[Senju Miho]

A Serpents's Secret

I never should have come back here... Thoughts of a girl who had only just returned to the land of her birth. Two years had Miho spent outside of the village with the aspirations of becoming a Sage. Acting as an apprentice to one of the strongest shinobi within her time. Despite her more broken state of being, the girl had gone along with it as it was perhaps better than to remain and be looked upon as a possible traitor to the village. It had only been a few days since she had arrived, though Miho was already feeling some regret in not having simply ventured else where. There was no one here...not anymore...and she had spent enough time to seek them out. Her friends were gone...her family was gone...the one person she may have actually loved had been missing in action and thought for dead. There simply felt to be a hole in her heart, and that seemed to only chill her further as she stopped at the unmarked grave of those shinobi that never returned. There was a silence that lingered her, prompting Miho to touch the side of it as she recalled those relationships. All gone....save for a few...but still all gone... Clapping her hands together, the young female would give a quiet prayer, closing her eyes as she bowed her head. In moments, she'd hear the sounds of training close by, though ignored it as she focused on showing respect in this moment. Yet as something seemed to whiz swiftly in her direction, her body would sway to the side, stopping what looked to be a wooden plank from colliding into the memorial. Her hand red from the sudden impact, she'd turn to look toward the children that were clearly responsible, prompting her to take the board of wood as she began to make her way over to them. She felt almost the need to give them a lecture, yet rather than do so, she simply handed them the board. "Go...away..." The tone of voice seemed to show her desire for them to leave, prompting them to do so as the young girl would then once again make her way over to the memorial. "Forgive them....though to be fair..we weren't any better were we?" The quiet response prompted Miho to take a seat, sigh as she held a small smile. "Well..who am I kidding? I wasn't any better....you were usually so serious that I think at times I poked at you just to make you react with some kind of emotion Hanadoki...and now I think I understand why it is so much easier to simply close others off and keep them at a distance..." Yet, SPOILER: Click to show -S.A- -Jutsu used- -Tools Used-

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[Senju Miho]

A Serpents's Secret

Yet... "I guess thats easier said than done isn't it..." Brushing her hair from her face, Miho would hold a calm expression while she remained seated in front of the marker. It's granite frame shimmering in the sun as the trace amounts of gifts and flowers were left over from previous occupants. It was clear that someone always refreshed these items as to show respect for the fallen, though others were indeed heart-felt exchanges that had been here for countless years. "Anyway...I simply wished to visit..after I had heard what had happened...two years..it is a bit difficult for someone to get news from everyone...not that you and I were ever really that close..." It was true... While Miho may appeared to be civil in her conversation, the reality was that she had a deep resentment for the young shinobi when they had first met. If anything, it was due to the fact that her own vast understanding and training had greatly overshadowed her own. Their class truly looked at Hanadoki as one of the best. Perhaps due to her Uchiha origins, but also from the fact that she was so focused. Miho at that time, was no less focused than she was, though more so upon the future of her clan and becoming it's head. It caused her to be reckless in defending it's small status, and almost gave her a license to do so. Getting into fights, trying to prove herself daily. She thought herself a superior and felt slighted when it seemed as if they would not place her upon a team. Instead, they would put her in the case of a sage. Hebikai-sensei. "I would say that you might have enjoyed the Land of Snakes more so than I would though. It is a good place for self-reflection...if you can stand the dining..." SPOILER: Click to show -S.A- -Jutsu used- -Tools Used-

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[Senju Miho]

A Serpents's Secret

The silence was deafening when one considered talks with the dead. Miho was one of the few members of her class that was alive, and she could only look at this as due to her no longer being here. Most people went off on their paths and often returned to find friends and familiar faces awaiting them with developments of their own success. Miho had come to find friends that were either missing or no longer among the living. A shallow view, but with what she had left behind from her own journey being just as grim, it was hard not to have such a view-point. Seating herself down, her eyes would look to the side as she began to retrieve the orbs from around her neck, releasing a breath toward the promise she had made in finding herself and perhaps one day returning. A promise that she may never be able to keep. Perhaps they were aware of that, but it still felt like a hollow notion that she could ever be a sage like her sensei. "Shiratama...I..really hope that you do not hear this...I am actually hoping that you might simply appear like you always did..." Speaking softly, her mind would give her a vision of the boy. His headband glimmering in the sun, his wide grin looking toward her as he hoisted her upon her back. "The truth is...I never was...I didn't..." The words were there, but she struggled with saying them as she felt as if a lump had been formed inside of her throat. "A part of me...wishes that I didn't leave....considering the circumstances...if I had stayed then maybe you wouldn't have taken so many risks...and now..." Resting her hands upon her lap, the young female would then lower her head as she shook her head. "They told me that they never found a body...so I have hope that you are okay...and that you'll come back one day...but I do not know if I will ever be the same person I was when I left...I've...changed...and not completely for the better..." Allowing her gaze to shift to the side, the young woman would reflect upon her time away, her grin as she looked up toward the lady in red beside her, her thoughts hanging to her every word as they walked together. "But I suppose..in order to explain that...I should start at the beginning...but then..you did seem to like stories...so I'll tell you this one...if only that you keep it to yourself..." SPOILER: Click to show -S.A- -Jutsu used- -Tools Used-

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[Senju Miho]

A Serpents's Secret

Moment Music It had been roughly four years ago...and Miho's journey with Hebikai had been only the second outing since their first approach to the Ryuchi caves. It had been extended swiftly after the events of her Clan's apparent betrayal of the village and while the youth was still reeling from it, her own desire to try and reclaim some sense of honor for her family had been her drive to push forward. Or at least, she had made herself believe. In truth, she was still broken. Had been for months after it happened and she returned to find the chaos within the complex. There was little that remained of it when the blaze of flames had been settled and she was the last remaining member. The village had put her under watch, and had been more than a bit skeptical in allowing her any active duties or missions due to their belief that she could still be a traitor. Though through the influence of both Chono and Hebikai, and the fact that she had not even been in the village upon the start of the coup attempt, they had little basis to have such thoughts. The fact that she was an apprentice to the Sage perhaps had given her more leeway, as upon the claim that her training had to be completed, the girl was allowed leave from the village for two years. Her probation would be conducted by Hebikai and if she acted in a way that would prove treason, she was to be killed. The woman had told her as much, and after seeing what the woman could due, Miho believed her... The venture to the caves would only take a few days, so the woman decided that detours was the best means in which to help develop her abilities and control in Senjutsu. But the girl's focus was still lacking...still elsewhere... Something that Hebikai knew... So in perhaps a way in which to take her mind off the past, they would come upon a village that laid in the center of Hi no kuni months into the trip. "So what are we doing here?" "We are here to return a favor...I was asked to assist in a minor issue involving the medical herbs that had been taken from Konohagakure and seeming to cause a more than distressing rash..." "What? What does that have to do with my sage training?" "Does everything have to revolve around you?" Raising her brow, Miho would shrug her shoulders as she then allowed her eyes to roll slightly. She was being impatient. "Hebikai-sensei! I should be learning what it means to be a sage! I have to.." "Is not helping those of Hi no kuni not part of that? Or do you believe to know better than I? Remember that you are still an apprentice..." "It just seems like a waste of time..." "You say that at ever stop we make...what would you be doing if you were back at home? I imagine it would involve wallowing..." Miho would raise her brow as she released a breath in silent agreement. SPOILER: Click to show -S.A- -Jutsu used- -Tools Used-

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[Senju Miho]

A Serpents's Secret

"Since we have begun our journey you have been lacking in your training. Your thoughts are restless and it shows in your level of control...in your techniques...you need to take your mind off certain thoughts and this is one way to do so..." Hebikai would place her hand upon the girl's shoulder, allowing her motherly nature to take hold as she smiled down at the girl. "Aiding others that have far more concerns than yourself may help...they are in need and we can help them...so let us do so..." "I...I'm not a medic.." "Well..you aren't a sage either...but I do not see you stopping from trying to be...hmm?" Tilting her head to the side, the older female would continue to lead the way, prompting Miho to follow after her as they came upon the village square. It wasn't exactly different from any other village she had ventured to. If anything, it was more rural than most. How Hebikai expected her to be of help here was beyond her, but she figured that if the woman believed in her abilities, maybe she could do something. Coming closer to one of the huts, the woman would stop short before pulling out what looked to be gloves as well as masks. "Put these on and do avoid touching anything...we do not know the extent of which this herb has spread or the damage in which it could cause if exposed to us..." Doing as told, the youth would put upon the protective gear and soon enter into the structure behind her master. There was certainly a lot of people laid up on mats. Many of which were injured or perhaps dealing with a certain level of infection. From her looks into Hebikai's books, she could tell that much. But the degree of it was still a mystery. "Lady Hebikai! Thank you for coming!" "It was of no trouble...tell me of the progress of the infection..." As the young man would look upon the older female, his expression shifted to that of the brunette, leading to Miho raising her hand up with a raised brow. "Ummmm...yo?" A simple greeting from Miho seemed to detour any awkwardness, though the man seemed to shift his gaze back to Hebikai as she nodded toward him. "Its okay...this is my apprentice Adachi Miho..." "What happened to Duck?" There was a lingering silence from both Miho and Hebikai, leading to the man seeming to realize the situation without either of them having to say a word. "Come this way..." SPOILER: Click to show -S.A- -Jutsu used- -Tools Used-

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[Senju Miho]

A Serpents's Secret

The young female would remain silent as she followed behind her teacher and her associate, though her gaze would shift between the faction of people that appeared to be getting treated here within the isolated location. They each seemed to have a strange glaze within their eyes, a rash that was slowly working it's way across their bodies that was almost scale-like in appearance. It was certainly one of the few stranger things she had noted in her travels with the Snake sage, but she very well couldn't say just what the cause could be related to it. After all, it was all foreign to her and her knowledge was limited to only small illness. Which even then, she couldn't very well explain those. But much like usual, the older female seemed not phased by it. In fact, she had gone so far as to touch one of the patients, displaying a tender care in her demeanor as she comforted them. In doing so, she also created a dialogue, asking them how they were feeling and if they were in a certain level of pain. The answer seemed obvious, but she had heard that allowing for someone to actually talk about their emotions helped to ease them. Observing the woman at work, Miho began to feel more and more like she was in the way. At the very least, she felt that she might just be a distraction. Of course, before she would somewhat slide out, Hebikai would call out for her, prompting her to reluctantly come closer. "This is my apprentice Miho, she'll be working with me to help you today.Here...take a look at this...notice the pattern across the skin and it's appearance. What would you make of it?" Miho would keep her eyes wide, prompting her to then raise her brow as she then looked down. As she examined it, she'd then blink as she had no real answer. "Um...that their rash look like lizard scales?" "Precisely...very good...this is known as Ichthyosis vulgaris...or Fish-scale disease...It is usually only prompted due to a genetic defect or through reaction to certain medications. It is also known to cause a few other side effects are known. Though it can also be related to matters affecting the kidneys or Thyroid...This will be your assignment..." "Wait what?!" "You will take good care of him...we know that it is likely that the relation to this reaction was due to the herbs in which were provided to them. Now, we work toward finding the connection for each individual patient...this will be yours..." SPOILER: Click to show -S.A- -Jutsu used- -Tools Used-

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[Senju Miho]

A Serpents's Secret

Miho had never been more horrified in her life, but as Hebikai-sensei left her to work, it appeared that this was hardly a joke in which the woman was playing on her. A bead of sweat slid down her face, prompting the man laid upon the mat to perhaps feel a bit nervous himself as he coughed into his hand. "You'll find out whats wrong right?" This drew the teen back into the situation, pulling her from panic as she nodded swiftly. "Yes! This will be easy...don't worry! I gotcha!" The female would hold up her hand as she began to check out his symptoms, her eyes narrowed as she considered the possibilities. They knew that the rash was connected to the herbs, but that could very well be said for all of these people. But this person specifically had to be treated to suit his own needs. At that moment, the girl was wishing that she had paid more attention to her teacher's lessons as she began to consider just what it was that she had to do. She'd review the data first, her eyes looking over the notes made upon his chart, scanning the language before she'd then begin to pace back and forth. There was little space for her to move, but she'd be sure to not stray too far from the patient. "So how were ya feeling when this started?" "I mean...I was thirsty...does that help?" "Sorta...dehydration might be a symptom..." "Of what?" Not sure what to say, Miho grew quiet as she began to put the chart down as she released a breath. "Not sure yet...but I'll figure it out..."

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[Senju Miho]

A Serpents's Secret

Hours seemed to pass...and Miho had run just as many tests as could be expected with such limited resources. In truth, she was trying to figure out just what she needed to look for, and so far nothing had really peaked in her research in the least. Before long, the youth was outside of the tented area, her eyes closed as her mask hung from around her neck. Releasing a breath, the girl would mutter something beneath her breath, brushing her hair back as her head moved from one side to the next. "I have no idea whats wrong with this guy..." "Sure you do..." The familiar voice would come up from behind her, displaying Hebikai-sensei not too far from her, smoke escaping from between her lips as she released a drag from one of her usual cigarettes. It was a wonder how someone who practiced health, would take upon such a habit. But then again, Miho had her own ways of destressing, so perhaps that was just the only way she knew how to. "No I don't...I can't find any connection between the symptoms that would cause for scale-like complexions like this...." "Think it through...there were many clues presented to you during your investigation..." Releasing yet another drag, the older female would walk around to now be standing in front of the teen, her expression calm as she crossed one arm over her chest. "Think back...what was one of the first things that was told to us upon our arrival..." Miho would blink, hands resting beneath her head as she gestured one hand to the side as she spoke. "The infection seemed to happen after the delivery of the herbal remedy you presented to them..."

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[Senju Miho]

A Serpents's Secret

The woman would nod, seeming to gesture for her to continue... "But..what was the herbal remedy for?" "Mild skin irritation...There were small causes of rashes occurring within the villagers and they had been only residing until recently..." "So it couldn't have been the herbal treatment..." "Why is that?" "Becauses the rashes would have been still apparent...if anything, their replaced by the scales..." Miho would rise up to her feet, her hands resting upon her hip as she began to pace from one side to the next. "What if....what if this isn't simply a bacterial infection or a..a..mild skin irritation.." "Go on..." "Is it...is it possible that this is more like a mutation?" That was certainly a stretch, and Miho knew it was the moment the words escaped her lips. A mutation could amount to anything from someone being born with one toe, to something similar to her own where her eyes could change color when direct light. It could scale from small to extreme, in which case, this being an extreme one. The numbers were small enough that, but if she was right...then what was the course of treatments. Not to mention the cause? It was certainly the thing that Hebikai-sensei was waiting for her to reveal...

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