The group only had a small window to collect their bearings it would seem. From Koma’s own curiosity about the rhino, to Hoshiko taking the initiative to activate her Byakugan. Aiko would follow her sister’s suit as Daichi proposed the question of taking a different approach to the beast. A fair one that Aiko genuinely considered. As they talked, her focus was more on the beast in the distance though, watching how it reacted to the girl that dared to get too close for comfort. [break][break]
To which she got the metaphorical front row seat to the child and bear being tossed carelessly to the side by the Tsunami. Though she couldn’t make out what was spoken, she could see the girl being predictably tossed… Just before the beast reared back with a clear annoyance at the situation. Aiko opened her mouth to declare a warning, but the rhino’s hooves slammed down before she could speak. [break][break]
“The rest of you cowards get to die.”[break][break]
The very ground they all stood on trembled to life. The deafening roar of the ground tore apart, opening up to the rumble of a stampede. The scene spiraled from there, and the stampede was coming. With time bought from Anotsu’s explosions, Aiko stepped forward as “Focus!” rang through their ears.[break][break]
She grabbed Daichi’s arm, determined to get his attention as Anotsu’s orders came through.[break][break]
“We’re going to hold our ground, you need to make a ledge for us to get our footing on” she instructed, letting him go to turn to Koma. “Koma! Secure Daichi’s work once it’s up. Hoshiko, stay near me.” It was a gamble, but that girl was tossed aside for a reason. Cowards were going to be trampled.[break][break]
As the boys worked to get the ledge, Aiko would buy the next allotment of time they’d need with a switch of her arrow. Following Anotsu’s usage of concussive force, she aimed an arrow with her own explosive tied to it into the oncoming horde. Firing off the shot into one of the rhinos to hopefully cause a stumbling domino effect for however temporary it would be. Once the ledge was made, she'd make the leap onto it, ready to ride through the stampede.
[break][break]
TLDR: Ordered Genin to create a ledge the rhinos would run around at the edge of the bowl. Fired off an explosive arrow to deter the rhinos from that path long enough to get the ledge made. Jumped to the ledge.
As Hoshiko moved, Aiko felt a compulsion to tell her to stop. It’d taken a moment to notice the extent of the damage that’d been done... Seeing the sweat on her sister’s brow, the bruises she caught glimpses of beyond the fabric. It made Aiko’s stomach churn with guilt. The heiress could nearly feel her own skin pale, to which she snapped back to what she was doing with her hands. Hiding her face, she had to take a moment to gather herself, again. It was sometimes the worst when her sister smiled at her like that. [break][break]
Something inside of her broke every time at hearing Hoshiko’s concern for her. She stared pitifully at the kit in front of her, feeling so helpless in that moment. It happened every time, this wanting for Hoshiko to be mad at her, or disgust with what Aiko had done. Perhaps when she was older? Aiko could only hope. She craved some sort of rebellion, but it seemed neither of them were strong enough for that, yet.[break][break]
Father’s cane was too firm for that; it’s reach was too long.[break][break]
“I’m fine, just a bit of bruising. You’ve been getting faster” Aiko gently assured, before stepping over to kneel down with both the box and kit beside Hoshiko. Aiko’s paleness had faded to her usual complexion, heartbreak turning into a small smile back at the other Hyuga. “Let me see your injuries. I’ve got some stuff to help ease the pain…” She opened the kit, pulling out the salve first, before pausing and frowning faintly to herself. [break][break]
“... I’m sorry.” The words slipped out, as they always did in these pitiful moments. “Training days are kind of the worst, aren’t they?” she tacked on with a small nervous chuckle.
Koma’s expressions were usually void stares, blank, calm, almost doll-like. So it was kind of surprising to see him spark to life like this. His pale skin becoming a vibrant red, his eyes sparking with worry, anxiety? Had she panicked him somehow? It was her understanding that kneeling down to a child’s height was a comforting notion. It was something she often saw parents and caretakers do, so as not to loom over the child. Perhaps he was a bit too old for that kind of gesture, though? [break][break]
As his voice wavered, her expression remained still, not seemingly acknowledging the tremble to his tone. She was afraid if she did, he may implode or something. It was hard to tell if she had scared him somehow, or if it was something else at play. He was definitely unsure about accepting the offer, though she wasn’t sure why he would be. At least he agreed to come with her, a notion that greatly relieved the budding worry in her chest. Her smile only grew, and she nodded, rising back up to her full height appropriately. [break][break]
“Then, let’s get going” she quipped, setting a gentle hand on his back to get him to start walking with her. “If you don’t want to go, that’s perfectly fine as well. You can always say no, alright?” Her hand left his back, hands tucking into the pockets of her jacket as they began walking. “After all, it’s not really much of a reward if it’s not something you want to do, right? I’m not in a rush to really get anywhere, so we could do something else, of course.” [break][break]
After all, she had destroyed her schedule the moment she took off down the alley. Surely, her parents would understand. Shinobi work wasn’t very accommodating for one’s schedule.
The apprehension in her chest was growing tighter by the second after she gave her report. With her prior fumble, it felt like anything she said could be wrong, which was the exact kind of feeling she had been hoping to avoid today. A dreadful state of mind that clawed at each thing she had said moments prior. Should she have mentioned Daichi’s inclination towards pushing himself too far? Was it rude to admit Koma seemed unused to kindness? She should probably talk about Hoshiko, but wouldn’t that imply bias, again? [break][break]
Her mind rumbled with all this, expression focused as she waited for judgment. However, thankfully, the response was a good one in her eyes. A few words of praise and the budding tension in her shoulders would slowly ease. Though her mind wasn’t so easily comforted, it was enough for her to stop accidentally digging her nails into her own skin. It seemed they were moving away from these deep questions of who are you and why are you here, and she was relieved by it. [break][break]
Into business they went, and Aiko nodded with a sense of understanding at the mention of a training session. As they should expect, given the new arrangement. This felt more like the kind of business she anticipated when coming today. Though the prior moments lingered in the back of her mind, she left it there to digest later. [break][break]
“I understand, sir. It’s an important message” she assured, hands moving to subtly flatten out the fabric of her pants, now that she wasn’t clawing at it. “I’ll be sure to keep it in mind going forward.” A brief pause, to allow herself to transition back to more familiar territory. “Now, regarding the training you mentioned, is there anything in particular I should have the Genin prepare? A skill to focus on in anticipation of the session?”
Koma Uzumaki’s eyes were a pool of still red water. Never rippling, never changing, stagnant and void. It was a gaze that unsettled her, something she caught in her own reflection on late nights. The disconnect, the shut down of life and will. Even as her gaze met his, it was almost startling how drained one little boy could look. It was an expression that left her uncomfortable as he regarded her so. [break][break]
Yes, it tugged at her heart as his hoarse voice cut through any sound from the city. Though quiet, it’s roughness was upsetting. She simply kept his gaze, keeping her steady expression, before her eyes trailed down to the bruising on his neck. He assured her it wasn’t anything severe, but it suddenly wasn’t a matter of severity to her. Though Aiko wasn’t unfamiliar with blood on her hands, she still had a heart...[break][break]
Shouldering her bag and stepping closer, Aiko took it upon herself to crouch down to Koma’s level, leaning over with her hands on her knees. Putting herself at his height with a comforting expression, she offered him a rare small smile.[break][break]
“The report would be appreciated, yes, but before that… Self care is important, and you sound like you need something for your throat” she softly remarked. “I know there’s a place that sells ice cream nearby. How about I treat you to some as a reward for your good work today?”
The Jonin Aiko found herself encountering were certainly a strange bunch. From her nonchalant, yet firm, platoon leader, to the younger Mai and her flippant attitude, it was not at all what Aiko had prepared herself for. Tilting her head a little at the idea of using the woman’s first name, she was far more hesitant than Daichi, who eagerly jumped on the chance. Was it strange to be reluctant to remove that formal barrier? She glanced at her chuckling partner, expression void of the confusion she suddenly felt. [break][break]
Well, if Aburame wished to be addressed by her first name every once in a while, it seemed Daichi was handling it at the least. While also saying something about having already mastered the quickdraw? She opened her mouth slightly, but opted against discussing that point right now. Praise in public, criticize in private.[break][break]
Regardless, moving back to the matter at hand. A game about teamwork and individual ability? It was a fair bit puzzling, until the name of the game was revealed. The unsureness of the idea made Aiko’s brow furrow a bit, until she was nudged from her thoughts by Daichi. Looking at her partner, there was no denying his excitement at the whole thing, a thrill she couldn’t deny him, honestly. Especially when she got that hint of nerves from him, stil? Perhaps it was because Mai was a full fledged Jonin…[break][break]
But Aiko was a Chunin, so- That was enough thinking about all this.[break][break]
Shifting her focus back to Mai, Aiko took a deep breath. “It sounds fascinating, sensei. A lovely training opportunity” she agreed, as her eyes traveled the space around them. “I assume it’s a game where we throw balls at each other, with the intent to dodge them? At the base level, at least?” she theorized, pondering where said balls would come from. Though as she considered it, the name Aburame loomed in the back of her mind.[break][break]
She wasn’t going to have to dodge bugs, was she? Dodge-bugs? The thought almost made her crack a smile, but she kept it contained.
He warned that he would eat them all, to which Aiko simply shook her head dismissively. Of course he’d joke about that, but she knew well and enough that he wouldn’t do that to her. At worst, he’d get carried away and might leave her with one if he wasn’t paying attention. Regardless, she wasn’t too concerned… [break][break]
Though when he praised the rice balls as perfect, she suddenly found she wouldn’t mind if he ate them all. A thought she kept to herself, aside from the barest hint of a small smile on her usually neutral face. Before she could consider eating, or plans to do this more often, she needed to get these bandages just right. Bandages that she subtly loosened at his loud bravado.[break][break]
Daichi really had a terrible habit of horribly lying, huh?[break][break]
Regardless, he’d find the bandages’ grip on his ankle loosened slightly. Just enough to continue offering much needed support, and avoid cutting off his circulation. She gently massaged the wound as she went, before tying it off. “That should do it” she quipped, before getting up and dusting herself off. She then started to pull off her coat, revealing a black tank top underneath, and better showing the crossbow set up attached to her arm.[break][break]
Sitting next to him, Aiko placed the coat - folded - in her lap and patted it promptly. “You should elevate the foot now, it’ll help with the swelling. You can put it in my lap while we eat” she explained, before reaching over to pluck a rice ball from the box. She took a bite, relieved by the taste being good. Though her mind picks out the imperfections, she doesn’t comment on them.[break][break]
“Is this something you’d like more often? Snacks for training, eating together?” she offered, not thinking much into word choice there as she patted her lap - a silent insistence for his foot to be propped up.
Taking the seat as he gestured towards it, Aiko felt suddenly very out of her comfort zone. Her handles settled in her lap, clasping each other. Though it wasn’t the first time a teacher tried to connect with her, it always left her horribly uncomfortable. As he relaxed his posture, she sat at attention, gaze on him as he spoke. Even as his brief bout of praise turned into a lecture, she kept herself seated upright. Even if it was difficult, she had to accept the punishment for her incorrect answer to his request. [break][break]
It made her skin crawl, but she kept face as his tone shifted to the sort she had expected from the get go. Granted, the serious display was much harder to take after his nonchalant attitude made itself known first. The burden of a kunoichi, of being a member of a family, of her position as a chunin; he wouldn’t let her forget. Regardless, she gave the nod of understanding the moment it was prompted from him. No hesitation, the response was prompt.[break][break]
Her eyes trailed over to the files, finally disconnecting from his gaze. A strange urge built up in her chest, causing her body to tense ever so briefly. Then he grabbed the files of the Hyuga sisters. Aiko’s muscles relaxed just as quickly, her eyes turning back to him with the vaguest hint of curiosity in them. He prompted for a response, and silence followed at first. Her mind became filled with so many thoughts it might as well have gone blank. However, she had to force something out, so the first instinctive response kicked in.[break][break]
“I apologize” she promptly started, hands squeezing together in her lap as she bowed her head slightly. “I believe I may have made the wrong impression on you, sensei. I understand full and well that I cannot offer any sort of bias or preferential treatment towards my sister. My family would frown upon it as well” Aiko assured, bringing her head up to look at him, again.[break][break]
“The Genin within our platoon, aside from my sister, are Daichi Konishi and Koma Uzumaki. Koma is the same age as my sister. His record shows he has proficiencies with jutsu commonly seen from Uzumaki family members. I haven’t interacted with his family personally, however. I’m not sure of what he is aspiring to become, or if he has a goal in mind. He rarely speaks, and doesn’t seem to be familiar with acts of kindness. I’ve been making an effort to actively approach him to remedy that. I feel it’s important.[break][break]
“Daichi and I graduated from the academy at the same time, so I’m very familiar with him and his capabilities. He has a single father, and no clan to speak of. Rather, he is aspiring to create his own clan, or reach greatness one way or another. He’s ambitious, eager to learn, and hardworking. I will say he has a habit of pushing himself too hard however - often trying to ignore injuries or exhaustion in favor of continuing training or work. He doesn’t react well to being told to give himself a break or stop outright, so I tend to either convince him to work on things that won’t strain his body, or have to remind him that rest is important for furthering his training.”[break][break]
She swallowed after her swift report, hoping to show she had already taken it upon herself to become familiar with the genin - as he had told her to do moments before.
His response is not what she expected, nor is it something she knew how to respond to at first. Her hands clasped onto her sleeves tighter as she realized her mistake, but they stayed tucked behind her back. It was quite clear then what his question had really been about - it’s meaning the one she chose to ignore in favor of the literal meaning, rather than it’s metaphorical one. [break][break]
It was enough to permanently glue a hint of pink embarrassment to her cheeks as he casually joked about the whole thing. It was an honest mistake, but she felt kind of dumb for making it. She wanted to leave the room, come back, and start all over, but it was too late for that. The shame didn’t distract her from him, though. A calm pair of nearly all white eyes stayed focused on him. The only sign of her internal dread seemed to be the color on her face. [break][break]
There wasn’t an immediate answer, even though she felt there should’ve been. She should have certainly said something by now, or now. A tension budded in her chest as she tried to find her answer. It had been a long time since someone asked her these kinds of things. Her discomfort grew beyond a tinted cheek to the hint of a frown cracking her neutral expression. What was the right answer? [break][break]
Her eyes caught the edge of Hoshiko’s file, and promptly her gaze snapped back to his. [break][break]
“I began my training to become a kunoichi at the behest of my family. It’s important to reestablish our strength after our family was scattered in the fall of Konohagakure. I’m the next to become the head of the family that has gathered here… So it is expected I lead them to a stronger future. Being a defender of Amegakure, and working alongside the strongest members of our village was seen as the best path towards ensuring my family isn’t torn apart, again” she explained, before taking a small deep breath. “Hoshiko is my younger sister. I hope to ensure her safety in her journey as well…” Her voice trailed off. It’s calm - nearly monotone - beat wavered at the mention of her sister, a sense of her desires flickering through. She swallowed back a bundle of nerves. [break][break]
With a dismissive shake of her head, the calm tone returned. “I want to protect those around me, as well as our home, sir. Nothing too complicated. I am…” Once more, the frown returned, as she grew unsure of how to answer the other question. Who was she? in a grander sense? [break][break]
“I’m not sure how to define myself in the way you’re looking for, unfortunately.”
The small pause pulled her gaze from her work to study him as she worked. Had he zoned out? Distracted by the pain? She wasn’t sure, but he seemed fine once he found his words, so it was a moment left unquestioned. Her gaze returned to his ankle as she worked in the salve. [break][break]
“Pain tolerance or no, let’s just not put more strain on it” she softly insisted, resting his foot in her lap. She turned to her kit, pulling out a roll of bandages. The compression they’d offer would certainly help with the swelling and protecting his ankle for the time being. She nodded to herself at that thought, and eyed his foot to figure out where was best to begin the wrap.[break][break]
At which point he’d find the prize of food in her bag. His excitement made her sit up a little, looking up to him. There was a hint of more to her gaze for once though, a hint of curiosity as she watched him. Would he like it? Did she make it right? Had the rice dried out, or was it still soft? She had a million questions all of a sudden, but not a single one was allowed to come out. He hadn’t even bitten into one, yet, and she wanted to know if it was good or not. It wasn’t her first time making these things, but it wasn’t often those outside of her family got to eat her cooking.[break][break]
The box was held out to her, and she gently pushed it back towards him.[break][break]
“It’s no problem, I just wanted to make sure we had something to keep our energy up today” she said, turning back to get started on wrapping up his ankle. “I’ll have one in a moment. Go ahead and help yourself, though. I should be done here shortly.” Delicately pressing her fingertips and the start of the bandage to his less damaged shin, she began the cautious work of tightly - but not too tightly - wrapping him up. “Let me know if this is too much. I don’t want to cut off your blood flow, alright?”
Watching Daichi’s quick release over and over, she was slowly gathering the spots he was struggling with. It was good to see he had gotten down the swift draw and release of a weapon, but it seemed he still needed more time to work on aiming. She herself had been working with her crossbow moments before. However, it all became irrelevant with the arrival of someone else. Jonin kunochi Mai Aburame.[break][break]
Aiko shifted her focus upon hearing the Hallo and eyed the slightly older woman curiously. A jonin since her young age, a figure Aiko was compared to by her family, it was always a little jarring to deal with this person face-to-face. Not that Aiko let that show. The younger woman merely eyed their new company curiously.[break][break]
Right up to her final offer, which got a small raise of the brow. Before Aiko had the chance to say a thing though, Daichi was already fumbling through a polite response. He seemed awfully… Timid? Nervous? Aiko glanced towards him, pondering what could’ve suddenly made him so anxious. Not that she had much time to linger on the thought as the whole situation was passed on to her, suddenly.[break][break]
“Hello, Aburame. Joint training with someone more experienced is always a good thing” Aiko quipped back, with an approving nod. “We were working on quickdraws and aiming. We’ve been at it for a bit though… So, if you’d like to work on something with us, we could switch it up” she politely offered, moving to stand beside Daichi. The Chunin offered a small belated bow to Mai in proper greeting once there.
His laidback tone was a little jarring to say the least. A strike different from ones she was used to from those above her. While not all her superiors were hard asses without a sense of humor, there were many other things that left her always expecting it. Such a thought she tried to squash and keep to herself as the older man before her chuckled so easily. The hint of confusion once on her face settled away for neutrality. [break][break]
That is until he posed the question, again. Why was she here? Had her explanation before not been clear enough, or was he prying for something else? Not knowing this jonin well enough, it left her feeling off-balanced in the moment. The question was met with her silent confusion, though her expression remained mostly unchanged outside of a slightly quirked brow.[break][break]
“To deliver the documents” she answered, though her confidence in saying it had clearly taken a hit. Her tone is quieter, almost unsure. “And help you get to know the genin we’ll be working with a bit better?” It felt like it wasn’t the right answer, and it bothered her. It bothered her more than she wanted to admit, but she kept face. [break][break]
“I thought it’d offer a different perspective than what simple data and paperwork could offer.” Even the addition to her words felt like they weren’t right when he looked at her like that. Expression so unchanging, it felt like it was asking for more, but she wasn’t sure what more to offer. Then again, he had just been rather nonchalant a moment before, so perhaps she was overthinking it.
He was far too committed to his story, to the point she decided she didn’t have the heart to tell him she didn’t believe him. Not when he seemed so anxious about it, and his injury. It wasn’t like this was anything new to her though, as Daichi seemed to have hardly changed from their school days. Going off, getting hurt somehow, and explaining how it came from some epic incident that was a little hard to believe. She always wondered why, or how, he really got hurt, but never could bring herself to ask. It didn’t seem like he wanted to tell, after all.[break][break]
Sliding the ointment over his leg, she got to work gently working on soothing his injury. It provided her a good chance to work on one of her theories, at the least. As he debated the training options she presented, some of her chakra would slowly work it’s way to her hands. Rather than doing harm though, her focus was to try and better loosen up the muscles around his ankle. She only felt confident enough to do such a thing for a moment - a warm sensation probably coming from her hands, before she eased on the effort and resumed a proper manual motion. Her hands tingle from the numbing agent kicking in.[break][break]
“Okay, we’ll work on that kind of scenario next then.” To which she’d let go of his ankle and begin to wipe off the salve on a small rag from the kit. Next came the work of making a makeshift support, with bandages being firmly wrapped around his limb. “Let’s relax for a moment though, I’m sure walking all the way over here like that was painful.” Aiko then pointed to her bag beside Daichi on the log.[break][break]
“If you’re hungry, there’s a box in my bag with some snacks I brought?” Inside of the wooden box was a few simple flavor rice balls, a simple snack she meant for if or when they’d take a breather from working out. However, it felt more fitting for him to get a small snack or something as he waited for her to finish up her patch work.
It was something of a stalemate between her and the muscle man. If she fired first, he could get the swing in before she could do much more. If he continued the swing, she’d get her shot in first. It was a far more fortunate situation for herself, thankfully, as all she needed was the one arm trained on this man to keep him in place. It allowed her attention to flick over to the barfing man slumped over weakly from the abuse his gut just endured. [break][break]
He’d probably be the first to make a move as they waited for backup to come drag off these men. [break][break]
As she considered it, Aiko’s tense expression didn’t ease for a moment, nor did her head turn as Koma approached. She simply held her hand out for the radio once it was offered. If he didn’t make the request, she would handle the matter herself. It took just a quick exchange to get a few people headed their way, a conversation she handled promptly. Now it was just a matter of waiting for them to arrive. [break][break]
“Keep an eye on that one-” she vaguely gestured towards the man recovering from puking “-while we wait.” [break][break]
It only took a few minutes for said back up to arrive though, and with it, came relief. As other shinobi handled gathering the bandits, Aiko could finally relax herself. First, she unloaded her bolt from the crossbow, and got a hold of her bag. Then her attention turned to Koma as he’d finished getting his chain back. She wandered over to him and offered a simple polite smile. [break][break]
“You did a good job there, getting out of the way and tripping the other one up. Did you get hurt anywhere, though?” she asked, while half of her hair was clearly a mess from where it had been nearly ripped out of her skull. “I’m sorry I didn’t get here faster.”
While waiting for him to grant her permission to examine his ankle, he rolled back into his story about fighting bandits. A story that was growing rather difficult to believe, but his enthusiasm left her not wanting to point it out. The only hint of her suspicion at his dishonesty was a vaguely curious look. He had quite the imagination… “Solar plexus” she gently corrected, showing she was listening. [break][break]
However, she was mostly waiting to get a chance to look at his ankle.[break][break]
But, permission be damned when he tapped the clearly injured limb on the ground. The sight made her grimace, hands darting out in a silent want to stop him when it was already too late. Her hands hovered around his leg awkwardly for a moment, before she gave up. He could be so stubborn about the strangest things. Luckily, just as she braced herself to manhandle him slightly, he would finally cave after that, saving her the effort. A sigh of relief slid out, but once more he delayed her with his follow up flirting quip.[break][break]
She tried to not acknowledge it, but a vague traitorous pink dusted across her cheeks.[break][break]
“Tough or not… Injuries need to be treated properly. You should be kinder to your body, Daichi” she softly scolded, before beginning to roll up his pant leg. Then, she carefully began removing his sandal to get a better look at his swollen ankle; a sight that made her frown a little. “. . . Much kinder.”[break][break]
Aiko cracked open the kit she had brought, and pulled out a small jar of numbing salve. “You should hold off on any intense training today. I’m sorry you had to walk all the way out here like this. We can still work on something else though. Handsign speeds, or I guess this could be a good time to work on what to do if you’re immobilized by an enemy” she offered, not wanting his effort to get out here to be for nothing. It certainly must’ve hurt to walk however far he did to get here with his ankle like this.[break][break]
“I’m going to start applying some salve and massage it a little to hopefully ease the pain a bit. Just try and keep it relaxed.”
