[nue masahiko]

FEAR IS THE MIND-KILLER

Another day, another mission: this time with one of his newest students, the young Hoshino Kohaku. They were all in the midst of preparing for the chuunin exams, but training hard didn’t get them out of the work they were all enlisted to do, so when Masahiko received the missive to help out a local blacksmith, his weapons-enthusiast teen charge was the first of his team to come to mind. He sent her a note the day before with the mission details so that she could prepare. It was early morning, the golden light of dawn first beginning to sparkle over freshly fallen snow, when Masahiko arrived at Kohaku’s residence. She was living on her own, to his best recollection, her civilian family living farther afield in a port city. Not for the first time, he wondered if she was eating well. He didn’t want to make her uncomfortable by intruding on her personal life, but she was young to be so independent, and teenagers weren’t always the best about eating their greens. He knocked on her door, three polite raps of his knuckles, and he called, "Kohaku, it’s Masahiko. No rush; I’ll be outside when you’re ready.” It was a chilly morning, and he tucked his hands inside his wide sleeves to better insulate himself; though he was sure he would be shedding layers once the mission got underway. He wasn’t exactly accustomed to or built for the kind of manual labor that forging weapons involved, and he briefly wished that he had invited Isao along—the swordsman would surely have more to offer Kohaku in this venture than he did. Alas. He’d have to rely on his best memory of what he’d learned from his old teammate, and hope for the best.

Hoshino Kohaku -- 293

LAIKA OF THQ

[Hoshino Kohaku]

[attr="class","rlover"]

[attr="class","rloverFlowers"]

I won't give up 'cause there will be a day...

I'll be worth it

[attr="class","rloverTag"]Weaponsmithing

[attr="class","rloverImg"]

[attr="class","rloverText"]

❛❛

Kohaku would have an individual mission with her team captain today and honestly, Kohaku was very excited about it! She always wanted a personal one-on-one lesson with the green-haired man and even more so with the fact it dealt with weaponsmithing. She could create her weapons possibly if she learned enough from the missions! So to say she was excited was an understatement for the young kunoichi.

It would, of course, take place in the wee mornings of the day which meant Kohaku would have to get up a bit earlier than normal, but it wasn't something she wasn't too unused to. With how many times she helped her father out near the port she had to get up early to make it to help him at times sometimes even before the light of the sun approached the horizon. Though normally her father would make the trip to her to fetch her most of the time during these times, she was getting better as a shinobi so she kept trying to convince her father she was able to get to him on her own. Still, he would insist every time. So her being up before her sensei arrived was honestly not unusual.

She would already be ready when the rap of his knock on her door came with his muffled voice echoing from behind it. "Just one more second!" Kohaku would holler back to her sensei as she got the last of the tools she thought she would need for this mission. Her chain staff would stay behind and she wouldn't take as much of her weaponry as she normally would because she felt she wouldn't need to worry about combat as much on this mission, but she did bring layers that were removable due to the fact she figured the temperature of working with a forge might make things uncomfortable if she wore too many layers.

Opening the door she would appear before her sensei in a different ensemble than what he normally would see her in. Leggings that covered her legs fully, a turtle neck navy sweater, and a black cropped jacket with a furlined hood would make her normal attire seem cold in comparison. "All ready now," she would say with a big grin on her face as she locked the door to her place behind her.

ZYTL

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[nue masahiko]

FEAR IS THE MIND-KILLER

Thankfully, Kohaku was a better early riser than Masahiko himself—it would take him a few hours yet to truly get through the worst of his early-morning brain fog, while his teenage student sounded as bright and peppy as ever, already mostly prepared by the time he arrived. It took barely a moment more before she emerged with a vibrant smile, and locked the door behind her. "Good morning,” Masahiko greeted, his own voice sounding distinctly tired and worn compared to Kohaku’s warm energy. Not much to be done about it, unfortunately, except perhaps have a cup of tea and muscle through the rest of the morning. "Shall we?” It wasn’t too far of a walk to the forge, which was closer to where the civilian residents of Yukigakure had made their market: a grocer, a tailor, animal supplies, and there: the blacksmith, Masahiro Sou. Now that they had arrived at their destination, Masahiko paused in his tracks, looking at his student with an eyebrow raised and a hand gesturing forward as if to say: go on. He may have been the team leader, but it would be useful for the girl to get some practice in introducing herself to the village’s clients, setting the tone of the work to come.

Hoshino Kohaku -- 210

LAIKA OF THQ

[Hoshino Kohaku]

[attr="class","rlover"]

[attr="class","rloverFlowers"]

I won't give up 'cause there will be a day...

I'll be worth it

[attr="class","rloverTag"]Weaponsmithing

[attr="class","rloverImg"]

[attr="class","rloverText"]

❛❛

"Morning," Kohaku would say with a smile in response to his greeting. She would take notice that his voice was a bit hoarse as if he hadn't fully woken up yet to which she added, "Do you need something to drink before we head out?" Kohaku would point back to her place and add, "I have a couple of thermoses just in case so we could take it on the go if you would like." It wouldn't be too much of an inconvenience for her since if he was fully awake it would mean they both would have full energy for the mission at hand.[break][break]

After a rather short walk, they would soon end up at the forge of the man in question whom their mission would be for. Masahiko Sensei would stop in his tracks which confused Kohaku at first, but with his hand gesture, she understood what he wanted her to do. She was to introduce herself to the client and honestly, this could be a good idea. If they did well on this mission the relationship she could develop with the blacksmith would be very useful for her in her obtaining better weapons in the future. So putting a smile on her face she would approach the man and say with a bow, "Good Morning Sir! My name is Hoshino Kohaku and I am here to assist with your forge as requested."

ZYTL

[newclass=".rlover"]--black1: #2A2A2A; --black2: #1D1D1D; --pink2: #BEE6ED; --pink3: #DFFFFC;[/newclass]
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[nue masahiko]

FEAR IS THE MIND-KILLER

"Gods, please.” Masahiko’s reply was embarrassingly quick and shamefully earnest—he had never been a morning person. Arguably there was probably some gland in his brain that he could stimulate to make the morning go by easier, but there was an equally valid argument that he had no business manipulating anyone’s bodily functions while still sleep-worn and slow. Her greeting to the blacksmith was bright and warm, though the blacksmith seemed wholly uninterested in matching her youthful energy. The older man, who looked to be in his late sixties or even early seventies by Masahiko’s best estimation, merely glanced up from where he was peering over a ledge, glasses perched on the tip of his nose, and grunted a wordless reply. "Too skinny, both o’yah,” the old man grumbled, rising from his seat. He was a stout, clearly physically strong, and Masahiko felt some small stirring of dread as to what he was going to have to do today. "But ye’ll do. Get yer equipment from the shed ‘round the corner. Glasses, masks, gloves, earplugs, aprons. And—” he pointed a stubby finger at Kohaku’s hooded jacket, and Masahiko’s everything, "—no loose cloth, unless ye want t’be set aflame.” Masahiko grimaced, already dreading what lay ahead.

Hoshino Kohaku -- 204

LAIKA OF THQ

[Hoshino Kohaku]

[attr="class","rlover"]

[attr="class","rloverFlowers"]

I won't give up 'cause there will be a day...

I'll be worth it

[attr="class","rloverTag"]weaponsmithing

[attr="class","rloverImg"]

[attr="class","rloverText"]

❛❛

Kohaku couldn't help and chuckle at her sensei's plea for something to drink before they went and headed out for their mission. So she would unlock her place once more and head inside to grab a thermos and fill it with some coffee for her sensei. Luckily she already had some brewed and was just going to let it sit in another thermos for later, but this was best for now anyways. While she was at it she made herself one too just in case she needed it later. She would quickly return to her sensei and hand him the green thermos while she would carry the blue one and ask, "Alright we should be ready to go now." Giving him a smile she would follow his directions to their destination.

At their desired location the blacksmith seemed to be in a rather unenergetic mood which made Kohaku's enthusiasm not be effective as it normally was. The man seemed to be fairly grumpy, but he was willing to accept their help and directed them on what they would need to help along with giving them the advice to ditch some of their loose clothing. "yes sir!" Kohaku would say obediently and head over to the shed to get the desired material along with removing her hoodie. The cold did hit her a bit more because of it, but she figured the forge or manual labor they would undergo would warm her up in no time. Once fully decked out in the garb as requested Kohaku would return to the blacksmith and ask, "Alright what would you like us to do now?" She was being polite as she could be to be on her best behavior for the mission and to make a good first impression.

ZYTL

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[nue masahiko]

FEAR IS THE MIND-KILLER

Kohaku presented a green thermos to him, which he gratefully took and inhaled almost immediately. Best student. Masahiko would be indebted to her forever. Masahiko removed the thick creamy robe that he usually swathed himself in, feeling oddly vulnerable in just the apron and the gomu hada that he wore beneath. He took a minute to braid his hair back and clip it up and out of his face, simple as muscle memory for all the times he’d done it before going in to work at the hospital. He followed along in Kohaku’s wake as she returned to the blacksmith, reporting to him politely and with a good amount of energy. He kept his peace; this was Kohaku’s show, not his, and she had to lead the charge. "Watch and repeat,” the old man grunted. He had prepared his materials while the pair were gone, and he promptly showed the two shinobi how to complete one of the simplest tasks they could: forging the basic shape of a kunai. There was more work to be done once the shape was made, but Sou would be in charge of the more nuanced work; the basic forging was simple enough for his temporary apprentices to handle. "Got an order for fifty kunai,” Sou said, crossing his arms. "I’ll watch ye do the first few, then get to work meself.” Masahiko, tentative but obedient, started in on the process—though Sou had to intervene several times to correct his posture and technique, grumbling all the while.

Hoshino Kohaku -- 252

LAIKA OF THQ

[Hoshino Kohaku]

[attr="class","rlover"]

[attr="class","rloverFlowers"]

I won't give up 'cause there will be a day...

I'll be worth it

[attr="class","rloverTag"]Weaponsmithing

[attr="class","rloverImg"]

[attr="class","rloverText"]

❛❛

The man still didn't seem too friendly which was a bit of a downer to Kohaku, but at the very least he was direct with his instructions which meant so long as she followed them he would be satisfied. Sure she could ask a ton of questions and talk his ear off about the fine intricacies of making weapons or even ask for further information on the welding process, but that seemed like a moot point in this situation. They were there to help and fifty kunai was certainly no small task to complete especially for amateurs so Kohaku would need to focus to make sure she did everything correctly.

She was out of her element here that was for sure. Despite being someone who used weapons constantly in her fighting style she never put much thought behind how they were made and the care that went into them. Still, she wasn't one to just give up on such a task just because she didn't have the skill for it. So she pressed on to the best of her abilities. Watching how Sou demonstrated the basic shape molding of the kunai and then also watching how Masahiko sensei was being taught how to do it. Doing her best to learn from both while working on the kunai herself.

She did an ok job of forging the shape of the kunai and while they weren't perfect they were pretty decent for an amateur. Sou would end up fixing some of the smaller mistakes Kohaku had made, but luckily nothing was too far gone to where it had to be scrapped. Then after a bit of time, the order of fifty kunai would be completed, but Kohaku was still feeling energetic and wanted to see what else she could learn from the man. Despite the obvious sweat beading down her brow she was ready to work harder to prove herself and would ask, "Alight what's next?"

ZYTL

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[nue masahiko]

FEAR IS THE MIND-KILLER

The work took time. Masahiko noted that while Sou had to issue corrections to both of them as they labored, he was minutely gentler with Kohaku than he was with Mashaiko himself; maybe it was her love for weaponry shining through, or just that she was a genuinely charming young woman, but it was clear to Masahiko that the old man was developing a bit of a soft spot for the young genin. Good. Sweat dripped down Masahiko’s brow and the back of his neck as he toiled. For her to be making connections, building a rapport: it boded well for her development. Sou worked a lot faster than they did, but the work was made lighter with many hands. Masahiko completed about twelve kunai before the order was complete, with at least four of them needing to be melted down and re-shaped due to his own error. He was exhausted by the end of it, and looked at Kohaku in mute disbelief as she eagerly asked for more work. The old blacksmith seemed as taken aback as Masahiko was. "Well,” he said gruffly, "that was the main thing I needed help with, but I got another order in for half a dozen katana that I s’pose wouldn’t hurt to have extra hands on.” Masahiko sighed internally, but nodded, preparing for whatever was to come; but Sou fixed him with a glare. "Not you,” he said. "I don’t want you within fifteen feet of my blades. She’s got better hands for it.” Masahiko lifted his hands and acquiesced, flashing an amused smile to Kohaku for the briefest moment before leaving to get them both some water. Sou went on to show Kohaku the basics of swordsmithing: even gentler now than he had been, as if he were teaching a genuine apprentice, and not just the day’s hired manual labor.

Hoshino Kohaku -- 309

LAIKA OF THQ

[Hoshino Kohaku]

[attr="class","rlover"]

[attr="class","rloverFlowers"]

I won't give up 'cause there will be a day...

I'll be worth it

[attr="class","rloverTag"]Weaponsmithing

[attr="class","rloverImg"]

[attr="class","rloverText"]

❛❛

Hard work was something Kohaku valued to her core and it was nice for it to be appreciated even for a novice at the whole ordeal. There was no way her blades were perfect and probably much like her sensei some of them would need to be scrapped, but she found something nice about the actual forging process and even wanted to know more about the whole experience. She could open her own business alongside her parents if the shinobi lifestyle didn't work out if she got enough knowledge and skill in the trade so keeping it as an option was certainly something she was considering at this moment.

This was further increased by the compliment she got from the man though she felt a bit bad for her sensei to be barred from working any more than needed. From a technical standpoint, their mission was done and completed so they could leave, but Kohaku wanted to stay and learn more. So looking at her sensei she asked, "If it's ok do you mind if I stay and continue working while you turn in the completed mission?" Kohaku didn't know if she had to go back to report a completed mission or not with her sensei, but if she could make a good rapport with the man wouldn't that be good for future trade endeavors for the village as a whole? So she would follow Sou's instructions and would work as long as her body and mind would let her.

-End-

ZYTL

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[newclass=".rlover"]width: 500px; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 30px; margin: 25px auto 10px auto; background-color: var(--black1); border-radius: 10px; display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap; position: relative; min-height: 200px;[/newclass]
[newclass=".rloverTag"]border: 1px solid var(--black1); max-width: calc(100% - 60px); word-wrap: break-word; background: radial-gradient(50% 50% at 50% 50%, #1D1D1D 0%, rgba(29, 29, 29, 0.87) 58.67%, rgba(29, 29, 29, 0) 100%);; padding: 20px 50px 20px 50px; height: max-content; margin-top: 165px; margin-bottom: 6px; z-index:3; font-family: 'Fira Sans'; font-style: normal; font-weight: 300; font-size: 11px; line-height: 7px; text-align: center; letter-spacing: 0.2em; color: var(--pink3); text-transform: uppercase;[/newclass]
[newclass=".rloverTag > a"]font-style: italic; text-decoration: none; color: var(--pink2); text-shadow: 0px 0px 4px rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5); z-index:3;[/newclass]
[newclass=".rloverImg"]width: 70%; height: 250px; border-radius: 0px 10px 0px 0px; background: url("https://i.ibb.co/cyHDVNG/postie.png"); background-size: cover; filter: saturate(50%) brightness(50%); margin: -30px 0px 0px 120px; position: absolute; box-shadow: inset 110px -80px 70px rgba(81, 81, 81, 1); z-index:0;[/newclass]
[newclass=".rloverText"]align-self: end; background-color: var(--black2); border-radius: 15px; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 25px 50px 25px 45px; text-align: justify;[/newclass]
[newclass=".rloverText > p"]font-family: 'Fira Sans'; font-style: normal; font-weight: 300; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.125em; color: white;[/newclass]
[newclass=".rloverText > div"]font-size: 48px; letter-spacing: 0.01em; color: var(--pink3); float:left; margin: 10px 10px -20px 0px;[/newclass]
[newclass=".rloverFlowers"]position: absolute; width: 500px; margin: -30px 0px 0px -30px; z-index:3; border-radius: 10px; height: 300px; overflow: hidden;[/newclass]
[newclass=".rloverFlowers > img"]filter: saturate(8) contrast(1) brightness(0.2);[/newclass]
[newclass=".rloverFlowers > h2"]position: absolute; top: 120px; left: 70px; font-family: 'Fira Sans'; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; font-size: 9px; line-height: 6px; letter-spacing: 0.25em; color: #FFFFFF; text-shadow: 0px 1px 2px #000000; text-transform: uppercase;[/newclass]
[newclass=".rloverFlowers > h1"]top: 140px; left: 170px; position: absolute; font-family: 'Fira Sans'; font-style: italic; font-weight: 100; font-size: 24px; line-height: 12px; letter-spacing: 0.2em; color: #FFFFFF; text-shadow: 0px 0px 4px var(--pink2); text-transform: uppercase;[/newclass]