[itako noro]

Nature wasn't exactly a quiet place. No matter where she was in Bonchi no Kuni, it felt like all sorts of wildlife were in tow. Cicadas chirping, mantises hissing, everyone playing their part in the natural orchestra. 

The ambience of nature was different to that of the village however, this place brought calm to Noro, the edge of Takigakure, inside the forest. No arguing, no pandering or social cues to worry about, the only worry out here was making sure no bastard gnats nipped you and left you with a bug bite. 

Flat on the ground, facing the sky, her mask slung over her hip, Noro hummed along to the frequency of the air whistling through. Her garb was rather unexceptional, loose, feathery, light. 

Her purpose for being here was so that she didn't feel so confined to the village. She had always lived in a community, but to be walled off from the outside world, and purposefully obscured on top of that. It'd be strange if a young teenage girl didn't experience some sort of system shock from the whole thing. 

Idly she laid, with an internal equivalent of thumb twiddling in the form of practicing rudimentary chakra flow patterns, revelling in the joy of solitude. 

Takahashi Akio

MADE BY VEL OF GS

[Takahashi Akio]

Akio meandered through the lush forest bordering Takigakure, his hands comfortably buried in the pockets of his jacket. His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, all centered on perfecting his sage mode and all the recent training he’d been doing. Though he typically sought the deep solitude offered by the deeper jungle further away from the village, the proximity of these woods to the village sometimes made them a more practical choice. Despite the chance of crossing paths with other villagers, the forest's natural symphony of chirping cicadas and whispering leaves provided a soothing, meditative backdrop, essential for his mental preparation.

As he navigated the forest path, Akio's mind was deeply immersed in the intricacies of his training regimen. He was so engrossed in his thoughts that he nearly overlooked Noro, a young academy student, lying motionless on the ground. She seemed to be in a state of serene repose, her body blending seamlessly with the surrounding environment. Her subtle presence in the midst of nature’s embrace caught Akio off guard. Typically, he would have continued on his way, preferring the uninterrupted focus for his training, but there was something intriguing about this unexpected encounter. He had thought himself familiar with most of the academy students from his time as a substitute teacher, yet Noro was an unfamiliar face.

Approaching her with slow deliberate steps, Akio was careful not to disrupt her tranquility. "Hey there," he called out in a soft, yet casual tone. "I’m sorry for interrupting.” He observed her unique mask slung casually over her hip and her distinctive attire, a mix of feathers, leather, and animal hide, which suggested she might not be a local. Her peaceful demeanor in this natural setting struck a chord with him. He recognized in her a kindred spirit, someone else who found solace and reflection amidst the forest's calm.

His curiosity piqued, Akio decided to engage in conversation. "But I couldn’t help noticing your unique clothing. Are you from Takigakure?” His inquiry was gentle, driven by a genuine interest in understanding more about this young student who shared his affinity for the solitude of nature. Akio ended his approach a couple meters away; the distance was mostly a precaution since he’d never seen the girl, but he was also respecting her personal space just like he might do if he had encountered a wild animal.


itako noro

[itako noro]

I suppose all good things must come to an end.

Stiffly, she rose. Her legs stayed on the ground but her torso twisted upwards, reminiscent of a vampire coming out of a coffin. Her sunken cheeks and eyes along with her strange, bony appearance contrasted with the pleasant natural landscape. 

As a response to his apology, Noro began to speak, "The land is to be shared, it does not owe me solitude." A malaise eeked through in her voice.

"But I couldn’t help noticing your unique clothing. Are you from Takigakure?”

A nod was her initial response. She reached her hand between the various layers she had on, revealing a Takigakure Academy Student ID. A thought that was part-humorous part-worrying ran across Noro's mind, From afar, this situation might look like a cautious pedestrian wondering if this alley cat was friendly or not.

"Those from my lands would say the same about your garb." Her intonation and pronunciation of words made it clear she was no Takigakure native, in fact, this language might not even be her first, few would be able to place the roots of her speaking patterns.

Using someone's forehead protector as a way to identify if they're a shinobi, or what village they're from, was a behaviour not yet ingrained into Noro, so she spoke more. "I assume you're from Takigakure too. Am I intruding somewhere private?"

Takahashi Akio

MADE BY VEL OF GS

[Takahashi Akio]

Amidst the tranquil woods, where the rustling leaves and distant birdsong held sway, Akio had been enjoying a moment of solitude. The sudden appearance of the mysterious figure, rising from the ground with an eerie grace, caught him off guard. He blinked in surprise, his gentle amber eyes locked onto the strange newcomer's sunken features and bony form.

As Noro spoke, her words carried an air of melancholy or discomfort, and Akio couldn't help but feel a sense of curiosity about her presence in this serene setting. Her question about his origins and her revelation of a Takigakure Academy Student ID intrigued him. It was evident that she hailed from a different land, her speech patterns and pronunciation of words revealing her foreign origins.

With a warm and friendly smile, Akio would turn a little and twist his body to look at his own clothes, "I guess they are a little strange aren’t they." Unfortunately he didn’t have any identification or anything like that, he didn’t even carry his headband on him most of the time, usually it was back at his apartment shoved in an underwear drawer. He chuckled lightly, his curiosity piqued by the enigmatic stranger. "I don’t have any ID to say I’m from here and I think my headband is back at home, so you'll just have to trust I'm from Takigakure. My name's Akio by the way."

Akio was extremely casual with the young girl as he engaged with her in conversation, "No, you're not intruding at all. I just thought it was quite rare to see a shinobi just relaxing here. Usually, when I come out to these woods a lot of students are training with shuriken or something." He paused for a moment, before adding with a lighthearted chuckle something that would give a little bit of information about him if she was familiar with sages or sage training, granted she probably wasn't. "It almost made me think that my master had taken on yet another student cause it almost looked like you were meditating."

While her relaxing had looked like meditation at first, it was pretty obvious that what she was doing wasn't quite the same as his sage training that he had been doing for the past couple of years. Rather than linger too long on the topic too much he'd simply ask something a normal person might ask, "Have you made any friends yet, Noro?"



itako noro

[itako noro]

Those who have spent their lives with the luxuries that come with modern civilisation often lose their touch with nature. The way they carry themselves, the way they speak and sound, their general disposition is stained by the poison of convenience. 

Strangely enough, to Noro, this stranger did not carry that stench. While such concepts were unknown to her, it was likely stemming from the affinity with nature that occurs with sage art practitioners.

As Akio continued to speak, Noro would nudge her way in between his sentences. "The only master I have surrounds us as we speak.", she would gesture to the trees, the soil, the animals. "The electric hum, artificial lights and oozing debauchery that comes with being in a village, means that only here I can relax." At one point, her gaze was affixed onto Akio, sizing him up, trying to grasp the situation. As she spoke, more pressing thoughts led her gaze through Akio.

When prodded about her social situation, she replied "No, but I remain on amicable terms with many. Hopefully it stays that way. Have you made any friends Akio?" A custom of asking a question back that you have received was observed by Noro when she "integrated" into Takigakure, but it has taken her a while to begin implementing it into her own limited rapport.

Unfortunately, the potentially offensive tone of repeating the question back to a senior Takigakure native was lost on her.

Takahashi Akio

MADE BY VEL OF GS

[Takahashi Akio]

As Akio listened to Noro's musings on modern civilization and its detachment from nature, he found himself intrigued by her perspective, though not entirely in agreement. While he respected her connection to the natural world, he couldn't help but see the benefits and complexities of village life.

Noro's observations struck a bit of a chord with him, prompting him to reflect on the dichotomy between the artificial comforts of civilization and the raw beauty of nature. However, Akio believed that the two could coexist harmoniously, each offering its own unique set of experiences and insights.

In his mind, the conveniences of modern civilization weren't inherently poisonous. Instead, they represented progress and innovation, allowing communities to thrive and individuals to pursue diverse paths of self-discovery. The bustling streets, electric lights, and technological advancements of village life weren't stains but rather symbols of human ingenuity and resilience.

While Akio cherished the tranquility of nature, he also valued the vibrancy and dynamism of village existence. To him, civilization wasn't a poison but a tapestry of human endeavor and aspiration, woven with threads of tradition and innovation.

As Noro nudged her way into the conversation, Akio acknowledged her presence with a nod, appreciating her candidness and sincerity. Her gaze, though probing, held a sense of depth and wisdom that intrigued him.

When Noro inquired about whether or not he had friends himself, Akio pondered her question for a moment. "I think I would have said yes if you had asked years ago," he replied thoughtfully. "But I guess most of my peers I’ve met and interacted with in recent years are weapons or monsters so terrifying that their mere presence makes you want to crap yourself."

Akio's response carried a hint of skepticism of his current situation; and he started to wonder when his life as a shinobi had started to tear away at his childish optimism. Rather than dwell on it too much, Akio took a seat on the ground a few feet from the girl and circled back to her original thoughts, "It’s interesting that you consider nature your master though. I usually just think about it as more like a partner. If you don’t mind me asking, why do you call it your master?”


itako noro

[itako noro]

There was no sense of urgency, no imposing figure from Akio, as if he lacked a care in the world. The unbothered atmosphere he carried around him wasn't one of unawareness, it was the same nonchalance a lion has around a cub.

Akio continued to speak, as it dawned on Noro exactly how far apart the two were in experience with the shinobi world, despite him not looking many years older than herself.

This realisation had not caused her to lose track of what the fellow across from her was saying. There were layers of walls between anyone Noro found herself talking to, too many differences in inherit values and views for her to overcome. 

Unknowingly, this seemed to be much less of an issue with Akio, she found herself disarmed by him in many ways, like a stray used to baring its fangs being calmed.

Once Akio talked of his friends, Noro tilted her head in confusion. "Are you friends with no civilians? Does everyone with strength wear it on their sleeve?" She found it hard to empathise with him, so she could only probe and prod away.

Once the prompt of "why do you call nature your master?" came about, she paused for a moment, looking down upon the shinobi sat on the floor. Her eyes drifted to the side for a moment, slowly, she followed suit and sat across from him.

"Master may not be the right word... We use something else with no real direct translation in the tongue I spoke originally, out in the fringes of Bonchi no Kuni. Every day that nature chooses to bless us with food, water, air to breathe, I am grateful. Everyday it doesn't come and level the land we live upon, leave it arid, create waves the size of mountains, I am grateful."

"Anything I could ever want to learn can be derived from what surrounds us. Unwavering patience of the trees, the keen tracking of wolves, the meticulous planning of spiders."

"Being given all the information you need, being given the carrot instead of the stick, what more does a master do?"

She trailed off, gazing off absent mindedly, her eyes may be looking towards Akio, but it was clear she was looking through, rather than at him.

Takahashi Akio

MADE BY VEL OF GS

[Takahashi Akio]

Akio sat opposite Noro, his gaze gentle yet penetrating as he absorbed her words. The contrast between their demeanors was evident - her guardedness juxtaposed with his open composure. Despite the differences, there was an unspoken understanding that seemed to bridge the gap between them.

As Noro expressed her confusion about Akio's friends and questioned the notion of strength, Akio couldn't help but offer a faint smile and a bit of a laugh. "I think that maybe due to my time away from the village spent training. I don't have many people here that I’d consider my friend,” his voice calm and measured. "However, it's rare for individuals on vastly different paths to form strong bonds. The intricacies of our respective journeys often shape our perspectives and priorities. Not that something like that doesn’t happen, but people often form bonds with the people they are around the most."

As Akio listened to Noro's musings on nature, it was clear that there was a connection to something deeper than mere words could express. There were a lot of similarities in how they viewed the world, but it felt like Noro saw nature as a provider. Rather than contradict Noro, Akio would simply add on once they were finished, "Nature has always been sorta like a refuge for me," he began, his voice carrying a hint of reverence. "Growing up, I often played in the jungles around Taki, especially once I started training as a sage. There, amidst the rustling leaves and whispering winds, I discovered a sense of belonging that eluded me elsewhere."

He paused, a faint smile touching his lips as memories flooded his mind. "Needless to say, I see much more in nature than just a provider or master," He glanced back at Noro, a softness in his eyes as he continued. "I see nature as a friend," he concluded. 

He’d pause for another moment before extending a question to Noro, "This might sound like a dumb question, but have you ever tried to just listen to nature? There’s a lot you can learn from understanding the rhythm of the creatures and environment you’re in."




itako noro