more than a couple of ryo to rub together. What kind of swordsman was he? He started to get a bit unnerved. The young shinobi took a breath and began to turn back toward the dark haired kunoichi. She was a pretty young lady by all means. He thought to himself that maybe it would seem less awkward if he approached her with someone else. Tomohiro decided that he would take the time and approach the fair maiden. His skin began to crawl as he had many emotions rushing through him. There was no time for him to be indecisive. If he was going to do something, now would be the time.

“Julius, I'm going to approach her. I want to know kind of shinobi she is. I'm curious about the blade on her sword. Join me,” the young shinobi stated not waiting for the other to respond.

His shoulders got a little stiff and his eyes widened a bit from their usual cold glare. Tomohiro approached the woman while maneuvering through the crowd. As he approached, he lifted his right hand showing he meant her no ill will. He then bowed respectfully before speaking to her in a monotone, “Ma'am, I do apologize for the rude gestures I showed early. I was curious about your weapon. By the looks of it, you're a kenjutsu user? I apologize again for not introducing myself right away. I'm Tomohiro Nakir.”

Tomohiro would slightly erect himself out of his bow. He wondered how the kunoichi would respond. It was definitely a misunderstanding...mostly. There were few things that he took interest in and her blade was one of those things. He was still unsure on how he would ask her to see her weapon. One didn't just draw a blade within the crowd. There were plenty of civilians gallivanting around. Now that he thought about it, drawing a weapon near the smith wouldn't be too bad. Tomohiro would quietly wait a response. He tried not to directly meet the young kunoichi's eyes with his in his lingering embarrassment. His eyes sort of wandered off down to the side.

WC: 554
TWC:1575

The charioteer rested a hand on the staring Kumo-nin, words were being exchanged. The two seemed to know each other, but as Mizuki couldn't read lips she was left guessing as to what they were discussing. Knowing guys, they were probably just being guys, as each of the two glanced at her in turn. Mizuki chose to ignore the antics, looking for a moment where she could  request the necessary materials for the maintenance of her katana. She needed new choji oil and an uchiko ball, as both were running on its end after years of use and she'd hate to fall without any as that would withhold her from maintaining her katana.

However, the two didn't stop at watching her. Having made up his mind, the kumo-nin suddenly decided to move in now that he was backed by a familiar face. Manoeuvring the crowd, he raised his hand in greeting, at which point Mizuki decided it was better to just share her attention with him until he was able to reach her and speak up. Not too long later, he arrived and bowed, instantly apologising for his rudeness not once, but twice. Knowing his name, she smiled faintly.

"A pleasure to meet you", she answered as she returned the bow in kind, to both of them should the charioteer have joined Tomohiro. "I'm Raiu Mizuki."

As she hadn't let go of her katana, she glanced sideways to her weapon as he mentioned it. The black leather bearing the silver kanji that formed her name was nealy wrapped around the wooden scabbard, still rather well preserved despite the years she had owned it. She briefly pushed the katana an inch out of its scabbard with her thumb, revealing the shine of its material. Even with a brief glance, one could see that the katana had experienced a long time of use despite being a basic sword, preserved only by its own experienced spirit and the meticulous care its owner devoted to it.

"You are right, I am a kenjutsu user. My father owns the Raiu dojo and has spend many years teaching other shinobi the basics of kenjutsu and iaido alike. Considering your question, are you interested in the Arts of the Sword?"

The katana clicked back in place, but her thumb never left the tsuba, revealing the practised form that often came with such arts. She had no real intention of leaving the place as she really wanted to get her materials first, but the cacophony of the people around her made any form of a long-term decent conversation difficult to maintain, and to be honest, if Tomohiro was interested in kenjutsu and weapons, she'd definitely like to know where he learned his arts and what he intended to do with them. Perhaps she did have her father's passion hidden underneath the traditional obligation to keep have the arts live on from parent to child.

---

1x Mizuki's Katana:

496
Total: 1814

Julius would smile as his sharp blue eyes would follow after the young man. His own gaze taking in the weapons shop. Such things held little interest for him. However he wouldn't judge those more talented with weaponry. His own body simply wasn't designed for long engaged fighting. Still he could certainly appreciate a fine craft that had made him some resources of his own. Still the question of what had brought him there might lead to close to how he had actually paid for it all. After all their last discussion had included the mines. It wasn't a long stretch for him to realize the coal was essentially stolen goods that no one owned. Not that the village didn't assign people to collect from the place all the time. Perhaps they would view it as him having stolen it from the village itself? Not something he was willing to chance really. So he avoided the question with a mild bit of truth. Brushing it off to reply with an answer to the second statement instead. His eyes browsing over a variety of weapons he had seen a few times before. Having to class who went on missions with who based on equipment and skill sets.

"I personally have always been impressed with the Odachi. Its range is superior to the Katana and the sheer power behind it is improved as well. Certainly difficult to get within the range of without facing repercussions."

Still he would only have to wait a moment before the boy would once more speak of going to speak with the girl. His interest purely in her weapon of course. Julius would let his own ice blue gaze take her in from the corner of his eye now. Careful not to stare but she would easily notice he was taking in a great deal. A trained scout. Still his eyes shifted away and he would chuckle. Following behind the young man at a casual pace as he glanced back over his shoulder. His own product was being loaded. He didn't have long but he was still curious himself. This woman stood out. She was a warrior even among a crowd of people buying weapons. Even Tomohiro seemed to pale in her image. Still he would remain as casual as he could with his hands in his coat pockets. Of course Tomohiro would walk right up and introduce himself. Explaining their reason for approaching well enough.

While it seemed rude Julius would remain quiet as he simply smiled and slightly bowed his head as well. Instead he would watch as she glanced at her own blade. Pushing it out just an inch with her thumb. He could tell the quality had at one time been decent. However regardless of how much care one provided an instrument time was a cruel mistress. Still the quality was plenty enough to cut a man. It wasn't to be taken out of consideration by any means. Instead he would smile a sly smile as she spoke of her own fathers dojo. His own right hand moving from within his coat to stroke his chin. Studying her form with such little motion. He was confident but was he that confident? A silly question. Of course he was. So he would take a breath as the time had finally come to introduce himself. Of course he needed to choose his words wisely. An insulted swords-master was a good way to get ones belly opened. So he covered his words with a smile that never met those ice blue eyes.

"Ahh forgive me. I was drawn to an absent mind with your weapon as well. I am Julius Midas. Truthfully I am also interested in your villages sword arts. Master Tomohiro, perhaps if I may, she could join into our wager tomorrow? You two could compare kenjutsu techniques. Of course it only helps your chances. She would be given the same amount of attacks and time frame mind. But both of you would be given the full prize should you succeed naturally." .

2074

Raiu Mizuki. It was definitely a name he hadn't heard before, but felt like he should. The Raiu dojo was definitely a popular spot. The Raiu were well known for their ninjutsu and swordsmanship. If the Nakir clan wasn't so secretive, the Raiu would be most suitable rivals. Due to his clan's pride in their own arts, not many of his clans folk that he knew of ventured out into other sword arts. He was quite interested in other sword styles and most definitely the Arts of the Sword. Tomohiro was quite astonished at the craftsmanship that was put into her blade. The gentle push of her blade was that of someone who knew what they were doing. He did make a note of Julius's statement concerning the odachi. The odachi was in fact a weapon that would be great weapon to wield. The only issue he had with it was that it was designed to be used with two hands. Tomohiro preferred to only use one hand on his blade. Tomohiro would have to train more before he thought he would gain the strength to properly wield one. The remark made Tomohiro start to wonder what he would look like wielding one. It was something to definitely consider.

“Yes, I'm am interested in the Arts of the Sword. I myself am a practicing swordsman. The blade you have is quite unique. I can tell that you cherish it well. The sword arts I practice are that of my clan Nakir. More specifically, I have adopted a sub-style of my great grandfather. I probably should visit your dojo sometime. Maybe there is something I can learn.”

Julius introduced himself and his comment seemed a bit off. That was until he mentioned the wager. Tomohiro wouldn't mind sharing the playing field with another person. The wager was a simple one and it didn't bother sharing with them Mizuki. The question he asked was would she accept it. Tomohiro was already eager to test his mettle against Julius. The fact still remained that he didn't have a weapon to speak of. He could have easily borrowed a weapon from his clan's armory, but he didn't want to deal with going through the proper channels to get one. The idea seemed too much of a hassle in itself.

“I agree with you, Julius. It probably would be better if would explain the details of a wager before just randomly bringing it up. Your inner tradesman came out like you were trying to sell us something without letting her know what you're selling. Maybe the young lady doesn't want to go along with two strangers she knows nothing about. Though, I would prefer to go alone. I wouldn't give a second thought for someone to join us,” he responded with a slight grin.

WC: 483
TWC: 2058

Mizuki inclined her head when Julius introduced himself as well, but remained otherwise quiet as the two seemed to discuss something meant only for their ears. They had struck a wager of sorts, one included amounts and time, and a price of sorts. It was a confusing conversation as both seemed to talk about it in private, but not quite, without really explaining things. Furthermore, Tomohiro seemed to express some concern since he seemingly preferred to take on the wager by his own, while her assumptions of Julius being a civilian, or a tradesman in this case, were half confirmed by Tomohiro's choice of words. In addition, Tomohiro wasn't far off the spot that Mizuki wasn't one to quickly take on wagers with strangers - 'good faith' wasn't something often won in a single moment.

As a person more inclined towards duty and protection, eyes set on the growth and future of Kumogakure as a whole much like Lin was, she wasn't exactly eager and ambitious to be 'the best' or 'the winner'. Even when she sparred with someone, like she had done several times, winning was of a lesser importance to her. What she mostly wanted was others to improve upon their own techniques, discover their flaws and work on new ways to grow into reliable members of the community. As such, Julius' offer to compare techniques appealed more to her than accepting a wager blindly.

"I wouldn't like to stand in the way of your arranged opportunities.", Mizuki replied, more so to Tomohiro's desire to try it on his own. Adding to this, she turned to face Julius, "But I wouldn't mind observing this 'wager', if I'm welcome to do so. Am I right to conclude you have set up a challenge of sorts, considering there's a time limit?"

Stealing a glance at the crowd, she could see things move a little. An apprentice seemed to have caught eye of their presence, but before he could actually reach out to ask about Tomohiro and Mizuki's desires, another overly eager customer or two demanded his attention. It looked like it wouldn't be their turn just yet.

---

((Sorry for the short post. I got distracted along the road, and then it was midnight -.- ))

368
Total: 2182

Julius would raise an eyebrow as his smile would spread in a thin line. So he was preferring to take the challenge alone? Well that was certainly to his benefit. Men were filled with pride and greed and he hardly minded playing on either. If they wished to rise to his challenge individually he would happily help them rise up. If only to show them their raw power meant so little to him. TO show them the pride and might of the Iron Falls Mercenary Corp. Of his sister and himself. He of course being the weaker of the two but standing side by side they were fearsome. So he wanted to test this against the shinobi of Kumo. A stepping stone for him really. Still starting with genin was the safe route. Begin with what he could handle and progress from there. Calculate his chances and move forward. Still she would reply with much the same concept. She wished to observe them. She wished to witness this for herself. He would smile at that as well. Perhaps after she had born witness to his feat she would wish to challenge herself as well. Another shinobi to know his name. Or perhaps she would understand without trying? All the more impressive. And it saved him some trouble. So he would speak calmly. His posture was straight and poised. Like someone regal in nature. So much the opposite of his sister. A walking war zone of arrows and fire. The other side to his coin.

"Very well. I encourage you to come and see our little bout for yourself. It will only take a minute as its in no way a spar. Merely a comparison of techniques. Master Tomohiro, Mistress Mizuki. If you will excuse me I need to prepare for tomorrow. I shall hopefully see you both at the Battle Plateau around noon. Do come with your new sword Tomohiro. I look forward to your absolute three best sword techniques."


With that said Julius would bow his head to each of them in turn before turning to be about his way. If Tomohiro wished to explain the wager with her he could. Otherwise she could simply witness it for herself. Still as he walked and collected himself into his cart with his freshly fed and watered mule he would grin to himself. They had little to no idea what it meant to face a barrier master on a time limit. He had worked the barter specifically to his benefit. Still he was excited for once. He wanted to see what these Kumo nin were capable of.


2510
Exit thread
1500/1500 Capture field - harsh wind B rank trained
1000/1000 Wind Release: Great Breakthrough C rank trained

Tomohiro felt warm on the inside when it was settled that he would be doing the wager alone with Julius. Nervousness started to set in again as Mizuki said she wouldn't mind observing the bout between the two of them. He didn't want to embarrass himself in front of the young lady. Tomohiro had to remind himself that he was still a genin and still had much to learn. There would be no embarrassment that would be set in stone if he did become the losing party of the wager. What did stick out was that Julius mentioned that it would only take a minute. That really made him curious to what he would do next. His thoughts began to overwhelm him a bit that he had to take a deep breath. Tomohiro felt like he probably wasted enough of Mizuki's time and would leave her be. Julius had already stepped away making it prevalent that he would meet a noon.

“Ma'am, I wasted enough of your time. Thanks for giving me your time. I hope to see you tomorrow,” he said as he bowed toward the young woman and tried to get the attention of one of the apprentices.

He got the attention of an apprenticed and showed him a note. The apprentice raised his finger and took off. Tomohiro went back to looking at the blades that were on display. The not that he gave the apprentice just had a price he was willing to pay. Tomohiro hated  that he couldn't waste anymore time standing around the stalls. His anxiousness was acting up and the people around him continued to make him even more uncomfortable. A few minutes had passed since he handed the note to the apprentice. The apprentice came back with a weapon. The hilt had basic cloth and the guard had rust. Tomohiro raised an eyebrow at the weapon upon taking it into his hand.

He drew the blade from the bamboo sheath slightly only revealing a foot of the blade. The blade was as in just as bad a shape as the guard. Rust outlined the blade and made Tomohiro cringe. Though, it was all that he would be able to afford at current. The despair he felt was kept hidden of his face, but a faint tear could almost be seen rolling down his cheek. Tomohiro handed over the Ryo for the blade. He would now need to go home and test it out. Tomorrow was going to interesting to say the least.

[Exit Thread]

WC: 425
TWC: 2483

Training Past:
750/750 Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu [PAID]

Training:
750/750 Fire Style: Flame Bullet (火遁・炎弾 ~ Katon: Endan)
750/750 Fire Style: Fire Clone Technique (火遁・火分身の術 ~ Katon: Katon Bunshin no Jutsu)

Unused: 233

Mizuki listened to the statements made by the trader in front of her. Whatever the wager was about - she still had no clue - would be of short duration. Why he linked this to a spar, she couldn't say, and as such the well-dressed man made no sense at all, annoying her slightly for the fact that the two were still leaving her out on the details of this whole wager. No matter, the conversation seemed to be of a short duration as both men decided it was time to leave. Both seemed eager to show off whatever this was about, however, as one offered her the invitation and the other hoped to see her again.

As each left in turn, she bowed towards them and bid them goodbye. Even these people were in a hurry, it seemed, leaving little time to chance. Whatever they had planned must mean a lot to the two of them, but much like they left to tend to their own plans, so too did Mizuki turn her attention to the smith again. Just in time, from the looks of it, as one of the apprentices finally was able to get to her.

Placing her order for choji oil and an uchiko ball, the apprentice smith quickly left to prepare everything and returned not too long after. He handed her the goods, allowing her a moment of time to assess the wares and assure herself this were, indeed, the goods she had been requesting. She inspected the material briefly, and confirmed them, upon which the apprentice mentioned the price. A price that had gone way up since the last time she got some. Scarcity, opportunity or inflation, Mizuki wasn't exactly a haggler and from the many years her family had come here to buy most maintenance tools, she knew that the price simply had to be its current worth. She pressed a string of ryo in the man's open hands, and thanked him before she tucked away the materials.

Navigating the crowd to get away, Mizuki heard a distinct difference in the noice once she had walked away from the smithies, and felt relieved to realise she had entered a more peaceful area of the city. She still had most of her afternoon to spend yet little ideas of where to go. As she looked around, perhaps due to the noice of the smithy she just left, she realised she was still wearing her full Kumo-nin attire, and decided that soaking in the hot-baths might not be the worst of ideas to spend.

---

[EXIT]

433
Total: 2615

Training: