Starring:
Date: November 9, 2012
Summary:
Aburei and Raili return to Yuukoku Village for a heroes' welcome and the establishing of new alliances.
"The Golden Stripe - Forging of Bonds"
Yuukoku Village [Land of Trees]
HAIL THE CONQUERING HEROES~!!! Raili and Aburei walk back into Yuukoku Village with Mujina Hisenkou plodding along with them. The first few townsfolk who see them are understandably wary of the giant badger, but if he's not smashing the people already within his reach, he's probably safe, right? c.c So a curious crowd gathers around as they make their way to the home that received them on their first perilous night in town.
Awaiting them are several familiar faces. Ryoushi and his family welcome them as heroes on behalf of the whole village. ^.^ The clerk from the Atarimae logging guild arrives having received notice of their return, carrying a look of formal gratitude and a hefty little coin purse. Sobo the badger granny comes up with arms raised, and Hisenkou kneels and leans low to let her hug him around his neck. And finally, there is one face present that is not so familiar, but should be easy enough to guess at from his bandaged condition and ninja gear. Kanrisha, the rightful keeper of the Mujina clan's summoning scroll, gives a deep bow to Aburei and Raili. "I'm in your debt. You've taken care of my responsibility, even though we're strangers."
"Huh, you know this wasn't really what I was expecting to be doing." Raili comments as they walk back into the village, "All of this random stuff, jeez Aburei you have a knack for adventure or something don't cha?" The Kumo nin looks over his way and grins, they two apparently becoming heroes of yet another random village. This was much more enjoyable than doing official work, much less of a thank you usually.
"Ah sweet." Raili sort of passively gives a thumbs up and half a smile to Kanrisha as she makes her way to the clerk, trying to be as discrete as possible in the fact that she's ignoring everyone else for the cash. "Yeah totally no big deal. Could've done it faster but, those loons were more fun to hang around than we thought, treating us like… royalty… and all that." Her last words, have a tinge of disappointment.
Glancing over her shoulder in the direction of Hisenkou's former captors, she puts on a little pout. She should've found some way to drag that out. "So, what now? Super big meal in celebration?!"
Aburei chuckles. "Me? I thought it was your luck, Raili-chan. Maybe it's something about us being together?" Aburei rubs the back of his neck. "Um, not that I'm complaining or anything. I don't mind if you don't." n.n; What is it anyway, Kami-sama? Just coincidence, or…were they brought together for just such times as this? …Something like that, is the feeling Aburei gets. ;)
Sobo smiles at Raili's question. "Yes, we have been preparing for your return. This will be a joyous day. But first, there is an important matter to attend to." Hisenkou holds out the summoning scroll for Kanrisha, who takes it and looks inside. "Hmmm, yes, just as expected, that man altered the contract so that only he could summon. It will only take a minute to fix, though." While Kanrisha works on restoring the seals within the scroll, Sobo looks up at Hisenkou. "Hisenkou-kun, why don't we allow these ninja to sign the contract as well? They seem to be good people, and we owe them a great debt." Hisenkou nods. "So be it, baa-chan. I was going to ask your opinion on that anyway." Aburei rubs his neck again. "Oh, um, I'm not really a ninja, but Raili-chan would be a great ally for you." n.n;
"Huh, maybe together we form some obscene polarizing force opposite to danger. Maybe it's just a sign I need to stick around you for life to be more awesome, hah." Raili smacks him in the back a few times, "It's a good thing I bumped into you! Maybe we're destined heroes, our fate set in stone deep beneath the Land of Wind sands, our triumph over the darkness on the horizon!" Raili looks to the sky, a proud expression on, "Or maybe villages just luck out and we help out with the small things. Still pretty cool, sort of like Robin Hood… minus the robbing from the rich or arrows or well, anything other than helping the less fortunate, not like Robin Hood at all… eh, what would be better suited fo-" Raili then catches on to what Sobo said, her head snapping in his direction
What is more important than resting her feet and getting free food?! Raili squints at Sobo. "…okay." She agrees, for now and turns to see what's so important now that they already got their cash, maybe a statue? Yeah, definitely a stat-. Raili peers down at the scroll, not really having a clue about Seals beyond item summoning ones, the thing is beyond her but, apparently this was their reward? Maybe they were going to pull something out.
These are the thoughts that cross Raili's mind but, it wouldn't take long for things to be explained. "Oh wha? Seriously?" Raili blinks a few times looking over to Aburei, "What no way. You're totally a ninja the way you handled yourself back there, you more than deserve this. Besides… who's gonna punch evil ninja in the face for you when I'm not around?"
Raili herself does step forward, looking as if she were going to accept the contract.
Stick around Aburei for life? X) Ha, that would be awesome. Aburei's sure Raili's just joking, though, she must have much more important ninja duties than…say, why did she start travelling with Aburei again? Something about visiting the Neutral Medical Center, although surely she could've found it on her own and gotten there a lot faster without him. Oh well, it shouldn't take too much longer for them to get there.
Aburei quirks an eyebrow at Raili. "What part of what I did qualifies me as a ninja? I tried to grab onto Hisenkou-sama's leg and nearly got us both killed." :P Hisenkou chuckles. "All the more reason why you should accept. As Raili-san says, we can help you in ways you are ill-equipped to help yourself, or others. And of course, should we have need of a healer, we will know who to call upon." ;) The idea of the benefit going both ways makes the prospect more palatable to Aburei, though he still approaches hesitantly. "I'm…not sure if I have enough chakra to summon a big beast like you, Hisenkou-sama…" "There are others less powerful whom you may more easily call upon," Sobo assures Aburei. "I am not a fighter myself, but I would be glad to assist you with my humble nursing skills, and I am told others find my old bones easy to summon." Aburei shrugs. "Well, okay then…" Kanrisha directs Aburei to draw some blood, which he does by cutting his palm with a chakra scalpel. Then he presses his fingertips into the blood, and leaves his prints on the open scroll. Yay, Aburei has a summoning contract! Won't Mushi-neesan be proud? n.n
"See?" Raili says as they give him reasons to accept, of course he was right in not being able to summon much of anything. "Well, we'll work on that or something if you want to bring Hisenoku out for some tea or something." Raili grins, glancing at the cutting of the palm, she winces a bit. Watching the contract between the two complete, she looks down at her own palm. "Hrm.." Something felt off about her signing up on this, giant raging badgers did seem kind of cool but, they weren't bears. Bears would be awesome to for rampages… these thoughts happen in her own mind but, eventually she makes her thoughts audible.
"Bear traps… heh, stick them underground. Put a flower on their head, someone pulls it out and ends up pulling up the bear… heh, root bear." Raili snickers a bit then realized she was standing around talking to herself. "Oh right." Pulling out a kunai she places it against her hand just as… beat boxing is heard?
It was very low and started to come closer and closer, eventually Raili would be able to pinpoint the sound and had to look low to spot a familiar mouse on an odd tricycle like contraption, with a large mouse about one and a half feet in size in tow on a trailer on the back. The large mouse the culprit of the beat boxing.
"Ey yo, changed my mind!" The smaller mouse, known as boss reaches for some goggles that were currently over his eyes, "Figured I'd come here anyway, y'know own causes. See, I spotted ya before Raili. Been digging around your boot, don't ask why turns out I found some interesting stuff."
Raili squints at him, going to pass on asking what the mouse was doing in her shoes To begin with but, lets him continue. "Led me to building this thing here and that other thing y'saw, like to call them Automatic Mobile Devices." He pats his motorized trike. "I like your style kid, course it took me a bit, earth ain't my natural element. Yeah, that's right I gotta element, more than one. Hah, would be a shame if this boss didn't eh? So, I gotta offer. How bout y'join us, we make some fancy stuff together, spend a little time, alone… in my workshop. T' y'know build things and what not." Boss looks up to the badgers, "No offense big guys. Though I mean, this chick's got more potential with us eh, we can all be friends. Cept… I ain't got no clue on how to make one of those scrolls. Y'got there, not like many people have any faith in little mice never saw the need but, I know she'll agree."
It looks like this mouse could talk as much as Raili, and the woman couldn't shake the vibe that she was passively being hit on… by a rodent. Though they did make some cool stuff. "Huh, that doesn't sound totally awful. That's actually pretty awesome."
Aburei bandages up his hand and stands ready to do the same for Raili…but it turns out there's another little development. c.c Sobo seems to be familiar with Boss, hiding her muzzle behind her sleeve to chuckle on his appearance. "He's harmless, dearie," she murmurs to Raili. "And he and his kind do have quite a knack for machines. I think you'd get along splendidly." Kanrisha shrugs. "If that's what you want, I'll be happy to draw up a summoning contract for you. That will take a little while, though, so why don't we all enjoy the feast for now?" :) This suggestion is heartily agreed on, and the next few hours are filled with hearty food, story-telling, and the forming of friendships! :D
NEXT TIME, ON THE ADVENTURES OF RAI'N'REI!
A whole new adventure begins! What kind? We dunno yet, the writers haven't thought ahead that far! TUNE IN NEXT TIME TO FIND OUT!
