[Hiesin Mairusu]

TAKE ME TO VALHALLA WHERE MY BROTHERS WAIT FOR ME

Three days had come and pass and it felt like a whirlwind and and time stopping all at once. That feeling of natural energy coursing through his body, only a minute amount of it, had never left the boy's mind and he wanted so badly to achieve that sensation once more, and he was determined to do so. Alas, it wasn't going to come easy, that much the Sage had made perfectly clear to him but to make matters worse Mairusu was going to have to find the woman's house of all things to even begin his training. What's more, there was another person who was going to be training with them. Would they start without him if he got lost? Would he have to wait if the opposite happened? Was there a time limit for how long he had to find the woman's house? There were so many variables and questions yet the only answer was... to just show up and find out.

So here the genin was once again, standing at the edge of the woods staring into the green abyss waiting to take his first steps into who knew what. "Alright Mairusu you got this. Besides, how hard could it be to find a house in the middle of the woods? It's gotta stand out somethin' serious." The boy would tell himself as he began his trek. There were plenty of gnarly plants that called the forest home that he'd have to watch out for, so as much as he wanted to zip his way through the trees it probably wasn't a good idea. Then again, the genin wanted to make decent headway before it got dark, and considering how the canopy did an already too good job of blocking out the sun during the day the last thing Mairusu wanted to do was be walking around the woods in the dark.

▲

WORDS ● TAGGED ● NOTES

deltra of gangnam style

[Kimura Inari]

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The wood was hell to navigate if you took the wrong path, but Inari was retracing her steps from when she had first run into the Sage. Now she was supposed to find her house once again and this time she was meeting someone else, too. A teammate. A friend reaching for the same energy and strength the Sage had promised that Nature might lend them. If they were worthy. Otherwise they, too, would turn to stone as many had done before them. They could simply be an echo of a history doomed to repeat itself.  But! The boon which stood to be gained for Inari was one she could not deny yearning for.  [break][break]
Inari's steps fell without sound on the forest floor as she made her way through it, passing the place she had helped the deer kid out of the rope trap, further and further until a sound made her stop, pressing into the shadow of a tree for a moment, as she looked for the source. Another person. He was a bit younger than she was, but looked pretty searching. Was it him? Her teammate? It had to be. Well, there was only one way to be sure. [break][break]

Inari stepped out of the tree's shadow and followed quietly after the teen  for a few steps, before she spoke; [break][break]

 "You are pretty deep into the wood. Are you looking for Kasumi as well?"[break][break]
If not, well, then they could part ways and she could keep going to where she needed to be - after making sure this stranger didn't follow her. Kasumi didn't strike her as one who wanted unexpected visitors often. And if he was indeed looking for Kasumi? Inari would beam a bright smile at him as she presented herself. [break][break]

"Oh that is great! We can find her together. I am Kimura Inari~"

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Inari + Kasumi + Mairusu

made by gimmick

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[Hiesin Mairusu]

TAKE ME TO VALHALLA WHERE MY BROTHERS WAIT FOR ME

A smarter man would have done better to retrace his steps to stay on the most familiar path, but when the trees in every direction looked the exact same maybe that wasn't an option in the first place. No no, it had to be, otherwise even someone as great as Kasumi would get lost in all this dense forest. Then again, considering that she willingly chose to live out here probably meant that didn't mind occasionally wandering around until she found her bearings; or maybe that crazy power of hers could help her find her way home. He'd definitely have to ask.

This was of course assuming that he could find the damn place to begin with as what he imagined a home to be and what the Sage probably called home were surely two vastly different things. Unless of course she found a way to get running water and electricity all the way out here. A small sigh left the genin's lips as he wondered just how many creature comforts were about to be left behind once the training began. Kasumi had already warned the boy that his ties to those in the village, and perhaps even the village itself, would be secondary compared to nature and protecting it; a sentence that was still doing laps in his head.

The softness of the forest floor mixed with Mairusu's own fleeting thoughts left the boy ignorant to the extra shadow he had picked up in the form of Inari. It wasn't until a seemingly out of nowhere voice came from behind him did the boy notice that he was being tailed and quickly spun around with a startled look on his face. His heart now beating in his ears he nearly missed the question about Kasumi, but hearing the woman's name brought him back to center. "Uh... yeah, I am." The genin replied looking at the woman. She was definitely older than him and also seemed more experienced somehow. He had never seen her in the village before but Konoha was a big place so that didn't mean much.

He honestly hadn't expected to run into the other trainee so soon but if it meant not having to wander around alone for however long it took to find the Sage's home then it was fine by him. "That'd be awesome. The last time I was out here I got lost pretty quick." The boy added with a sheepish grin.

"Nice to meet you Inari, my name's Hiesin Mairusu."

▲

WORDS ● Kimura Inari ● NOTES

deltra of gangnam style

[Kimura Inari]

[nospaces]

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The stranger would confirm that he was indeed the one she was seeking. Greetings and names would be exchanged and then silence would reign between them for another moment. He somewhat fit what she had expected, especially since he and Kazui supposedly were friends. Inari would wave him along, perhaps she had a better chance at guiding them to the home of the Sage, she had often roamed these forest paths after all.  [break][break]
"Mairusu, friend of Kazui, right? She mentioned you."[break][break]
Inari would ask, a small smile on her lips as she started to walk through the trees once again. The scents and sounds of the forest were some best enjoyed in silence, but good teammates knew a little about each other - at least in most normal cases. Inari had never had the same shinobi experience as everyone else, she had only had her genin team and then it had been disbanded when they all reached the rank of chuunin and Inari had found herself in the middle of the shadowy business of the village's ANBU division. As she seemed to be the oldest of the two, she already felt a certain sense of responsibility. He was younger, perhaps even closer in age to the stone statues in the graveyard than she was. [break][break]
The duo made their way through the forest, ducking under branches, avoiding bramble bushes and other plants which weren't the most pleasant ones to make contact with. "I am fairly certain it is just over that rise there." She pointed towards a point where the terrain rose and there the trees seemed to stand even closer with branches weaving in and out of each other. Inari didn't make much conversation as she was busy walking and trying to decide if left or right, forward or back was the right way to go.  

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Inari + mairusu

made by gimmick

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[Hiesin Mairusu]

TAKE ME TO VALHALLA WHERE MY BROTHERS WAIT FOR ME

A brow raised at the mention of the Uchiha, the kid surprised to hear her name all the way out here. The orange haired woman seemed a decent amount older than him so it begged the question of how she and Kazui would have ran into each other, and more specifically how his name came up at all. Then again, the last time they hung out he had mentioned wanting to find the Sage for training so he supposed it wasn't all that much of a mystery. "Y-Yeah I know her. We were in the academy around the same time, though I graduated a bit before her." He'd reply before taking a moment to wonder how she was doing. No doubt living in the training grounds if he guessed and since the last thing he wanted was to let that woman pass him up it was even more imperative that the sage training begin asap.

"How do you know her?" Mairusu would ask quizzically. He couldn't even begin to think of reasons why their paths would have crossed but even as big as Konoha was it seemed that everyone was only an acquaintance or two away from knowing everyone else. The two would mostly walk in silence as they traversed the monotonous landscape that Inari seemed to be moving through with surprising ease. Mairusu was sure he would have gotten himself stuck in a thorn bush or chased by a bear by now and he was glad to have someone who at least looked like they knew what they were doing.

In time the orange haired woman would speak proclaiming that their destination was on the other side of some elevation and he was both overjoyed and a bit nervous at being so close. The trees looked almost as if they were standing guard being so close, eerily alive but still so very silent. "Oh hell yeah, I can already taste the training!" He exclaimed with jubilation. This had been a dream of his for some years now and for it to nearly come to fruition was an indescribable feeling.

▲

WORDS ● Kimura Inari ● NOTES

deltra of gangnam style

[Kimura Inari]

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She chuckled at his question about how she knew Kazui. Inari had found herself as the senior in the group of girls, quite a bit of a struggle sometimes for her, but she loved the two all the same. "I met Kazui through a mutual friend." That was the short answer anyway, she had trained the girl one time at the request of Kazuto, but didn't really interact more with her before Miho introduced them properly. Something about Kazuto training the Uchiha and Miho leading up to the Chuunin exams, Inari never poked her nose in Kazuto's private business much. It was his and too close a relation could lead to questions that could have caused scratches in their covers.[break][break]

The walk was done in silence and when they made it to the small hill Mairusu seemed to be filled with energy and while his joy took the form of a rather loud proclamation, Inari couldn't help feel as if it was too loud. Perhaps it was because she was so used to the silence of the forest and how she had always been told to be quiet and move like a shadow through everything. [break][break]
She didn't need to do that anymore. [break][break]
So she smiled and raised her head a little higher. "Yes! It will be quite interesting to see what she has planned for us. Hopefully we don't turn to stone." She had little to lose, but Mairusu? She doubted he planned on or wanted to turn to stone. He seemed hopeful and with the fairytales of sages roaming around his head. [break][break]

The trees did make it a bit slow to get to the top and once they were they couldn't see much, but they pressed on, ducking and weaving through the trees until they saw the clearing and the small hut. Well, some of it. It was mostly obscured by the branches and fungal growths on the trees.

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Inari + sages

made by gimmick

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[Hiesin Mairusu]

TAKE ME TO VALHALLA WHERE MY BROTHERS WAIT FOR ME

A mutual friend, huh? Well that wasn't vague or anything. The same brow from before would raise just a bit at the response as the boy wondered just how secretive that individual was that Inari couldn't even give a name. Oh well, maybe he'd ask Kazui the next time they saw each other which... there was honestly no telling when that would be. Honestly, Mairusu had no idea how long he was going to be out here in the woods for training and while he'd probably miss a warm bath and good food being out here for at least a couple days was a better alternative than trying to find his way to the Sage's home day in and day out. Hell, they hadn't even made it for the first time yet and the way these trees were getting thicker with every step while less and less sunlight was filtering through the canopy this was not a trip the boy wanted to make repeatedly... at least not without a map.

As the two continued to progress through the thicket of foliage and shrubbery Inari would wish for the best in their training as the other outcome was... less than ideal. Mairusu had not forgotten the feelings of pain, anger, confusion, and fear that coursed through that one's guys mind in his final moments. He didn't take it as a scare tactic but instead a very clear example of what could happen should the boy not have the chops to properly utilize senjutsu. He had still agreed to go ahead with it that day and while that feeling hadn't changed in the three days since it would have been a lie if the boy said he wasn't feeling nervous.

"Yeah that... didn't seem fun at all." The boy would reply with a slightly nervous chuckle."So what do you think she'll have us do first? Talk to a tree? Maybe try and hug it out with a deer?" Mairusu would ask half seriously. He honestly had no clue just what exactly it meant to be a Sage or use senjutsu other than its connection with nature and getting some wicked animal features.

▲

WORDS ● Kimura Inari ● NOTES

deltra of gangnam style

[Kimura Inari]

[nospaces]

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Hugging it out with a deer sounded like both a serious challenge and something fun. If the deer was willing to participate of course. Otherwise, it would be much like hugging an angry cat... Just... Bigger... And with hooves. Actually, she hoped they wouldn't need to hug it out with a deer. So she shrugged; [break][break]

"Probably hug a tree and maybe introduce us to the snakes? I can't imagine we can do much if the animals we are supposed to work with don't accept and approve of us... Man, this might be harder than I imagined. Did she say much to you?"[break][break]
Who knew, maybe she had revealed more to him than she had to her. One thing was for sure it was going to be tough and it was going to be something that relied a lot on leaps of faith. High risk, high reward and all that, right? [break][break]
The duo came through the thicket and Inari spotted something she thought was smoke. At least small wisps of it. Had they found it? Inari ventured closer and found that they had. Her memory hadn't failed her completely, though... It was mostly attributed to luck. Had they walked a bit further right they would have missed it completely. Anyone who didn't know what to look for and had been led there would likely walk right past it and further into the dense forest and risk becoming truly lost. [break][break]
"I think we are here... See?" [break][break]
She pointed towards the home of the sage. Now all they needed was the sage herself. Inari would look around, her footsteps as quiet as she could manage them. If the woman was nowhere to be found she'd softly call out for her. Perhaps they would need to wait for the woman if she was out foraging or... Hunting? Inari wasn't entirely sure what the sage preferred.

[attr="class","headerbox"]

Inari + sneks

made by gimmick

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[Arimura Kasumi]

template by punki of adoxography

my heart beats in patters to a broken sound

i'm a free animal, free animal

The youngsters were not as quiet as they thought they were, especially the boy. Loud and muttering through the forest he went, Kasumi almost lauded him for his ability to hold conversation with himself, but she'd stop short of watching the lad traipse through the undergrowth with increasing frustration. 

It wouldn't be long before another joined him, the dying girl - well... at least she hadn't died yet. That was always a bonus. They'd converse briefly before continuing into the clearing where Kasumi had her home. They'd find not the Sage but a soft and warm atmosphere, birds chirping softly. Only in the clearing would it be this way, the thorns and undergrowth beyond the clearing on every side creating a less than welcoming environment. Animals knew how to enter and so did those she allowed, anyone else would find the journey to her home unwelcoming and difficult.

"Hugging deers are not part of your senjutsu training, children, though you might find it prudent to try it - they're mighty wriggly creatures," came a voice from behind them.

Like a banshee the Snake Sage would appear behind the duo, hands pressed together in front of her barely concealed, glowing-tattooed stomach. She'd not appear as she did the last time they had met her, last time it had been wild and dirty - primal. This time Kasumi had had business to attend within the city limits, so she'd dressed appropriately: flame hair was silky smooth, tinged blue skin clean and makeup contoured. Her robes were no longer dirty and frayed, instead silken and dark hues glistening against her glowing tattoos. Had it not been for the large gem that sat upon her forehead, Mairusu and Inari might have been forgiven for not recognising her straight away.

There'd be an odd vibe pulsating from the Sage, of a similar vein to the stone garden they had both visited in their last visits. Reptile red eyes would peer between the two shinobi passively. 

"I will begin by giving you my one and only rule for entering into my tutelage: no shoes. Your footwear will, while you are fledgling trainees, hinder your ability to connect with the earth. The Snake Sennin is primordial and therefore you must be primal to connect in the same way. You may find it at odds with your... social etiquette--" she'd pause briefly to find the right word, "but once you leave your city, regardless of what you are doing or who you are with, your shoes should be removed. It is the baby step into a bigger world. Understood?"

There'd be a moment for them to remove their shoes and respond to the woman, as she herself waited shoeless (toes only just peeking out behind her robes) for their responses. 

[Hiesin Mairusu]

TAKE ME TO VALHALLA WHERE MY BROTHERS WAIT FOR ME

So his guess wasn't too far off, though instead of deer they'd probably be mingling with snakes or so Inari hypothesized. It definitely made sense considering that was what Kasumi was known for and to be honest, like most people, Mairusu had very little interaction with the slithery creatures and for the most part had been told to avoid them because of how dangerous they could be; so this was definitely going to be an interesting series of events. "Umm, not too much other than showing me what happens to someone who isn't attuned with nature, and also some stuff about protecting nature was more paramount than my connections in the village which... I'm still trying to wrap my head around."

Obviously the boy had agreed to such terms when he first met Kasumi but that stipulation had yet to fully settle for Mairusu. He had family, friends, and loved ones in Konoha that he would protect without a second thought, and him becoming a shinobi meant putting his life on the line for the village, and now Kasumi was asking him to go against that. Well, that wasn't entirely true, but if the two ideals ever came into conflict then nature would have to take precedence. He couldn't really think of a scenario where that would happen, but if it was important enough for the Sage to mention then it would surely happen at some point.

After a bit more trudging the two would come upon a small clearing, protected on almost every side by thick, thorny shrubbery and in the middle a modest little abode. It both was and wasn't what Mairusu was expecting to see but the important part was that they had finally arrived. "Awesome, but I wonder where Kas--" Before he could finish the sentence the familiar voice of the Sage would send shivers up and down his spine as she appeared behind them. Nearly giving himself whiplash with how fast his neck snapped around the familiar visage of Kasumi would come into full view, though today she looked a bit... different. It was definitely her but something was off. The ends of her robe weren't covered in mud, her hair not home to twigs and vestiges of other shrubbery today. She had cleaned herself up! Had she done it because she was expecting company?

There would be no greetings, only instructions. They had to take off their shoes whenever they left the village? Were the couple inches of fabric that much of a hindrance? It was strange but hey, if the boy had to go barefoot for a bit then so be it. "Yes ma'am." With a nod Mairusu would get to removing his shoes, the cool touch of the forest floor a bit of an odd sensation. Walking around barefoot had not been something the boy did since his toddler days and while it wouldn't be too much of a problem out here, having to explain that to mission partners was going to be hella awkward.

▲

WORDS ● Kimura Inari Arimura Kasumi ● NOTES

deltra of gangnam style

[Kimura Inari]

[nospaces]

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Kasumi appeared as suddenly as she usually did. Like a bird you had not noticed and only when it moved did you notice it was in fact perched on a branch nearby. Or simply blended in so well with the world you had to know what you were looking for to spot it. Not quite what Inari had been trained in, but... Perhaps something to do with her link to nature. Being still, really still, was not something many could do the way animals could manage it. [break][break]

The instructions fell swiftly and little small talk was made between the three and Inari would untie her shoes. She couldn't say she was happy to part with them. They provided excellent support and protected against sharp objects. But moving was always easier with less bulk on your feet. Inari tied the laces together and hunt them up on a sturdy branch so she would not forget to bring them with her home once she headed there. She was willing to stop wearing them, but leaving them behind completely was not an option as they had been a gift from her parents. Brown eyes looked to her pale feet, saw her toes wiggle a little further into the dirt and she couldn't help but smile. She felt like a kid. Ready to run through the soft grass and into the shallow brooks running around Hi no Kuni, just like she had done in the past. [break][break]

Instead of asking about what was next she simply looked at their teacher. She held respect for the woman even if they had no deeper relationship than the budding teacher-student relationship starting to really take form. [break]

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Inari + snek broskis

made by gimmick

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[Arimura Kasumi]

template by punki of adoxography

my heart beats in patters to a broken sound

i'm a free animal, free animal

Their responses to her sudden appearance would define the two quite individually: one shat themselves, the other adjusted pretty quickly. It wouldn't mark them as students, per se, but it did reveal a little about experience in the field. Kasumi wasn't a betting person - mostly because she didn't fully understand how money worked in the modern world - but she'd be sure that Mairusu had not seen much in the way of action, whereas Inari had seen some. Neither had seen the bloodshed of war, though, so on that front - at least - they were even. 

In her heart of hearts Kasumi was thankful that now wasn't a time of war. Being pitted against those of a village who had once been friendly was difficult. Though being a shinobi often meant clashing with rival shinobi, often they were allowed to escape with just their honour wounded. War wasn't such the case. They had as much time as they needed to perfect their senjutsu without being called upon to be used as weapons... that being said Kasumi had had enough of being treated as such and would only intervene in matters of the state if it impacted the natural world itself. Something she had yet to have tested.

The woman would be quite pleased with the pair as they took off their shoes without complaint. Only an eyebrow would be raised as Inari tucked her shoes away for later, hopefully she'd keep to her promise. 

Red eyes would shift between the two, face thoughtful but straight.

And then after what would seem like the longest moments silent contemplation -- Kasumi would break into a cheery grin and slither past the two. Yes. Slither. Legs would be concealed under the long robe, so from the twos viewpoint she'd seem to glide but the dirt path that she left would show one long trail as opposed to foot prints. She'd not say anything about it, instead call behind her cheerily:

"Follow me then!" 

Into the woods they'd go and away from her Hut. Thorns on the floor didn't seem to bother the Sage though the other two would have a hard time adjusting if they didn't have calloused feet. This time Kasumi wouldn't try to lose Mairusu or Inari, she'd slither lazily as they picked their way through the thorns that littered the floor and lined the undergrowth. Another layer of mystery perhaps that the woman didn't seem to get snagged at all by the thorns, as if she knew precisely where to slither and move her body. 

"You have both experienced but a hint of what it is to touch natures power," she'd begin as she moved, "like taking a deep breath after being suffocated for so long, that power you felt is but a shadow of what it is to be a Sage. Today you will attempt to tap into the most primal form of senjutsu - that is, I don't expect you two to be able to hold any kind of form of senjutsu, but you must familiarise yourself with the power that comes with it. Too much at once and you will die, too little and you will make the birds laugh with your strange faces and lack of anything happening." 

They'd walk and slither until they hit the same stone garden again, if feet were still intact the woman would direct the two with a wave of the hand into the centre of the clearing where the statues had yet to take up. And when she approached the two now, feet would be visible once more poking out from the robes. 

"Any questions so far?"

An open question accompanied with a chirpy smile.

[Hiesin Mairusu]

TAKE ME TO VALHALLA WHERE MY BROTHERS WAIT FOR ME

Mairusu waited around for further instructions for a few moments before his mind began to wander. What had the sage been doing before they got there? What did the inside of her house look like? How would he explain to his parents why he wasn't wearing shoes? Actually, that part could be solved by just bringing them back with him and he just had to remember where they were and grab em before going home. Yeah yeah, a totally fool proof plan! His focus would return to Kasumi and yep.. she was still just staring at them. Was there something she was still waiting on them to do? He only remembered the woman asking them to take off their shoes but maybe there was some deeper meaning neither he nor Inari had caught?

Glancing at the orange haired woman didn't help as she wasn't doing anything other than hanging her shoes from a tree branch. Oh, that was a good idea! No no, couldn't risk them becoming home to a family of birds or worse yet: a hanging toilet. His plan was much better. The boy nodded silently to himself as at last Kasumi would speak and instruct them to follow her. That odd feeling had once again reared its head as the boy watched the sage float... no... hover... no... glide? by. Whatever it was it wasn't walking and the smooth path she left in her wake proved it. How was she leaving such weird footprints? It was almost like she was slithering along like a snake but upright which didn't make any sense. A question for later.

The boy would follow suit behind the sage but found himself stepping more and more lightly as the forest floor became more and more prickly. What was up with the woods and thorns? Mairusu would try his best to spot them before taking steps but with so much green it was near impossible. Couldn't they have taken their shoes off after all this walking? If there was any consolation at least the boy hadn't gotten himself completely stuck in a bush of thorns like last time. While tough, the genin would try and listen to Kasumi as she explained what it was they were going to be doing today: tapping into the most basic form of senjutsu. His eyes widened at the reveal as it was everything he had been dreaming of for quite some time and now it was finally becoming a reality.

In time the trio would come upon a very familiar clearing: the final resting place of those who had been unable to control the natural energy and turned into stone statues. A slight chill ran over the boy as his mind flashed back to the first encounter and the rush of emotions he had experienced witnessing the unfortunate man's last moments; a clear reminder of what would happen to him if there were any lapses in his conviction. Not too much, not too little, that seemed to be the most important factor behind tapping into this power which wasn't too far fetched as it sounded like some stuff he had been taught in the academy except... if he messed this up there were no second chances.

"Umm... how are we gonna do that? Are you gonna use more of that stuff you put on my arm like last time?" Mairusu would ask. He distinctly remembered getting that rush after Kasumi had rubbed some kind of liquid on his arm but he had no idea what it was or where it came from though it definitely had something to do with sage stuff.

▲

WORDS ● Kimura Inari Arimura Kasumi ● NOTES

deltra of gangnam style