[attr="class","giritext"]She stared up at the stars like they were on course to strike her down. Somewhere over the fence with its paper lanterns lit like evenly-spaced jellyfish, beyond the rising vapor that coiled into the night sky, was a place where distant suns shuttered one lazy eye to observe people having fun. She could hear them with the faint splashes of water and the soft murmur of voices (occasionally excitable). Ordinary folk. No different from her. Old ones, young ones, rich ones, poor ones.
Sagiri unconsciously brought a hand to her neck. The snake scar was muted against the scarlet light, but to her it felt as bright as any flame.
The onsen was set into the side of a beaked mountain. It was a stretch of road she passed often heading to Otogakure and its wooden perimeter gave her pause each time. At ten years old she thought it would be nice to go. At twelve years old she vowed the next year. And now...
'It's just an onsen.'
Yet still she began to walk away. Maybe next week, next month, next lifetime. So preoccupied with her own worthlessness, she didn't even notice when something white dropped from above her: she just extended both hands out to catch it. Coarse, damp fabric. Craning her neck upwards for the second time that encounter she met the impish grin of a gold-furred monkey. Seconds later a whole troop emerged from the trees, several carrying their own trophy towels as they hopped over the fence.
"H-huh?" Was all she could say before shouting and screaming erupted from the establishment.
There was nothing better than going to hot springs at night[break][break]
Or so it seemed, as the blonde haired girl put a red chopstick messily through her hair, putting her hair up so that it didn’t touch the onsen waters. She was a big fan of hot springs, the heat of the water was always so comforting. This was especially the case at night, when Suzu could gaze up at the stars and just forget about the worries of her day. It was possibly the only thing that could take her mind off of her troubles. She wrapped her body in a white satin towel tightly, before dipping one toe into the waters, immediately feeling its heat course through her veins. She shivered subconsciously, putting one foot into the onsen. [break][break]
Today had been a rather boring day, the jounin having spent most of it training alone in the mountains. Of course, she could have trained anywhere, but she wanted to be alone and knew that most of the training spots in the village were often occupied with other shinobi. She was a conversationalist and quite social, but Suzu had realized recently that her training was lacking, pointed out by her father. The woman recalled the spar they had had just a couple of weeks ago, in the training grounds of the Hyuuga mansion. You have to get a grip… she chided herself, closing her eyes as she descended deeper into the waters. She had lost to her father, and quite quickly too. How disgraceful she felt, as she lay on the ground of the floor.[break][break]
She opened her eyes once more, her red and orange hues focused on the stars above. It was a beautiful night, the wind blew a slight breeze that was not enough to be too chilling to the bones. How she longed for some sake, or any kind of alcohol for that matter. Suzu had been so deep in thought that she hadn’t noticed what was happening beyond the hot springs itself, the steamy waters clouding her vision. She was just about to close her eyes again and enjoy her time when screams erupted from all around her. What in the world… The girl sat up straight, her head turning left and right as she tried to figure out what exactly was happening. It seemed that a bunch of monkeys had stolen the towels and clothing of the other bathers, jumping over the fence to leave the open air bath. Great…just when I thought I could catch a break…[break][break]
Suzu jumped up from the water, her towel dripping wet as she left the onsen. She casually grabbed her kimono, slipping into it rapidly, the black silk fabric felt weird against her wet skin. She quickly tied the red silk sash that bound her kimono together, her eyes never leaving the direction of where the monkeys were headed with their so-called trophies. “Get back here…” she breathed, her hand reaching into her weapon pouch as she produced two shuriken. She threw them at the monkeys, just as they were descending to the other side of the fence, leaving the vicinity. [break][break]
[attr="class","curragebot"]Need a solo mission to train for Jyuuken styles
“Nyuh..” Tomiko sighed while cornered by a merchant trying to rent a yukata to the young female Genin. Its flowery pattern didn’t suit her tastes, but moreover, it was far too expensive. Dipping her chin, she hoped to escape to pushy saleswoman by hiding her face behind her collar, but that was an impossibility.
Another sigh escaped the child’s lips as she headed toward the onsen. In her arms were both the lounging yukata and a large towel, neither of which she really needed. “I was only planning to dip my feet in” she thought out loud in the same airy breath, but then she turned her face to the sky and smiled gently. “But it’s a nice night. I might as well enjoy myself.”
Tomiko had barely finished her thought when a chorus of shouts and screams erupted from the path ahead, startling the child, and nearly causing her to trip over her own feet.
“Na-?”
After a moment of confusion, instinct seemed to take over, and the Genin narrowed her eyes. She knew what was going on. Trouble was brewing of the worst kind. Boys had entered the girls side. Dropping the items in hand, Tomiko leaned forward and broke into a full sprint toward the source of the commotion. Arms flowing behind her, she slowed only for a moment to lower her head and say a quick "I’m sorry" while passing a ‘NO RUNNING’ sign.
Landing on the scene, the Genin bent her knees and raised her palms, assuming a Jūken type stance. She looked quite serious for all of three seconds before her head tilted to the side, unable to process what she was seeing.
