[raika hyuga]

406 words Hisana

Raika calls out with delight when she comes back to one of her favorite eating spots in all of Konoha, a rather tumbledown kind of place, but that was just the type of restaurant she'd been used to back when she'd lived in Kawa. She was proudly holding aloft the Chuunin flak jacket, a clear reason for her celebratory attitude as she steps inside. She was still a little battered and bruised after the Chuunin Exams, or at least a little sore, but at least she had been healed effectively while she'd been in Akazaya.

"A round for the whole restaurant on me, man! Let no one say that Chuunin Raika doesn't remember where she came from!"

Her smile gets brighter when the restaurant gives a cheer, if not for her, than at least for the free drinks. She's proudly flaunting the proof of her rank increase all around, sitting atop a table and giving a... mostly faithful retelling of how she'd won the Chuunin Exams, and to such a degree that even the Raikage herself suggested her promotion to a higher rank. If even half of the things she said was true, it was a surprise she hadn't stated that all of the Kage had come together to have her promoted. Of course, some embellishment was to be expected: Raika was comparatively inexperienced as a shinobi, and while she wasn't quite as self-important as other Hyuga, she still had a bit of their bravado and pride, though she was far less pompous and severe compared to most of her kin.

She almost doesn't even realize that another shinobi is in the restaurant as well, but she sees the other woman and gives her a big cheer, although she seems somewhat engrossed in her book, giving her a big wave.

"Maybe you'll be the next one to go to the Chuunin Exams! You'll be sure to make Konoha proud when you do!"

Although she'd earned herself the Chuunin flak jacket, she was still wearing her old outfit of a pair of coveralls, though this one was less bulky and was orange instead of black like her old coveralls had been. Her Konoha headband was jostled as it hung loosely around her neck, but she didn't seem to mind. She was also wearing a bright yellow jacket, one with the symbol signifying the Winter Chuunin Exams of 1023, Raika's first and last Chuunin Exams she'd ever participated in.

”

by Pinn @ THQ

[Hisana]

Hisana had chosen the restaurant for its lively nature more than its status. That it was inexpensive also came with its own charm.

She sat in some random booth, not isolated to a corner but pushed along a wall and out of the way. Cold miso sat before her, the bowl of soup left mostly untouched in favor of what remained of a salad she had been picking at previously. Her food, though, remained forgotten, finished but not taken from her as she focused on her book.

She seemed out of place, and not only because of the textbook she was studying. She was dressed in rather formal silks, elaborate layers of her kimono draping her behind a soft blush of spring pinks and yellows. Beyond the fancy floral robe she seemed quite placid and still, a little spot of calm and quiet amid the otherwise celebratory din of the restaurant.

That does not change when Raika barges in to rile up the locals even more. She finishes the sentence she was reading and moves a painted fingernail to point to her last spot. Blood red eyes then lift from the page and flit over to the new source of energy.

Her lips pull into a little smirk at the mention of free drinks, a small glance given to her water.

Hisana spends a moment listening to the bravado, but doesn’t make it through the whole story before her mind turns back to her studies. Her eyes also return to the page and resume their reading, leaving the page again only when she is called out for being a shinobi.

It was no secret, sure, but it was not something she openly advertised. Even her headband was hidden, but those of Konoha tended to know of her, even if only for her formal manner of dress, and pointy ears.

The look in her eyes said she was unamused, but she offers a small and polite smile in reply, paired with a respectful nod of her head. That done, her attention again returns to her book.

[raika hyuga]

332 words Hisana

Raika is a bit perturbed when her exuberance is practically ignored by the other kunoichi at the restaurant, wondering if perhaps she had been a little too exhilarated, but the other patrons of the restaurant seem to enjoy her humor and her bravado, so it must be simply that this stranger is a bit more odd. She gives the other fair-weather friends a farewell, and goes to sit down across from the other shinobi, curiously peering at the book. It's a bit difficult to read upside-down like this, but a quick use of her Byakugan tells her that this textbook is one of those dry medical texts that she'd had to start with when she'd wanted to learn more about the medical side of shinobi life.

Of course, she was still personally involved in that lifestyle, but learning more about medical practice was always a bit too boring for the rather rambunctious Hyuga, who almost always preferred learning by doing or by activity than with just words on a paper. In reality, she knows both are necessary, but of course that doesn't mean she has to like the reading and testing portions of her medical training.

"You know, as a medical ninja myself, you should know that this type of learning isn't actually very helpful without some hands-on training, too. The books are a poor substitute for learning the physical method."

She'd used such an excuse when she had been training with Shikajin, and he'd responded with dropping a dead fish on a table for her to try and keep alive and heal it with her chakra, which she'd been mostly unsuccessful with, but which had helped her to much better understand how to heal with chakra rather than with more simple medical training. She hoped such a thing wouldn't happen again, but she felt she'd had enough medical training of various other kinds since then that she'd be capable of keeping the fish alive out of water for much longer, possibly indefinitely.

”

by Pinn @ THQ

[Hisana]

As the stranger approaches Hisana looks up from her book. She wasn’t surprised another shinobi would want to join her, though she never came to such places to draw a crowd. She enjoyed being a part of the background.

Her hand moves away from her book to rest on her folded tessen sitting on the table beside it. She picks up the weighty fan and slides it off the table, setting it in her lap before Raika is near enough to sit. Once she does she has Hisana’s attention.

She listens for a moment, then offers a small nod before her words. "You are not wrong, though I have no complaints. I’ve only just begun to actually focus on biology and physiology, but it is at least an interesting topic. Reading through the book what strikes me most is how very resilient our bodies are.”

She offers a soft gesture to the book. The topic was easy enough to pick out, even without reading the words there were diagrams and drawings that provided obvious context.

"We are these odd wet sacks of organs supported by bones and interlocked in this precarious balance of fluids and gasses, and yet we continue to endure after even grievous injuries. Oftentimes without the aid of a medic. We can lose limbs, organs, bones, and just keep on going.”

She takes a moment to pick up her water as she speaks, holding it gingerly.

"I’m not sure how I would put this knowledge to practice, though. I am Hisana, by the way.”

She takes a small sip after she’s done introducing herself and then sets her water down again. Suddenly not fixated on her book her eyes travel over to her forgotten lunch again. Her lips pursed slightly as she decides it is cold, and without much of a second thought she turns her attention back to Raika.

[raika hyuga]

428 words Hisana

Raika seems to be giving a blank stare as the stranger kunoichi explains her fascination with the resilience of the human body. It almost seems as though she's not even paying attention, but when she speaks, it's clear that she's very cognizant of the other woman's train of thought, but has her own view of the situation of the human body, one that runs somewhat counter to the thoughts that Hisana seems to be finding fascinating with the study of biology and physiology.

"And yet humans are so very fragile. So much as a scratch can lead to certain doom, or the loss of an eye, or the loss of a limb. And the human body ceases to function if it doesn't ingest water at least once every three days, or intake oxygen once every three minutes, or food every three weeks. Humans are frail, and reliant on the kindness of strangers to continue their survival."

Such a point of view seemed somewhat at odds with her previously spirited demeanor when she'd come into the restaurant, but now introductions were in order, because the other woman finally furnishes her with a name, and her blank stare becomes a bright smile as she introduces herself as well.

"I'm Raika Hyuga, Meathead of the Hyuga clan, and also the princess of the same clan."

She notices the look of derision that Hisana gives her cold food, and she waves to get the attention of a server girl, whom she also provides with an order of ramen for herself, a bowl of hiyashi chuka, a bowl that she'd had very rarely when she had been living in Kawa. Perhaps it was because of her time in Kawa that she viewed humans very differently than Hisana seemed to; she'd seen many men, even strong men, die poor deaths in the swampy marshes that made up Kawa's general climate. Anything the mosquitos or the sickness didn't get, the crocodiles or the cannibals would eventually. Death was a common occurrence in the small village, and the only thing keeping it back had been the breeding rates of the backwater folk and the rare visit to the witch doctors that had treated disease with poultices that she knows now were mostly there just to provide relief from the pain while the sufferer died anyway. What illnesses the witch doctors could cure was limited by their environment and the few supplies they actually had access to, and she didn't blame them at all for doing all that they could to just prevent harm rather than cure it.

”

by Pinn @ THQ

[Hisana]

”Hmm.. You’re not exactly wrong, though I think you are selling humans short. Like judging a shark out of water. Could be quite the large one, too, flopping and gasping while someone calls it frail.”

She offers a small shake of her head. "I think the contrary. Though I can’t say I’ve yet been in a position to test my ideas there. .. Hmm.” She mutters, then offers a small shrug with her pause. "Regardless, it is good to meet you. I’m afraid I’m something of a wallflower so I don’t often get to meet many others.

And a Hyuga. A name I’ve heard of. I think I’ve even met a few of your family in the academy. I think..” she pauses and recalls what she had heard like it was the answer to a test. After she does she nods to herself and leaves it all unsaid. There wasn’t much point in her rattling off commonly known information.

She sits back in her chair some as she inspects the chuunin, judging her quite strong based on her appearance and her name. She definitely had some muscles on her. She made Hisana look quite frail in comparison, and though she would make a fine example for how strong humans were, Hisana had moved on from that.

Figuring she might not get a chance to experiment like this again she shifts to a subject only hinted at previously.

"Does this mean you enjoy martial arts? You do look quite strong, though I am forced to wonder how much of what I've heard is just myth and legend.”

[raika hyuga]

334 words Hisana

Raika does find it a bit funny that her statement about humans is taken to a comparison of a shark out of water, but technically, humans exist in such a state constantly, since any cut could potentially kill them. She did have a point about breathing, eating, and drinking being more similar to the shark metaphor, though. She pays a bit more attention when Hisana brings up that she'd met another Hyuga in the Academy, and she wonders if it was Tamiko or another Hyuga she might have been introduced to. She'd never heard Tamiko mention this woman, though, so perhaps it was one of the Hyuga she'd had much less interaction with, and that was certainly possible. She's honestly a little surprised when the topic of conversation shifts to her favorite topic: herself. Of course, it's a happy surprise for her, especially when the other woman mentions myth and legend, which was very flattering for her to think that her strength is a matter of myth and legend.

"Oh yes, I enjoy the martial arts a lot, and I think you'd find I'm very strong, possibly one of the strongest Chuunin in Konoha..."

As far as Raika knows, this isn't merely a boast. She certainly thinks she was one of the physically strongest in the most recent Chuunin Exams, although some troubling little voice in her mind recalls the strength she'd felt from that strange gorilla girl that she'd had to fight against during the Chuunin Exams, but she puts that thought out for now. After all, Raika had specified that she was the strongest Chuunin in Konoha for a reason.

"But I have to know how it feels to meet the subject of myths and legends? You certainly seem more than just passively interested in me and my physicality..."

This bit of teasing is matched with a wink aimed at the other woman, though she was currently in a relationship with Hibana, and she wasn't really interested in ending that bond anytime soon.

”

by Pinn @ THQ

[Hisana]

The wink is met with the slow rise of a carefully shaped eyebrow, her baleful red eyes holding as much derision as she had given her cold leftovers moments before.

"Ehh..”, she starts, skepticism filling her tone. She continues on in much the same manner, not offended but clearing up a misunderstanding. She makes a soft gesture of her empty hand towards Raika. "I assure you, my only interest in your body is engaging it in a fight. You’ve muscles, yes, but you are far from… My Type.”

The same hand makes a small dismissive gesture of the previous topic, a backhanded wave as she transitions more into what she desired. It wasn’t a girlfriend. The very concept of romance was from her mind. No, she had been contemplating the death of her enemies, not bedding her allies. Breaking hearts for her was much more about swords than words.

At least for now.

She tips her head aside just slightly as she examines the Hyuga again. "I have always heard that your family is known for its martial prowess. That you are a chuunin is good, I’m sure at worst that means you will provide a challenge, and at best you will just simply run circles around me. I’m not sure I would learn as much fighting against other genin.”

She settles back in her seat again as she speaks, unfriendly eyes settling on Raika in a condescending manner. At least that is always how it seemed. Just the angles of her face and lips, the color of her eyes. She had resting evil villain face.

[raika hyuga]

354 words Hisana

Although a bit disappointed that her teasing had fallen flat and been effectively dismissed by the stranger, Raika wasn't too beaten up about it. She already had a girlfriend, after all, and didn't really need another one. Especially since Hibana was just such a handful. It's still a bit of a blow to her ego, but she's not going to dwell on it, either. So she simply shrugs at the dismissive response from the Genin and replies in an almost similarly dismissive manner.

"Oh well, your loss."

The response she gets from the younger woman certainly causes her to raise an eyebrow in much the same way that Hisana had done so at her suggestion of her bedding the other woman. The Hyuga clan was definitely famous for its Taijutsu prowess, almost as famous as its highly specialized doujutsu, with its extremely powerful vision. It was therefore quite surprising for her that this Genin thought so highly of herself that she thought that there might be a chance that Raika would merely be a challenge for her, rather than the other extreme that she does also bring up; that Raika herself might run circles around the kunoichi.

The condescension is something Raika is used to, though it was normally coming from her own family in the Hyuga clan, at least the most conservative members that didn't much enjoy the new direction that the clan was already headed. But then, they mostly hated Raika because of her headstrong nature and her completely different method of fighting. It's also a small blow to her ego that the "myths and legends" Hisana had been referring to had been exclusively the myths and legends surrounding her clan and not specifically her. Truly, quite a disappointment for the Chuunin that had worked so hard for recognition on her own merits. But this means that Hisana has, indirectly, provided a method of earning the recognition from the kunoichi across from her.

"Then I'll be happy to teach you a lesson sometime, free of charge."

Her tone is jovial, but the smile she sends back to Hisana's stare is rather more cynical.

”

by Pinn @ THQ

[Hisana]

Her loss? Hisana pauses a moment to give Raika a carefully measured stare. She was not trying to offend, but Hisana was not the most social of creatures. Perhaps she was making a joke.

Still, she listens, and after a moment she tries to scoot around what may have just been an unspoken threat.

"I see. I would be most appreciative. Truly. Practicing kata against imaginary foes only carries one so far. Like reading a book”, she says quietly and gestures to the medical book she’d been studying. "Without practical application it is just words on a page.”

Set sets her hand in her lap again afterwards, laying it on her fan. She traces her fingers over its steel idly. Crimson eyes remain narrow and focused in an unfriendly seeming manner on the Hyuga.

"This, though, I understand how to apply. I rather enjoy it, too. It is probably second to reading. A good fight. Though reading is still quite nice.

It’s not quite so loud and exciting, though.”

[raika hyuga]

323 words Hisana

Raika raises an eyebrow at the apparent intimidation tactic of the other woman across from her while the waitress delivers her food and drink to the table for the new Chuunin to eat, and the Hyuga graciously thanks the girl. She keeps watch of this Hisana woman through the corner of her eye, but she eats the food quickly. The exams had clearly tired her out, not to mention the stress of having to compete with so much difficulty; the Genin pool of this particular exam had apparently included quite a few contenders and required someone to really put in the work to stand out.

The gesture of one of the other woman's hand going down under the table where she can't see it without activating her Byakugan, which she generally just doesn't do in polite company, is somewhat odd. But the later clarification that she means the fight is more understandable, and she nods appreciatively of the statement that a fight is better than practicing with oneself, and she compares it to reading, which makes sense. The two are very similar; with practicing by yourself, you're only understanding a portion of the training, just as with only reading about medical practice. The further statement that it's a lot more fun and exciting is another thing they have in common, as well.

"Mmmm. And here I thought you didn't like excitement."

Raika can't help but to smile a little at the teasing statement before she decides she'd better set a date and time for them to do this training spar, since the other woman seemed up for it at the moment. She pauses again in her eating to be able to suggest just that; in her experience, if you don't set a date or a time, then nobody will take it seriously, and it just goes poof.

"All right, so how about we do this next week, same day, around three in the afternoon?"

”

by Pinn @ THQ