Starring:
Date: March 6, 2013
Summary:
While awaiting the return of her latest teacher, Rise returns to the Land of Lightning. It is there that she runs into a Kumogakure Shinobi named Kynshin, a man intent on learning more about the somewhat, rambunctious teen.
Poster's note: foul language filtered in obvious places.
"A Kindred Spirit"
Mountain River Trail
Mountain River Trail [Land of Lightning]
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The trail here is an old and dried up riverbed. The path was rerouted northwards, into the gorge that forms the Raiun falls, leaving behind a nearly smooth and very wide trail down the mountains towards the water below. It is strewn with rocks, but most have been smoothed by the raging river that used to ravage the path, and it makes for easy walking.
To the north lays the bridge crossing the gorge, the gorge which contains the routed waters of the river. Further south, the riverbed continues downwards, almost straight down the mountain side, towards the base of the mountain far, far below.
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Contents:
The clouds are thick this fine morning; completely conceal the sun as far as the eye can see. Even so, the breeze whipping through the Land remains warm; lulling the occasional traveler towards sitting off the beaten path. The unwary however may soon find themselves without their belongs if not worst! Thankfully, Rise is too filled up with extra energy after being confined to a ship for so long; and thus, had more than enough to sprint down the mountain paths without a thought about resting.
Coming from one of his many places he likes to train, Kynshin is walking along the mountain path having done a bit of training not far from here. His sword slung about his right shoulder and his hands in his shorts pocket. A yawn escapes him as he begins his trek back to the main village. He is sure that he may be getting a mission soon, it's been a bit boring and he honestly wantd to start making some money so that he can get his own place and not be still living with his family. He loves them, but he wants to be out on his own. As he passes by a few travellers, he notices someone coming down the path pretty quickly and he moves to the side, "Whoa, slow down a little." he calls to the girl.
Rise slid to a stop despite her body demands and looked around for the source of the voice. Belatedly, she finally realizes that voice came from further back. "Heheh, Gomengomengomen!", She exclaimed, bowing fully at the waist at a rapid fire pace. "If I broke somethin I'll a.. I'llllll owe you one later?" She asked, hunching her shoulders. Just as she begun to start taking off once more, Rise hesitates for a second before turning to give Kynshin greater scrutiny. "Hnn… Your a ninja, aren'tcha?" She stated more than asked, but still paused to give him a chance to answer.
Kynshin chuckles at the frantic sorries being produced by the girl, he shakes his head a little. "It's alright, nothing is broken, just didn't want you running into any of the travelers is all." he says as he walks towards teh girl, but when she is about to bolt he stops, figuring that was the end of the conversation, but as she turns around and states he's a shinobi, Kynshin just rubs the back of his head and points to the headband protector on his forehead, "Uh..yeah, whats up?" he asks. "My name is Tenka Kynshin." he says. "Nice to meet you…..?" he drags it out in hopes of Rise giving him her name.
Rise does not reply… at first. She just stares right into Kynshin's eyes looking, for all intents and purposes, really droned off for some reason. "Shirokiri Rise." She stated dryly. "'nd I axed ya that cuz ya did'n look all that familiar to me," She admitted and lofted a brow. "Yer a recent recruit or somethin?"
Sensing the change in demeanor, Kynshin drops his shoulders trying to not come off as threatening or anything. "No, I'm not a new recruit, I've been a ninja for a while." he says as he watches her. "Whats your problem, first your all nice and now that you know I'm a shinobi all of a sudden you change. What did I do to you?" he asks. "I've not met you until now."
A nod is all Rise offers before folding her arms beneath her breast and closing her eyes. Her instincts were telling her to attack the man before her, consequences be damned! Experience however… experience was ultimately making things needlessly complicated from her perspective. The more she debated internally, the redder her face became until finally, she expels the frustrating thoughts with an exhale. "Ya ain't did nothin. Yet." She stated, snapping her eyes open and practically leer into his eyes for a few short moments. "Its just…. *groans*… nevermind. It ain't somethin I should be lay'n on you like that… Gomen," She admitted reluctantly, eyes averted soon after. "…. So.. uhm… How are things? B-back in Kumogakure I-I mean."
Watching Rise face get really red, honestly was more funny then worrisome. But still something is going on with her and as she looks at him with intensity and her arms under her breast, Kynshin really starts to get a bad feeling from this girl. As her eyes stare into his, Kynshin looks her right back in the eyes, his gaze is intense and not wavering at all from her. As she tries to explain, then stops he shakes his head. "Things are well Rise-san." he says to her. He then looks around not liking having a discussion where others can hear. "Hey come with me please." he says and gestures down a small side path. He begins walking keeping his hands in his pockets, "I will not do anything, I just wanna talk, seems like you could use someone to talk to." he tells her and begins down the small path.
Rise gave Kynshin a disbelieving look, then frowned outright and muttered, "Why does everybody keep assuming that." before following along after Kynshin. While his admission might have been meant to put the young Shirokiri at ease, Rise refused to lower her guard around the swordsman. As far as she was concerned weapon bearers had far too much of an advantage as things stood already.
"Where are ya try'na lead'n me n'ewayz?" She asked pointedly to mask her unease.
Stopping and glancing back at her, "Just come on. It's not my style to attack someone just bcause they look at me funny." he tells her. Well if you wouldn't suddenly go from nice to hostile in a matter of 0.2 seconds people wouldn't assume. He shakes his head, "There is a little outcropping with a nice view of the falls." he tells her in hopes of calming her a little bit.
Rise smiles softly. "Mmm, I haven't been to that place in a looong while," She admitted, and thoughtless began to slip into reverie. Before she lost herself completely to the memory, Rise starts and rapidly shook her head. "I got stop doing that.." She murmured darkly, tapping the side of her forehead. Then after a brief hesitation she picked up the pace so that she would be walking side by side with Kynshin. "Are ya sure ya wanna go there though? It can get pretty noisy up there from what I recall." She commented. "BUT I'm guess'n yer the secretive type."
"Heh, just like Takeda-kun.."
He didn't say they were going to the falls, but as he watches her, he does notice the smile and her softening up a bit. 'She's pretty cute, when she isn't looking all mean.' he thinks to himself. As she comes to though, he does catch her saying something about needing to stop doing that, yup he wanted to know about her, she is too intriguing not to get to know more of. As she catches up to him, "Well we aren't going to be close to the falls that we are not going to be able to talk and hear one another, I just said we will have a nice view of it. And yea, I guess I can be secretive when I wanna be." he smiles to her.
He leads her down the path until they come to a cliff with grass and the lip of the cliff extends out quite a bit. He walks to the edge and sits down, seems like he's used to it, and like he said, they are able to see the falls from where they are pretty easily. The sound of the falls plays well against the backdrop. "So why were you hostile when I stated I was a shinobi of Kumogakure?" he asks. "I don't want to make you upset, but if something bad has happened to you, Iw ould like to know so that I can possibly help rectify the situation."
Rise smiles half-heartily back at Kynshin before returning her gaze on the path ahead. Now that she looked more closely the path that they were on -did- seem a little off compared to what she was used to. Even so, Rise knew she needed to put some faith in Kynshin. And if worse came to worse, she still had "Dr. Fix" and "Mr. Hammer" to rely on. Both of which are clenched at her side reflexively before focusing on keeping up with Kynshin.
Once they reach the cliff itself, Rise immediately slows to a stop, blind to the fact that Kynshin pressed onwards and plopped down at the edge. "…. Huh?" She emitted and double blinked before belatedly regarding the elder shinobi. "… Oh, that. Hmmm…. *shrugs* Don't worry bout it." She said nonchalantly and waved dismissively. "Besides, it ain't nothin n'eone can fix 'cept me n'ehow… Though it does make me wonder why yer that interested in the first place." She raised a brow. "Worried I got some type of grudge or… *eye narrows*… Yer think I'm the daughter of some bandit king ya knocked off in the past? AH HAH! Betcha its somethin like that, right!?" She giggled hard enough to start snorting.
Kynshin didn't see the smile, but as he turns to look back at her, one leg hanging off the side of the cliff the other folded near him. He studies Rise for a long moment, even while she speaks about why he is interested and what he seems to think which is pretty much way off base. "Uhhh….no." he says as she snorts, which causes him to chuckle, "But that was cute." he tells her. Probably catching her off guard with that, "How about you sit down and just talk." he says to her. "I'm only interested becuase of your actions just a bit ago. And besides, from what you asked and how you seem to be remembering things, I'm thinking you are or were a shinobi of Kumogakure." he says to her. "If I'm wrong then I'm wrong, but I would like to get to know you Rise-San." he says honstly.
If not for the comment about her giggling being cute, Rise might've kept on going on a little longer. As things stood however Rise immediately clammed up, closed her eyes, and pouted with cheeks flushed in embarrassment. If he wasn't already so close to the edge…
An exasperated sigh escapes her lips. "Your right on one point." Is all she bothered to say before meandering over the edge next to Kynshin, then carefully lowered herself so that her legs end up dangling off the side. "Things must be pretty slow around these parts in order for you to be want'n to talk to some stranger out of the blue." She commented nonchalantly, then added without breaking her gaze on the horizon, "Either that, or yer try'na delay somethin inevitable."
Awe she stopped. He pouts a little bit, but lets it go for now. When she makes her way over and sits down next to him, and she confirms something for him, he simply nods. "Not really." he tells her. "There are things always happening, but for me, I tend to train in isolated areas, return to village, pick up whatever mission I can and fulfill it." he states. "Granted I don't know if anything major is happening, and right now there are a lot of missions which I was heading home for, but having met you, I figured I could wait, it's not like I"m on a team or anything." He isn't on a team or else well he would've kept going. "So which point am I right on?"
"Guess," She says before sticking out her tongue at him. If or better yet when he tries to reply, Rise would cut him off by waggling her index finger and clicking her tongue. "I was one, and I guess in my heart I still am… but I can't stick around n'emore." She stated almost weakily near the end. Before her mood could sour too much, Rise briskly changes the subject and taunts Kynshin by saying, "So, they did'n assign ya on a team or nothin huh? *snickers* Ya must got that real lone wolf thing going to heavily for ya."
Wow can you say subject changer three times fast, Kynshin can't. When he goes to guess though, already figuring he knows which one, she cuts him off, if they were racing, why does he feel she would've put her foot out and tripped him? As she tries to tell him a little more, again she changes the subject and he only shakes his head a bit, "No, I haven't been assigned to a team yet, and when I do, I will be with that team." he chuckles. "As for you, Miss I can change a subject faster than a jackrabbit racing a turtle. Why did you leave?" he asks simply. "If you don't want to answer you don't have to, but I don't want you feeling like you can't talk to me. I know it's weird coming from someone just met only a few moments ago, but still."
"Miss what?" It's official. Someone had actually managed to leave Rise in the dust with just a title! Thankfully she -is- the type to quickly recover from such confusion by taking a hammer to such thoughts followed by the liberal application of wood and chains. You know, to keep them from escaping and causing even greater havoc. Once the finishing touches are in place on that little mental coffin, Rise visibly shakes her head and simply stares blankly at Kynshin for a few moments before his question is finally digested.
"Ah, should of seen that one commen," She admitted off handily. Then started to lean back, arms held back and hands firmly on the ground to keep her propped up at an angle. Meanwhile her eyes turn to the sky above, a distant look evident within them the longer she peered. "… I ain't cut out for what Kumo needs right now… Plus, the things I want to do… *eye narrows* Need to do. Aren't the type of things that'd get approved by the higher ups. At least, not without them sending along someone that'a just muck things up for me, ya know?"
Seeing that he's caught Rise off guard, he smirks a little bit. As she gets her self situated mentally, Kynshin looks out over the horizon towards the waterfall, listening to it and allowing the sounds from all around him to help him center. It's not like he needed it, but still there is always time to find that center ground to help you keep grounded. When Rise manages to get her wits about her, he turns to look back at her. He studies her eyes as she leans back in thought.
As she begins speaking, Kynshin keeps quiet, still watching and studying her. Slowly nodding his head, "I see." he states. "Something of great importance, that is to you has happened and if you asked for support or help the Raikage possibly wouldn't allow you to go and possibly hand it off to someone else." he sighs a little. "Thats what tends to happen, or sometimes you would be surprised if they did allow you to pick a team to come with you to accomplish this, but still this is concerning you and no others." he states. "I know." he tells her. "So whats happend?" he asks her.
Rise smiled faintly. "It ain't nothin that happened recently thats got me on the path I'm on. Its… hmm, its easier to say it was somethin thats was a long time comming." She explained vaguely with an idle shrug near the end. After a moment’s pause she turned her head to peer at Kynshin more closely, and for once without being as intense as before. If anything her eyes were searching for something, perhaps even gauging his body language before daring to proceed.
"During the last Jounin Exams.. the first round of the tourney part of it I won…. but at the same time I got beat. Even pitied by my opponent just cuz of how I 'acted'." She turned away. "I knew I was slipping cuz I… I wanted to kill her right then and there. I mean, even after I was declared the winner I still… I still, wanted to-…" Dirt and dust is forced together as she clenched her hands into tight fist. "Look! To make a long story short 'nd to keep from wanting to drop kick ya off this cliff for make'n me say all this *deep breath*… I left cuz I needed to recog.. recker… *grumbles*.. I needed to get my head on straight, or at least find a way to do that without letting myself fall behind Keiji-kun and Naru-chan." She stated briskly, slamming a fist at the ground with the hand furthest away from Kynshin. "Ya probably think'n I'm goin bout this things the wrong way though…" 'Right?' Rise added, refusing all the while to risk even a glance at the teenager next to her.
Kynshin looks up at her smile, and there it was again, the smile she greeted him with before she found out he was a ninja. It's then that he allowed himself to fully turn to face her, bringing his leg up from the edge and wrapping his arm around his knee. Nodding to her when she tells him it wasn't anything that happened recently but in the past, he still continues to watch her. It's then that he stares into her eyes, as she stares into his. There is no judging she will find there, no bias, or idiocy about her. What she does see is someone wanting to get to know her, someone who will listen and not judge her, and also sees that he thinks she’s cute.
Then she tells him, his head quirks to the side just a little bit. He doesn't wince as she told him about the exams and how she won but at the same time lost and pitied by her opponent. That’s not even right to have happen to you, but as she goes on to explain, the more of her story opens up to him. As she finishes, "You’re on a journey that only you can take to get yourself together." he says mirroring her a bit. "What’s wrong with that?" he asks. "If people can't understand that, then they have an issue and need to get themselves sorted out." he tells her.
"You’re doing what you feel is right for you, who am I to tell you any different?" he asks. "Sometimes you need go and find yourself, check yourself and no one can do that better then you. But if you have close friends, they can help just by offering you their support and being there for you when you need them." he says. "Rise-san, look at me." he says gently. "I'm not here to judge, I just want to get to know you and if you feel this is right, good." he tells her. "I've been thinking along the same lines myself lately."
Although a large portion of her demanded that she just get up and leave before more of her 'baggage' ended up on Kynshin's shoulder, for some inexplicable reason… she stayed. What was even more suprising (to her) was the fact that she actually wanted to stay, to hear everything that the boy next to her wanted to say.
The longer she listened to him the more her eyes began to widen in suprise. Rise started at the sound of something shattering.
A barrier was crumbling…
Unbeknownst to Rise, tears began to well up in the corner of her eyes. And yet, not a drop falls before she has a chance to close her eyes tight and try to will them away. An internal mantra is struck up to keep the rest at bay. One she used well over a hundred times before. However, this time the mantra was less effective then before…
Against her better judgement Rise turned upon commanded and hesitantly opened her eyes to actually look at Kiyoshi. "I don't…. *frowns*… Do you… *headshakes furiously* I mean, Are sure you really wanna do that?" She asked warily. "You were born in Kumo weren't ya? So… oohh, dang it Rise, spit it out already!", She asked, only to turn away and practically curse at herself for getting all tongue tied.
Jynn moves closer and gently brings his hand to her chin and slowly turns her face to his. A show of concern etched into his cocoa features as he looks at her. Still there is no judging in his eyes, no one measuring her, just concern for her is there. "I'm thinking about it, I want to grow." he says to her gently. "Yes I was born here, but that doesn't mean I don't love wehre I come from. Like I told you, we choose what we feel we must do, for ourselves." he says. He looks into her eyes and his hand releases her chin then softly he rubs her cheek with his hand, feeling her soft skin. "What are you really wanting to ask me Rise-san?" he asks her.
He didn't know her barriers had been broken, but her change in deamenor told him something has happened. Holding her gaze as he rubs her cheek, Kynshins hazel/grey eyes just waits for her.
Rise froze up the instant she felt Kynshin's touch and is unable to resist being drawn back to meet his eyes once more. Suprise and confusion is the most evident in features, but as he spoke they both began to melt away as doubt began to climb its way to the surface. She wanted to believe him, she truly did. Still…
Before she knew it her eyes drew to a close at Kynshin rubbed her cheek, eliciting as time went by a faint smile as well. Thoughtless, she even began to lean a little into the hand and murmur something underbreath. A moment more of silence on her part passes before she speaks again, and more clearly this time. "Do ya wanna do it… together?" She giggles softly after a brief pause and starts to mutter something along the lines of "dirty" before adding, "Come with me, I mean.."
Not worrying about her freezing up, right now he wanted to show her that he was there for her. This hasn't happened before for Kynshin but somehow things just felt right with Rise. As her eyes meet his, he sees the surprise and confusion, but his intense eyes showing compassion and understanding for her. He didn't know if shes ever opened up to anyone before, have allowed anyone in this close to her, but from how she was acting earlier and until now, he is thinking she hasn't.
Feeling Rise lean into his hand as he caressed her cheek in it, he couldn't help the feeling of wanting to kiss her. But he knew that may take things a bit far for now. As she murmurs under her breath, Kynshin just focuses on her face as her eyes are closed he can't hold her gaze. But when she is able to speak, and honestly the quiet that surrounded them with only the background noise only made things feel peaceful and serene. He blinks a few times when she asks if he wanted to do it with her. His cheeks flushes a bit, "I….uh.." Then as she fixes her mistake, he lets out a breath, "Yeah…I need to take care of a few things, but why not." he smiles to her.
"Really?!" Rise pulled away and grasp Kynshin's still extended hand; presumably if he doesn't react fast enough to keep her from succeeding. If he does act in time, Rise would pout and cross her arms beneath her breast at first for a brief moment before breaking the facade in a burst of laughter. If she -is- successful on the otherhand, Rise would scoot closer to Kynshin to the point most people may find uncomfortable or just plain awkward. Heedlessly of any such discomfort, Rise says, "You'd really do that?!" A heartbeat or two is all she gives Kynshin before she away, grinning like a shark and one intent on using up that pent up energy from earlier to keep on talking! "Of course yer are! I dunno why I even botha ask'n that. *snickers* Oh! I almost forgot!" Kynshin hand is finally released as Rise pulled away and rapidly tried to rise; clumsily at that, but at least she eventually manages to make it to her feet without tripping over the side. Granted, she almost -did- actually slip. But still, she took it in stride and merely brushed away the fear both figuratively and literally by wiping her forehead with the back of her hand. "A little too close for comfort that was… Right! Uhm, sorry Kynshin-kun, but I really, really, REALLY should get going now if I wanna have a chance to smooth things ova with Goh-sensei." She explained, then began to skip backwards into an about face, but stopped and half-turned back to peer at the elder teenager one last, long look time.
"…." She turned away without a word and took off, cheeks flushed and heart racing faster than normal.
Well seeing as he surprised Rise and the abrupt pulling away of her face from his hand leaves Kynshin at a disadvantage. But when she grips his hand and takes it into hers, he smiles. Though the closer she gets the more curious he gets and now that she is in his personal space he blinks at her. Yeah awkward because well they are very close. But when she asks if he was serious, he smirks and quirks his head to the side for a moment and just watches her. He did already say he would go with her, but as she keeps grinning and finally states and sees that he isn't lying to her he laughs. "Your really cute you know." he says to her. But she is already getting up, granted very awkwardly and he is quick to his feet to catch her as she almost falls, but doesn't. Sighin in relief, "Watch your step." he smiles to her. "Yeah, a little too close." Kynshin rubs the back of his neck a little bit and as she states needing to talk to someone he blinks. "Uhh…ok. Will you be back soon?" he asks as she darts off.
Frowning just a little, but when she looks back at him, "Don't be long alright." he says to her.
