[attr="class","pwfbody"] Once again, it seemed Yousei found herself off the beaten path out in the rugged wilderness of Otogakure. The scene today? An idyllic forest clearing, just a short walk away from the tunnels leading to one of the village's main commerce centers. Lately, with the battle against the Empire so close at hand, she'd found herself coming out here more and more often to train. She had to be prepared for this, after all; there was no way they could let those Taiyou dogs take Onomichi! [break][break]
Surrounded by a cascade of autumn leaves, Yousei took a deep breath as she drew her sword, clearing her mind as the blade was enveloped by a pale white light. Then, in one perfectly clean stroke, she cleft one of the falling leaves in twain. To the average observer, that alone would have been an impressive display of swordsmanship, but Yousei wasn't satisfied. The cut hadn't been clean enough, no doubt an issue with how she'd shaped the chakra. [break][break]
With another deep breath, the glow surrounding her blade suddenly became even more defined, condensing itself into more of a sharp neon outline. Once again, her blade traced through the air with practiced grace, and once again it found purchase in the descending foliage. This time the cut was almost perfectly smooth; almost, Yousei noted, but it was a definite improvement nonetheless. [break][break]
She cut down a few more leaves for good measure, each yielding the same result, before finally allowing the chakra to disperse. Shape transformation was a staple of many core samurai techniques, but it was also a difficult skill to master, and even with all her training, Yousei knew she still had a long way to go. That being said, she was never one to back down from a challenge, and as long as she kept moving forward, she knew she'd get there eventually! [break][break]
Today was meant to be another uneventful day of familiarizing herself with the woods. Maybe she would bump into another shinobi again, but for the most part she assumed things would be pretty uneventful. Nevertheless, she would keep her guard up the whole time like the trained shinobi she was. Even if she had good reason to believe today would be a peaceful day of wandering, training and scouting, she knew better than to give anyone a chance to get the drop on her. And it was a good thing she did so, or else she might not have noticed the figure in the woods before her.[break][break]
The shinobi kept a distance as she watched the red headed woman assume that very specific stance, one that the one eyed kunoichi had specifically seen so many samurai perform. Her suspicions were only confirmed when she saw the pure chakra emanate from the blade and precisely slice at the falling leaves as they descended. She took a moment to silently study the movements, to watch the way the chakra flowed through the blade before lashing out to strike the falling foliage. It felt like there was a lot to learn here, which in this situation only made her feel worse. This samurai was good. Even just from these few moments of observation she could already tell that fighting this girl as she was now would've been extremely dangerous. Her heart ached as she spent a brief moment in quiet reflection, her bandaged right arm seeming to throb with pain as she recalled the thrill of being able to battle at her full strength. But now? The kunoichi was but a shadow of what she once was.[break][break]
That pain quickly turned to anger. Anger that had no place to go save for her hatred of those samurai and their damned empire. Maybe if she was stealthy she could get the jump on the samurai. Slay them in a single movement and rob them of that curious blade of theirs. The shinobi moved carefully through the foliage, putting her practice of maneuvering these woods to good work. She made every effort not to make a sound, as she moved between the branches to close the gap between the two of them. But as she moved, another glint of metal caught her attention.[break][break]
That armband...Dammit. The rouge shinobi suddenly didn't care whether she was detected or not, simply dropping down from the branches a couple yards away from the "samurai." "Never seen a shinobi swing a blade like that." There was a definite bit of bitterness on her tongue as she spoke, her single eye hardened as she looked the young woman over. Even if she had decided not to make a fight out of this, there was still that bubbling frustration that had yet to completely fade. "Who taught you how to do all of that?" Her right arm shifted a bit as it rested under the folds of her loose kimono, the limb starting to get a bit antsy as she felt the urge to draw her blade as she once could. But instead she would only draw a deep breath as she fought to center herself and push her issues aside. There was too much to potentially be gained here to risk making enemies.
[attr="class","pwfbody"] "Oh!" The diminutive jounin exclaimed, as she turned to the older woman who'd landed nearby with piqued curiosity. She was about to make another new acquaintance it seemed; goodness, they were literally just falling out of the trees now! "Hey there, stranger-who-also-appears-to-be-a-swordsman-if-her-bearing-is-any-indication!" I mean...it was accurate, right? [break][break]
"And right you are! Most shinobi wouldn't know techniques like these, but in addition to a shinobi, I also happen to be a samurai!" Yousei declared proudly, bringing her sword to rest across her shoulder as she spoke. "See, my family is descended from a long line of samurai that used to protect the Land of Fire, back before the Empire invaded and took over Konoha; so I've basically been practicing this stuff ever since I was old enough to pick up a sword!" [break][break]
She gave a spirited laugh in light of that admission, reminiscing about how enthusiastic she'd been for her parents to train her when she was a kid. "You don't seem to have a headband, but based on the way you carry yourself, I'm guessing you're probably here to help with the coalition against those Imperial bastards, right?" It wasn't just shinobi from other villages they'd been recruiting for the defense of Onomichi after all; even mercenaries were welcome in the face of an threat like the Taiyou. [break][break]
We've been seeing a ton of new faces around here lately, ever since Mai-..." Her cheeks flushed a bit as she realized what she'd just said, the young samurai clearing her throat as she quickly corrected herself. "Ever since the Hokage put out that call to arms to all the other nations." The Hokage, yeah...that's what she meant to say... [break][break]
"I'm Yousei, by the way!" She followed up quickly, definitely not trying to change the subject or anything. "Who might you be?" [break][break]
Holy shit. This may have been the chattiest shinobi Tsubaki had ever met. The anger in her expression faded slightly, allowing a bit of confusion to enter into her features as the red headed girl went on. Despite everything, she seemed all too chipper and pleased to meet the bitter woman's acquaintance. Not exactly what Tsubaki would've expected considering her less than friendly introduction. Maybe this was what Maki was talking about with the Sound shinobi... Whatever the case, she would quietly absorb the information and file it away. Fortunately for the both of them, this little ramble of hers actually told her just about everything she needed to know about the girl. Assuming she was being honest. Which judging from the way she presented herself she was either honest to a fault or one of the best liars the older kunoichi had seen in a while.[break][break]
"...Uh-huh." She took a moment to watch Yousei, examining her features as she took a few steps closer. A shinobi with a family history of samurai in Hi no Kuni that seemed to have a personal relationship with the Hokage? Alright, so she was without a doubt a jonin of some reputation. Definitely a face she would have to keep track of. She let the quiet linger for a moment as she made sure to make note of all the details mentioned before giving her a curt nod. "Tsubaki Mizuno. I'm not exactly part of the coalition, but I am fighting against the Imperial bastards, as you said. Just in my own way." As nice as it would've been to fight on the frontlines, that just wasn't in the cards for her currently.[break][break]
A decision had to be made here. As humiliating as it could have been for someone of her age and knowledge to ask a young hot shot for aid, she was already past the point of shame being a limitation. She needed every little edge she could to survive while achieving her goals. And if there was a samurai who she could stomach and seemed to share a common foe? She'd be fool to pass up the opportunity. "Yeah. I'm a swordswoman. Have been my whole life." Her lone I glanced down to the blade sheathed on her right hip, lips pressing into a flat line. The normally relaxed and easy going shinobi couldn't help but feel a lingering bitterness as the subject continued to linger in her mind. "Used to be one of the best. But you probably never heard of me." She never was one for trying to build up a reputation anyway. She just wanted to get in, get the job done and be home in time for drinks.[break][break]
But that was already more sharing than she was willing to share with this stranger. It was more important that they discuss business. "...Don't mind me though. I'm just here to watch you work. Always been curious about samurai sword and chakra molding techniques. Never thought I'd get to see it up close without being on the receiving end of it." She gestured toward the girl's sword, gradually falling back into her more casual tone and posture. "So let's see what you've got."
[attr="class","pwfbody"] "Oh! Well, any enemy of the Empire is still alright in my book! Unless they're not, but you seem to be so far, so I wouldn't worry too much about that!" Yousei responded with a hearty chuckle as the woman explained her position. She might not have been with the coalition, but if she had an agenda against those Taiyou curs then it was basically all the same, right? [break][break]
"Wow! So you used to be one of the best, huh? That's pretty awesome, wish I could've seen you in action back then!" She wasn't just saying that either, her reaction was definitely genuine; she could tell that Tsubaki wasn't lying about being the real deal once upon a time, and Yousei was always happy to meet a fellow disciple of the blade. [break][break]
A disciple, it seemed, that was interested in the arts of the samurai, no less! Well, far be it from Yousei to decline the request of one so eager to learn. She would gladly sate her new acquaintance's curiosity a hundredfold! "Sure thing, she-who-will-not-be-named! Why don't I give you the crash course? Not that it involves any literal crashing, of course. That would suck." [break][break]
Retaking her previous stance, she began walking through a few simple katas as she began her impromptu lecture. Come to think, she sure was teaching a lot lately, wasn't she? "The basics of standard samurai kenjutsu are probably nothing you're unfamiliar with. Speed, precision...all that good stuff you'd expect from a time-honored style of swordsmanship. It's not complexity that the samurai strive for in the foundation of their style after all, but mastery of the fundamentals. Then, you build up from there! Case in point, iaijutsu.." [break][break]
Sheathing her blade as her motions came to a halt, Yousei suddenly deepened her stance and let out a deep breath, drawing her blade three times in rapid succession, with the blade each time returning to its scabbard as quickly as it left. The result? A trio of equally sundered leaves, fluttering to the ground in cloven pairs. "Another staple of the samurai arsenal; the art of drawing your blade to attack faster than your opponent can react, and as an added bonus, getting even more power out of your strike to boot! Takes a lot of practice to get it just right, but it's some pretty cool stuff once you get it down." [break][break]
Hopefully Tsubaki was getting comfortable and taking notes, because this was probably going to take a while. [break][break]
Ok, so not only was she EXTREMELY chatty, but she was oddly open and friendly with a shinobi she knew nothing about. It was as if the possibility that she was lying or a potential enemy had never even crossed her mind. There was something kinda sweet about that, a childish innocence perhaps influenced by a desire to see the best in others? She was certainly skilled, wielding a blade with a precision and confidence that Tsubaki was confident had been put to use in real combat. This was more than just a woman who had mastered the fundamentals and was familiar with a blade. There was no doubt the girl had blood on her hands.[break][break]
Whatever the case, the pinkette wasn’t about to turn down a bit of friendly company. Especially when she was so willing to share some of her expertise. Tsubaki slowly stepped closer, coming to a stop just a fraction of an inch out of the woman’s striking distance. Even if she was confident the girl’s intentions where wholly innocent, the older shinobi wasn’t about to take the risk of this whole thing being a ruse. Her good hand came to rest on her hip as she watched, a hint of amusement sparking in her eye as she started to relax a bit. ”Yeah, let’s try to avoid the crashing for as long as possible. I don’t have the energy for all that right now.”[break][break]
Her lone eye analyzed every inch of the woman as she moved. Her feet, her legs, the subtle curvature of her spine, her arms. All of it. Every subtle movement was a lesson to be learned, something that could be taken, adapted and put to use. Even if she had studied these techniques being discussed, witnessing it first hand was a different beast all together. ”I’m familiar with the principles of Iaijutsu. I’ve used similar techniques before, but usually it was less of a refined strike and more of a ‘oh i actually need to kill this guy’ spur of the moment sort of thing.” She shrugged casually, lips curling into a faint smirk as she spoke.[break][break]
Still, watching the way she performed the techniques was interesting. With this technique, she was able to generate a lot of power with just the one arm. It may not have had the raw power she once did with her old style, but the speed and precision definitely made up for it. ”You know, I used to be a master of the Jigen-Ryu style. So you can imagine this is pretty different from what I’m used to.” As she spoke, her bandaged arm would extend from the folds of her loose kimono, her lone eye looking down to it. She takes a moment to flex her fingers, the movements clearly stiff and difficult to the trained eye of a shinobi. Not at all a limb well suited for combat.[break][break]
”...I could probably manage that though. Couldn’t use my right hand to hold the sheath steady, so I’d need to make sure I have it steady and secure to keep things consistent…” She mumbles to herself as she considers the possibilities, eye lingering on her injured hand for a moment before slowly sliding it back to its resting position in her kimono. ”Yeah, I think I can work with this. Now what was up with that other stuff you were doing there? It seemed like you were channeling and shaping pure chakra here.”
[attr="class","pwfbody"] "Oh, Jigen-Ryu! I've heard of that style before. Never had the chance to see it in person, though; no dojos that practice it here in Oto." It was a shame there weren't more kenjutsu schools in the Sound Village, Yousei was always interested in the different techniques and principles that other schools taught, and how they contrasted with the samurai teachings passed down by her own family. New perspectives were essential on the path to growth and evolution, after all! [break][break]
"Ah, yes! Shape transformation is a cornerstone of many traditional samurai techniques. It could definitely be handy if you can only use one of your arms too, no hand seals or anything required!" She explained, as she once again drew the blade that had been an heirloom of her family for generations. "Just keep in mind, it's definitely not as easy as it looks." [break][break]
Holding the sword at a perpendicular angle so that Tsubaki would have a good view of the action, a veil of white chakra once again once again surrounded the blade. [break][break]
"The basic principle is simply to use your weapon as a central axis and overlay it with a body of chakra, in order to extend its range and enhance its cutting ability. That much you should be able to manage before too long, with a little training and elbow greese. The difficult part is refinement." [break][break]
Taking another deep breath to center herself, the veil once again compressed around the sword until it was little more than a thick neon line that hugged the katana like a glove. [break][break]
"Something like this, for example. By better defining the "shape" of the chakra, you can further enhance the technique's efficacy. This method I'm using obviously sacrifices the "range" aspect, but it significantly improves the "cutting" one. Of course, with enough skill it should be possible to hone both aspects simultaneously, and even mould the chakra into larger and more complex shapes that extend further from the focus point, but I'm not quite that skilled yet, haha!" [break][break]
Then Yousei turned to her new companion with a smile so pure and bright that she was probably about to start attracting the local fauna like some sort of D*sney princess (look, there was a non-copyrighted deer right over there, chilling with his equally fair use lagomorph and mephitidae companions). [break][break]
"There's some other pretty awesome stuff you can do with shape transformation too! Wanna see?" [break][break]
A soft snort escaped the one eyed shinobi as the 'samurai' revealed they hadn't seen Jigen-Ryu in person before. Which made sense, considering the girl's age. She was most certainly skilled and had remarkable talent to be so capable at such a young age, but there was no doubt a lack of experience here. One could only hope that wasn't the only reason she was able to maintain his air of innocence and joy. Too many times had she seen these bright eyed and bushy tailed sorts get beaten down by the harsh world around them. But maybe this one would be different.[break][break]
"Tell ya what. You've been pretty helpful to me here. Maybe sometime I'll return the favor and teach you about Jigen-Ryu. A shinobi can never have too many tricks, right?" It would've been kinda tough when she couldn't offer up any demonstrations or anything, but she would just have to figure all that stuff out when the time came. For now, she was content to sit back and soak up all these lessons. It would definitely serve as a primer for when she inevitably clashed against the samurai herself. By building up a foundation of knowledge, it would be much easier to analyze and adapt their techniques for her own personal use.[break][break]
And so she watched carefully, nodding slowly as she could see the chakra starting to form. "Right. Shape control is an important part of all ninjutsu. But...you don't even need to use hand seals for this, do you? Just...manipulating pure chakra." Her words mumbled more to herself than to her instructor as she quietly made note of all this. Not having to form hand seals to perform these techniques would be a real lifesaver considering her current situation. She was no stranger to treating her blade as an extension of her body. But to use that same line of thought to simply extend your chakra into the weapon, to shape it as naturally as one moves their own body. It all made perfect sense.[break][break]
The rogue shinobi took a step closer to get a better look, willingly entering striking range despite her previous caution. Her guard was far from being dropped, but at least she could be confident that this girl wasn't planning on turning violent any time soon. "Oh, I've already got some ideas for this..." Her own smile grew as she brought her gaze to meet the red heads. While the sound jonin's smile was that of an innocent lamb, Tsubaki's was more akin to hungry crocodile as she contemplated the various applications of such techniques. "Let's see what you've got, kid.
[attr="class","pwfbody"] Now she was even offering to return the favor? Score! Getting to learn about a new style straight from an old pro sounded like a heckin sweet deal. "Definitely! The more you know, the more you can grow." Hey, that was actually pretty good! She'd have to remember that one; it rhymed and everything. Regardless, Yousei was super pleased by how fast Tsubaki seemed to be absorbing all of this new information. That was a former master for you! [break][break]
"Okay! Now watch this." Still maintaining the veil of chakra around her blade, Yousei subtly shifted into a striking stance. "Building off that last technique, if you concentrate excess chakra around the blade, and release it at the same time as you swing..." [break][break]
She let her words hang there for the time being as she shifted the explanation into a demonstration; her sword cutting cleanly through the air, as a crescent arc of razor sharp chakra was cast off from the edge, flying forward a short distance before slicing straight into the trunk of a nearby tree, leaving a deep gash in the wood. [break][break]
"You can launch razor sharp projectiles at your opponent! Pretty awesome, right? This way, even if there's a gap between you and your opponent, you can still attack at a moment's notice. No need to weave ninjutsu, or bother with shuriken or kunai! Very handy stuff." [break][break]
Feeling certain that she'd given an adequate presentation, Yousei then dispelled the lingering chakra on her sword with a motion reminiscent of a classic chiburi, though she didn't bother to sheathe it quite yet. [break][break]
"And that's not even to mention all the other applications that shape transformation has outside of kenjutsu. I've only just recently started exploring those myself! Honestly, it's actually pretty amazing how well suited the teachings of the samurai are for being incorporated with those of the shinobi. If it weren't for the culture barrier there, I'm sure we'd see it happen a lot more than it does." [break][break]
Alright, a deal had been struck. Tsubaki got more comfortable as this became less of a lesson and more of a mutual arrangement to share knowledge. The former mist shinobi was never an excessively prideful one, but it really felt strange to be getting lessons from someone so young in swordsmanship of all things. This was her realm of expertise and had been for decades. That made this into a very humbling experience, forcing her to swallow what bit of pride she had left and learn whatever she could. This was one of the advantages to her 'freedom', right? May as well take full advantage of it.[break][break]
And she had to admit, this next demonstration was the most impressive yet. What she had seen so far were mostly just examples of fine swordsmanship, something that she was sure she could imitate with just a bit of practice. But this chakra shaping stuff was definitely something new for her. Even if it would take her a bit to get the hang of it, it would help to keep in mind that this was the sort of thing these samurai would be using against her in the future."Very awesome. Even against shinobi, being able to attack faster than someone could manage to perform their handseals...I can see how the Empire managed to take down Konoha all those years ago." Her hand came to rest on her hip as she eyed the gash in the tree. No doubt in her mind that such a maneuver could easily kill a man.[break][break]
Her eye turned back to the ruby haired swordswoman with a sharp snort of amusement. "If there's one thing samurai and shinobi have in common, it's a desire to kill their enemies as quickly and efficiently as possible. We just have different means of going about that. But there's a lot more than a 'cultural barrier' between us and them, if you ask me." After everything that happened, surely this war had become highly personal for a variety of reasons. Even now, it felt strange to think that there was a proper samurai on the same side as her. "Oto's pretty lucky to have your family's knowledge, though. Your folks happen to run a dojo by any chance?"
[attr="class","pwfbody"] "Ah, sorry! I was talking about the culture barrier between shinobi and actual samurai." She clarified with a sheepish chuckle. [break][break]
"There aren't a whole lot of us now left here in Oto, but before the Fall of the Leaf, the samurai houses of the Land of Fire were revered as guardians and protectors. Then those so-called Imperial "samurai" went and dragged our name through the mud, committing countless atrocities in the name of the Taiyou, and making our order and its teachings a symbol of fear and malevolence." [break][break]
The hand around her sword clenched tighter as she spoke, almost to the point of leaving her white-knuckled. Talking about the Empire like this always got her worked up. "I'll never forgive them for that. One day, I'd like to bring the Emperor down myself; drive the Taiyou out of the Land of Fire, and help restore Konoha and the good name of the samurai..." [break][break]
This was a surprising departure from Yousei's usually chipper and upbeat personality. It seemed even fairies had a serious side. Then Tsubaki asked about her parents, and it was all bright eyes and bushy tails again. [break][break]
"Oh, nope! Well I mean, they dohave a dojo at home, but it's just a private sorta thing. Our family hasn't really trained people in a long time; hard to get students with the whole stigma against samurai, you know? Eventually they just gave up, and our teachings became more like an heirloom passed down between generations. Pretty crazy how much the Empire fucked everything up, huh?" [break][break]
Okay, bright eyed, bushy tailed, and maybe still a little venomous. Like a platypus! One of the few venomous mammals (the more you know). [break][break]
"You said you weren't here to join the coalition, right? That's a shame, we could really use someone like you! I'm sure you have your reasons, but you seem like a good enough person to me, and if you're here to fight the Taiyou anyway, then I doubt Mai would-..." [break][break]
Damn it! [break][break]
"...then I doubt the Hokage would really mind! [break][break]
The idea of samurai being honorable protectors sounded completely foreign to the rogue kunoichi. All she could picture when she said that were the hordes of undead puppets they forced to fight beyond their time. The utter disrespect for the lives they lived, even forcing them to turn against their own comrades. It was disgusting to think about, even for one as indifferent to the notions of honor as herself. There were certain lines you just didn't cross. Or maybe she was just getting soft at her old age. Whatever the case, she would have to give the Sound samurai the benefit of the doubt on this, simply shrugging her shoulders as she attempted to defender her family's honor.[break][break]
As usual, the girl's sword hand was always kept in Tsubaki's field of view. So when her grip tightened so intensely, it became more clear just how deep these feelings of hers ran. Samurai or no, it was good to know that there was at least one person in Oto that held a hatred this deep. She'd have to keep this girls name and face in mind over the coming days. Something told the older shinobi that she might be interested in a little guerilla warfare down the line. The girl definitely had more fire burning in her soul than first impressions suggested. "Easy there, girlie. You'll get your chance to do just that, I've got no doubt. My advice to you is to save that anger for the battlefield. Cuz lemme tell ya, righteous anger is a helluva motivator." Her lips pulled back into a knowing grin, revealing a peek at her jagged sharklike teeth.[break][break]
It wasn't much of a surprise that there wasn't anyone interested in learning the techniques of their enemies. Personally, she would wanna know absolutely everything about her enemies to know the best ways to counter their techniques. Or just humiliate them by doing what they do only better. Whatever the case she would give Yousei a nod of understanding. "I imagine it's especially bad in Otogakure. Lots of Konoha refugees over there with ties back to the land Taiyou took from them. I wouldn't be surprised if you and your family caught a lot of shit just for the way you carried your katanas. Gotta admit, it takes some serious balls to openly practice those techniques." She paid little mind to the way the girl fluctuated between a sweet little fairy and a pacing tiger in a cage. If anything, the one eyed swordswoman found it somewhat charming.[break][break]
And then there was the whole mess of the war effort. Tsubaki's shoulders drooped a bit, smile fading as her brows rose curiously. "A good person? Me? You really are an adorable thing, aren't ya?" If the jonin hadn't been wielding a sword she would've probably gotten closer just to pinch her sweet little cheek. "But that aint gonna work for me. I plan on fighting the samurai my own way. Like only a shinobi without a village holding them back can. Besides, pretty sure there'll be a lot of folks joinin' up who would be real distracted by the temptation to stab me in the back. So regardless of what Mai thinks, I really oughta keep my distance."
[attr="class","pwfbody"] "Haha! Well, you're not wrong. Even today, there are definitely still some people out there that look on us with ire and suspicion for the traditions we uphold, but you should never be ashamed of who you are! Even if people end up hating you for it, isn't that better than living a lie? Life is too short to not be true to yourself, at least that's what I think!" [break][break]
Yousei had already experienced plenty of discrimination in her brief time on this earth. On top of the prejudice associated with her samurai heritage, she'd always been overlooked and underestimated, ever since she first joined the academy. Be it her youthful appearance, or her height, or her gender, it seemed there was always some reason for people to doubt or exclude her, and her recent promotion to jounin had been no different, with many jumping straight to ostracizing her as "the Hokage's latest mistake". It was exhausting sometimes, to say the least. [break][break]
And yet, somehow she always managed to bounce back and keep moving forward; always smiling, never losing sight of her convictions, no matter how wounded and scarred her heart became. That was a different kind of strength, to be sure. Perhaps one the world sorely needed in this tumultuous age. [break][break]
"Aw, that's too bad..." Yousei audibly pouted, sheathing her sword with the practiced ease of years of training as she spoke. She'd kind of expected Tsubaki to decline her invitation, but she figured it was still worth a shot all the same. "Offer still stands though, if you ever change your mind! I bet you could accomplish a whole lot more out there if you had some people to back you up. Really hit those Imperial losers where it hurts, you know? And I'd love to see that Jigen-Ryu in action out on the battlefield! Think it over, okay?" [break][break]
Hard to imagine a girl like her being faced with any sort of oppression. With how light and bubbly she was it would be easy to assume that this was an innocent little babe that had never seen a single trial in all her years. Though maybe that was why she was like this, all smiles and rainbows in the face of all the surrounding pressures. Different people coped with those things in different ways, and at least this one seemed healthy so long as she had a good way to vent any pent up hostility. And from this brief little interaction it was pretty safe to say she found that with the Taiyou Empire. So they at least had that much in common. "True enough, kid. True enough." Living a cushy life of lies rather than a hard life of truth didn't sound appealing to her, that was for certain.[break][break]
Her eye followed the sword as it was sheathed, a sign both of trust and that the lesson was over. Which was fine. Even a brief example like that was enough for the experienced eye of a seasoned swordswoman to pick up what she needed to. While more examples would be nice, she had to settle for rehearsing what she had seen herself and building that muscle memory over time. That chakra shaping though...that was going to be her first project. The potential for that was racing through her mind, the limitless potential applications and combinations. She could see so many reasons why it would be the samurai's technique of choice. Now all she had to do was combine it with her knowledge and skills as a shinobi to make it something far more deadly than they could imagine.[break][break]
With the sword put away, Tsubaki was comfortable enough to close the gap between them the rest of the way. Which was perfect, because that pouting response was too adorable to let slide. She let out an amused chuckle as a hand reached out to pat the young samurai on the head. "That's real sweet. But I'm afraid my Jigen-Ryu days are behind me. It's a two handed style, after all. But uh..." She spends a moment in thought, glancing around the otherwise empty forest. Her eye drifts down to the cleanly cut leaves resting on the floor, a gentle hum slipping past her lips.[break][break]
"...Tell ya what. I'm curious to see you in action up close and personal. If you can talk to Mai and see about making sure I'm teamed up with you and nobody from the Mist? I'll come along." It seemed like something of a tall order, but she had to admit it would be nice to work with a proper team instead of whatever rag-tag group she may manage to round up herself. "I'll even follow your lead, no questions asked. So long as you don't go all mad with power on me. I didn't dedicate thirty years of my life to this shit just to have some kid lording their rank over me." She leaned forward, lips pulling back into a playful smile that matched her light yet somewhat gruff tone of voice. "Who knows? Maybe we'll learn more from each other than expected?" This is where she'd probably wink, but that was always tough with just one eye.
[attr="class","pwfbody"] Well, she'd given it her best try. Who knows? Maybe that last ditch sales pitch would actually get her to come arou- wait, huh? She actually agreed (with stipulations)!? Hell yeah! This felt just like passing a dialogue check to recruit one of those optional party members you always see in RPGs, and you know they're gonna be good if you have to go out of your way like that to get them! They probably even had a bunch of deep character development and side stories and stuff, and a dedicated fanbase on the interne- wait, Ame hadn't invented that yet, scratch that last part. [break][break]
"Leave it to me! I'll be sure to give you a glowing recommendation!" Mind you, she wasn't exactly sure how she was going to do that, but she was sure she'd think of something eventually. Plus, if this whole scenario really was running on video game logic, then some super convenient circumstances pertaining to this exact situation should totally end up presenting themselves in short order! [break][break]
Maybe Mai would just call her in out of the blue and ask her to lead a four man recon team in the big battle, and Yousei could be like, "A four man recon team? What a coincidence, I have one person in mind already!" And then they could team up with a ninja bear and some dude who turns into water, and go fight a boss in the Zone 3 farmlands to the west of Onomichi! [break][break]
Man, that would be pretty crazy, huh? Hahaha... [break][break]
"Looking forward to it!" She responded enthusiastically, meeting Tsubaki's toothy smile with a lively grin of her own. A shark and a fairy; an unusual combination to be sure, but there was no doubt in Yousei's mind that this was already another beautiful friendship in the making! [break][break]
"Hey, do you like taiyaki? I know this place here in the village that has the best taiyaki, my treat!" [break][break]
