As the brute of the three threatened to stomp down on Koma’s head, Aiko didn’t seemingly react. Her eyes saved her the panic that could’ve come with such a sight. She knew full and well what had happened before any damage could be done. She’d have to praise the boy for his quick escape later, but now wasn’t the time to distract herself with that. [break][break]
As the muscle was temporarily disabled by his injuries, Aiko’s attention could safely split. First to the man who tried to run, only for Koma to reveal himself immediately after escaping. The runner was down for the moment, which left the chatterbox of the trio…[break][break]
There was still a muscle man between her and chatters, and right now, she was in no mood for games.[break][break]
Without warning, Aiko bolted forward, and used the water to carry her past the distracted muscle man and right into the path of ‘Chatters’. Then she lunged, the tips of her fingers glowed with the aspect of chakra before her hand found purchase in the man’s gut. He recoiled from the act, but she followed him back. She had to linger for a moment to make sure the impact made it’s purchase. Unfortunately, doing so did leave her open to his hand grabbing at her hair and ripping her head to the side. She held her ground though, gritting her teeth at the painful tug. It was all she needed to keep her place long enough to pull off her retort.[break][break]
Suddenly Chatters’s body convulsed with a sudden wave of nausea from whatever she had done. Her chakra applied uncomfortable pressure on his stomach, and caused him to reel back from her. He abandoned his charge, but not without being sent off with a kick to the gut from the angered Aiko. It was the last push he needed to suddenly lose his lunch, but she didn’t pay that mind. The muscle man was getting up, and her crossbow immediately locked on him without her so much as turning her head. She didn’t really need to, and boy did her neck hurt right now.[break][break]
“Koma, are you alright?” she called back over her shoulder, taking a moment to catch her breath. Despite the situation, her voice was merely tense, but altogether calm. “There should be a radio in my bag by the dumpsters near you. Just call for some help, so we can get these guys rounded up, if you would?”
In her eager bout to get the conversation started, a few things promptly dawned on Aiko. [break][break]
Firstly, she probably should’ve waited for a proper response to her knocking before entering the room… [break][break]
Secondly, she probably shouldn’t have spat out the greeting and questions in such a fast manner… [break][break]
Finally, she really needed to work on her observation skills. [break][break]
Anxiety bubbled in her chest as she made eye contact with a man who was simply trying to enjoy his lunch in the peace and quiet of his office. It threatened to show on her face, but the only sign of anything being wrong manifested in the wide eyed blinks of her being caught off guard. It was weird to think how such a simple thing of chomping down ramen could make someone seem so much more… human? [break][break]
Er, perhaps not the word she wanted to use. It was often hard to imagine those around her beyond the workplace setting, though. Plus, she was certainly expecting some stone faced, stoic figure, and not the rather laidback presence she was facing, instead. [break][break]
Anyways, as he addressed her, she awkwardly bowed again, to ensure he saw the manners at play. Okay, all she had to do was start over, right? Right. Only, she rose back up to the sight of him suddenly much closer, and taking the box from her arms. The act left her hands hovering in the air a little, as if unsure of what to do with them. This man had a lot of energy. [break][break]
“Oh, um” she stammered, a tint of pink to her cheeks as she tried to gather her thoughts, again. She cleared her throat, and promptly tucked her hands behind her back. “I’m sorry for intruding. You can keep eating, those aren’t too pressing, sir” she politely assured, stepping around to make it easier for them to face each other as he thumbed through the files. [break][break]
Documents on Daichi Konishi, Koma Uzumaki, Hoshiko Hyuga, as well as herself, Aiko Hyuga, made up the papers she had brought for him. Mission histories, general dossiers, some notes from herself. [break][break]
“I took it upon myself to bring you the information on those within our platoon. I’m fairly familiar with Konishi and Hyuga, Hoshiko, as well, and faintly familiar with Uzumaki… So, if there were any questions or concerns you had, I wanted to offer my assistance, or perspective” she explained, squeezing her hands tightly behind her back - as if to squeeze out her nervous energy. It felt like she was getting back her footing, thankfully.
It wasn’t something she liked doing by any means. The obligatory spars that put sibling versus sibling, with the expectation to push each other’s limits. While the battles could never get lethal, that didn’t make them any better. Having to fight her younger sister had become part of the norm, much to her displeasure. It certainly didn’t feel like the fun kind of roughhousing Aiko witnessed between other children. No fun was allowed here, nor was holding back.[break][break]
The last time she let herself lose... To put it simply, Aiko promptly learned to never do that again. If Hoshiko was going to win, it would have to be an honest win, for both of their sakes.[break][break]
Thankfully, today’s trial was done already. A bit earlier than usual, given the day’s schedule, but Aiko wasn’t about to complain about this. Parents dispersed from the scene, relatives went about their duties, and Aiko was left to clean up the mess once again. The battle hadn’t been an easy one, bearing bruises from her sister’s efforts for sure, but it still ended as it usually did. Hoshiko getting the blunt end of Aiko’s might…[break][break]
It was a thought she wouldn't linger on, as she returned to the training dojo where her sister was still recovering from the fight.[break][break]
In Aiko’s arms were two things. A medical kit to treat injuries, numb the pain, and a small wooden box - a bento box.[break][break]
“Mother and father have left for the day. They apparently have some meetings to attend. The others have gone home, so we’re done for the day” she remarked as she walked into the room. Making her way to the closest table in the dojo, Aiko busied her hands with pulling things from the kit, first. “If you’re up for it, come over here and I’ll start tending to you…” Her voice trailed off, before she turned slightly to look back at her sister, a look of apologetic pity in her gaze. “Or I can come to you. You don’t have to push yourself when it’s just us, remember?”
A new rank, a shift in platoons, and yet familiar faces…? Not to say it was a bad thing, but it was simply surprising.[break][break]
After successfully earning her rank of Chunin, Aiko found herself jarred by the new placement. She had prepared herself for adjusting to a new squad of strangers. Proper introductions, polite small talk, whatever was necessary to get her at least started in talking with them, but all that proved unnecessary the moment she saw the names on the list.[break][break]
Honestly, it was kind of a relief to see Daichi there.[break][break]
Koma was still new to her, but despite his silent demeanor, he seemed sweet?[break][break]
But all this hardly made up for the stress of seeing Hoshiko on the list...[break][break]
Aiko shook her head at the thought as she made her way through the offices to find her new platoon leader. Paperwork in tow, and profiles to deliver, she was given the simple task to establish connections here. Maybe it was a little self-imposed, but it felt like a good opener for getting to know her new commander. Small talk about the weather and food could only go so far, but talking about their team and abilities could certainly carry a conversation for hours, and be far more productive.[break][break]
She was almost proud of herself.[break][break]
Finally arriving to the office door, Aiko hoisted the box she’d brought on one hip, and knocked on the door with her now freed hand. It was the only warning he’d get, before she cracked the door open to peer inside. It was then she got a proper look at Anotsu Uchiha, the face least familiar to her out of the entire platoon. When given permission to enter further, she’d step in and politely bow in greeting.[break][break]
“Good morning, Uchiha, sir” she greeted, long purple hair swaying over her shoulder and falling into the box she was holding. She reached up to push it all back, as calm polite blue eyes would drift up to meet his gaze. “I’m Aiko Hyuga, your new Chunin. It’s a pleasure to meet you. Are you busy at the moment?”
It was a mission far from home, but one she accepted immediately. Her family was chomping at the bit the moment news of some grand beast appearing caught wind in their household. Though she had little interest in such a thing as summons and taming, her family wouldn’t let it go, even threatening to force Hoshiko to come along. The moment she was brought into this, Aiko had to accept the burden.[break][break]
As her superior found his place at the arena’s edge, Aiko was only a few steps behind, standing to his side, surveying the land. Dawning her proper uniform, but equipped for a storm, the Hyuga heiress was clearly prepared for the situation. Her crossbow tightly mounted to her arm, her arrows secure to her hip. Endlessly long purple hair was pulled back into tight braids, spun into a tight bun, to protect it all. She eyed their surroundings warily, adjusting the scarf that protected her mouth with a hint of anxiousness.[break][break]
“... There are many more showing up than I expected. Looks as though someone is already trying to start something” she quietly remarked, looking up to the jonin beside her. Though her words were then drowned out by some other jonin announcing himself the host of the occasion, and suggesting little lambs be the first to try their hand at handling the beast. Aiko didn’t bat much of an eye at it, though her gaze turned towards those around whom she was sure would feel… challenged by such a declaration.
[break][break]
TLDR: Arrived. Standing next to Anotsu. Keeping an eye out for others who may get close.
The other guys? Had he gotten into some sort of fight? The quip got a curious glance from her, but there he went - being dismissive and what have you when he was clearly hurt. It was something she had learned to not comment on over time of being around him. Nothing seemed to make his expression fall faster than those times she called him out for things like this. [break][break]
Though, it proved difficult to not say anything, as he was clearly wincing as he moved to the offered seat. Once he settled down, some of the tension in her chest eased with newfound relief. Weight off of that foot was a good thing, and now it was time to see what kind of damage he had done. As he started talking about fighting bandits, she moved to grab her bag and brought it closer to where they were settling for the moment. His story had her furrowing her brow a little, quite hard pressed to believe such a thing, but she didn’t care much to question it at the moment.[break][break]
“That must have been difficult,” she said, though it may have sounded like she wasn’t listening.[break][break]
Kneeling down beside him, Aiko opened her bag to pull out the aid kit she brought with her most anywhere. “I want to check your leg before we do anything else. Straining it could cripple you in the long term.” She reached for his injured ankle, before pausing and looking up at him. “... May I?” She motioned to his limb, indicating she planned to pull up the pant leg, touching him. The moment she was given permission, of course, she’d delicately work to free the ankle of fabric or shoe to get a look at what he’d done to it.
It was another morning, another day to get to work. The dreary atmosphere of the village proved to always leave her annoyingly sleepy at these times. Despite all her efforts, Aiko Hyuga would never be a morning person, she decided. Her groggy brain only began to stir as the caffeine from a morning coffee started to kick in. Then came the commotion in the crowd that forcibly jarred her awake.[break][break]
First came a man, rushing through and forcing groups to part, like a ship cutting through tidal waves. It took a quick shuffle of her feet to keep from being thrown off by the rude runner. It was fortunate she kept her bearings, too, as another person suddenly came dashing through with the weakest shout she’d ever heard. Thief! came the all too familiar tone of her young platoon member.[break][break]
Koma raced by, nearly knocking her aside in the process. Her head snapped around to follow him, just as the man and boy disappeared into the alley.[break][break]
As the crowd got back into its flow, ignoring the scene in favor of their own flow, Aiko would become the third ship to cut through the wave. Forgetting schedules and plans for the day, a much more important task had just come up . . .[break][break] [break][break]
As the knife was raised, it’s impact was abruptly interrupted. From the shadows, a short arrow cut through the air to pierce the man’s hand mid-swing. The blade was forcibly dropped by the impact, saving Koma from what very well could’ve been a fatal blow. The thieves’ heads all snapped up right, the man pinning Koma cursing audibly at the pain as another demanded the void to tell him what the fuck just happened.[break][break]
However, it wasn’t hard to spot her approaching in these cramped quarters. The alley offered some cover, but she had no interest in hiding herself just then. When they looked down the alley from whence they came, she was there - already loading up the next arrow to her crossbow. Her expression was colder than usual, the veins around her eyes bulging as her Byakugan showed itself fully. It was rare for Aiko to let emotion show, but it was impossible to miss her anger. [break][break]
“Let the boy go” she demanded, only to hear a gruff laugh in response. She hadn’t stopped walking towards them, even as one or two of them were running their mouths. What they were saying, or who was saying it? She didn’t know. She didn’t care much for banter; her attention was solely on creating an opening for the trapped Koma. Without another word of warning, the next bolt was fired off from her bow, embedding itself in the shoulder of the man who was still posed on top of the boy. He shouted in pain, reeling from the crippling hit.[break][break]
It was certainly enough to get him to start getting up, abandoning Koma for the moment as attention shifted towards the more aggressive Aiko. She stopped approaching then, adjusting her position to be ready to move quickly, whether they charged or not. One was lingering back, presumably to keep an eye on Koma, the other was running his mouth again, she wasn’t listening to that. The big one though, a top of Koma seemed to be the one getting ready for the charge.
O being sent to potentially encounter a mythical beast per her family's request, she's arrived in hopes of mostly playing support, rather than winning the prize.
-- with anotsu uchiha - koma uzumaki - hoshiko hyuga - daichi konishi - mai aburame
O it seems bandits are a global challenge, but at least it isn't her teammate she's saving this time, and it looks like she has a pro to help her out this time.
Arriving early was a basic necessity for her. If the meeting was at one, then she was likely there by 12:30, or maybe 12:45. It was better to be early, in case something were to happen, yes. However, such a train of thought was something she forgot others weren’t always prone to do themselves. Case and point, Daichi wasn’t late, but he certainly wasn’t here when she expected him to be. Though it made no sense for her to worry, she simply couldn’t help herself.[break][break]
Not that it was because it was Daichi, but simply because that was where her mind wandered to. Did he get stuck? Fall? Distracted? Did he forget? Her foot anxiously and gently tapped the ground as she waited. The young woman simply had to reassure herself she could worry too much sometimes, and there was no need to get worked up or something. Her hands busied themselves with unwinding her hair, then putting it back up in it’s messy bun all over again.[break][break]
Then finally footsteps. She didn’t bother turning her head as they approached, letting her eyes see who it was with her massive peripheral. Much to her relief, it was Daichi and her gaze eased. Her head turned to look at him proper, only to find the poor lad was clearly ruffled and limping towards her. Immediately she stood, a calm expression not conveying the rush of worry from seeing his state.[break][break]
She promptly approached him, furrowing her brow slightly as he so casually greeted her. “You…” she started, as if to point out the fact he was late, but she bit her tongue. Priorities, Aiko.[break][break]
“... What happened?” Her voice came out like an exasperated sigh. One filled more with worry than any hint of disappointment. As she looked him over, one of her hands drifted up to lightly pluck some fauna debris from his hair. Then she gestured back towards the log she’d been sitting on, extending an arm to offer support to him. “Come on, sit down over here. Where does it hurt?”
The Hyuga clan had shattered to pieces well before she was ever born. It scattered, across the land, with the cursed seeking freedom, and the free seeking safety. A sacred bloodline became filthy by the common man, and soon, the name Hyuga was little more than a name, no longer a title.
Despite this being a simple fact, there were those who clung to what that title used to be. Namely her parents, and closest relatives. They craved the former glory of the Hyuga estate and it’s political influence over a village that no longer exists. So, old traditions never did dare die here. While no one would carry the curse, the burden was all the same.
As the heiress of this sham, Aiko felt the brunt force of it all.
The moment she could walk, was the moment training truly began. Even before her Byakugan would manifest itself, she was compelled to learn the fight style to go along with it. Repetitive motions against elder family members and dummies filled many of her days. There was little time for play, when there was work to be done, things to learn.
The moment she could comprehend it, anatomy charts were baked into her brain. Without the Byakugan, she would simply have to manually memorize where pressure points were, was their thinking. Just like this family was a mock of what was no more, she’d simply be expected to mimic an expectation she couldn’t yet reach.
They had the stubbornness to press on with a plan, even if the child wasn’t naturally capable…
But then they said a miracle happened. The Byakugan awakened!
And the expectations would only grow.
There was no interest in hearing what she wanted at that point. No questions of what she wanted to be when she grew up. Aiko learned quickly that she wasn’t born to make a choice. She was born to be the necromancer of the Hyuga, and bring back a dead family’s glory. That was all there was to it, as her parents turned a cold shoulder to anything that wasn’t a want to be a ninja, a want to fight, or gain power in one way or another.
There was nothing left, but to quietly accept the fate beaten into her head as long as she could remember. The bitterness soured her thoughts, the constant criticisms for anything less than perfection crushed her ego. Her distaste for it all became apparent on the day her younger sister’s own Byakugan manifested. Such a sight made her cry, mourning what could’ve been her sibling’s chance to be her own person.
It was then that Aiko truly committed to her fate, accepting the burden she was born to carry. If she could do it, then there was a chance Hoshiko wouldn’t cry anymore. If she could make something out of this pile of nothing, then Hoshiko wouldn’t have to be afraid anymore.
Be damned the dreams of a simple life, as a simple wife, in a simple home. There was only a path smothered in blood and death for her.
Proficiencies
Hyuga Heiritage A child of the Hyuga, Aiko's heritage showed it's terrible face when she was just six-years-old. The Byakugan made itself boldly known, and everything was history at that point.
Byakugan The precious kekkei genkai of the Hyuga Clan. By focusing a small flow of chakra to her eyes, Aiko's field of vision evolves to a nearly perfect 360 degrees, with only a small blind spot that is a closely guarded secret. With her enhanced field of view, Aiko can also see through objects - such as walls and smoke. Also, she can see chakra networks in such a minute detail, she can spot chakra points.
Gentle Fist [APPRENTICE] A taijutsu style that goes hand-in-hand with the Byakugan, Aiko has been practicing it for as long as she can remember. With precise presses of her finger tips and bursts of her chakra, she can interrupt the flow of her opponent's chakra. Though she is by no means to the scale of shutting down a person's entire system with unseen speeds, she's fast enough to be a hindrance at first encounter.
Aiko excels at throwing off the momentum of her foes, squeaking in sudden pinches to throw off balance or delay an attack. Shutting chakra points with the pressure of her own energy is something she's gotten fairly familiar with. Anything that may cause lasting internal damage, however, requires excessive force for her fighting style, as well as a lingering touch. She's pretty good at giving muscles bruises or an agonizing, if temporary, pinch.
Stealth [APPRENTICE] Lithe and light weight, Aiko is familiar with staying quiet, and being unnoticed, specially with the usage of the Byakugan. The usage of her special gaze makes her capable of avoiding being spotted by unwelcomed company. Infiltration and sneaking into dangerous territory is something she's fairly familiar with at this point
Kyujutsu (CROSSBOW) [APPRENTICE] Wrist mounted crossbow. It's certainly not as user friendly as the normal bow, but she's become familiar enough with it to use it effectively. The arrows are smaller to fit the mount, allowing the arrows to be more discreet than a typical archer's arrow. The mount won't allow her to fire things off as fast, but options to fire from less conventional locations makes up for it, for sure. Blending well with her eyes' ability to see more than an average person's.
[attr="class","APP3"]
FATE/
Aiko Hyuga looks like Meltryllis.
Last Edit: Sept 8, 2021 17:20:53 GMT by Aiko Hyuga
