Chiaki was setting out on an adventure, she didn't know where she would end up, but she did know that she wanted to explore the lands throughout the world and experience the different jutsu that were all around. There were the same people with the same jutsu in the same village in the same land when she was at home. Why not live a little. Chiaki had made her way through the land of fire, walking across leagues of distance to come to the land of rivers. Here, it was said that she might be able to meet some of the kin of her spirit animal, or what she called her spirit animal, the otters.

Otters, primarily, live in rivers, as she knew and she didn't want to miss out on making friends with the creatures that saved her life all those months ago. She dipped her hand into the slow moving riparian water and let the soothing flow of it wash over her skin. Closing her eyes and giving a quaint and content smile, she waded out until she was knee high in the water and put her hands together to focus her chakra. She was going to have a talk with the otter queen or her name wasn't Guanyin Chiaki.

Chiaki had a run in with an alligator months before and was saved by a giant variety of otter, and taken to a cave not unlike mount myouboku was home to a sage otter family, though it was segregated between the males and the females of their species respectively. Chiaki had been taken in, cared for, and let rest while she recuperated from her nasty attack by an Alligator. it was time to go back and properly thank the little, and big friends that she had made. If only she remembered how to get there.

Try as she might, she gathered the chakra and it kept dying back, gathering it again it kept dying back. Frustrated she kicked at the water and almost fell in. The hem of her dress, now wet from her thrashing, drooped low against the water. She would be seen, in this state, to be trying to get back to this cave of wonders. She didn't even know what to call it, or if it had a name all its own. All she knew was, she wanted to get back and thank her newly found friends.

The light of the rising sun shining through the window awoke the male, he still had a long journey ahead of him and he did not wish to waste time. Sneaking from the room so as to not wake the woman in his bed, though she had made his night quite enjoyable the male was not much for what came after with the clinginess that the women always seemed to have the morning after a night with him. Myrddin would have one last word with the elders of Takumi which pledged their aid in his request, explaining he had other business before his own return and that he would meet up with them later before departing from the craftsman village. His trip to the Takumi village seemed to have been fruitful, getting the aid of those skilled Craftsman was an important part of his overall goal and the goal of his Kazekage by proxy. Despite the male's wish to return home and to his kage, the male knew he had more important matters to attend to, there was one last stop the male needed to make before he left the land of Rivers. Choosing to take the path least travelled in an attempt to avoid other travellers the male found himself walking along a river, feeling the breeze flow through his blonde hair as the calming sound of nature washing away his thoughts and concerns, as he continued along his chosen path the blondes eyes fell upon a blue haired woman standing at the bank of the river. Myrddin would watch her from a distance while his presence remained unknown to the woman, as she dipped her hands into the river before wading out into it. He was a little surprised to see a woman wearing a dress such as this woman walking into the river, it was as if she did not care that her dress got wet. The blonde watched as the woman seemed to try to focus chakra however whatever it was that she was trying to do seemed to fail her as she soon began thrashing about, and as the male suspected got the hem of her dress drenched in water. Before the male even knew what it was that he was doing he found himself clapping, his gloves muffling the clap only slightly, though not enough for the woman not to have heard it. If she turned to face the direction he was coming from she would see a blonde male in a long white cloak approaching her from the south. "I've gotta say that was something, I don't know exactly what it was but it was certainly something." Myrddin would state with a smile, trying his best to monitor his tone so that he did not offend the woman by sounding rude. "What exactly is it that you are trying to do out here?" The male asked, "other than getting your dress wet." He added with a slight snicker. As he reached the edge of the river Myrddin would extend his hand out towards the woman, offering his help if she wished back to the shore.

---

525

Chiaki whirled around, she had been completely caught unawares by a voice that came from the shore. She had been biting her lip in frustration and as she turned around, her head tilted to the side, her eyes going wide and a curious and confused look came to her face. Her bottom lip slid out from between her teeth, leaving her mouth puckered a bit, open in almost a sensuous way until her lips thinned in irritation. Her eyes narrowed and she studied the blonde man on the shoreline. He was a bit younger than her, though his physique belied his true profession. A shinobi, like she was a kunoichi. he was taller than her by almost a foot, and had eyes like lightning. Her own deep blue ones locked onto his for a moment before travelling down his body, looking for an identifier, her chin turned up a bit in defiance, her stance rigid, cautious, scared. She was a deer caught in the middle of a clearing, she was a rabbit nearly passed by in a hawk's dive. One false move would set her to run.

She looked at his attire, and it was like hers. She dressed immaculately usually, and his coat, cloak, and gloves all seemed over the top. Perhaps some unknown prince that she should be wary of? A shinobi prince? She shook her head a bit to clear it and where confusion stood in her eyes, defiance stood again. He was not from Konoha, that much was certain, or at least she didn't think so. Perhaps he was from the land of rivers, but he didn't seem to be hostile. Konoha had many enemies and so she should be wary now. Her head tilted to the side more, seemingly revealing both her unease and suspicion. "I'm trying to get to a place like Mount Myouboku. It has otters in it, and those little things saved me once. I decided that I should at least know how to get to them. The queen said that I need only stand in a riparian area and that it would come to me." She wiggled her toes in the mud, trying to get a firm foothold should this boy attack her. She couldn't really call him a boy, but. . . But she couldn't ignore the fact that he was probably more dangerous than she. She had learned long ago that the shinobi around her age were immensely powerful, some twisted by war, famine, death, and some were just insane.

She would suss out his behaviour before approaching. "And what are you doing here, prince?" Her brows furrowed in her assumption, more a question than anything. She had no idea if he was, in fact a prince, but his clothing seemed to say such. At least he was wealthy, that much was certain. Chiaki might dress at the top of her class, but she was still lower-middle class at best, at worst she was upper-lower class. She barely made a living, even as a shinobi, and she was trying to jettison into the ranks of chuunin to secure a bit more money from the village to fund her off days. The off days were filled with work at the hospital, so it was important for her to secure funds. Looking him over, perhaps she could use him as a patron. Maybe a bit more sugar than salt.

Her features softened a bit, now not a porcupine, but more an otter in her outward aura. She would run if she had to, but no sense in biting everyone she met, especially someone she had just met.

WC: 1024

The woman turned around quickly, it was clear that she was not expecting someone to see her out here, like this. His eyes were met with hers and the only thought that came to his mind was beauty, he need not look at the rest of her as it was the eyes that were the window to her soul. He saw her strength within those deep blue eyes, and yet at the same time her fear. It was as if her eyes were speaking to him, but then the eye contact broke as she began looking him over. The male still looking at her face as he watched the woman's eyes travel the length of him, sizing him up, no doubt trying to determine if he was a threat to her. As he watched her, Myrddin could only wonder where such a beauty had been hiding. He had travelled to many lands and met many beauties, but this one was different, there was something about her that stood out from the rest of them. Her head tilted to the side with a look that said she did not know him and therefore did not trust him, or at the very least wary of strangers and what they might do. The male simply stood with a smile on his face looking into her eyes as she spoke, he  listen to everything she said as he was lost in the woman's eyes but he heard something about otters and a queen. It wasn't until the woman asked him a question that he seemed able to break free of the spell of her beauty, her question actually causing the male to chuckle slightly. "Well I am by no means a prince, though I do appreciate the compliment, My Lady. My name is Myrddin Kozai of the Land of Wind and I am simply here enjoying the beauty of this land, though it seems as though I have stumbled upon something much more beautiful then nature standing here before me." He would pause briefly when he noticed her headband around her neck, "though I must say I would not think such a beauty could have come from Konohagakure." Judging by her expression it seemed as though she no longer was afraid of him which was a good thing in his opinion as he meant her no harm. "I assure you that I do not mean you any harm, My Lady. I saw you as I was walking and from what I saw you seemed distraught, I only mean to see if I might offer you some assistance. While I do not know much of this land or Otters for that matter, I would like to help you out with finding them if I can." Myrddin wait for a reply with his hand still outstretched to aid her to shore if she desired. Chosing to use this time to look fully at her entire body, watching her, despite her beauty the male knew that he could not fully lower his guard with her just yet. He knew all to well that even the most beautiful women could be the most deadly of shinobi, using their beauty as a way to lure men to their deaths. However his mother raised him to be a gentleman, and he could not turn his back on someone who needed help. Of course he knew that the woman had no reason to trust a stranger, trust was something that was earned, and he was willing to earn this woman's trust if she allowed him.

---

598/1123

Chiaki listened and her eyes narrowed a bit more, humility she liked, but then the flattery threw her off. She didn't know if it was a custom of... whatever village that he came from, but she didn't usually get flattery like that in Konoha. To be honest, she didn't get much in the way of outward flattery on the regular no matter where people came from. He probably wanted something from her, and that put her on her guard more than anything that he had done to this point. She moved to place a delicate hand in his, saying in a voice as fluid as the liquid surrounding her up past her knees, almost touching the hem of her dress, "Well, thank you. I haven't been flattered as blatantly before." A small smile curled her lips, her eyes locking onto his own, no extrasensory jutsu, nor anything helping her with discerning what he was thinking, what he was feeling, just basic human intuition.

She, once she was out of the water touched the headband on the back of her neck, the konoha symbol dragging against the tips of her fingers in the delicate touch, more of a nervous tick than anything. She wondered what village he was from if not Konoha. She didn't know all of the people from her own village, so she might as well ask, "And you are affiliated with which village, if not Konoha?" She smiled a bit, and made an effort to seem caught up in rearranging her clothing so that it was more suitable, but really it was to hide her own suspicion in movement, she didn't want to keep her eyes anywhere where he could use the same amount of human intuition on her as she did on him. Better to keep him on the defensive anyhow, rather than reeling from his own scrutiny.

"As for not meaning harm, you haven't harmed me yet, as is evident from your manners, and your decorum throughout the interaction so far." This time, she looked up, her eyes a trap for anyone who looked into them, they held in them a deepness that was suffocating. No genjutsu, just a look that she had learned from her mother, learned from her boss, learned from the women of Konoha. It was the look that women gave you when they were taking in every minute detail, scrutinizing it, categorizing it, and cataloging it for later use. "And if you should wish to help me in my quest to find the otters, perhaps you could help by explaining how... how this is supposed to work. I don't even know how I got there before, I was dragged there, saved from death." She was oversharing, best not to front load too much with her information, best to keep him guessing as to why she was here, "And I don't even know if you can help me with it or not. Perhaps we can work out a solution together, if neither of us possesses the knowledge."

WC: 1537

As she placed a hand in his and thanked him for his flattery a small smile formed on her face before their eyes met once again and the male felt as though he was lost in the sea that was her eyes. He felt his heart sank when she broke that eye contact, and be watched as she ran her fingers along her headband before asking what village he came from. It was only then that the male realized that in his haste this morning he had not put on his own headband, it still safely stowed away in a seal on his arm with his weapons. "I am from Sunagakure," he would reply in a soft kind voice. He knew that this would of course lead to questions about the village as it so often had since it's destruction, "I have been charged with travelling to the different countries that surrounds our land with news of Sunagakures return, the Kazekage wishes to re-establish the alliances we once held with the minor countries that surrounds our border. Not to mention the fact that there were many civilians and shinobi alike that fled the land of wind when Sunagakure was destroyed seeking protection from the harshness of the desert within other countries both the minor and major ones. I mean to tell them there is now a safe place for them if they desire to return home, as well as helping in escorting them back home as well if need be." Myrddin would then take in to consideration what the woman said about how he could help her as he looked down along the river. She was right, how exactly did he plan to help her when even she did not know how she got there. After some thought an idea came to the male. "Well as I said I don't know much about otters, but I do know they like water. So it's safe to say that their den or home or whatever you want to call it would be close a water source of some kind. If this is the same area that they saved you, or at least the same river then perhaps their home is somewhere along this stream. Maybe if we walk along the river we might find some kind of sign as to where they might be, or even spark a memory of yours that might help lead you to where it is you are looking for."

---

416/1539

"Sunagakure, the village hidden in the..." She thought a moment back to her academy days. She hadn't ever left konoha, and to her knowledge she wasn't aware of any wars that Konoha had with Sunagakure. At least while she was cognizant of it. She chewed her bottom lip before she shrugged, "Village hidden in the wind?" She raised both of her eyebrows, they knitted together in what was an assumed, but probably wrong, expression. "I hear that a lot of your jutsu users use fuuton jutsu so I assume that it is the village hidden in the wind? Though it's in a desert, so... Village hidden in a mirage?" She smirked, the second one was more of a tease than anything.

She listened to his mission, nodding all the while, "It seems like a good goal of yours, to be honest I am out trying to better myself, but also to make friends for the village. See, our relations with the other major villages has been-" She hesitated and tilted her head to the side, her eyes rolling to the ground before she looked back at him, "Tenuous as of late." She shrugged, "So I am here to help with that, I suppose. If you should need any help, just let me know and I'll escort some of your people back from their exodus. We need allies, not enemies." She nodded, knowing that there would always be conflict, someone would feel slighted and there would be war brimming from an unknown, or little known front. She just didn't want for it to be on account of her, and she wanted to bring about a relative time of peace, any way she could. If that meant being pleasant to a sunagakure ninja, that meant being pleasant to a sunagakure ninja.

She nodded along with the rest of what he said, wondering if he was right. But that was far far away at the moment, actually in hi no kuni. She might as well tell him.

"That's actually closer to my village than it is here. I thought that if I went far enough away I would leave behind the ties that bound me to my daily duties. It is, actually, only about 3 days from here, but seven or eight hours walk from the hidden leaf village." She mused, looking at the water herself. It was a calm river, and was less murky, less... swampy? than the one she had emerged from on that day. She wondered if she should try an area that was similar to that, or whether she should simply give up on this fever dream. Perhaps she wasn't cut out for this sort of thing. She certainly didn't know whether to do this or to simply live life as a medical kunoichi. Perhaps she was splitting herself, spreading herself too thin? trepedation and self-doubt marred her face as she bit her thumbnail and grimaced a bit.

WC: 2035

The male wasn't sure if the woman was trying to be funny or insulting by her questioning the name of the village, it was right there in the name the Village Hidden in the Sand. Even the worst academy student knew of the five great shinobi villages and their names, at least they did when he was in the academy. Maybe Suna's academy teachings were different than that of Konoha's, or maybe the academy has just changed in more ways than he thought they had since he was young. The male would do his best to just smile the remark about the village away without actually acknowledging it, and instead moved on with the current conversation. The woman's mention of relations between Konoha and the other villages being tenuous was not surprising to the male, considering his last encounter with a Konoha shinobi was not all that hospitable. However Myrddin did not get the same feeling from this woman, as he had from the other shinobi in the past. Maybe it was the fact that he had succumbed to her beauty, something his mother had always warned him about. Maybe it was just because he was a trusting person believing that there was good in everyone, or it might have even been the fact that he did not believe the woman in front of him was enough of a threat to warrant caution. After his offer to help her locate whatever it was that she was trying to find, the male became confused by the woman's next remark of the place where this other event took place being back in her homeland. "Hmm, seems I have misread the situation." The male replied, he had assumed that what the woman was trying to find was near here, why else would she come out here just to get her dress wet. The male could see by the woman's expression of grimace and her biting her nails that something was troubling her, rather than pressing the issue and running the possibility of making the situation worst than what it already was. The male decided to attempt to change the subject, after all he hated seeing a beautiful woman upset. "My Lady, there is no reason for a beauty such as yourself to be so upset. You know what, we are not far from a rest stop the locals of Takumi village told me was down this path and suggested I stop in there for a bite to eat along my journey. The way they described it to me is that it is the perfect place to relax and take a load off, not to mention the fact that they have some really good food from what I was told. I would love if you would join me for some lunch, my treat of course. And we can talk about whatever you would like, Miss..." Myrddin's voice would trail off at the realization that he never got the mysterious beauty's name, "I'm sorry my Lady, but I never got your name." His tone kind and sympathetic as he too had gone through an ordeal recently that caused a change in his own life. If the woman agreed to accompany him to the rest stop he would offer his arm to escort her, more of just a gentlemanly thing that had become second nature to the male from his extensive lessons in the proper edicate instilled into his brain from his mother and grandfather over his childhood. Should the woman take it or not was her choice of course, and Myrddin would walk with her the next kilometer or two to get to the rest stop.

620/2159

Chiaki took her teeth off of her thumb and nodded, "It's alright, they told me anywhere, so I thought that their actual home would be more in the land of rivers, rather than the land of fire. But if you'd like to accompany me to the place where I met them, I am not averse to that decision as well." She grinned, "No need to say that you misread the situation, there was no misreading." A bright smile lit up her face as she tilted her head slightly to the left and giggled a bit. "As for being upset, it is just frustrating. I am a medical kunoichi, I am trying my best to become the best one, but I feel a strange and primal calling to return to these otters for some reason. Like they're the key to my becoming a better person all around, rather than just being..." She poked at her stomach and frowned in disappointment, "Me."

A pause as she considered his offer, it wasn't like she wanted to do anything else here anyhow, she had tried, and failed to do something of value here, and she might as well take a load off and stretch herself socially. Not only that, but this man was a high ranking shinobi, she could tell by the way he walked, the gait that he took, and also because of the way that he treated her like she was of no big consequence. It was slightly irritating, but she understood. One could not be bothered to be treated like a tiger if one was, indeed, a house cat. House cats were not threatening to anything bigger than themselves, so why should he be bothered by someone who was beneath him like she was.

"Ah, ah yeah, My name is Guanyin, Chiaki." She nodded once more, "As for food, I am starving. Something about burning chakra up trying to do a reverse summoning jutsu makes one tired. I don't know if this place has a physical existence on our plane, or whether it exists in an entirely different realm. It seemed like they dove with me on their backs for hours. Through dark tunnels and through waterways. The cave itself wasn't lit at all, and it seemed like it was bigger than a mountain in and of itself." Chiaki took his arm, "So I suppose maybe, the only way to get there is to swim there. Or to ask help from the otters of that river." A bit of disappointment crept into her voice. "It just seems like the moment that I make friends they scurry off."

She left the conversation to silence, should he leave it to that as well. But she would continue their conversation all the way to the rest stop if need be, and wondered what this rest stop would look like, and what would be on the menu. She also wondered what his motivation was for inviting her, what his motivators were in general, and how they came to this clandestined meeting.

WC: 2547

Myrddin would smile brightly as the woman took his arm and they began their walk while he listened to the rest of what she had to say. It was clear that the woman was full of self doubt for one reason or another, while the male did not know why she doubted herself he could see it written plainly on her face, from the moment he saw her poke herself with a friend to this moment speaking of friends running off. When the male spoke his voice was soft almost to the point of it being considered a whisper though he would still be fully audible to the woman next to him just not anyone else that they might cross paths with along the trail, a trait he picked up over the years to lessen the chance of someone ease dropping on a conversation. "You should never feel ashamed of who you are, Gaunyin Chiaki. Everyone dreams of being something more than what they are, but it is the journey to that dream that seems the hardest, and by enduring you see your dreams come true. I was but a Genin when Sunagakure was destroyed, I blamed myself and was ashamed of myself that I was unable to stop it, it was my dream to protect the village as my father once had done, but I was too weak and I failed. I pushed myself further than I ever would have if the village had not been destroyed, I pushed shame and disapproval of myself to the side. Now I am a Jōnin and find myself not only in a position to help my village but protect it from any future danger. I guess you could say I am trying to redeem myself for past mistakes, but at the same time if it never happened I would not be the man you now see. Your past is what shapes your future, and every decision you make makes an impact on that future. When Sunagakure was destroyed I could have just given up or even worst died, but instead I used it to fuel me forward, driving me to become better with each passing day. If you feel a calling drawing you to these Otters, I think you should follow it." Myrddin would smile brightly at the woman again at these words, whether she listened to his advice was her choice.

"It is completely possible that the place you are searching for is not of this world, and the only way of finding it would be to reverse summon. Without a contract it is difficult to do it of course, though it is not unheard of. They say when you do it, you are brought to the land of where your spirit animal resides. For example my clan has a long history with Owls, if I were to use the technique I have no doubt that I would find myself standing in front of the Court of Owls. Animals however have a different connection with their homeland, and can undoubtedly return to it as easily as we are walking towards this rest stop. It is also possible that the otters brought you with them in their own version of reverse summoning in a similar way in which I could take flight and hold you with me and carry you in the air." The male was of course speaking of a jutsu he had not fully prefected, though he did not have to tell the lady that the jutsu was not yet mastered so long as she did not wish to fly. "My grandfather told me of a trip he had taken on the back of one of the large Owls of the court that took him from our world to theirs, simply by flying through the air on it's back. So I believe the otters could have swam with you on their back to their own world, at the same time of course I have travelled to many lands in this world and have seen things that I never thought possible and I would not have believed they existed had i not seen it for myself. So it is also possible that they simply took you to a location in this world. I guess what I'm trying to to say is that you will not truly know until you get there, one way or another." The male would stop talking realizing he had been talking their entire walk so far, and that he should really give the woman a chance to say something as well.

Not long after the male stopped talking the pair would come across a large log cabin, through rather then one someone would live in, the cabin looked as though it could fit at least four normal size log cabins inside it. It was obvious that the rest stop was more than just the diner the male thought it was and was in fact a large inn. There was a large patio on the front of the cabin with multiple tables spread out across it with market umbrellas adorned on top of them, to shade the customers wishing to enjoy a meal outside. "Well this is certainly something." The male stated I the same soft voice he had been speaking in before, "let us hope that their food is as good as they say it is."

---

902/3061

When he stated that she shouldn't be ashamed of who she was, she blushed, wondering if she had been silly to say that she was ashamed of herself. She had just met this boy, why was she confessing her inner turmoil to someone that she had just met? She was really off today, and as she walked along, she pulled her other arm up to cover her chest, her head hanging a bit lower as she walked and he talked. He talked about his village being destroyed, just as Takao had destroyed Kumogakure. Kumogakure, with the people running for their lives in terrified screaming voices, the raging battle that went on around him, the carnage that he left in his wake. It was like the earth had vomited up Takao and he had in turn, turned the landscape into a hellscape. She nodded along, “I am a little more than ashamed that I didn’t have the prowess to save the innocents that Takao killed in his rampage, or the innocents that the konoha ninja slaughtered on their way to Kumogakure. It was a mad bloodbath, with people running around, raising weapons to ANBU and Jounin alike.”

She gripped her forehead and sighed, her nails digging in ever so slightly, in to her skin. “They took it as a threat to the hokage and mowed down innocents, people who weren’t wearing headbands, even konoha ninja that weren’t easily identified.” She shuddered once, “The otters, they… they helped me get a true sense of myself, and the queen said something… something that resonated with me. She said, ‘Now you can rest as long as you would like, but beware, this plane makes some of the humans that come to it not unlike we are.’ Which I took to mean that I would become more otterlike in appearance. But what I think she meant was that I will have a better outlook on life.” Moving her hand to her heart, she gripped the front of her dress, a few buttons, already loose, popped open, revealing a bit of her cleavage as she looked inward, “I want that right now. I don’t even know who or what I am anymore.”


He went on to explain the nature of the sage areas, perhaps it was part of this world, perhaps it had a gate to this world, and perhaps it was mystical in all senses of the word. Then he said something that triggered a little understanding, “Can you teach me this, reverse summoning jutsu, that you spoke of?” She raised her eyebrows a bit, her eyes meeting his furtively, before she continued to look ahead, “I mean, if it is as you say, I can always go there and then ask the otter queen how to get back. I… I mean I at  least call her the otter queen, she could call herself something else. I was hurt at the time, my leg broken in many different places, and I had just lost a lot of blood, so I could have just not heard her name.” She shrugged, “But anyhow, If you could,” She did up one of the buttons, distracted momentarily by the skin she was showing, “if you could show me the way to get there, I am sure that the queen would let me see the way out again. I was barely conscious when they took me out, and unconscious besides when they took me there.”

She mused a little bit longer and then asked, “Or perhaps you could help me develop some sort of underwater breathing jutsu.” Bringing her finger to her lips she tapped it thrice, and as she did the cabin came into view. It was made of a dark wood of some sort, perhaps an oak that was stained and weather treated. The umbrellas were all different colors, probably to attract customers on their journey, not that it had much competition, as she looked around, to speak of. Chiaki plodded along, her dress still weighing her down because of the wet hem, and she became acutely aware of how rough she must look. She had packed some extra clothing in her bag, and perhaps she should change before getting lunch. Mayhap they had a restroom. She tossed the idea in her head around for a while as they walked through the little wrought iron gate and onto the patio area, past a set of grand double doors with eight glassed panes, and into the front.

The inside was built more like a lounge than anything else. The chairs were all of the same wood that the building was made of, and the architect had put some sort of laquer on it to preserve the look of the wood, but also make it water and wind-tight. It insulated the room and the roaring fire on the left side of the room burned bright and hot. There were two overstuffed lounging chairs that looked like they had footrests in front of it, a small side table between them looked cozy too. There were two couches that were made of the same felted leather that the chairs were, and of the same style as well, they were on the back wall, on either side of a set of stairs that went up six stairs, turned on a landing and disappeared into what Chiaki assumed was the upstairs of the establishment. She looked up and there was a railing that overhung the front entrance with a guard rail made of the same wood, lacquered as well and the upstairs looked like it was some sort of rest haven, like a hotel, or hostel, or motel. Chiaki looked around, there were chairs made of the same wood as the giant logs, and so too were the tables. The tables were all different sizes to accomodate different ranges of groups that would come in, no doubt. To the right there was a bar that was in the shape of a rather large rectangle with liquor and soda, and a tap no less. To the far right, there were windows which faced south and a breathtaking view of one of the rivers of the land of rivers.

The natural light of the south facing window and the firelight from the north facing wall blended together in a cozy manner, making this space seem hospitable, cozy, and lazy. All the right stuff for a rest stop. Chiaki could already feel herself relaxing, her grip becoming more pliable in this young man’s arm.

As soon as they came in, a young girl, no older than sixteen, started to walk her way over to where they were at. It was clear that she would probably try to see what they wanted. All that Chiaki wanted now, after seeing this little cozy place, was to sleep and rest. She shook her head a bit, almost imperceptibly against that urge. Best not to do that. Restroom and a change first, then lunch with this Sunagakure ninja. Perhaps she would be able to gain a bit of his respect, a new friend perhaps? A tentative look to her side as she realized that they must look like a couple.

As the girl almost made it to them, Chiaki slid her hand surreptitiously out of his arm and cleared her throat, looking anywhere but at him.

"Can I help you?" The girl patted her apron that she was wearing down and blinked twice, looking at it before looking between Chiaki and Myrddin.

WC: 3835

The male would watch the woman out of his peripherals as they walked, her fidgeting with her forehead, the small shudder as she spoke of horrors that happened to Kumogakure, and then the fidgeting of her dress. Though he would not draw attention to them, they did not escape his notice, and they all told him the same thing, this beautiful woman was under a lot of stress. He chuckled slightly at her mention of him teaching her the reverse summoning, not because it was a foolish thing for her to ask but moreover he did not view himself as the teaching type. "Well I can show you what I know, but as I said it works differently for everyone. And it takes you to the animal inside of you, so it might take you to the otters or it might take you to another animal that your spirit aligns you too." The woman fidgeted with her dress once more, messing with the buttons or something and then spoke of an underwater breathing technique, though the thought had never occurred to the male before considering his own alignment he supposed he could work out someway of manipulating his fūton or maybe even his normal chakra in a way that would allow such a thing to be possible. The male did not reply to the last question about the jutsu, lost in his own thought about it as they made their way to the inn.

As the pair walked inside he felt the woman's arm relax within his, making him glad he suggested the place as it already seemed to be helping the woman. Though no sooner than he felt her relax he felt her arm move out from his as she coughed and looked away, perhaps she was uncomfortable with others seeing her in a man's arm or something. The male would shake the thought away as he moved to address the woman that worked for the establishment, clearing his own throat before he spoke. "Ah yes, my name is Myrddin Kozai. My companion and I are in need of a place to rest and eat before our journey that is ahead of us." The woman would stand there for a moment looking at Myrddin with a dumbfounded look upon her face before she finally snapped herself out of it, "did you say Kozai? Yes of course follow me sir I will get you all squared away." With that the sixteen years old would bound over to the desk and behind it, before opening a book on the desk and looking up. "We have a lovely room on the east side of the lodge that is perfect for waking up to the sunrise and is very romantic." The woman said with a smile as she looked to Myrddin and Chiaki, Myrddin would cough slightly at these words and look nervously to Chiaki. Did the two of them actually look like a couple? "Um, I think my companion would be more comfortable in her own room for the evening." Myrddin finally managed to choke out after the initial shock of the girls remark had passed, though he would not mind sharing the room it would not be very gentlemanly to do so after having just met.

Once the rooms were squared away Myrddin would look to Chiaki handing her the key to her room, "here you are my Lady, I need to wash up a bit before we eat, I shouldn't be long." Though this was not entirely true, he said this more for her benefit due to how she had been fidgeting with her dress he assumed she would probably like to change out of the wet clothes. "We can meet back here afterwards to get some food and enjoy each other's company." The young girl who checked them in would then escort the pair up the stairs and down the hallway to there rooms, which appeared to be side by side. It was slightly comforting that he would not be far from her, but at the same time it would give her space from him which is what it seemed she wanted since they arrived.

As he entered his room he was surprised by its size, the bed was almost the size of his one back at the estate and it did not even hinder the size of the room. the bathroom on the left had a very welcoming looking shower that the male went to instantly, the warm water on his skin felt like heaven as he seemingly melted in the shower. It was not until he was leaving the bathroom that he noticed another door on the right side of the room, a closet he wondered as he walked over and tried the handle to find it locked. He hit his forehead with his palm, a closet did not need a lock and the door wasn't to a closet. The woman's room was on the right side of his, and they must be conjoined or something. He had no doubt that he looked like a perv now trying to get into the woman's room, if he heard anything come from her side he would apologize to her through the door explaining he thought it was a closet while kicking himself, though he hoped she did not notice his stupid action. Getting dressed the male would travel back down the hallway and down the stairs to the lounge requesting himself a drink on the rocks as he waited for Chiaki, leaned up against the fireplace watching the flame within it dance.

---

941/4002

Chiaki looked Myrddin up and down once more, was he... part of a royal family or something? With a reaction like that, she wouldn't have been surprised if he had said that he owned all of sunagakure and that the shinobi business was all just a ruse, or worse yet, a hobby. Wait, did she say, 'room?' Chiaki's face went beet red as her foot fidgeted and she opened her mouth to protest, before being beat to the punch by Myrddin's cough and reply. She nodded once, "I ah, I think that would be best, after all, we just met." A small and polite smile crept its way onto her face, she didn't want to snub him, but she did want to set a boundary, since there was a small chance that he might get the wrong idea, that she was an easy woman, or worse. She threaded her fingers behind her back, resting her wrists against her rump and rocked back and forth on her heels and then the balls of her feet, wondering if she had been too harsh?

She looked back to the woman, "My own room would... would be nice." She nodded. Shortly after the young girl handed Myrddin the keys and he handed Chiaki hers. She looked back to the girl, but found an empty podium in her place. A small smile crept to her lips once more, a tenuous one, uncertain of what to do and how to excuse herself.

Luckily, it seemed like Myrddin had thought of that as well. "I shouldn't be either, I think I'll freshen up as well." She took the key gratefully and gave a little curtsy. She would have to get into better looking clothes, judging by what he wore. She was escorted up the stairs by the girl and led to a room that was, curiously next to Myrddins. After giving the girl a 5 ryo bill, she looked around and then shut the door. She had packed light, but at least had a spare dress, one that she had been saving for a night on… well, whatever town she happened to be in. She looked back at the door and then decided to lock it.

Hearing the proximity of the noises coming from the other room, the shower being turned on, she scurried over to their shared wall. Finding a door there, she hurriedly locked it and nodded to herself. Better to take care of any embarrassing walk ins before they happened.

Shrugging off the bands of her dress, she found herself in front of a full length mirror. Not bad… still room for improvement. She pulled at the parts of her that she found - less than tasteful - and then sighed, rubbing the back of her neck, letting the hand slide down her front side and hang limply by her naked frame. Best to get into the shower and at least get rid of the ‘river water’ smell that she had accumulated all on her own.

Stepping into the shower and using the shampoo and soap that they graciously provided, she decided that she should probably shave too. Taking a bit longer wouldn’t hinder him that much would it? She shook her head. Cannot rush perfection. Stepping out of the shower, she found a fluffy towel and buried her face in it, nuzzling the fabric. It was much bigger than hers at home, and as she patted the rest of her body dry, holding one leg up on the toilet to better get at her hard to dry places, she realized, the room was quite a bit larger than her apartment. She stepped out of the shower and looked around the room.

The walls were higher than she had anticipated, and the window was as big as her kitchen and living room walls combined. She felt small, smaller than usual within the big room and it did offer a breathtaking view.

She jumped backward and a couple of meters, and if she were a cat her hackles would have been raised, along with her back and tail. Her doorknob, did it just… jiggle? Oh, it was Myrddin, right. Right. Calm down.

A Red senbon had appeared in her hand, where did that come from? It was powerful enough to cause serious damage and she shook it away from her like she had accidentally picked up a snake. Still feeling a tad uncomfortable, she gathered her towel around her a bit tighter and stuck her tongue out at the closed door.

She decided to let it sit, and pretend like she hadn’t even heard the door jiggle. There was too much to do anyhow. Chiaki busied herself with getting into her dress, which was more of a cocktail dress than anything, a slit down the left side gracing her thigh and leg. She stepped into her sandals, not the ideal wear for something fancy, but it was all she had. Her hands went to work with the braids that she wound into one bigger brad that cascaded down her back.

Blinking and looking at herself in the mirror, she nodded and left the room, tucking the key into a safe place before patting it to make sure it was there in a frantic attempt to tell herself that leaving most of her things in the room was alright. It was normal, but she hated that a bit of panic always ran up her spine when she left her things in an unfamiliar place, even when they were behind lock and key.

Chiaki wound her way around and down the stairs, looking to the left and right. There were people milling about now, since it was getting on to lunch time and she didn’t see Myrddin right off. Chewing the side of her bottom lip, she made her way over to a table and sat down, surveying the crowd and trying to look for Myrddin.

WC: 4840


Jutsu used, and then discarded.

red senbon.:

After the bartender brought him his drink the male was staring into the fire so long that his mind trailed back to that night so long ago when he watched his village burn before his eyes. The screams of panic, the smell of burning flesh, the monstous snake that tore through the village as the fire glassed the sand around it. Dead bodies scattered throughout the village as those still alive trampled over them trying to escape the Carnage that was destroying their village. Men, women, children the monsters that destroyed his home did not care, all those that got in the way was slain, leaving only death in their wake. The male remember how he moved in to try to get closer to the source of the Destruction, to do something, anything to stop them, then nothing, darkness surrounding him as he was knocked unconscious.

The male was not sure how much time had past, how long he was staring into the flame that danced so beautifully in the fireplace, his trance broken by the sounds of the other people stay at the lodge entering the room. As he looked around the room for Chiaki, he found her at the foot of the stair wearing a beautiful dress that only complimented her own beautiful figure. Her bluehair pulled into a very elegant braid that accented the features of her face, making her appear even more beautiful than when he first saw her in the river earlier. If he had not known better he would think that it was a completely different person from the woman in the river, but he knew it wasn't it was just she cleaned up very nicely. The woman did not seem to notice him yet by the fireplace from where she was, which was not surprising considering his short stature compared to everyone else around him. He would not say he was a dwarf, but it something that has been mentioned in the same sentence as him before, but in comparison to most his age he was far shorter. He watched as she walked from the stairs to a table in the middle area of the room, he was lost in awe of her even from a distance. He had met many beautiful women in the past, but none of them intrigued him as much as this woman has. The blonde would slowly make his way through the crowd and across the room to the table. Having chosen to leave his cloak as well as his gloves and weapons in his room the male was dressed in his white form fitting short coat, the cuffs black with two golden lines around the trim. Gold buttons adorned the front of the coat and the Kozai clan symbol was displayed on the left shoulder of the coat, his black belt that normally held his various tools as well as Ikari was void of any items as they too were left in the room with his cloak. His black sleeveless undershirt could be seen beneath the collar of his short coat as it's collar stuck up higher than the coat and bore a gold necktie. His pants white like his coat, and his boots the same dark black as the cuffs of his coat. While looking like formal wear his attire was actually combat ready, the fabric itself sewn with metal making it able to withstand even the toughest attacks.

As the male reached the table he would wave his arm to get the attention of one of the many waiters that was walking around the room. "Well hello Lady Gaunyin, you are looking lovely as ever." The male said with a slight bow before he sat down on the other side of the table then Chiaki. The waiter arrived shortly after Myrddin had reached the table to take their order, Myrddin looked to Chiaki. "Order anything you like my Lady, as I said earlier this is my treat and price is not an issue." Myrddin would then turn to the waiter, "I'll take a steak, medium well." Myrddin would wait until Chiaki ordered and the waiter left so they could continue their conversation from earlier, taking a sip of his drink as he waited. Once the waiter was gone Myrddin would place his drink down on the table and speak to Chiaki in the same tone he had when they were walking. Focusing only on Chiaki and ignoring everything else that was happening around him, though not oblivious to it as his wind sense spread throughout the room so that if something was too happen he would sense it before any harm could come to him or Chiaki. "I have been thinking of what you said about a jutsu to help you breath underwater, it might take some work but I wouldn't mind help trying to figure something out if you still wanted to. Or as you originally suggested I could try to help you with the reverse summoning."

---

837/4839

Chiaki looked the blond up and down, she wondered how people chose their color pallette, but it seemed to suit him well. Not only that, but, given that his was the village hidden in the desert, and as he sat down, he made a comment. It made her blush, as it would any woman, and she cleared her throat, "Th-thank you." her eyes went to the table, rather than him for a moment, her hands folding and then clenching in her lap. She didn't know what to say back, she had Akaneya back in the village, after all, and she didn't want... want to seem unfaithful to her.

Was she allowed to give any sort of response back about how he looked debonair? The time for it passed in awkward silence before the waiter came over, dressed in a simple black suit, an apron tied to the front of his attire in a very neat and tidy manner. He had a slight mustache and soul patch going on, and Chiaki wondered if it was an attempt to make himself look older. The youth had to be no older than 18, and she wondered if he was even old enough to serve them drinks, should she order one.

Shrugging internally, but not letting it show, she scanned the menu and found that they had fresh trout sushi, she wondered if it would taste good, and tucked that tidbit of information in the back of her head, looking over the wine menu. Nodding, she placed the menu down, her eyes taking in the waiter as he finally reached the table. Myrddin made the first move, asking her to order anything, that it was his treat. Now it really did feel like a date. She couldn't keep the red out of her face, nor the embarrassment out of her voice as she waited for him to order, a steak.

She pointed out the fresh trout sushi, "I'll have this, if you don't mind." She nodded, "Three rolls of it please, hold the avacado. And ah, I..." She scanned the menu again, "I'll take the Pinot grigio, the one that's aged 3 years, not the 10 year one, glass of it please, not the bottle." she folded the menu and handed it to the waiter.

The waiter nodded, "Anything else for you miss?" He asked.

"Ah, I suppose that I'll take a water too, with a lemon or a lime wedge in it if at all possible?" She squinted and smiled, wondering if she had over ordered or over asked.

It didn't seem so as the waiter nodded  and said, "But of course ma'am, do you have a preference?"

"Lime." She nodded and smiled back to the waiter.

Her order done, she closed her eyes for a bit, taking a bit of a breath before letting her natural chakra leak out around her, she had a good perception of the area in a 5 meter radius, which meant that she knew each and every move that Myrddin was making without even looking at him. Best to look though.

Ocean-blue eyes emerged from behind her lids as she had calmed down, becoming placid pools rather than turbulent seas.

"It'd be appreciated, as you know, getting to the otter world would be a bit of a chore. Or should I call it the otter cave." She backpedaled a bit, her gaze turning inward before she shook off the pensiveness, barreling forward, "As for the reverse summoning it seems like it would be the most straightforward way of going to this, er, this land of the otters."

WC: 5453

"The reverse summoning would indeed be the most direct, though it is often best to do with someone who also holds a connection with the same animal so that they may travel with you to the realm." The male would pause as the waiter returned with Chiaki's drink, taking a sip of his own while he waited for the man to leave. "Though I can and will still help you of course," he continued with a slight chuckle after the waiter had left the table. "It is honestly quite simple, if you understand the workings of the summoning formula that we used to call upon the various summons in which we hold a contract with. The contracts are signed in blood binding us to the animals as well as binding them to us, and then to call upon us we mix our blood with the summoning formula while focusing on the name of the one you are calling upon in order to summon the creature or creatures in which we require aid from." The male would pause hoping that what he was saying was making sense to the woman, and above everything else trying to gauge her interest in the subject as he would hate to be boring her. "Without a contract formed however, your blood would call upon no such creature nor would it be any use, no you simply must preform the attempt to summon without needing to draw blood and focus on your desire to find the Otters. The technique will take you to their home whether it is of this world or not, whether it is a world, a cave, a castle or an empty lot. So I guess in truth you do not even really require my help, but if you still want it I will." Myrddin would wait for Chiaki to reply as he looked into her beautiful eyes, his thoughts of her beauty however was quickly interrupted by the arrival of their meal. "Here you are sir," the waiter would remark as he sat Myrddin's plate in front of him, "and for the Lady," as he sat Chiaki's plate down as well. "Will there be anything else?" The man question looking between Myrddin and Chiaki, Myrddin who had not taken his eyes off of Chiaki since he had sat down simply waved the man on. "No, that will be all. Thank you."

Finally looking away from Chiaki and down at his steak the male would take a small moment in which he closed his eyes and thanked Raava for his meal and the company of a beautiful woman, though they would only close for a second and appear to be no more than a blink if the woman across the table was even paying attention to it. Taking another sip of his drink the male would sit it down on the table, "tell you what, how about for the rest of the night we tell each other about ourselves and then we can go back to our own rooms and get a fresh start in the morning after we had some rest and I will show you what you need to do to get where you are trying to go."

Should the woman agree to his suggestion then while they ate the male would spend his time trying to get to know a little more about the woman he was with, who she was, what she wanted out of life, anything about her past she was willing to share. As well as minor things like her favorite color, if she liked the smell of rain and if she liked to play in the rain, and hundreds of other questions that would help the night past cheerfully and enjoyable. The male of course would answer the woman's question as well and would share any personal information in the like, though of course being of different villages the male would not ask anything about Konoha other than minor things like life there and what not that even a child of the village would know, just as he would not answer anything about Suna that a normal villager would not know. The night in the male's opinion went rather smoothly, he learned a lot about Chiaki and hoped that their friendship, if he could even call it that after their first encounter, could possibly blossom into a friendship among their villages. That however was neither here nor there at the moment, after their meal Myrddin would pay the bill before escorting Chiaki up the stairs to their separate rooms. Bidding the woman good night once they reached her room, Myrddin would kiss Chiaki on the hand if she allowed him to before heading to his own room. The night went by quickly, Myrddin awoke with the rising of the sun, gathering his stuff he made his way down the hallway to the stairs and to the main floor. Ordering a coffee the male would get his cup before heading outside to wait for Chiaki to meet him, having told the help that when she awoke to tell her where he was as well as paid for her some coffee too if she so desired one. Heading over to the river the male found a nice smooth rock in which he could sat on and as he waited for Chiaki to arrive the male would simply meditate clearing his mind of everything else.

He sensed her before she got close, opening his eyes to greet her with a smile. "Good morning Lady Chiaki, are we ready to begin?" He would use a burst of Fūton to lift himself up enough that he could stretch his legs out and stand, rather than go through the need of picking himself up from his sitting position. "Alright let us begin, first and most important is the understanding of the formula. Summoning bends the law of space and time allowing instantaneous travel across vast distances even realms, to call upon creatures we share a connection with, to use the formula it requires focus and a calm mind." The male knew he probably sounded like the annoying academy teacher that just did not know when to shut up, but he felt it was important to understand how something works in order to achieve the desired effect. "Next comes the Handseals in which we focus our chakra upon our desire, for this you will use Ram, Monkey, Dog, Boar. These are the same Handseals you use when you have a contract in reverse, the reason for this is for the purpose you are trying to achieve here. Normally the summoning formula calls upon the creature you share the contract with, as I explained last night. In this instance however with the lack of a contract you will be connecting to your spirit animal, in which this will draw you to them and there you will be able to set up a contract with them if they find you to be worthy." Once the male was done with his academy lecture he would set down from the stone and motion to Chiaki, "we can begin whenever you are ready."

---

1201/6040

She nodded as the waiter came back with Chiaki’s drink, which she thanked him for, and thought about that. Was there anyone in her life that she knew with the same spirit animal as her? Were they truly spirit animals, or were they something else? Were they guardians? So many questions, but no, she came up with none of the answers, nor anyone with the same animal affinity as her. “I guess I don’t know anyone who has even been to the land of the otters before, nor spoken with any of them. They have some that are capable of speech, but most aren’t, making high pitched squeaks and grunts and mumbles like the rest of the animal kingdom.” She answered his question.

She looked across the table, the look in her eyes most grateful for his help, his assistance in going to the world, should it be called that? The place of the otters. It was a thing that she was drawn to, of course, but it was unhealthy no? Was it? No perhaps not, perhaps it was all in her head. Perhaps she was overthinking this all entirely. A sigh came from her, exasperated at herself for her behavior before he spoke up again. He talked to her about the ritual and what that entailed. It was a good lesson for her, seeing as she had no idea what to do or how to do it. She flexed her fists beneath the table, and opened her hands. She wanted to start with the training now, but perhaps that was the overeagerness of learning a new technique, a new way of training.

“I would like it if you helped me,” She nodded, a small gesture as she looked to the table and took a sip of her drink, its dryness was a good pallette cleanser and she placed it back on the table, rolling it around her mouth with her tongue lightly, letting its taste pervade her nose and her taste. She sighed, content with the wine. It was a good one, and she wanted to make it last.

“I ah, I don’t know any of their names.” She blinked, “So there would be no way for me to call one to see where they’re at or how to get there.” She blushed a bit. “What happens when you use a summoning contract when you have no name? When you don’t know the name of the person that you want to summon, or the creature, in this case?” She looked across the table, the seas of her eyes turbulent with the question and then she shook her head. “Nevermind, we’ll save that for tomorrow, for the actual lesson."

She nodded to herself, resolved, as he answered her question with the continuation of the conversation. So the contract would be fruitless if she didn’t know the name. He also explained how to get to the otter kingdom. Otter cave? She would get it, the name of the place, from the queen of the otters the next time she was there. Rather than trying to make a name for it. She nodded suddenly as he offered his help, “I would still like it, as I have… ah…” She placed a hand on the back of her head, the nape of her neck, and rubbed there in a nervous gesture, “I haven’t ever sealed or unsealed anything before. I did it way back in the academy, but I have never done it with an actual summoning contract, nor with a reverse summoning one either.” She blushed, a bright ruby red to contrast her dress, and it went all the way down to where the dress met her flesh. She was truly a poor excuse for a shinobi to not have known this. But she had no formal training in Fuuinjutsu, and so why should she have an easy go of it?

The waiter, mercifully brought their meals at that time to break the tension that she was sensing from her nervousness and Myrddin dismissed him with a wave and a couple words. Rather than look at him as she was being watched, her attention went down to the plate, clearing her throat and placing her hands together she murmured “Itadakimasu” before picking up her chopsticks and delicately twirling them both idly, trying to decide between the rolls that she had ordered. They looked pretty much the same. The chopsticks would twirl around her thumb and fingers, weaving in and out in intricate patterns before she snapped them together, making up her mind about what she wanted to put in her mouth to begin with.

Delicately, she wrapped her chopsticks around the first sushi, gripping it firmly, but not too hard, and dipped it in the saucer of soy sauce that they had, graciously, provided. She wanted to taste it without wasabi at first, to get a taste for how it would taste normally. She bit into it and it had a more sweet flavor than salty, which she was used to, from the sea fish that she normally ate in a sushi. It was a bit alarming how sweet it was, actually, and it tasted rather good. They had paired it with cucumber and a sour cream cheese to offset the sweetness of the trout itself. Sticking the rest of the piece into her mouth she sat there, happily munching before Myrddin started to talk again.

“That sounds like a good idea, rather than talking about training we should enjoy ourselves. After all, an early start to the morning would be rather what the doctor ordered after a fancy meal like this.” Indeed, and admittedly, she didn’t have a lot of money, nor did she care to earn a lot of money. Sure, she could probably go to school to be a doctor at this point, but she made enough as a Kunoichi to pay the bills and hold down the fort. She could also take a job as a diplomat if she actually wanted to make some money. So this meal, this was a treat, as she hadn’t had in a long time. She had planned to sleep in a tree that night, fitfully and toss and turn and wonder about whether she was going to fall out at any given moment.

Chiaki felt herself relax a bit, her shoulders becoming less rigid, along with her back. She was still poised, but more relaxed, almost cat-like. Ready to pounce but still graceful and languid.

The first question came, who was she? She put a piece of the sushi into her mouth and chewed on it softly, thinking about how best to answer that. She had introduced herself, of course, but that wasn’t what she was asking. Swallowing, she tapped her chopsticks to her lips, scrunching them to the side playfully, her eyes squinting to see how best to answer that question, “I guess you could call me a Medical Kunoichi of the village hidden in the leaves. I am the Hokage’s assistant, but that is more a title than anything else, I am basically a secretary and do filing and paperwork for him. Anything that can be taken care of by a Jounin per paperwork comes across my desk and I take it to him if I think he needs to be bothered by it. If I don’t I take care of it myself. The top secret stuff of the village…” She shrugged, “Never even see it myself.”

A small smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she put her chopsticks down on the small and long plate that she was provided, before she picked up her wine glass, her lips delicately touching it as she took a sip, trying to see how she had paired her wine with her dinner.

Simply delicious. The dryness offset the sweet of the sushi meat and the sour of the cream cheese perfectly. Good. It was a good decision. The next question came as she was setting her glass down. What did she want out of life.

“Well, I suppose that I want what all people want out of life, a reason for living?” She struggled with this one, as she didn’t know really how to answer it. “I guess seeing what I have and being through what I have has made me rethink this a lot.” She picked up her chopsticks and stared pensievely down at her meal, as if the sushi had the answers written on it. Frowning slightly she sighed, trying to put into words what she felt. “I guess my goal is to be the best Medical Kunoichi in the world, and to travel the world healing the wounds made by shinobi.” She shrugged, “That’s the purpose of a Medical Kunoichi after all. But it’s a bit of a deeper feeling.” Chiaki looked back up at Myrddin for a small, brief moment of silence, her eyes conveying her feelings more than her words could. She wanted to be strong, to protect the innocent people hurt by ninjutsu, to not let anyone die that she could save. To not let another disaster happen on her watch. “I have seen a lot in the short amount of time I have been a real Kunoichi.” She nodded, “I have seen the ravages of ninjutsu and the scars that it can leave on people, the land, and the soul.” She shrugged, “It would be nice to be able to rub out a couple of those scars if I could help it.”

The next question was a bit less personal, what her favorite color was. “I suppose it would either be Cyprus, a deep and luscious Teal, or perhaps the color… well it’s called seductress, but it is a vibrant and luscious red.” She smiled, “I like dark and rich colors of all kinds, really.”

Another question as she put a piece of sushi into her mouth and she held up a finger while she chewed and swallowed, “I do like the smell of the rain and to play in it. It always smells like the world has taken a bath and like it needed it desperately. I really enjoy the smell of rain after a long and hot day, rather than having an overcast drizzle. The smell of cold rain on hot ground is sort of… well sort of nostalgic and sort of sweet. It makes the earth smell fresh.” She smiled, “And playing out in it is an added bonus, though I make sure to wear something I don’t mind being out in the rain in. So I usually leave my apartment in a swimsuit and head to the park and splash around in the rain there. People look at me like I am weird, but really, they’re the weird ones. Life’s too short not to enjoy the simple things.”

The rest of the meal was filled with a playful chat between the two ninja, as they learned a little about the other, and she wondered if this would blossom into a good relationship between the two villages. She had, after all, no idea what his actual standing in the village hidden in the sand was.

Myrddin payed for the meal, as he had said he would and he escorted a rather full Chiaki up the stairs. She still had no idea how to act with a gentleman without embarrassment. It wasn’t a truly fancy place, and she knew that they stuck out like a sore thumb. There was battle and road worn people around them, and a couple of people who were dressed up. But she knew that they were the best dressed in the room. Ah, screw it, she thought, they can sod off if they are judging me.

Thinking these thoughts, she barely noticed her hand being lifted to Myrddin’s lips. Blinking rapidly in confusion and surprise, she found his lips on the back of her hand, his head down. It was a submissive gesture by the male, or dominant party, and she was unaccustomed to it. Not knowing what to do she offered a simple smile and a bidding of good night and sweet dreams before she drifted behind her door and closed it behind her. She turned a deep shade of red on the other side, pressing her back against its sturdiness and fiddling with the handle, trying to find the lock. Finding it, she locked her door and wondered if there was any reason to.

Shaking her head to clear her confusion, she nodded, of course there was. There was a ninja of a different village on the other side of these walls, and besides, she saw a bunch of Suna ninja headbands at dinner. She wondered if the male, Myrddin saw that as well.

Taking off the dress, she let it slide over her lithe form, before she gathered it and placed it back in her bag. Because of the material it wasn’t prone to any sort of wrinkle and as she unclasped her brazier in favor of a nighty that she had packed, she wondered at the predicament she had found herself in. She was with a boy, about her age, and he was going to show her techniques. But more than that, she had found a real gentleman. She didn’t think they still existed, but really, she didn’t know whether to be proud of herself or cautious. She had never really dealt with anyone that had manners like him, so she had no idea how to conduct herself, or what to expect from the whole thing.

She threw the bit of silk over herself, the really fancy wear that she had brought and it cascaded down her skin, the chill fabric making her break out in goosebumps. She scooted her bare feet across the floor to the bed, where she threw off the mounds of covers in one corner before burying herself in them and letting her head sink into the pillow. A sigh escaped her lips before she had a restful nights sleep with no particular memory of having dreamed at all.

Waking and dressing in the dress that she had for training, a chinese styled dress that was made of tough fibers, which she had no idea what the composition of, she looked at herself in the mirror. She decided that she would take out the braid that she had put her hair in last night, as she wasn’t going to be running around any time soon today, and she felt like she wanted to let her hair breathe a bit.

Running her hand through her hair twice, three times, she looked at herself in the mirror and smiled, it was curling itself into little ringlets at the ends, but was rather wavy and flowed down her back to rest right above where a belt would be. She sinched her dress up with the wooden toggles there and pressed on the appropriate places to fit into it. It hugged her upper body all the way to her waist, where it fell over her rump and her front around two slits in the sides. The dress had a golden trim to it, or at least golden colored, and had a golden floral pattern on it.

She then placed her ninja tools on her left upper thigh and shouldered her bag. Giving the room a once over, she moved fluidly out of the room before stopping to have a quick shot of cappuccino. She didn’t want much caffeine, but this much would keep her going. When she took out her purse to pay for it, the bartender raised his hand and said that it had already been paid for. She was certainly being spoiled rotten. Blushing she nodded and headed out the door.

They had spoken the previous night about meeting by the river and as she took her first steps outside she found that it had rained the previous night and the rising sun warmed the liquid and started to evaporate it, making the air seem heavy with humidity. It was an early morning, and Chiaki was a late night owl, but she wanted to get an early start on things, since she had no idea how long it would take her to grasp the situation.

She looked around and spied him, sitting on a smooth rock, probably smoothened by wind rather than water and he was meditating. As she approached, he would lift himself up with wind and settle back down on the ground. She thought he looked rather like an owl himself doing that, feathers all fluffed and ruffled, landing in a neat pile. Or rather, on his own two feet, but the mental image made her give him a warm smile.

“Ready as I’ll ever be.” She said, readjusting her bag on her shoulders and looking around her, “So this is where we’re going to do this huh?” She gave an appreciative nod. She found her own, not wet, rock and sat down on it, tilting her head to listen better to him. It seemed like with her head cocked to the side she had a better chance of retaining information. For some odd reason or another.

She nodded as he explained the technique and the properties that it had. She had no idea where ‘stored’ items went when they were sealed, but it would make sense if they were all piled up in a great mountain somewhere, waiting to be unsealed, and used. She nodded as he instructed her on the hand seals that she was to use and she formed them with both hands to get used to the sensation, repeating them until they were blinding to her. Nodding, she could do this.

“I get it, so I think of the otters, and it’ll take me there.” She nodded, more slowly this time. She wondered if she was worthy of their attention, their affection, their time, their companionship. The unnerving thing was, she wasn’t sure that they would mind at all. She just didn’t know if she, herself was worthy. Shaking a bit she sighed, bringing her hands together and taking a deep breath before letting it out slowly.

“I’ll try it once, and we’ll see if it goes well. If I end up in the river, do fish me out will you?” She smiled, trying to say it like a joke, but then again, she had no idea how this was supposed to work, nor whether one could ‘miss’ if they were intending to go somewhere and misfired.

“Let’s see… Ram, monkey, dog, Boar.” she said aloud as she made the hand seals and thought of the otters, closing her eyes and thinking of the space she concentrated and sent out a surge of chakra. When Chiaki didn’t feel anything she sighed, stamping her foot in irritation. “Myrddin, it didn’t work!” she would shout and open her eyes.

“No need to shout, young one.” A familiar voice came to her ears as she did, and she looked around, or rather, she tried to look around, but sensed more than she could see. She was indeed standing in the very cave that she had been when she had been saved.

Caught by the awe of it all, her breath caught in her throat. “Am, am I really back?” She half muttered, half asked in awe.

“You are, and it is good to see you, young one.” The large otter wasn’t visible, but thanks to her senjutsu training that she had done in her world, she was able to sense the large otter. She was still as huge as always, but she could make out the dimensions that she had been lacking before. Just how big she was and how long and how sleek. It was almost like she was touching the otter.

“It is good to see you too!” she said in a normal tone, the cave making it echo around her, she would quiet down for the next sentence, “I had been hoping to see you for a very long time, and hoped to thank you for what you did when the alligator attacked.”

“I see that you made a full recovery, young one. Some of our sisters doubted you would.” The otter queen said, bending low and nuzzling Chiaki in a friendly manner, it almost knocked her off her feet.

“Were they worried?”

“Of course! We take care of our own. But we could sense that it was time for you to go back, and we do not possess the instruments to set bones. It was better that you went back where you were able to be treated by your own kind.”

“What… what do you know how to do then?”

The giant otter chortled at that, “We know how to cuddle, we know how to fight, we know how to love, and we know how to avoid damage from our assailants. We might not be the strongest, or the quickest, but we are able to press our advantage, especially in close quarters until the enemy is overwhelmed. You could say we’re the most dextrous of the animals. Welcome to the otter circle Guanyin Chiaki.”

“Is that what this place is called?” Chiaki asked, slightly puzzled and wanting to know more. She didn’t want to intrude, but she wanted to know all there was to know about this place before she left.

“It is, and it exists on your plane, if you wanted to know. You just have to be able to get here normally if you wanted to, I suppose, and we’ll show you the way out when you are ready for it. I would work on your lungs, as we can hold our breaths for a much longer time. There are a lot of twists and turns you need to take, and the risk of drowning, if you don’t know your way is almost completely certain without a technique for breathing underwater.” The otter queen lounged on the central island, it seemed as though there was something squirming in the dark too, on the island, previously not present.

“I am sorry uh, is there something on the island besides you?” Chiaki asked, not wanting to be rude, but also distracted by the small grunts that came from the island, “It seems as though you might be busy.”


“Oh, those are new children, since you arrived.” The otter queen said, as if they were of no consequence to her, “I am, after all, the ‘otter queen’ as you so aptly put it last time.” Another chuckle came from the otter queen.

“I’ve been meaning to ask you, actually.” Chiaki interrupted herself, “If it’s alright of course- What’s your real name? I never got it, but I offered you mine.”

“It’s Kawauso-sama.” She returned, blinking in the low light. “And I would develop a jutsu to be able to see in low light, if you plan on staying here any longer.” The chuckle came again, shaking the walls.

“What happened to all of the sisters?”

“Mmmm?” the queen looked around and opened her mouth, “Ah, yes, you would ask about that I suppose.” She nodded and turned back to Chiaki, “They will be back in a couple months. They go to your world, or rather, they go to the surface? In order to spawn and give me and my children space.”

“Why is that?” Chiaki asked, tilting her head, “It seems counterintuitive to do something like that.”

“Well, Stay a while and I’ll tell you of the otters, and our ways.”

Chiaki didn’t know how long she stayed there, she talked to the queen otter while she was awake, and when she fell to sleep she would have food brought from one source or another. She spent many hours awake talking before she was finally taken home on the back of an otter to her world.

Surely, now that she knew the jutsu, it would be easier to go to the realm of the otters, and perhaps, perhaps she would be able to do this more quickly next time.

All thanks to her, now good friend, Myrddin.


WC: 9527

Using 9350 words to get Ninjutsu and Suiton to S rank. (15% word count reduction for training with an A ranked sensei)

|Exit thread|

Either the woman was more gifted than she let on, or the male was a better teacher than he thought he was. Whatever the case was on the woman's first attempt at reverse summoning she was gone, leaving the male standing alone next to the river. He let out a sigh, had he know she was going to be gone so soon he would have at least told her good-bye. The male shrugged maybe there was a chance that he would run into the woman again down the road, he had enjoyed the time he spent getting to know her and at the very least he might end up with at least one ally in the village hidden in the leaf. He turned to take his leave from the river and the rest stop itself, it was time that he got back to his task at hand, both on the books and off the books. He would travel down the path from the rest stop for a few kilometers before breaking off away from the path and beginning to travel through the thick of trees that surrounded the land. It must be nice living in a country with so many trees, so many places to hide as well as other things that the open desert just simply did not offer. Once the male felt that he was in a secluded enough area and that no one was around to witness what he was doing he would activate the Anbu seal tattoo on his left shoulder, bringing his anbu gear from it for him to change. It was hard for him to imagine that just a few months ago he swore he would never again have anything to do with the village hidden in the clouds, and yet now here he was putting the hidden clouds Anbu gear on once again however the business he had left to conclude within the land of Rivers was something that he could not let get traced back to Sunagakure. If he was caught it would be better for the hidden cloud to get the blame.

{Exit}
Story continues in "Of Rice & Rain"

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353/6393

Training Dex from A-0 to A-3 (7500 - 15%) 6375 words