Earned a bit of rest? The comment got a small amused snort from her as the comfortable atmosphere settled in around them. Training was the priority today, but this felt nice, she decided. Even if deep down, there was this strange bout of guilt forming for how easy she was being on Daichi, or how she should certainly be pushing him to stop lying, get it together, or something, she couldn’t do it when everything felt so easygoing at the moment. His laidback nature was terribly infectious it would seem. [break][break]
Then came his surprise at her lack of a favorite food and Aiko’s gaze returned to him with a bit of confusion. She hesitated, unsure of what to really say when he pressed the matter. Her expression became utterly dumbfounded as he went on. Was it really so strange to not have a favorite? To not know what made her mouth water like he said? As he pried, Aiko’s gaze turned to the rice balls she was nibbling on.[break][break]
“Uh, well…” she started, though it was clear she had no idea what she was going to say. “... I’m not sure, really?” It was probably the most unsure he had ever heard her be about something. Her eyes went back to the scenery as she considered his inquiry. “Maybe a rice dish. Something warm and fresh, soft and easy to eat fast. A simple straight forward flavor…” she mumbled, taking a bite of the riceball she was most likely describing.
It was a familiar answer, there was no doubt about that. One Aiko had said herself not too long ago. One Aiko couldn’t criticize easily for that very fact. Becoming strong to protect others was a good motivation, but the burden that came with it was suffocating. Once it was in your mind, it was hard to think of anything else. Considering any other option felt selfish, and traitorous. If you’re willing to be strong for others, why would you suddenly want to do anything else? A collar of their own making... [break][break]
Ah, that was too bitter to be said.[break][break]
A more wholesome answer surfaced, one that made Aiko’s hand stop moving for a moment. Her eyes flicked over Hoshiko’s face, studying the hint of embarrassment from her minor confession. No response came at first, as Aiko gathered her thoughts.[break][break]
“... I suppose we haven’t had much time together, have we?” Aiko prompted, shifting the subject with Hoshiko’s answer. “Not since I graduated at the least. Missions, training, the Chunin Exams… I’ve been busy” she spoke, with a soft sigh. “. . . I think doing something, together, outside of training or work would be a nice change of pace for the both of us. It’s been too long… I could treat you to dinner or perhaps we go for a walk, a trip somewhere?” she offered, hands continuing their diligent work of tending to Hoshiko’s arm.
It wasn’t her first time against bandits that outnumbered her. She hated the fact it certainly wouldn’t be the last.[break][break]
For the moment, the odds were less drastic than they started at. Three on one was manageable, but there was no missing the fact the fourth man was trying far too hard to get back in the battle. A part of her wanted to say removing that arrow may make him bleed too much, but she wouldn’t have the chance.[break][break]
The first sprang at her, and she made the effort to grab his arm. Using his sudden burst of momentum, she twisted her body with his arm in tow to pull him up, off his feet, over her back, and slammed with all his own force and her own into the ground. The thug, too uneducated to know how to catch himself, was disorientated by the fall long enough for her to use him as a step to jump back off of. An important step to make, as it bought her the extra distance she needed to address the two men trying to jump her next.[break][break]
They tried to go for her as she was busy, but unfortunately for her, she saw them clearly coming. Twisting back around to face them, though she shouldn’t have been able to see them, her eyes did. She caught the first fist and jabbed a nervous point in the man’s forearm, pinching the muscle there. It was enough to delay his next swing from surprised shock, but it left her open to get a prompt punch to the face. A good enough warning that she needed to shift her focus to deflections and parries, instead of attacks like that. [break][break]
She began bouncing between the two’s momentum as the swings came in like a synchronised swim. A pattern was showing itself, and she tested the waters with a sudden pinch of her Gentle Fist. It was enough to throw off the beat, giving her the feeling of control she needed. However, just as she was getting into the groove of this dance, the final problem child showed his face. Catching him grabbing his bat, she let the rhythm of punches return to shift her focus to the bat man.[break][break]
It was as he began to swing the bat down, she’d suddenly duck down and dive between the legs of one of the bandit’s wide stances. The bat came down instead on the arms of the men who’d been attacking her before. She twisted around, and swung her leg up, right into the crotch of the man she’d dove under. The kick was followed up with a kick to the startled bandit’s back to send him into the bat wielding man’s grasp.[break][break]
With them stumbling over each other, her attention turned to the woman. Aiko raced over to her, grabbing her arm and promptly tugging her up to her feet. There was no time for pleasantries or are you okays. Aiko turned her to gently push her towards the alley. “Go!” she ordered immediately, with another push. The push was enough to give the woman help with the hardest first step of her life. The fear and panic that froze her in place was now the fuel that had her hobbling away from the scene as quickly and clumsily as she could.
[break][break]
TLDR: Flipped the first attacker over her shoulder to throw him to the ground. Pinched a muscle in one thug's arm, before getting caught up in parries. Waited for the last thug to swing down his bat. Avoided it, so the bat would hit his friends, instead. Dove out of the way between the legs of one of the thugs. Kicked him in the balls, then kicked him into the others to buy enough time to get the victim of the mugging up on their feet and running away from the scene.
After the arrow fired, Aiko felt the first wave of fatigue.[break][break]
The tension around her eyes abruptly faded, and her vision blurred. It was jarring enough to almost make her sick, her eyes burning from the strain. She recoiled ever so slightly, but did her best to keep her posture to avoid alarming those around her. There was some sort of shouting, reaction, but all she could do was try to stay upright. The chakra drain was finally catching up with her, mostly that massive Kai from earlier.[break][break]
Her head was pounding, her vision blurring as her eyes tried to recover. She felt so dizzy all of a sudden, and could barely process the distant shouting and sounds of combat. Just as she was about to warn the others she needed to fall back, her disoriented state in the middle of the battlefield was punished.[break][break]
A stone crashed into her arm, knocking her back to the ground. She reeled from the impact, swiftly biting her tongue to hold back her reaction. Without a word, she pushed herself back up with her good arm and stumbled back from the commotion to gather her bearings. With all eyes on the field, she’d have a moment to gather herself. Which was just enough to realize in her scurry to get out of the way, it would seem the fight was over.[break][break]
Immediately, she pressed herself back forward to rejoin her team. Despite her exhaustion, and gash to her arm, she seemed to be handling herself a bit better, now. Her eyes fell to the injuries the two youngest had acquired with a small frown.[break][break]
“Let’s… Let’s head back and get patched up” she decided, looking up briefly to see where Daichi had gone. Her brief glance turned into a lingering gaze as Daichi was called towards the rhino. She visibly tensed, the hint of tension around her eyes alluded to her trying to activate her Byakugan, again. An action that was punished with a growing migraine and faint feeling. Aiko pressed her good hand to her head, before she reached for the radio in her ear.[break][break]
[ Sensei, we’re going to fall back now. Please keep an eye on Daichi for me. ] She requested, before motioning for the two younger genin to follow her as she began the retreat back to their camp.
[break][break]
TLDR: Fatigue from chakra depletion has Aiko lose her Byakugan. She is struck by the flying debris and disoriented briefly. Asks Anotsu to keep an eye on Daichi as she asks Koma and Hoshiko to retreat with her.
Something was wrong, that was for sure. Aiko could tell the moment the recon was late, and then when the woman finally arrived. Ignoring odd teams and politics, Aiko’s attention wasn’t on that matter. What came first was completing this mission, and it was already looking problematic from the start. Her eyes narrowed as the woman raced by, breath being held as if afraid to be noticed by the very person they’d been waiting for. [break][break]
The chakra networ-- [break][break]
Her focus was pulled by the sound of her name, even if her head didn’t turn to Shoichi’s voice. Her gaze remained on the growing presence of sound nin with very wrong bodies. She gritted her teeth, but nodded at the first array of orders she was given. Though she didn’t like the source of them, she could see the logic was sound. But as she began to rise up, Aburame’s hand grasped her shoulder. Aiko turned slightly towards her, even if her gaze didn’t meet Mai’s, she seemed to nod with understanding. [break][break]
It was then, she took off, aiming to go the direction of the source as instructed. Clicking on the radio in her ear, it’d be the best means to quickly contact Mai if something went wrong. [break][break]
Several minutes ticked by of Aiko hopping from branch to branch, before she suddenly found herself unsure of where she was. She was certain she had been following the path just fine, but now she couldn’t see it? An illusion? Genjutsu. A swift slap to her own face, and the forest remained unchanging. Damn it. [break][break]
No, she would beat herself up for this later, it was better to backtrack. Hopping back, she began moving back a few paces, the veins around her eyes tightened as she pressed on to find either more of those undead shinobi, her own team, or whoever had messed with her in the first place. [break][break]
[ Sensei, someone’s in the woods ] she spoke through the radio, to alert Mai as she worked on her return. [ A genjutsu must have caused me to lose the trail, but I’m working my way back. Are you alright? ]
[break][break]
TLDR: Using Byakugan. Took off ahead to try and find the source of the zombies?. Got lost due to a genjutsu. Talking to Mai as she tries to navigate her way back to the group, unaware of their ambush.
At first, the rhino felt very real, but when it disappeared in a puff of nothing, Aiko worried if her eyes had been playing tricks on her, again. As she caught her breath, following Daichi’s help to get her and Hoshiko out of the hole, she pondered the complexity of the clones in the brief pause from combat she afforded herself. To trick the Byakugan, there was a lot of work that must have gone into those clones, a thought that nearly distracted her from the others around her. As bugs drifted from them, Aiko turned her gaze towards the jonin who had come to assist them. She gave her elder a brief nod of acknowledgment. However, this respite didn’t last long. [break][break]
There were still threats lingering, and now attention shifted to the last problematic beast staring down their sensei, Anotsu. [break][break]
It was Koma’s turn to take charge, and as he took off, much to Aiko’s disdain, so did Hoshiko. Her eyes followed her sister, as her teeth caught her tongue to keep her from shouting after her. There was no time, it was during the movement that Aiko had answered Daichi’s call for her attention. Arrow. The message was clear and she promptly slid one out and over to him to do with as he pleased. When it was returned to her, it was basically a grenade of destruction, waiting to go off at any second. [break][break]
She wasted no time loading it back into her crossbow, though. Her eyes trained on the rhino as her sister and Koma would put distance between the beast and themselves. Koma in the sky, Hoshiko emerging from the other side, it was the moment she fired off the hazardous arrow - aiming right for the creature’s mouth if it was forced open. Even if it wasn’t open, she was firing at it regardless. [break][break]
No way in hell was she keeping that many explosion tags on her arm, are you crazy?
[break][break]
TLDR: Gave an arrow to Daichi for him to wrap it up in a bunch of explosive tags. After Koma and Hoshiko attack / distract the rhino attacking Anotsu, Aiko fires off the bomb arrow from Daichi at the rhino's open mouth / head / neck, aiming to explode it the moment it hits.
Just wanted to throw up a quick thread while I have the chance. Sorry for my sudden drop in activity, my work schedule has become a whirlwind of changes with very little warning. I'm actually in the middle of flipping from working midnight to nine am shifts to 8am to 5pm shifts right now...
And then I have to immediately flip my schedule back around at the end of this week, so I am very tired.
I'll be putting most of of my focus into posting for events at the moment, but will slowly be returning to my social / plot threads over the course of the week, but my slowness may continue for a week or two more, unfortunately. Work is short staffed, holidays are coming up, and I don't get many of those days off due to my job.
So, my discord is open for DMs, questions, concerns. If people want to drop threads, skip along to something else, etc. due to my current situation, just let me know and I'll work something out with you.
Anyways, just wanted to throw up a thread that was more permanent for reference, then squeaking out something in discord that'd get buried. I'll delete this post / thread when it's no longer relevant.
Last Edit: Oct 10, 2021 23:00:18 GMT by Aiko Hyuga
Perhaps she shouldn’t have mentioned the idea of them stabbing themselves at all, but there they went. Daichi stabbing his hand, Hoshiko her leg. There would be a long lecture in the future about this, but right now wasn’t the time. Quite simply, there was no time for it. The rhino was gaining on them. [break][break]
Before she had to take charge once more, it seemed that snapping out of the illusion had been enough for her genin platoon mates to find their footing. Relief mixed in with her concern, but again, later. The plan was clear, despite the order being so short. Smoke washed over the Hyuga sisters courtesy of Koma’s aid, just as they disappeared into the ground so suddenly. She was able to keep her footing as they reached a new level of existence. [break][break]
As the beast passed by overhead, Aiko left the scattering impact that’d surely hamper it’s footing for a moment to Hoshiko, and focused instead on a lingering effect. The rhino’s wide stance surely meant it wasn’t flexible enough to get at them from underneath. Daring the chance of being kicked, Aiko wedged herself up enough to shove her hand on the beast’s underbelly. Her chakra grasped at the first chunk of muscle beyond it’s obnoxiously thick hide. Her chakra first dug in like tiny hooks, before growing to be knives by the time the rhino escaped her reach. [break][break]
Once it cleared their crevice, Aiko grabbed Hoshiko’s arm and hoisted her sister out of the dirt with minimal warning. The ground shook under these beasts’ feet, she wasn’t about to stay in a tiny hole and wait to be crushed. The smoke would be ample cover to get space.
[break][break]
TLDR: Used cover of smoke from KOMA to sneakily sink into a hole created by DAICHI. As HOSHIKO used Gentle Fist to assault the rhino's insides and chakra points, Aiko focused on cutting deep into the rhino's internal body with a slicing effect of her chakra. After the rhino passed by, she pulls Hoshiko out of the hole and is working to get out to run for cover with her.
The ledge the genin and Aiko were perched upon quickly became a target. The moment she saw the beasts coming for the base they stood upon, her hands instinctively reached out to grab the youngest two and pull them closer to herself. Just in time for the platform beneath them to be shattered and sent flying by the hoard. She tugged the two closer to herself to keep the group from being scattered, before the platoon made their landing[break][break]
The moment Aiko could, she regained her footing once the momentum wasn’t throwing her around at it’s whim. She loosened her hold on the Genin, casting a brief glance to the side to ensure Daichi had handled himself in the tumble. He’d taken enough falls, she wasn’t too worried about him bouncing back from something like that. Ignoring the scratches and annoying bruising, her eyes locked on the stampeding masses.[break][break]
Attempt kai! The order buzzed in her ear, before she let out an aggravated sigh. Of course. An illusion. That would explain a lot of things, which made it all the more annoying.[break][break]
As far as her memory went, the three around her may not be able to pull that kind of thing off.[break][break]
“If you can’t pull off the Kai, fall back to the canyon ledge” she ordered. “You might be able to break it by hurting yourself, but that’s a last resort.” It seemed like she briefly stared right at Daichi, but it was hard to tell with her Byakugan active.[break][break]
“But with all the attacks from the stronger shinobi being thrown around, it may not last much longer” she theorized, motioning for them to fall back from the barrage. She’d be right behind them if they did take the leave. Whether they argued or not, her next actions wouldn’t change. She brought both of her hands together to initiate her own Genjutsu Dissipation. The chakra drain wasn’t a pleasant one, the act of a Kai of this scale forcing her to then restart her Byakugan in the next beat.[break][break]
With the genjutsu, if it were there, hopefully cleared, her eyes immediately busied themselves with the source. Bouncing from rhino to rhino, dancing around the mass, she knew where it had been in the first place from earlier. She checked the one Anotsu and Mai were attacking, then shifted her gaze towards the rest, trying to get the best comparison her eyes could collect.
[break][break]
TLDR: Helped Hoshiko and Koma safely land. Instructed Genin if they can't do Kai, either GTFO or they could try and break it by hurting themselves. Fell back from the fight a bit to get her footing. Used Kai herself, then reactivated her Byakugan. Is now searching for the rhino that Anotsu and Mai are attacking, and looking for a rhino that may stand out.
It was always nice when Daichi dropped the bravado… His smile softened, his demeanor easing. As he stopped the fake grins and confident facades, he did have quite the lovely smile. Especially when he was excited, like when new jutsus were introduced back in school, or when he made a big discovery on his own. It eased her apprehension as she saw it, slowly deciding to leave his ankle be, as their agreement came about.[break][break]
“Great. Then, I’m looking forward to it” she assured with the smallest hint of a smile. It was a pleasant arrangement, yes. One that she would think back upon later and wonder why she ever suggested it. Was it an excuse to cook more often? It seemed kind of silly, didn’t it? Offering to make snacks so he could just take her some place that would make food for her? Was it because she liked the way he was eagerly reaching for more and more riceballs? How he kept insisting they were perfect? Praising her in his brief moments of honesty?[break][break]
Aiko wasn’t sure, and she didn’t want to think about it too much. Being stuck in her head, it was becoming a dreadful habit. Instead, she reached over to scoot the box closer to herself in a silent bid to ensure he saved some for her. She took one out, taking a bite from it as he asked about today's training.[break][break]
“Let me have a couple of these, and then we’ll get to work…” she answered casually, looking away from him and more so to the field around them. With his injury, she did have to rethink that day’s training schedule, anyways. It was originally going to be focused on close combat, given their very different styles, but with his ankle, it was best to do her other suggestion. So, where could she sneak up on him from…? Her eyes trailed over the scenery as she opted to cover the other question. [break][break]
“I don’t really have a favorite food, though. Anything warm and filling is fine. I tend to just eat what I’m given, so don’t worry too much about finding a perfect spot” she answered nonchalantly, even if it was less of a matter of her willing to eat whatever she was given, and more a matter of having no choice but to eat what she was given.
There was a bit of silence from her, at her asking about places to eat. Was it strange to say she didn’t eat out often? She had seen many of her peers do it frequently, but she was typically obligated to family dinners, or making her own meals - with carefully crafted diets in mind. Any chance to eat out was swallowed by the fact she didn’t have anyone to do it with… As her eyes flicked to the rice balls, she found herself even more relieved that she had chosen to make them. It was a welcomed change of pace, that seemed to be leading to something else. [break][break]
However, she was overthinking again. The realization had her forcing her shoulders to relax their unintended tension as Daichi spoke. Though his praise made her embarrassment ever grow. A soft hue of pink started to manifest on her cheeks, and her eyes stayed glued to his ankle. Her mind wanted to resist his kindness. It wasn’t that good, it couldn’t have been. He was really leaning into that too much, she quietly decided. It was best to let it go, and stay focused on the matter of restaurants, even if her heart was fluttering a bit beyond her control.[break][break]
Kanada’s place…? Aiko accepted the distraction, considering if she’d seen it before. Perhaps in passing? It sounded like an unassuming little place her family would solemnly reject. [break][break]
Her gaze drifted over to him, almost sheepishly so in consideration. A pause of thought, before she gave a small nod. “I’ve never been there, but that… Sounds really nice” she softly agreed, before returning her attention to his ankle. Tending to it was becoming a great place to distract her nervous hands. It was then when an offer came to mind, almost impulsively so. In her bid to stop overthinking, she simply let it free. “How about... I’ll… I’ll make stuff for our training days more often, if you show me more of those places you like to eat at. How does that sound?”
His expression grew more sour, to which she pondered what it was she could’ve done to make his mood worse. Perhaps she was being too sensitive? It didn’t really make much sense to her, but his pouting face contrasted the words very plainly. Should she pry? Push him to talk about what it was that was upsetting him? Or leave it be, and not push him too much today? [break][break]
It wasn’t like she was particularly trained for handling something like social situations, so her brain was fluttering around in consideration. At least it seemed he was willing to take her subject change.[break][break]
“Don’t worry about price, it’s a reward, remember?” she chirped back calmly, shrugging off the concern easily enough. As she was about to continue down that train of thought though, he bounced a question back at her. One that she didn’t know how to answer immediately.[break][break]
“What do you mean?” she countered, easing the tension of her arms. “I get the sense you’re not talking about me just getting you ice cream for your good work” she tacked on, with a small quirk of her head.
It was a tale she knew well the moment it began. From the Main Family influence, to the pride of the Hyuga being deep in a parent’s blood. The interruption of acquiring tea only got a small nod of acknowledgment as her focus was more on the relatable story of another member of her family. There was bitter comfort in knowing it hadn’t only been her, but a sourness in the back of her mouth, at knowing that as well. As he went on, her emotions recoiled into themselves, expression becoming blank as she let it all sink in - focusing intently on him. [break][break]
The jarring drop in his tone was met with the closure of her eyes, as if to keep her composure. She took a deep breath, before leaning forward to pick up her own serving of tea. Quiet lingered in the air, before slowly her eyes opened and a bitter defeated smile appeared with it. It took only a few seconds for the Chunin to suddenly appear exhausted.[break][break]
“Ah, it really is a small world” she breathed, voice drier than the soft polite tone from before. “My parents are the same. Descendants of the main branch, frustrated by the loss of Hi no Kuni, Konohagakure, the power and wealth... As far as I can remember, everything they’ve asked of me, or told me to do, has been because of that. Beat me into the mold if I resist, beat my sister when I began to endure those punishments… My sister and I must reclaim our honor or something in that vein.” The bitterness cracked its way through as she kept her tone level.[break][break]
“I’d much rather burn it all down” she admitted, before taking her own long slurp of tea. Her eyes caught something on the menu, and like a switch, a hint of a false polite smile came back to her face as she turned to a passing waiter to make her order. Than it flicked off again, the tired look settling on Tsukiya. “Unfortunately, I’m stuck playing my part for the family as it is, now. But, you seem to be much freer than myself.”
It was a relief he didn’t try and hide his name longer than that. His initial avoidance of saying it was undoubtedly fair reason, of course, but she had no interest in politicizing this conversation. Hiding names, being on edge and secretive beyond reason, was an exhausting adventure. Her focus wasn’t on anything beyond two people, with potential similarities, talking to each other. It was a well and good, when he maintained his casual airs. A recommendation noted, Aiko returned his advice with a nod and mental slashing out of the rabbit offerings on the menu. It did look rather awful on his plate. [break][break]
At least there was tea to rely on, and a conversation to make the meal far less awkward than she originally anticipated... Even if his openness about disliking the Hokage - in the middle of said kage’s village - was a little alarming. Aiko decided to let that piece be, and move along.[break][break]
However, before she could get into the rhythm of a conversation, her curiosity wasn’t as hidden as she thought. Perhaps it was the familiarity of family that made her easier to read than usual... Either way, her mouth didn’t immediately run away at his prodding, but rather her mind was the first to react. Deep contemplation tumbled back and forth, before she let out a long held sigh.[break][break]
“It may be a bit personal, so I wouldn’t expect you to answer such things” she began, tilting her head slightly to the side as she considered her words carefully. “But, there are not many in my village who understand… The Hyuga clan’s idea of family, and the dynamics that come with it. While there are remnants of other clans within my village, I fear I have yet to see one that has… Clung to traditions in the way the Hyuga have. I wondered if perhaps, it is a common way of thinking for the other Hyuga families. If others are desperately trying to recreate what this family once had in Konohagakure, if that makes any sense?”
To see someone so similar, yet different, was a little jarring to say the least. The way he spoke had hints of something she recognized, but his demeanor was far more relaxed. The nonchalance of his tone was something contrasting to the formality her father expected at all times. As the man across from her openly displayed his amusement, there was only the glimmer of her budding curiosity in her eyes. [break][break]
“Yes. The odds were very slim, but I often find the world is much smaller than I originally thought” she replied, entertaining his quip with one of her own. A brief slip caught her attention. “I don’t think I caught your name, Hyuga-san.” As she waited for it, Aiko debated where to start with the many thoughts buzzing in her mind.[break][break]
What kind of family did other Hyugas create, now that the main house was long gone? she wondered. Or did they live in the shadows of a construct long since dead like her? It felt rude to ask such things of a stranger, though.[break][break]
“I assume you are here in Otogakure response to the Hokage’s request, as well?” Her head turned then, looking towards the menu board to get an idea of what to order when the time came to do so. Some of the local cuisines left her puzzled, but luckily it seemed rice was forever a national dish she could reliably count on.
