[Hana Chieko]

The Goddess of Creation

Moment Music Perhaps work wasn't something for most people, but Chieko considered her business best used in practice, rather than decline. While she certainly wasn't lacking in it, when a project was done, it seemed as if there was little left to do in the day. Save for work on her own designs, it wasn't as if she had much going on for her. Not that she complained. In fact, considering what most people her age did for a living, she was probably living it quite easily. The only responsibility she had was to herself, and the quality of her work was never a matter to be concerned over. In fact, there were times in when her items were just too good. They rarely ever came for repair. Which meant, at the very least, they were doing the job needed of them. Still, there were times when she missed her days of actually being on the front line of battle, despite the results often leading to the less favorable. She had been a shinobi after all. Some things died hard. As she looked toward the window, the dark-haired female would walk outside for a moment, allowing the air to reach her with a smile crossing her lips. The life of a merchant was peaceful. Proping her door open, she'd see the rays of light enter her shop, allowing for her to take hold of a broom before beginning her clean up.

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[Honō Kojirou]

The tantō was freaking awesome. However, he was constantly poked fun at in his clan’s quarters, among brethren and siblings who shared the Honō’s blood and taste in humongous weaponry – as long as it was big and swingy, it’d do, right? Kojirou and some others dabbled in sharp, cutting blades, and here the growing swordsman was with only a tantō…

No, he wasn’t accepting this disrespect! Slamming both hands on the bench he was sitting on, he rose up on his feet, smelling the smoke in the air coming from the various blacksmiths… and declared: "Just you all wait! I’ll go get a new sword, and it’ll be sooooooooooo much cooler than anything you bullies can forge!” And with a sulking pout, he made his way out of the compounds and into the public streets of Kusagakure.

One of the current outgoers in the clan’s areas tilted their head in confusion: "B-But we were just joking…”

…

Kojirou entered uninvited, his blood-red haori flapping in the rushing wind, and his flickering hair bristling around his washi paper earrings. His ambition to get a new sword clouded his reason, not even knocking on the front door before swinging it open to walk with heavy steps towards the counter, drop all of his savings onto the desk and call: "One katana, please.”

[Hana Chieko]

The Goddess of Creation

Moment Music Like a hot wind, the young man seemed to move through the doorway, managing to even prompt the door to swing further out to create an opening. Though before Chieko could even utter a few words of greeting, he had already prompted the call of service, placing what looinobi as she then ked to be a considerable amount of ryo on the surface of the counter. With a blank expression, the female blacksmith would raise her brow for a moment, taking the time to place her broom against the wall as she noted the dust having returned to the floor. "My fault for thinking I could keep the floor clean..." Releasing a breath, she'd make her way around to the front, holding a smile on her face as she pulled her smock over her shoulders, it was then a matter of getting to the front of the counter, her eyes looking toward the young shinobi before then glancing back at the bag in front of her. "Welcome to Hana's Smithing and Repair...One Katana huh?" Reeling back for a moment, she'd place one hand beneath her face, looking him over as she then pointed toward him with a calm expression. "Typically, people know what kind of weapon their want before going for the general....If you just want a sword, I can show you what I have in stock...unless you are looking for something special..." Glancing down at the money, the dark haired female would then gesture toward him before then placing one hand on her hip. "Which...if this is what ya want to spend, probably best to have something in mind..." Any other merchant would just have soon taken the money and simply given anything they had that came close to what the customer wanted. Thankfully, Chieko considered herself a professional and a fair trader for the money she was paid. That meant, she didn't give people trash. "So whatcha thinking? Something durable...something shiny...something sharp?"

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[Honō Kojirou]

Too excited for a new sword, Kojirou’s eyes sparkled through the dust kicked up, only having relied on his parents to bring him a new sword in the past. Then again, he’d only needed to visit a blacksmith twice before, and both were from his clan anyway – this was a huge step towards his maturity as a shinobi, seeking his own aid and establishing his own contacts.

"Yup! One katana…” he replied with a nodding head, already possessing so many imaginations about the design of such a… katana. Well, a simple katana, yes, but also a fancy one… somehow. A katana could look fancy!

"A special… something? Could I get a special katana?” he pondered, unfamiliar with the art of the trade called blacksmithing and its honored traditions, a vulnerable figure whose coin could’ve easily been taken for scrap… but then again, should his clan catch wind of such a scam, the scammer would have hell to pay. Kojirou was lucky.

Following the smith’s gesture, Kojirou pondered further about what type of katana he wanted. She gave him some pointers to think about – durability, sharpness, shine, a fancy-looking sword or a big, dull sword or something in-between. "Something… durable,” he decided upon a few seconds’ thought, unable to turn off the air of silliness around him due to his naïve nature, "I keep using my katana to deflect shuriken and stuff, so… it doesn’t have to be particularly sharp. But a really durable katana would be perfect!”

[Hana Chieko]

The Goddess of Creation

'Well...yea...ain't no limit to what you can do with metal and shaping it. The only thing stopping it is who's making it and the imagination..." A smirk crossed Chieko's lips as it seemed like a common thing to question just what can be done to bring dreams to life. Of course, considering herself a dreamer, she had very little time to try and put limits on what she could do. In fact, she made it a habit these days not to do just that. As long as she had two good hands and a mind that could see endless possibilities, she wasn't about to start with what she couldn't do. Upon allowing the customer to think along those lines, she'd giggle as she began to disappear beneath the counter, pulling out the different metal samples she had and placing them upon it's surface. The despoits were small, but they were enough to give each person an idea of just what they'd be seeing in the final product. With each of Kojirou's thoughts, she'd draw up another sample, lining them up as she then crossed her arms with a calm expression. "Durability is a good way to go with a sword, no point in swinging around something that's sharp, but can't take a few hits. But ya don't want it to be too heavy either, since then ya'll just have a blade that acts like a shield without the ability to swing it..." Nodding, she'd then gesture downward as she showed off what she had. "I can make something out of the basics...Iron, Copper, Silver, Gold, Titanium, Platinum. Last one is a bit iffy as the weight can sometimes get off-set when ya going for something light. Not to mention that adding a reactive finish makes it so it's like a glow stick..." Waving her hand to the side, she'd then grin as she gestured toward the last sample case, displaying what looked like a diamond dyed in blue. "Course...with what ya gave me...I could be tempted to make something using this...special beauty...Blue Diamond....Reactive to most elements, this thing is light when handled, very reflective, and can take as much as it gives. Course...it's temperamental..." Crossing her arms, she closed her eyes as she continued. "Its been known have a bit of a will of it's own, much like any other element...personally I'd only make something with it for someone who has a lot of positive energy. It builds off that, and with enough time...it can even be strengthened by them..." In saying this, she'd raise her brow before then looking back at the others. "Not to say the others don't have their own properties as well. Like Silver being a bit more buoyant and Titanium having more of a hardy exterior. What I can make is solely on your good customer...and if your trusting something with your life...you want it to be the best..."

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[Honō Kojirou]

… Maybe Kojirou should pick up on blacksmithing. It sounded more and more attractive by the second- wait, Kusagakure already had blacksmiths, though. If he became one, what would happen? Would people… scatter from the current blacksmiths? If Chieko began losing customers because of that, then… no, it wouldn’t be worth it. She hadn’t even begun hammering metal, and she already came off as one of the most helpful, kind people Kojirou had ever gotten the delight of meeting.

So she’d get to keep her customers… and he’d make sure to advertise on her behalf back at his clan’s grounds. Although, he should definitely avoid saying stuff near Chisai-neechan’s ears – she’d probably prefer he go to his clan’s smiths instead. But there was nothing wrong with expanding your horizons, was there?!

Even such an insignificant change in choice made Kojirou feel a little dirty… but in a comical way. It even made him giggle a little, scratching his chin as he imagined all of those scenarios in his blocky brain.

His eyes moved down to the different metal samples, noticing that some looked very similar to each other, while one of them looked exactly like… ohhhhh! She confirmed that she had gold in store, too – was gold also used for weaponry? He’d never known… but it sure drew his eyes in, leaning on the counter to drill his eyes into the samples. "W-Woah… but wait, I can still swing a heavy sword, though- but then again… maybe I’d tire myself out too quickly. Somewhere in between! Mhm!”

So his options were surprisingly large – iron, copper, silver, gold, titanium, and platinum. The lad had never heard of titanium, but he’d heard about the rest of the samples. Platinum was apparently really rare underground, so that was very attractive… but off-setting weight could be troublesome. At least, in her opinion – and she was the expert here! Kojirou simply nodded in agreement, entrusting his future weapon’s contents to the expert as he should.

But then, she drew his attention towards the last sample – that wasn’t a metal! That was a freaking gemstone! Why… why was there a gemstone present? D-Don’t say that…

"Wait… a gemstone? You can make a sword out of a gemstone?! For real?! I-I mean- *cooough*” Kojirou almost exclaimed too loudly, quickly catching his breath to lower his voice so that nobody would hear him outside of the shop, "… I-I didn’t know you could…” According to her, this was a Blue Diamond – a light gem, reactive to most elements (hopefully fire and earth, too), and reflective and durable.

And… temperamental? "… It’s alive?” he couldn’t help but ask, just to be 100% sure with how she described it. Apparently, it did have its own will – a sentient rock. A rock who’d mesh best with one who possessed a lot of positive energy. "Huuuuuuuuuuuh…” Kojirou hummed in deep thought. Maybe, if he filled his head with positive thoughts, then that’d make the rock feel better?

"Hmh… hmmmmmmmmmmmh…” he hummed further, grabbing his chin to think deeper, "My previous katana was made of iron and something else… like a mixture. But I remember being told that stable mixes of metals maxes out at two components… b-but… I choooooooooooooooooooose the Blue Diamond! I’ve filled my head with positive thoughts, now – I hope it’s enough to appease the sentient gem.” Kojirou was more than confident enough in his inner mindscape – filled with joyous memories of snuggling his teddy bear Ryo along with Saya when they were toddlers, his first time meeting Atagi and playing around with a bamboo stick, the joy his clan expressed when he discovered his Kekkei Genkai for the first time, back when he met Asuka for the first time, back at his last birthday…

"Is it possible to mix the gem with a metal? Or maybe… hmh… hmmmmmmmmmmmmh, man! Smithing sounds so complex!”

[Hana Chieko]

The Goddess of Creation

The young swordsman was clearly being taken in by her pitch, which was the point of being a good salesman. But, she wouldn' be a professional or an honest one if what she said had no truth to it. In fact, she worked hard to make sure that she knew just as much about metals and compositions as the next person ahead of her. Which, sadly, were in the hundreds. But there was a reason why she stayed in business and it was more than just the art of sealing the deal. it was the passion that she put into each project and ensuring that anyone that used her wares were getting their money's worth. More than that, the village was her home, and if she was shelling out crap, it would be a disservice. Not to mention only putting more danger upon herself since she lived here. As he seemed rather shocked at the fact that Gemstones could be used in creating weapons as well, Chieko would grin as she nodded. "Yup...sure can...in fact...this baby right here...came to create one of my best sellers across the country and beyond...and...at one time..my namesake..." In saying this, she'd reach behind her waist and draw out a kunai, completed made of blue diamond. The hilt was naturally iron, but the blade itself was a single piece. "This thing saved my life more times than I can count...and is practically silent when swung or flying through the air. It's a thing of beauty at work...but then, like I said...the weapon is only as good as the one wielding it..." Laying the dagger down, she'd listen to him give his demands on what he wanted, laughing lightly as she pulled out a pen and pad. She'd jot down what his order was, listening as he seemed to hope that his own positive thinking would be enough, prompting her to shake her head. "I'm sure it will be...just...make sure that when ya out there, you know what it is that your fighting for....be it your own defense or that of the village....it'll know the difference...trust me..." In saying this, she'd then close her eyes as she thought on his last request, thinking on what his previous blade had been made of and also how he wished to know if he could mix metals in with the Blue diamond piece. "Hmmm...Well...I've had people mix it in with Titanium and it seemed to work with keeping the weapon more durable and resistant. There might be some slack though...it will be a bit heavier, but it will be able to take more of a punch from some strong ninjutsu...or maybe...." A thought began to cross her mind, leading to her having an almost devilish grin on her face. "I could make the saya into it's own piece. It will work together with the blade and allow for both a physical and elemental defense. Two pieces that can work in unison together..." It was a far out idea, but in the end, it was up to him on which direction he wished to go. "Still, if you'd rather I put different metals together, I can do that as well. Just know what ya'll be looking at something being a bit of a hinderance in one way or another...I can make miracles, but I can't stop change how core metals react when mixed with another..."

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[Honō Kojirou]

That kunai was made of blue diamond, too? It looked… see-through. Almost brittle at first sight, but if that material was as awesome as she claimed it to be, then… it made the kunai look beautiful. He wanted his sword to look that beautiful, too! Something to be remembered, to bring honor to his name and to his family’s. But… beautiful or not, what was more important was that it could harm – even kill, if need be. As a shinobi, he had to be ready to take a life if push came to shove.

In spite of his nature, some enemies could only be dealt with by a final blow. And Kojirou had helped many lives by doing so… but every time that thought came up, so did Ahma’s words. Perhaps she influenced him to seek a more durable sword, to seek a more defensive fighting style as a way to divert from his previous, offensive style. A way to lessen the bloodshed, but still protect those he was entrusted with.

Chieko gave him some food for thought, too – to make sure he knew exactly who or what he was fighting for. That his final sword could tell if his… intent? … was there. Regarding his question about mixing alloys, she revealed that some in the past had mixed it with titanium to an extent, and while that sounded interesting and just what he wanted, she came up with another idea… to turn his sister into her own pi-

Oh, wait, she meant the scabbard.

Wait… his scabbard! He’d completely disregarded that! Wait, she could work on his scabbard too? Forget the previous plan-

"Yes! Scabbard, yes! Please, that sounds like such a cool idea! Like a dual-blade style, but with a sword and scabbard – I’ve never actually seen anyone use their scabbard as a weapon before, b-but I heard that some people do that! That sounds like something a master swordsman would be capable of!” he excitingly released his heart’s fluttering thoughts, his face lighting up the room even further, "Like… like a scabbard that can be used as a shield- or maybe a scabbard with a sharp edge, too… like a sword-scabbard. Ugggh, that sounds too good to be true…”

[Hana Chieko]

The Goddess of Creation

"Well it would be for your average smith but I happen to be one of the best..." It certainly wasn't an easy task to complete, but the young had made her career on doing the impossible in one form or another. Still, it would take some time to make such a weapon, and she'd have to be sure that it was just right. This was something that would be made to last, as with anything she did. Still, this was something that was a bit more delicate. After all, she'd be working with both enforcing the blade and it's cover. She'd heard of such things being done before in lands farther west, but to take on such a task, she'd need to be sure that the person holding it would be able to handle it. "Course...this would require ya to be a bit more flexible. You'd be using two things instead of just the blade. Think you can do it? If not, I can just focus on the blade itself...its up to you..." Chieko would lean back as she crossed her arms over her chest, a calm expression resting on her face. "Remember...this metal is temperamental, it responds to you...and your emotions...me putting work into both your sword and your sheath will require a clear mind when using both...but if your paying this much ryo for it...I'll make it...but only if you want me to..." As a former shinobi, she wouldn't give anyone something that they didn't feel right using. More than that, she wouldn't give anything to anyone that might get them killed. That was her code. It was like handing a kunai to an infant, there was nothing right about that, even if she got paid to do it. "It'll be one of it's firsts...least here anyway....meaning that I may not be able to tell ya just how things will go...it could be a success or a total disaster..."

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[Muramatsa, Asami]

"The art of a blacksmith was needed: it was useful. It was someone's passion, it was Ikigai in Kusagakure and Asami deeply respected the traditions of the Hono clan and their impenetrable enthusiasm in search of artisanal things to perfect. So interrupting their conversation, another Shinobi would come on through the door - opening up and flooding the place with light, and a shadow from the light obscuring her till their eyes adjusted.

Six arms, a tight form fitting clothing comprised of soft black, but thick leggings - and a purple turtle neck, as well as a couple of accompanying bags and such. Her purpose for being there was to restock on her regular items and testing if there were like - potentially gloves? Gloves for herself? She wondered if it would be useful for her taijutsu arts, but she hadn't practiced it nearly as much as she would have liked.

"Kon'nichiwa." She would do a polite bow as she entered the establishment, and closed the door behind her quietly using her primary arms. But after that, seeing that she was in a line - would move to queue and stood behind, politely holding her arms and a soft smile to her face."I don't suppose you'll have some availability to... make some equipment for me?" She wondered. "Or... maybe I'll just take a look at what you have?" She didn't mind waiting.

@taghere

GREY!

[Hana Chieko]

The Goddess of Creation

It was a lot to consider, especially with something that would be the first of it's kind within Kusagakure. At least, in the dynamic of it's usage. Not to mention that depending on how well things went, it could very well be the start of something fantastic in terms of Bukijutsu. Still, Chieko wouldn't want to pressure anyone into a deal, and this was something that would require the patience of both herself and the young swordsman. So upon seeing the new arrival at her door, the blue kunai would wave in her direction as she nodded toward her with a smile. "Welcome to Hana's! I'll be right with you!" As she nodded toward the previous customer, she'd then indicate that he could always look back at what she had jotted down so far if he wished to make changes. "Just let know if you want to make changes or even add something and we can work it into the design..." In saying this, she'd then make her way over toward the blonde, a bit of awe on her face at the six armed display about her as she began to ask on if she could make equipment or if she had anything on display that she could borrows. Cupping her hand beneath her face, the smith would raise her brow as she smiled. "A lot of what I do is custom and depending on what you had in mind, I can make it! What's usually here on display is the basics....Kunai...Blades, Shuriken....Ninja tools...your basic variety of gear..." In saying this, she'd then tilt her head with a grin. "But I'm guessin what your after is something more personal to ya style?"

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[Honō Kojirou]

Okay… okay, okay, okay, Kojirou had to think this through. Chieko was more than skilled enough to fulfill his dream- well, his request really, that concerning his new sword’s creation… but she made a really good point. By making a specialized scabbard of that nature, one that could be used offensively too… he’d have to occupy both hands.

And that reminded him of all of his practices with one-handed handseals. If both hands were wielding weapons most of the time, he’d be at a loss on how to weave handseals for Jutsus – a problem he’d already began working on a solution for. Aww…

Also, she really emphasized how alive the ‘metal’, aka the Blue Diamond, was. Basically, his very being, his mental state and emotions, would be expressed in the substance once she forged it. Maybe it’d be like keeping a good friend company – you can’t burden them with a bad atmosphere, after all. He felt like he knew what she was getting at, but… hmh…

"Perhaps going too far into that would make it hard to weave handseals with my hand here,” Kojirou expressed, raising his left hand up and spreading its fingers out, "It sounds really cool, but I’ve trained a lot in weaving one-handed seals lately. Dual-wielding would just make that more difficult for me…”

Think, think, think…

"But I’d like to try out the Blue-"

Six arms and a very friendly voice entered the shop afterwards, and Kojirou had many ideas in his head right now – could she wield six swords at the same time?! Or maybe three?!

Now, now, glaring like that was rude… so Kojirou glared back down at the design Chieko’d drawn up. "Hnnng, it looks sooooooo coooooool… but something I can wield with one hand is better for my style… or, like, alternate between two-handed and one-handed, like usual. I hope I can still do that with this new one…”

Sad puppy eyes gazed upon the paper, liking the design and the premise but thinking about the scabbard and whether or not he should try out her idea or if it’d be detrimental to his fighting style. Bukijutsu was a first, but Ninjutsu was a close second.

[Muramatsa, Asami]

"That's fine darlin..." Asami would tilt her head and continue her smile at Chieko. Keeping her hands to herself she would begin to look among the walls and the items though she had specific things in mind - gloves, more specifically. The younger man was talking about one handed seals. That was interesting. A brief thought wondered if she would ever have use for that. It wasn't like she could perform six different techniques at once... or could she? The flit of daydreaming crossed her mind as she wielded all of the elements and her spider silk like some sort of god-born avatar, which she did as she looked at the items.

It was noted and appreciated when Kojirou looked over and then averted his eyes. Asami was deeply used to people staring since the Mayonaka were a relatively unknown scattered clan: there were many far more well known clans like the Hono and the

so where Kojirou stared, Asami kept her soft smile. "It's okay sweetheart, they're just arms.." and she would answer Chieko too, now. "Yes... gloves, if you would do that? I'm not sure if that might be a seamstress or somethin, haha..." But - recognising that she might have just insulted a weaponsmith, she would quickly backtrack - "b-but uh! A usual replenishment of typical shinobi stuff... kunai, shuriken? if you have that?" even though she'd sounded silly and a little embarassed at asking the woman that. Of course she sold them right?

@taghere

GREY!

[Hana Chieko]

The Goddess of Creation

"Yeaaa...still..I can probably whip something up to your liking..." The customer's happiness was top proirity in the end. So if they were looking for gloves, perhaps something far more resistant and capable of lasting, that was something that Chieko could indeed make. It was starting to become a day of firsts for everything, even wares that were a bit more uncommon. "Granted, I'd have to know your hand size and if there were anything that you would like from the materials I use to make them. These wouldn't exactly be normal gloves..." Crossing her arms over her chest, the dark haired female would smile before then glancing back over toward the young samurai with a raised brow. It appeared as if he were fighting himself in what he wanted, leading to her then hearing the decision that he had come to. Perhaps the scabbard would be too much, and the preference of something that worked to his nature would be better. From the sound of it, it appeared as if he were inclined to go with just the blade itself, rather than having an accessory added to it. Still, it seemed best to give him space for now until he was clearly one mind, leading to her looking back toward the blonde with a calm expression. "With the material in mind, I can tell you which kind might work toward your physique in the end...though what comes of them is up to you...each piece of fabric can be just as differing in their effects as the next. Cloth can be flexible, but weak...leather is more tough, but starch in allowing for dexterity..."

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[Honō Kojirou]

Just arms… maybe it was a clan thing, then! Having more arms meant you could wield more weapons at once – such as four weapons, and then two arms and hands free for handseals… wait, that sounded busted! That sounded so cool! He wished he could do something similar…

But being called sweetheart made him feel dizzy in flattery.

Still, he had to figure out… would he try out this scabbard thing along with his new sword? It sounded very interesting, but was he fit for it? Could he take the chance? If he were to wield two weapons at the same time, then he’d be less conditioned to weave handseals! But at the same time, two weapons could give him so much more breathing room and area of effect!

There were some Jutsus out there… wait, that was right! It could work as a sort of initiation strategy – make the enemy think that his hands were tied, then surprise them with a Genjutsu! Genius, Kojirou! You just solved one of the toughest dilemmas in the world! You didn’t have to use two weapons all the time, y’know!

"I KNOW NOW!” he declared in an explosion of energy, pointing his index straight up in the air, "Give me… the scabbard thing too! I will use it to create my very own Bukijutsu!”