[hirata isao]

silence blanketed the streets of yukigakure in the form of dense sheets of snow, all sound muffled by the thick layers of downfall that had built up from the night prior. this early, before even the sun had fully risen, most were still in bed but there was something deeply appealing about this quiet to isao. the clash of metal ever rang in his ears, memories like tinnitus that grew in volume as his surroundings dulled.

mornings like this, however, were one of the few reprieves the world offered him. hands rose to cup around dry lips, yearning for warmth, and tendrils of visible breath pried their way through the slivers of space between each finger.

all said, today isao had more than the calm to wake for. he was to meet lady yuki for a 'progress report' of sorts. having only recently been promoted and assigned to lead his original team in his sensei's wake, he was devoid of any grander direction than "foster growth" from his superiors. he'd done research on his would-be students but that was expected of any sensei; his peers could relay that part of the job description well enough. what he lacked was that bigger picture.

what did lady yuki want these genin to become, where did she want them to head? and what isao was most curious about: why was he assigned to them?

all the while a heat grew to boiling in isao's gut. he was about to speak with the leader of the village. he had done so before but only in groups; formal ceremonies and the like. this was different.

a cry of metal sang across the snow as the train arrived, large metal doors sliding, nearly falling, open with the sound of invisible heavy gears. isao stepped inside, warmth meeting him immediately through nearly every sense. while the train cabin was warm, yes, its interior was also built with a richly lacquered wood, the starkest contrast imaginable from the ice just outside. isao chose to stand despite a substantial lack of people using the train this early.

the trip was painfully short and isao dreaded the return to the bitter cold as the doors opened again, releasing a font of cold air into the car as though the place had never known heat. he stepped out into the station within castle black, pulling the bunches of his cloak collar up over his otherwise bare face as he made his way to lady yuki's office for the first time on his own.

there was a guard posted that nodded for him to enter but isao rapped against the door regardless before stepping inside, some semblance of courtesy from the barbarian.

"lady yuki, i'm honored." his voice was thick and deeper than usual with the residual coating of sleep that still lingered from nearly an hour prior when he'd woken; his first words of the day. his tone was clearly formal yet, untrained in the ways of interacting with any nobility as he was, leaned crude. his words were accompanied by a slight bow before he straightened and awaited her words.

520 words | Yuki Shuka

[Yuki Shuka]

Yuki Shuka --- TAG hirata isao - - WORDS - - -

M

aintaining the functionality and office of the Lady of Yukigakure is a very time-consuming task. There are thousands of shinobi under her command and she must be familiar with the strengths, weaknesses, growth potential, resume of each and every one of them. This is the reason that the office is often stereotyped as being filled to the brim with paperwork, half-run by an exhausted assistant who spends half their time buried in signatures. This joke is for good reason - a good portion of the year, that is the exact state of the office.

Such it is at this time of the year. Both proceeding and after a batch of promotions, the paper trail required to keep everything straight is monumental. She has the profiles of several shinobis collated, trying to combine and create the most efficient teams she possibly can.

This is part of the reason she has called Hirata Isao to her office today. He was recently promoted and some information needs to be discussed on the expectations of the position as well as the expectations for the students under his care.

A small knock comes on the door and Shuka stands to greet him as he enters. She gives him a nod of acknowledgement before sitting once more, allowing him to come over and sit in the chair across from her desk. True to form, her desk is currently piled high with paperwork needing her attention. That makes it all the clearer that inviting him here today was of importance to her.

"Thank you for coming. You have been a very reliable shinobi in your tenure in Yukigakure and I am looking forward to seeing what you are capable of in your new position. I wanted to ask you today, first and foremost, if you had any questions or concerns about this position."

ISHY of THQ & ADOXOGRAPHY

[hirata isao]

isao couldn't help but feel a burden as he moved, as directed, to sit across from the lady yuki. the mountains of paper seemed likely to turn back into the trees they were born of with the way they towered over her desk and surrounded her workspace like a forest. it wasn't as though he'd envied her position before but now he was more comfortable than ever in his role.

he pulled back a chair and sat close to the edge of the desk, making sure not to topple any stacks of paperwork, as he listened to what lady yuki had to say. he could feel the importance of the meeting pressing in on him as she spoke. what some may consider a trivial matter, a simple formality following an appointment to a new position, was serious enough to shuka to interrupt her work. and so it would, in turn, hold the same importance to isao as he valued each word.

isao let the silence mature for a second before speaking, wary of interrupting his utmost of superiors. "firstly, thank you lady yuki. not just for this opportunity but more for having me in your village to begin with." he never made it a secret how important yukigakure, his home, was to him after such an unstable history. hopefully she found it endearing as opposed to annoying. "i hope my gratitude is never in doubt."

he paused a moment, allowing any interjections or responses should they come, before continuing with her request. he didn't have any concerns exactly; those that he'd had mainly concerned his students and what their areas for growth were but he'd done his own research to spare anyone else that burden. the question that did jump to mind was hopefully not too broad.

he considered his words before speaking, his eyes focused on a point miles away on lady yuki's desk. "as the leader of team 2, i'll naturally be working closely with my students. i'd like to know what your expectations are. hinata and jun are both very promising kids and i'd like to know what you're expecting, or hoping, i instill in them. or what, perhaps, you expect me to learn from them?"

369 words | Yuki Shuka

[Yuki Shuka]

Yuki Shuka --- TAG hirata isao - - WORDS - - -

T

he thanks were appreciated, though she felt herself ill deserving of them. This was not just her village, but the village of everyone who lived here. He had as much a claim to it as anyone. Yukigakure had always been somewhat of a haven for those fleeing from their homes. The Tayuya clan in the times long before, the families who left Shimo no Kuni when the wore tore their lands apart, Raimaa, Isao. Yuki no Kuni was made up of people who had left a place they no longer felt they belonged and built something new. That was the part of the land she had always adored, the strength she wished to compliment and foster. She didn't need thanks for the perseverance of a whole nation.

In recognition of what he had said, she smiled at him and nodded slightly, but showed no desire to interrupt. His gratitude and her appreciation were of no question to her.

When he brought forward the subject of interest, she listened intently. Just as it was his duty to be responsible to the students, it was her duty to be responsible to him.

"They are very promising young students. If you could instill your work ethic in them, that would be appreciated," she joked, starting off lightheaded to warm up the conversation.

"I think the most important thing to learn from them is their limits. Recognizing their barriers and weaknesses and learning how to get around them in a way that will be productive to them. Jun is a clever young woman, but she is tremendously self-critical at times. She can also get so caught up in details that she deals with decision paralysis. Hinata is similar. He is self-conscious and unlikely to speak his mind. He rarely takes the lead when he can follow orders. Instilling the ability to make decisions in them is going to be important to their development as shinobi."

ISHY of THQ & ADOXOGRAPHY

[hirata isao]

isao took in lady yuki's words and considered his students. the two of them were both capable shinobi and jun was even preparing for the chuunin exams if her word was anything to go by. but what the lady said matched those negative marks he'd seen in their academy documents.

jun could prove especially challenging a figure to mold. she was confident and smart and could eventually come to the best course of action during any mission. but time was scarce in conflict and your opponent wouldn't sit and watch you devise a strategy right under their nose. that's how you got your comrades killed.

hinata was the opposite; lacking any confidence in his own decisions, just as the lady yuki had stated. he would make an easy student but, down the road, every student should be expected to surpass their master. if hinata refused to take agency and simply filled a role on a team, taking orders well but never being able to give them, he'd make just as good a ninja as a hired thug.

"it makes sense then." he spoke with a nod. "i don't exactly have any patience when it comes to making calls in the heat of battle. for better or worse, things get done." it was something he was proud of, bred into him through years as a mercenary where not having a plan and enacting it in the same second was a death wish. if he could get jun to have that same quick decisiveness she'd be a rival tactician to anyone. and if he could teach hinata to act of his own accord, needing no direction, then his gifts as a shinobi would become deadlier than anything isao could hope to muster.

"there's another, though we haven't had the opportunity to meet yet, imagawa taji." the third genin in his squad, considerably younger than the other two, was taji of the imagawa clan. what isao did know was that the boy was skilled in utilizing both bukijutsu and ninjutsu and, in that way, was something of a natural fit under isao's tutelage. he let his words hang in the air, his mentioning the boy an invitation for lady yuki to elaborate on him as well.

373 words | Yuki Shuka

[Yuki Shuka]

Yuki Shuka --- TAG hirata isao - - WORDS - - -

Q

uick thinking on the field was one of a shinobi's most important traits to maintain. It was an admirable feature of Isao's, something that most times could only be bred by true combat experience. All the study and theory in the world could help some, but you needed real training and real missions in order to solidify it in the mind.

"That is why I feel you will make a great instructor for them. I think you're exactly what they need," she agreed. He would make sure that they got things done and perhaps push them, helping them move instead of waiting too long.

He shifted the subject to the third student. Imagawa Taji was not one of her shinobi she had had the pleasure of meeting in much detail yet, though she had brushed up on his file before the meeting to know what to discuss.

"He is a promising young student as well. A bukijutsu specialist, which means you will no doubt be able to impart some of your weapons expertise on him, but I believe he has some sensory skill as well. He'll be a very valuable member of the team for set-up purposes and information gathering during missions," she informed him. "The three of them together will no doubt result in some compelling strategies."

Hinata was strong in taijutsu. Jun preferred to remain more generalized, though seemed to have a penchant for more mid-ranged fighting. And Taji was flexible enough for ranged and close battle. That meant that they were a solid team for a line formation.

ISHY of THQ & ADOXOGRAPHY

[hirata isao]

while isao had considered each student thoroughly beforehand, it was only following lady yuki's suggestion that he imagined all the different avenues their group would have available to them. when isao was a genin, which was, granted, only a few years ago, there was such a strong focus on ninjutsu between him and his peers.

unique team dynamics were rare and one like this iteration of team 2's was even moreso. with jun filling a utility role with her lack of specialization, hinata being something of a powerhouse between his taijutsu and ninjutsu prowess and taji filling up any blank spots with his bow and sensor abilities; they had few weaknesses.

isao couldn't help a slight grin. "i'm eager to test them." he hadn't taken these kids out on a mission yet, or even for a group training session, but he was already somehow proud of them. he knew that his group had the potential to be something great. it was just up to him to decide what kind of role he'd play in their successes; a paved road or a blockade.

"with jun gearing up for the exams, it might be time to get them some proper experience." proper experience of course referring to the type of tempering that came only from real battle. he mused a moment, raising a hand to idly rub his jaw and speaking more to the middle distance than directly to lady yuki. "though hinata may need a bit more support, his only just graduating..."

after a few moments he remembered himself and met his superior's gaze once more. "apologies, i'm starting to ramble." he straightened back up in his seat and awaited her thoughts.

282 words | Yuki Shuka

[Yuki Shuka]

Yuki Shuka --- TAG hirata isao - - WORDS - - -

T

hat eagerness was exactly what she had hoped to see. An instructor being excited to work with the students they had, enthused by the idea. That was always the ideal situation, the one that would make for the best opportunity for growth. Shuka never wanted to hire on a sensei who was reluctant or less than excited about the idea of instructing.

"No apologies needed. It is good to hear your thoughts - it is why I brought you in, after all. To discuss them and the support they will need going forward," she assured. The fact that he was thinking about that was also a very good sign.

"They will all need their own unique support. It will be good to inquire with them about their future goals and what they want to accomplish as they continue in their career. Their dreams and ambitions. Jun, I know, can be rather indecisive and may need your hand there. ...Be careful with her as she approaches her efforts to become a Chuunin. She is incredibly capable of freezing at the final moment and sabotaging herself. She did it with her academy graduation exams and I encouraged her to continue her studies instead of giving in."

As for Hinata...

"Perhaps it would be a good idea to get them all together for a group training session. A scrimmage of sorts. Either against one another or against you. Get a feeling for where their areas of weakness are and what they need to work on both individually and as a team."

ISHY of THQ & ADOXOGRAPHY

[hirata isao]

fortunately, what lady yuki suggested was actually already in line with isao's plans. the three genin beneath him were, aside from who they were on paper, enigmas to the young shinobi. a group scrimmage would be exactly what isao would need to understand not just their abilities; he was familiar with their individual accomplishments already, but with how they applied them.

as the woman across the table spoke on jun, isao could only nod in approval. he'd met countless people like her in his mercenary days and if she was to stand up against would-be chuunin then she would need to be devoid of any hesitation. that freezing the woman spoke of was a death sentence. "her reactions, jun's, and her ability to avoid freezing up is exactly what i intend to focus on most in our training. i appreciate your confidence in that plan."

hinata was going to be another animal but it wasn't as if isao was considering recommending the boy for the exams anyway. what he needed was to be challenged, not just physically but mentally. he needed to be put in a position without an easy answer and come up with a course of action. if that meant falling back on protocol then so be it; at least it will have been his own call to do so.

taji seemed the easiest of the bunch, with his similarities to isao. hopefully he'd just watch and absorb but guided one-on-one trainings were always an option. "i appreciate your advice lady yuki." he began, his tone indicating he had more to say. "but i suppose that thoroughly answers my question. i should ask, though, if you have any for me? or requests perhaps. i imagine the new position comes with more responsibility than training our best and brightest." he said with a low chuckle.

he didn't want to go, especially as he eased into conversation with shuka, but he also didn't want to be a burden to her and his tone let her know that he could go either way; a cup of tea and more discussion or to be off and let her work.

she was free to make the call with her response.

367 words | Yuki Shuka

[Yuki Shuka]

Yuki Shuka --- TAG hirata isao - - WORDS - - -

S

eeming to be in agreement, it was easy to tell that she had made the right decision about who to place these genin with. They were all in good hands being in Isao's care. He would be able to tell what they still needed in terms of their development and would help them reach new heights of their potential. In that, she was thoroughly confident. If there was anyone who could break through the walls bothering two of them and learn more about Taji, it would be him.

The conversation turned slightly. With the matter of the students resolved, he wanted to know if she had any questions for him. It took her a moment of thoughtful pondering.

"When I assign someone to a position, it is not just because I want something from them, but because I am hoping it can help with their professional development as well. I think you're a very strong leader and that this role can help you develop that skill even further. However, what you think about the position is just as important as what I think," she informed him. He had seemed nothing but enthusiastic about it so far, which was a good sign.

"So allow me to turn back a question you asked me earlier. Is there anything in particular you are hoping to gain from this experience? Anything you would like to learn from your students in turn? What would you like to see yourself do in the future?"

ISHY of THQ & ADOXOGRAPHY

[hirata isao]

though his reserved speech and calm demeanor potentially spoke the exact opposite, isao was ecstatic about the position and opportunity.

despite constant encouragement from his peers, and even a vote of confidence from lady yuki herself, isao had always felt undeserving of the land of snow's kindness. his entire life prior to settling here had been unstable, in constant motion and disarray. but the people here welcomed him and gave his sword arm a purpose like it had never known; he couldn't speak enough about what this position meant to him.

he was all prepared to say it loud and proud for the seventeenth time this hour when lady yuki threw a curveball at him. what did he want? he was utterly confused. his time in yukigakure had been an everlasting and ever joyous struggle to pay back all he'd been given. to now speak of further gain felt wrong.

but that wasn't what she meant. he could go on groveling for days, what she wanted was an answer. about his own progress; his future. after all, his career hadn't ended the moment he put on the instructor's cap and picked up a piece of chalk. "that's... no easy question." his forehead a mess of lines as he thought. "though i guess i did this to myself."

after a few moments of silence, of deep genuine thought, isao raised his head, locking his gaze with lady shuka's. "i used to think that being a mercenary and being a shinobi were such different things. being a merc is a solitary life. you don't have friends and you don't have family." his eyes searched those of the older woman across the table. he was rarely verbose, always catching himself in the middle of a tangent and shutting up. but he was going to give her what she asked for; a real answer.

"but it isn't that it's different, it's that i was too foolish to understand what family was. shinobi die as easily as, if not more often than, common grunts. but that doesn't stop you from forming friendships. in fact it was weak of me to fear it before." his mind's eye wandered to his peers, both shinobi and civilian. it lingered on people especially close to him; masahiko and his late sensei. "it's ironic that i've never felt more warm than since coming to the land of snow. i want to grow stronger and smarter, to become a better leader. i think these genin can help me do that."

his mind wandered to his future. he'd lived one day at a time for as long as he could remember. sure, he had aspirations of going as far as he could, to do as much as was possible in one lifetime. but he'd never known why. though the answer grew clearer every day.

"i want to protect my home and my family." what he meant was obvious, he'd said it several times already in the conversation. "whatever my future looks like, that's what i intend to be doing."

507 words | Yuki Shuka

[Yuki Shuka]

Yuki Shuka --- TAG hirata isao - - WORDS - - -

H

earing Isao speak in such long sentences, actually allowing his thoughts to reach their conclusion instead of shutting down, was a rare treat and she was going to be sure to drink in each word and remember it well. Being a leader of a village, a major force in a nation, was a troubling job. There were thousands on thousands of shinobi, not to mention civilians. She could never hope to personally know them all. Yet she had to do her very best, especially with the ones whom she would have the most opportunity.

She was so very glad that he had found this such a welcoming place. The land of snow was known for its harshness, its cold. It was such a desperate and unforgiving place that even the people who were part of the original founding families often still clamored with a want to leave. While she was doing her best to compress and push from the universal minds the member of the Land of Bears, it was still a topic that could not be escaped. To know that someone found this land here such a lovely thing, such a home worth protecting, meant very much to her. It was that exact mindset which had compelled her to lead as well.

"The careers of those of us who spend our lives on the battlefield are very difficult," she said.

"When you are surrounded by such violence and threat of death, it can be easy to feel alone, separate from the people around you. The feeling of inevitability is a strong one. That is why I've always found it important to very purposefully and intentionally go out of my way to get to know others. I don't say it often, but my personal philosophy is that if the world is cold, one must make it their business to build fires," she continued.

"I am glad. To have you around my fire. To have you here in this village. You're a tremendous person even beyond being a brave soldier and I hope you understand how valued you are. I am certain that you can fulfill your goal sufficiently. If there is every anything you need, for yourself, for your students, for your development, let me know and I'll see if I can make it happen. I want the best for my people."

And he was one of them, decidedly.

ISHY of THQ & ADOXOGRAPHY

[hirata isao]

lady yuki's words carried isao's further than he ever could have. that same mentality, something she described as a motto, was something he'd only just begun to learn. for a brief moment he almost felt discouraged. but if the truths he was uncovering now were something she held so dear, maybe that meant he was on the right path.

she continued and isao could feel warmth rising to his cheeks. to be regarded at all by someone of her caliber was one thing but to be welcomed and even desired in her company was another entirely. isao felt a burning behind his skin, flushing his face and making it impossible to maintain eye contact. his eyes darted away but a soft smile crept across his lips.

isao was never the best at taking praise but he knew it was rude to protest. he returned his gaze to meet lady yuki's once more and parted his lips to speak. but, for a moment, nothing came out. he paused, his eyes searching the surface of her desk for an answer and, when he found none, returned to hers.

"i- i'm not sure what to say..." his smile, however slight it was, subsided in favor of a thoughtful expression; genuine and determined. "thank you." it was a start. "i'm grateful to be there, by that fire."

all in one breath, he attempted to shatter that thick atmosphere that had grown between them, their sharing deep thoughts and feelings. with a low laugh and a stretch of his arms, he straightened up in his seat. he took a moment to look over lady yuki's desk once more, ever a maze of work. he imagined that no matter how much she cleaned out, she always would get more to replace it; that's always how it felt whenever he had to do paperwork anyway.

"is there anyway i could help with this?" he gestured vaguely to the whole of her desk and the stacks of papers to its side. "i'm not the best with logistics," he hardly knew what the word meant, "but i might as well busy my hands while i'm here." and in truth he had nothing better to be doing with how early it was.

he knew she'd probably protest but if he was here anyway he should at least offer. and, if she relented, maybe he could ease her burden a bit.

400 words | Yuki Shuka

[Yuki Shuka]

Yuki Shuka --- TAG hirata isao - - WORDS - - -

E

ndearing, how flattered so many of the young shinobi she spoke with became when Shuka gave them praise. Perhaps it was very good that she was in the role particularly to help instill a confidence in young and adapting shinobi seeking to build their strengths. Shuka had never been tempted to have children of her own until she rescued and adopted Asa, so perhaps it was her responsibility to others to act as a different sort of mentor and provide that special encouragement. If only Asa hadn't been so withdrawn lately - she was sure that Asa and Isao would get along.

Attempting to move past the moment of being flustered, Isao raised a new offer to help with the mountain of paperwork consuming her office. Shuka laughed softly.

"I appreciate the offer. I might even be tempted to take it, if not for privacy concerns. Lots of personal records in here," she informed him. She trusted Isao with that kind of information, but she imagined there were shinobi out there who would be less than happy with such a decision if they knew of it. Further, there were records of GOKA action to consider, and private dealings that weren't ready to be made public yet, and...

Being a leader was a lonely thing in many ways. So much information kept to the self.

"My assistant was in the hospital until late last year, so we're still catching up on the backlog. Nothing I can't handle, though."

She rose from her seat and moved to grab a tea kettle.

"Would you like some tea while you're here? It should warm you for the coming day."

ISHY of THQ & ADOXOGRAPHY

[hirata isao]

the thought of privacy concerns hadn't really occurred to isao, his having assumed the papers were all boring ledgers and documents awaiting signatures. but then, it made sense that lady yuki of all people would be dealing with personnel files. beyond that the mention of GOKA stirred something in him.

a few years prior he'd thought to join the elite team but was discouraged from doing so. some were polite about it while others made his 'lack of qualifications' clear. there were some, though he was glad to know lady yuki wasn't one of them, that still viewed isao as a liability. his history living in kaminari no kuni, as a former member of an, albeit nomadic, shinobi clan, raised concerns amongst higher ups. and, as his companions went on to pursue those more sensitive positions, isao remained as an informal lead of genin team 2 because of those concerns.

he had to wonder if he'd done enough to escape those prejudices. if he were to apply again today, his current responsibilities notwithstanding, would he be welcomed to sit at the most secure of tables? it wasn't something he did well to dwell on.

isao stepped away from his chair and stretched as he came to stand, mimicking lady yuki's having done the same. "please, allow me." he gestured to the tea kettle and moved to collect two cups. "if i can't help you there," he nodded his head to the desk, "at least let me do this." his words were light and casual, the threat of warm laughter behind each word.

something piqued his interest though and he offered the topic of conversation as he set to work on preparing their tea (if she'd allowed him to). "you said your assistant was in the hospital?" it was a question that indicated several others but isao refrained from elaborating, allowing lady yuki to decide what she wanted to say on the matter.

322 words | Yuki Shuka