Starring:
Date: August 21, 2013
Summary:
Nori escorts Emira through the section of forest near the Inuzuka compound where genin have been disappearing…but mostly it is just talking about their families.
"An escort for Emira"
Konohagakure
The mission office sent out a messenger hawk to Nori…so soon to the start of the Survival rounds even…that he was needed for a mission. The boy heads to find Emira, wherever she would be found (perhaps even utilizing the messenger hawk to guide him)? The fact that he was being sent on a mission made him curious. Did that mean he had failed the exam and was being sent out because of it, or just that they weren't worried about him being tired if he did pass…or, well…what? So, the boy shows up, with a lot on his mind, and calls out, "Emira-san?"
Emira had come down to the lake for the second time since arriving in Konoha, taking a different path from the one that would have brought her to the shore of the lake itself, and moving on to a small fishing pond off the beaten path. She appeared to be waiting for someone here, having chosen this location primarily because it was… soothing, somehow. Even if she couldn't see the water, the sounds of nature were comforting to the snowy-haired blind woman.
As her name was called, she blinked and looked up, "Ah? Oh! Over here~" She called back, waving one arm in the air while the other rested on her cane. She had been expecting someone to show up to take her through a particularly bad part of town… or at least a part of town she had been TOLD was bad. Something about ghosts and murders or something, she wasn't sure what the details were, and had decided not to ask… she just wanted someone to take her through that area to pick some herbs to stock her stall with!
Nori would turn at the sound of the voice. When he saw Emira, he would give her a formal bow and state, "I am Yamanaka Nori, Genin of Konohagakure. I take it you are Orenda Emira of Kumogakure? It is a pleasure to meet you. As official allies, I am happy to be of assistance to you. I don't know all of the parameters of this mission though, other than escorting you, so…if you don't mind telling me, where are we going?" He smiles warmly. Nori is a sweet little kid, but he really is young and small. He's 11 and he's puny even for an 11 year old. Maybe someone else is coming?
Emira doesn't even seem to notice that Nori is so small. She does notice, however that his voice is higher than normal. "Oh…? But you sound so young." She puts a finger to her lower lip for a moment and looks a little distraught, as she stared into the distance, her eyes never really even focusing on Nori, for relatively obvious reasons. "But… I suppose if they sent you, then you must be very capable." She suddenly smiled brightly, clasping her hands together and nodding happily, "We're going to a place called…. oh, what was it again…. I don't really remember what it's called… but it's an area near where the exams are apparently supposed to be held." She nods, "The… survival exams, I believe? Anyway, I was told that the place had multiple ghost sightings, and a few genin had been found dead in the area, so it's considered dangerous right now… So I thought that maybe I should get a guide so that I can go down and collect some herbs that I've been told grow in that area~"
Nori grins as she calls him young but then capable, "Ano, hai, I'm young but quite capable I'm told." The boy is somewhat humble. When Emira talks about where they are going, he smiles brightly and nods, "I know just the spot you are referring to. I can take you there right now if you'd like. I live not too far from there actually. You are also doubly in luck because I am a Lama and am conversed in some cleansing rituals for ancestor spirits, elemental spirits, and kami alike."
Emira blinks and looks curious, "You're… a Llama?" …Well why not? Dogs could apparently talk, why not Llamas? Of course, she didn't know of many stories about Ninja Llamas… "I… I don't know that Llamas were taught how to do those sorts of things. That's very interesting." She smiles sheepishly once again, "A-anyway… Fell free to go lead, I'll follow your footsteps." She nods, preparing to follow behind Nori to the place that would have all the herbs she needed!
Nori laughs, "No, not llama, Lama, as in spiritual buddist priest. Can you, eh…not see exactly? You're not some relation to an Iga are you?" The boy grins. "I am from Kadomai. My family was very spiritual so I was taught from an early age how to take care of the spirits…and dispel those that shouldn't be around. It doesn't always work," (hear it is just traditional woo), "but I've always liked the rituals."
So, Nori turns and starts walking, "Um, you need a hand or anything?" He's trying to be polite maybe. Nori would begin to lead, with or without hand, towards the path by the graveyard and the survival forest. As he walks, the boy asks, "Did you come to the exams for any particular reason or?"
"Oh! I didn't know that's what those were called! I always just referred to them as monks." She blushed slightly and then nods, "I see… Well perhaps that WILL come in handy… though I hardly believe in ghosts." She smiles slightly then nods, "That's right. I was born blind. No relation to the Iga as far as I know though. I was the only one in my family born blind, out of eight children." She grins a little, "Just a… birth defect, I suppose.
She reaches out with a hand, "Well, since you're not a Llama, I suppose you do have a hand that you could lead me with. That would make things much easier for me, to be honest…" She walks along with Nori as he sets off, and shakes her head, "Not for the exams specifically, no. I'm a merchant, not a ninja, so I just sell herbs and the like in the marketplace. I DID come because of the exams though. Everyone goes to the village that holds the exams. Even civilians. It's sort of like a spectator sport for some people I guess."
Nori's eyes flash, not that she can see, "You're one of eight? So am I!" He's honestly excited about meeting someone else that can possibly understand what it is like to have such a large family. "What number are you? I am number 6, and honestly, I became a shinobi just to get out of my sibling's shadows." The point about the birth defect makes him nod, "I firmly believe that the Kami do not give us challenges that we cannot overcome. For someone with a defect, you seem very well adjusted, though I do admit I've only met you." He grins again.
Nori laughs at the Llama hand comment and nods, "Oh, sure." He offers her his hand and walks at a fair pace. "I see, another merchant vendor. My family had a farm growing up, so we came to the village to sell a lot of vegetables." The boy leads her to the path that the ghosts have been targeting people around. "I am not doing the exams for others. I am doing them for myself and to possibly curtail a war between Konohagakure and Kirigakure. We'll see." Nori frowns a bit at that. "So, herbs…how exactly do you pick them if you're blind?"
"Emira giggled a little, "Number Six as well… The only ones that were after me were the twins, then my mother simply stopped having children." She nods. "I'm a bit of an opposite to you though… My family were all shinobi, but I was never trained. I was kept in the house until I was fifteen, so I never really had the chance to learn, but I suspect my blindness would have been a major hindrance in attempting to learn to do anything." She nods.
""Oh, it's easy… I feel them. The leaves mostly… sometimes the stems tell me what I'm dealing with. And some of them have smells. I can't see, but my other senses are quite keen. I can tell what things are by touch or smell quite easily. I'm not to confident in my hearing lately though… I mean, what with talking dogs popping up all of a sudden. You'd think I could tell that it wasn't a person talking…" Emira is quiet, then frowns a little, "A war…? Why would there be a war?" She seems confused… apparently she did not keep up with current events.
Nori chuckles, "The twins are before me, then I had another brother and sister that are younger." He keeps using some of his family in the past tense kind of. Nori ahs to her explanation, "One of my older brothers is a mednin and the twins are taijutsuists…but I'm sort of the only one carrying on the clan tradition." Nori nods twice as Emira explains how she finds the herbs, but then he laughs, "Yes, the talking ninken really threw me for a loop at first too. You do get used to it though eventually. I've got a few talking owls that you might get to meet tonight if these ghosts really do come to attack us, so don't be spooked." Nori then ahs, "Well, supposedly we have someone Kirigakure wants or something." If Emira can read lies somehow, she'd know there was more to that then Nori was lettting on. Nori also changes the subject and adds, "Do you have any proficiency in sensing chakra? I could teach you to be a sensor, it would certianly help you, I know it does me."
Emira blinks, "Ah~ Well… That's honestly the only chakra-like talent I have." She chuckles, "I was born a sensor… Sort of a very very strong sensitivity to chakra. Not that I've ever tried to really develop it. It's just there…" She shrugs a little, "Someone that Kirigakure wants?" She frowns a little, "Well I don't see any reason to hand them over if that person doesn't belong to them… but a war would be an awfully bad thing… Aren't relations between Konoha and Kiri already tense?"
Nori smiles warmly, "By the ancestors, we have a lot in common…I too was born with an affinity towards chakra. I was taught by Uchiha Naru-sama how to be a full sensornin and now am quite good with it. I've already taught Hiroyasu-san to be a full sensornin as well. Have you met him before? He's from Kumogakure also and is on Team Ogosokamaru-sama. I'd be honored to teach you too if you're interested…" he trails off.
Nori shrugs, "I don't know all of the details," again, a whitle lie, "but yes, the two villages are very tense, and I don't want to go through another conflict. The last one left the Land of Fire in ruin."
Emira chuckles, "Well, perhaps you can teach me at some point… at the moment though, I've been quite busy with watching my market stall. Perhaps after the exams we can discuss the idea of you showing me how to use my natural affinity in more detail." She nods, and lets her smile remain on her face even as they talk about the conflicts of Kirigakure and Konoha. "Perhaps there is an alternative to war… Maybe there could be some sort of contest? Like a duel… The loser gives in to the winner's demands, or goes home empty handed, and it's never spoken of again."
Nori looks and even sounds happy to be helping someone. He's just that kind of kid, "I'll come find you then after the exams to teach you how to train your senses to their fullest." He looks around as they dip into the danger zone. There are supposedly Inuzuka patrols, as well as workers clearing a large path, so it is possible that even no danger could come about. "Maybe. I think there was going to be a diplomatic meeting, but I can't see either side agreeing. Perhaps I can use your suggestion and pass it along to Hashiramako-sama. Maybe a fair contest would be good…or perhaps a game of chance. That way we could let fate decide and not have the innocent drawn into the conflict."
Emira nods a little, with a grin, "That seems like the best outcome, from what I understand. No need for a lot of people to die or anything…" She turns her head a little, listening a little to the sound of working out in the distance, and the faint barking of a dog. "It seems so… Perhaps it wasn't so dangerous after all." She frowns thoughtfully, "Oh well~ It's nice to have the company anyway, ne?" She smiles a little, "There should be a little patch of grass nearby… With little flowers in it. Those are what I'm looking for… I'm not sure what color the flowers are, but they might just look like average little flowers in the grass. They certainly wont look like anything special."
Nori nods, "Never a need for a lot of people to die. Between you and I, none of my jutsu are designed to hurt people even. That doesn't mean I'm a pushover in combat, just…I choose to lead by example and prove that we don't need to hurt one another to solve our conflicts." He sighs at that too. He really is the Lama type. "It is always nice to have company and I'll certainly try to look for the herbs with you. Unfortunately, I'm not that familiar with herbs…I'm more of a vegetable and berry type." Nori grins but goes about looking anyway.
