Starring:
Date: March 23, 2010
Summary:
A meeting between a wandering nin originally from the Land of Earth and the red-headed wonder from Konohagakure on a personal mission of aid to a broken down wagon.
"Meeting Of The Tokubetsu Nin"
Land of Fire - Forest Pathway
Afternoon in the Land of Fire and despite all the strange occurrences near the borders, the area of forest around Konohagakure always tended to remain safe to traffic and visitors as well as wandering ninja. Today Daisuke was a wandering ninja, having been to the waterfall out west for a different kind of training. He was on the road home when he spotted a vendor cart with a young family broken down on the side of the road and decided to investigate. Making his way over to the cart, Daisuke slides his hands out of the pockets of his vest before politely asking if he can lend a hand in some way.
Not far from them was a small group of monks, dressed in their brightly colored orange garb with their belts and staves at their side. They had unbuttoned their shirts and it hung from their waist down as they worked on a few repairs of wagon parts. It was a task that had required at least some ingenuity, as they really didn't have a forge to repair one of the broken parts. In stead they were attempting to secure the broken steel with wooden braces. It would be a crude repair, but if they could get to Konoha, they could probably either borrow the smiths forge or have a smith repair the equipment themselves.
The family, probably would welcome Daisuke's help. However, moving through the trees Natsuki moved from her outpost to intercept the coming Shinobi. As he approached the wagon, she would stand there, quiet and still like a statue, though the expression on her face would be as foreboding as she could muster. The monks, were assisting in transporting a deathly ill child to the Medical Center at Konoha in hopes the medic nin could heal her.
Daisuke takes a step back in a defensive position as Natsuki leaps from the trees by the road to stand in front of him. He blinks, wondering what was going on. The girl looked rather plain but the way she moved had Daisuke thinking shinobi right off the bat. He looks over to the family and their cart before turning to face the girl again, "Were you planning on helping them, then?" he asks, not moving from his position to show any kind of disrespect, just giving her a good long look.
Natsuki lifted an eyebrow, "My comrades are already at work to the best of their ability. One of the axles broke and we're trying to brace it enough to get to Konoha." She stated firmly, she did study him briefly, now that she was closer and neither were moving. "You must be one of the ninja from there?" she asked, remembering her encounter with Kirin. If he answered to the affirmative, he'd notice her quickly relax and stand down from any threatening posture she may have had.
"That's right.." Daisuke says, noticing her relax a bit more before doing so himself. "I came to see if I could offer some kind of help, didn't know they had an .. escort?" he says, a wry grin on his lips as he steps to the side to see what was going on with the wagon. He didn't have much knowledge when it came to repairs but he was willing to help out wherever he could when it came to villagers, just his good upbringing as a Senju clan member.
Natsuki nodded, walking a little away from the wagon, "Yes, we met them at a small village in the Land of Waves. They had come to us for healing, but my friends training was not sufficient to heal the child. The family had then hoped maybe they could get help in Konoha, so we used some of the offerings we have collected and used them to help the family come to Konoha. It's a shame we ran into this problem with the wagon. The girl is stable and has been fighting her condition like a champ."
"Hmm." Daisuke says, getting closer to the wagon before noticing the monks. Interesting choice of friends for the girl shinobi but then again he was friends with his clans sworn enemy so what did he care about companions. "The Land of Waves is a little rough traveling right now. Surprised this is all you got away with." he muses as he crouches down over the wooden wagon. "A shame my aunt wasn't here. She could just create a new axle from the ground." With a light chuckle, he looks over to the monks who seemed hard at work. "I don't know much about wagons, myself, though if I could help in some other way I will."
Natsuki nodded, "I'm sure your help would be appreciated. However, my monks are pretty talented craftsmen." She said. "Wonder how their work is coming?" she asked, then motioned him to follow her. She took a quick run and a jump into the tree and not far from the wagon, the monks could be seen finishing up the lashings. "Looks like they're almost done. They'll probably need help lifting the wagon to secure the wheels." She said. "I'm sure you could help them with that since you're so insistent on helping."
Daisuke follows the kunoichi to observe the monks hard at work, giving them an impressed looking smile. "They are quite skilled. Who knew they had such knowledge?" he says, chuckling to himself before he gets given a task to help with that he can certainly help with. "Sure! All these muscles have to come into use somehow." he says as he hops down, taking a seat on a rock to wait for the monks to be ready to lift the wagon. He begins to hum a little tune to pass the time. After a few more minutes, the monks were ready to get some help and the young teen hops to it, standing at the back of the wagon and cracking his hands. "As long as there aren't a pile of girls clothes and trinkets in there I should be able to handle this." he says, stealing a glance towards Natsuki before he bends his legs, grasping the sides of the wagon with his long reach. Slowly lifting the wagon with a hint of chakra use to help, he turns and props it up on his back, crouching down facing away from it now. "Alright, it's ready."
The monks work quickly to slide the wagon wheels into place, hoping their repair holds. They weren't far from the village, but their only other option would be to carry the girl in via a gurney and it was a little far for that. The monks offer Daisuke a slight salute holding one hand vertical over their chest and bowing their head slightly. The monks keeping their vow of silence. The group forms up the monks splitting into two groups, one in front of the wagon and the other behind it. Natsuki walking with Daisuke, wherever he decides to walk, "They are very talented. In fact, our monastery forges many of the weapons used by the Daimyo's Army in the Land of Earth."
"Land of Earth, huh? I've never had the pleasure." Daisuke says, meaning that he had never been. "What brings you all the way over here? And to the Land of Waves no less." he asks as he makes sure everything is sturdy enough to at least get them to the gates of Konoha where the keepers would help them with anything that may happen. "They should be good for now. Konohagakure is nice and helpful so as long as they make it there things will be just fine. You may be surprised just how welcoming they are to visitors."
Natsuki trudged along with the monks and Daisuke, "Yeah, we've been through the Land of Fire several times. During the great ninja wars, we were often roaming helping people get their lives back together after the ninja kinda, well, no offense, tore their possessions up. I was a little too young to go back then though. This mission trip is to raise funds for the monastery and help people whenever we can. We do sand mandalas for villages and special events. Aside from that, we do a lot of music." She stated. It wouldn't take a rocket scientist though to figure out that Natsuki herself, wasn't a monk.
Daisuke already had her pegged for ninja training by the way she moved to intercept him earlier so it still came as a bit of a surprise when he finds out she travels with them more than just an escort on a mission. "So you don't return to your village, then? Iwagakure." he asks quietly, in case the topic was touchy for the girl and she didn't like talking freely about it. "It sounds like you did some good deeds during the war. I was pretty much in the thick of it from a young age, though my clan isn't as barbaric as some. I had my time in training before being sent out. This whole.. peace thing sounds hopeful, though. As long as villages would behave themselves."
Natsuki blinked, a little puzzled, "What do you mean? I'm not from Iwagakure." She stated, "I was raised at the monastery after my mother died during childbirth." She explained. "You, you didn't think I was a ninja did you?" she asked then laughed out loud. "That's kinda funny, me a ninja? Yeah right. No, the monastery taught me martial arts, but I'm no ninja. We only use our arts in defense of ourselves and others. We serve the people, well they do, I'm not really a monk myself. Just a companion you might say. Their rules don't quite apply to me, but I respect my teachers and do my best to abide by them."
"Hm, sorry then. You moved well enough, though I wasn't aware they also trained in monasteries similarly to that of Hidden Villages." Daisuke says as he looks a little red in the cheeks at her laughter. He goes quiet for a few moments as they walk before asking "Have you every been? To Iwagakure, I mean. If it's anything like Konohagakure I'd imagine it would be quite a sight." Seems the boy had a bit of an adventurous mind, or at least a want to explore the world.
"I myself, no, I've not been to Iwagakure. I'm not quite to the age of consent, though the monastery feels I'm ready to start exploring my own life and future." She said, "I don't think the life of a monk is for me. I've been kinda raised in that environment and well, I want to see what else might be out there." She stated with a smile. "As far as Gung Fu goes, yes. It's very common in monasteries to train in weapons and unarmed combat. I'm pretty proficient, though I'm not one to brag."
As the duo and the monks with the family arrive on the paved path in front of the Konohagakure gates, Daisuke is already asking the girl about her training and as the gates loom overhead he turns to the wagon, grinning. "Guess you guys made it in one piece. Glad I could help." Turning towards Natsuki, he points a thumb to his chest and says "I'm Senju Daisuke. It was nice to meet you. Maybe while you are here you will stick around and we could have a friendly spar or something."
"I dunno how Gung Fu would stand against the Ninja Arts." Natsuki said with a smile. "Hoewever, it may be interesting to find out." She added. "We'll be here for a while, we'll probably either camp by the Fishing Pond or see if we can stay in a stable." She stated, as it was custom for the monks to stay in lowly lodging. "Thanks for the company and the help. May the blessings of the Kami be upon you." She stated and saluted him in the formal manner before departing with the monks and the family towards the hospital.
