[Hono Kin]

Little Kin was always a bright and vibrant part of the clan's community. So far as some proclaiming her to be the mascot of the clan, if not the village itself. Today, she came to slowly knock on the door to one of their clan members that was a bit of a social outcast. Hono Kusari. She waited there, swaying her hips back and forth as she waited somewhat impatiently for him to get to the door. Where if he was to open the door? There was a small girl present before him. Standing around 3'10", with a head of golden blonde in a bowl cut, wearing some raggedy clothes, namely a poncho that seems to stretch over her person. Her small and lithe frame. 

"Konichiwa." She says, bowing her head upon his greeting, assuming he opened the door in the first place. The small girl slowly reaches behind herself and hands him a little wooden box, holding it upwards to his chest. "Umm...Is this the right house? I'm looking for Hono Kusari." Blinking, she hoped it was the right house. She was pretty familiar with the compound, but she hasn't met everyone. Waiting patiently, she slowly lowers her right finger to the bottom of her lip as she gives a small smile. "My name is Kin!~" She says pointing a finger to herself. 

[Honō Kusari]

The days when he was called upon by anyone other than his parents generally involved traditions: meetings that demanded his presence, birthdays, comings of age, rites of passage. Beyond those calendar events, they tried to keep him far from the more impressionable, younger generation. His showing in the Chunin exams several years earlier had solidified his position as someone worthy to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with his Clansmen, but the secrets he had kept, the horrifying truth that he showed not just to Kusagakure, but to all of the Shinobi world on that day had won him no love. That was most likely why, when a small child clad in rags stumbled into his apartment, the red eyed man turned from his meal to raise an eyebrow.

Before he could suggest that she must be lost, she gave his name. Kusari took a long breath, placed his chopsticks down, and stood slowly. He snatched his fan up from the table and held it close to his chest, still closed. "Kin, is it?" he asked, collecting his thoughts. They were strict about appearances when it came to the children. They did not want them to be led astray, and they came down ferociously when someone was not on their best behavior, and contributed to abject delinquency.

He wore the black nagajuban of his normal, gilded kimono and a hakama that matched, clearly not expecting company. When he saw the girl's garb, his brow knitted in confusion. Certainly, a child of the prestigious Honō clan would not be allowed far from their own house in something so unkempt. "Do your parents know that you've come here?" he asked. "Who told you about me, and where I live?"

Kusari snapped the fan open, wafting air toward his face with a smile as he awaited her response.

Hono Kin

[Hono Kin]

When she saw him, the first thing she noticed were his beautiful crimson eyes. The eyes that seemed as if they were from a volcano itself. The kind of eyes that shined brightly within the blacksmith's forge. Her eyes widened for a moment, as she'd never seen eyes of that color before. However, she slowly stops her gawking as to not be rude. "Hai! Hai! I'm Kin-dayo!" She says, nodding her head as she points to herself. Though, in those next moments, she found herself looking upon him with a tilt of her head.

"Mhm!~ I came to deliver you this." She says, slowly reaching behind her back to take out a white bundle of cloth, where when opened, would reveal a rack of pork ribs. "My family butchered a pig recently, so I was told to give you a portion." She says, looking at him innocently. As she saw his smile, she found herself slowly walking inside his home and placing the meat along his kitchen counter, before neatly turning to face him. Tilting herself slightly to the side, she looks at his table and the fan he had present, before looking at his own brighter shade of golden blonde.

Despite her name being Kin, his hair seemed an even more brilliant gold than her own. "Your eyes are really pretty Kusari-Nii." She says softly as she sees her reflection into those eyes of his. "Do you think after you eat...umm...That you could train me a little in ninja stuff?~" She inquires with a vibrant and cute tone. "You're a strong ninja right?"

[Honō Kusari]

"Fufufu..."

The child had some endearing qualities, it seemed. She was very quick to reintroduce herself when he asked her name, and her bright personality showed through in both word and gesture. When she said that her family had asked that she deliver him the gift of food, he tilted his own head. There were still clansmen who cared enough to send small gifts of food. Be it genuine kindness or pity, he hardly read into it. The ribs were a decent section of the boar for eating. "Please, convey my thanks to your parents for the offering of food," he told her. "I was recently reassigned, so I have had very little time for shopping."

And then, she complemented his eyes. Many of their kin were less enthusiastic about the shade, though they had the shame not to say demeaning things in front of him. He listened to her as he turned back to the kitchen table, took the bowl in hand and walked toward the sink. "I have just about finished, to be honest," he said. "so, I don't mind offering something as thanks for you bringing the food."

Kusari knelt down in front of the girl and placed a hand atop her head.

"A strong ninja does not need to be told they're strong," he told her, still smiling, "nor do they need to tell anyone they are. If someone tells you that they are strong, it's because they need that validation, from themselves or from others."

He stood again, flicked his fan open, and hid all of his features other than his eyes. They then closed, smiling in lieu of his lips.

"Now, what sort of lesson should I give you...?"

Hono Kin

[Hono Kin]

The way he spoke was very formal. Taking the liberty to listen to him talking his lack of time, she found herself looking him over with a great fascination when he knelt down and placed a hand upon her head. People have been doing that a lot lately. her eyes followed his motions, and found that he moved in a refined way by the seem of it. However, in those next moments, she was imparted a little bit of wisdom from him in that regard. It was something that she'd never been told before, and with it, Kusari's pride came forth.

She might have looked a little confused at first, it became clear that he felt no need for validation, for he himself knew that he was strong. That strength didn't need to be boasted. Perhaps he was reminiscing his time in the Chuunin Exams when he had practically violated his opponent and subjected them to humiliation that was beyond necessity. For Kusari had humbled his foe and broke them down to the point of no return. Kin's hair was soft, and fluffy, not unlike that of a sheep. However, she found herself in those next moments reaching out and holding his hand and hugging it to her chest.

"I'm open to learning anything you have to offer sensei!"

[Honō Kusari]

"Anything, is it?" Kusari listened, not reacting as the girl held his hand and hugged it to her chest. At that age, they were affectionate, weren't they? He tried to recall his formative years, and whether or not he had been the same. If so, even as he strained, he had no memory of it. "I wonder, Kin- have you learned the nature of your chakra yet?" he asked.

In their clan, two chakra affinities were prominent above all others. Katon- those with fiery personalities- and Doton- the more reserved, tempered, and horribly stubborn ones. Rarer still were those with the Kekkei Genkai, Yoton- the feared and renown Lava Release. Kusari was one of the few who carried the recessive genes.

Kin was small, so it was difficult to place her. Was she a student in the Academy, or was she still not quite old enough? Even then, Clansmen of the Honō were started early with their training, because whether they were gifted or not, whether they could use the Kekkei Genkai or were destined not to even walk the path of the Ninja, they all had their duty to do and their part to play. He assumed she was of age to have at least this much knowledge.

Hono Kin

[Hono Kin]

Kin was fairly affectionate. Yes. In those moments, she found herself swaying back and forth as he was in contemplation. Before he asked her. What was her chakra nature? "Well...We didn't have any chakra paper at the time at home, but. I know I can break rocks!" So of course, she had the doton chakra nature. Yet, Kin was never one of the horribly stubborn types and brash people that tended to give a hard time. No. She found herself slowly looking her over, and rubs the back of her head.

"I trained all of the academy jutsu, and I've been training a little bit of martial arts. A bit of Wing Chun!" She says, letting go of his arm and giving her a stance, her hands open, and the back of her palms facing him as she shows him her best stance. The minimalistic stance as she forms her arms into "wings". She seemed happy to talk a little about what she knew, and it was clear by the seem of it, she was making some very good progress. "I started going to the academy this year, and I really like it." She says with no small level of happiness in her voice. It would seem as if Kin wasn't sure if she'd had Yoton, but figured that it was so rare. Of course she didn't.

What would be the chances that she'd be gifted with that talent. No?

[Honō Kusari]

He watched as she wracked her brain over the question. It was clear she had some concept of what he was asking, which was a good sign developmentally. There were many young Shinobi who were blissfully unaware of how their chakra was aligned among the elements, and who lacked the wherewithal to tap into that wellspring of power. He had seen other Genin at the time when he was undertaking the Chunin exams who were inept to a staggering degree.

Kin was on a decent path. That was good. "Doton," he repeated, still chewing on his thoughts. "A most respectable nature, regardless of what some people will tell you."

As she moved away from him and took up her stance, he recognized her movements as some form of Taijutsu. That was something beyond his ability to teach; so he would leave that to other, more adept members of the family to cultivate.

"That means that you already know how to mold chakra!" he snapped his fan shut, revealing his smiling lips, and pressed the tip of the accessory to them. "My, that is most impressive, Kin. I am glad that you're enjoying your Academy years."

His eyes flashed open, regarding the girl thoughtfully.

"I've decided." He said suddenly. "Tell me what comes to your mind when you think about the earth," he prompted her, watching quietly, patiently. "I want you to close your mind and imagine it."

Hono Kin

[Hono Kin]

She found herself blinking when he found himself talking about how it was a respectable element. In which case, she found herself nodding her head fervently. "I know how to mold chakra. Uh-huh." The way he spoke seemed seemed just as refined as the way he looked, almost professional in a manner that she couldn't put her finger on. She was asked to close her eyes, and she did so, imagining earth. Telling him what came to mind. Closing her eyes, she tried to think of the right words, before she'd answer it thoroughly.

"Strong. Firm. Largely unyielding, but capable of going through a lot of changes. Muddy swamps, and rolling hills. I imagine mountains, and caves, and boulders." She says in general. She'd found herself channeling her inner energy and trying to remember the experience of what it felt like to break those rocks before her palm. How it felt to manipulate the earth freely. It wasn't a difficult exercise to imagine, but she wasn't entirely sure if this was what Kusari wanted her to keep in mind and envision when she closed her eyes. Though, she did find herself wondering. Thinking.

"I know it has the power to shift and move around,  and how without the structure support from the ground everything underneath it falls apart. Am I right?"

[Honō Kusari]

"Mmmhmm," the elder Honō agreed when she started to talk about the things she envisioned when her sight was not there to superimpose images. Imagination and creativity were the building blocks of Jutsu, after all. Simply knowing the nature of the Chakra did not familiarize one with it. Knowing what it meant to them was far more important. Especially putting words to that meaning.

"You're right," he said. "Doton is capable of a great many of those things, making it extremely versatile. However, you're incapable of those things at this time," he told her reaching out with his fan to poke her in the forehead.

"One of the many difficulties in manipulating chakra is a failure to isolate your thoughts. Having a vivid imagination and being creative are important, as is knowing what you are fundamentally capable of; but even more important is knowing what you're not capable of and limiting yourself. Discipline, to put it bluntly. I don't expect you to learn that on the spot, but it will eventually be an invaluable tool to you."

He removed his fan and snapped it open once more, again covering his face other than his eyes. "Focus instead on those things you visualized. The shapes of the stone, the weight of the rocks. Simple things. The way the ground feels under your feet. How these things relate to you. How you connect with them on the physical level."

Hono Kin

[Hono Kin]

In all honesty, the previous description she gave of the Doton was pretty much regurgitated from what her siblings told her, what other people told her. Because what would a six year old girl know about swamps, and caves, and the crags? Though, she did know how rough and unyielding it could be. She knew that much because she worked with a stone. Singular stones and tried to mold and break them in her grip. Taking the liberty to keep the feeling of "rock" in her head she supposed. He mentioned something about isolating thoughts. How she needed to know what she can do? What she couldn't do. Little Kin recoiled for a moment and blinked when she was poked in the forehead by the folded fan. A little surprise.

"Umm..." She knew that trying to imagine how a jutsu worked was pretty important for channeling your chakra and getting a result to happen. However, she wasn't sure if she ever had enough experience or skill to do a jutsu or anything like that before. It was a thought she had when she was practicing her earth exercise. Breaking a stone into smaller fragments was easy enough. However, she'd never thought about the earth and stone on a larger scale. What could she do with that? Sweatdropping, she slowly looks up at Kusari with a nervous look. 

"I think I can kinda see." She says, looking a bit cutely. 

"Would it helped if I laid on the floor?" 

[Honō Kusari]

"Mmmm..." the Special Jonin narrowed his eyes a bit at her question. The girl seemed to be struggling with conceptualization, and tried to not give a negative answer. That was not uncharacteristic of a child her age, but it did tell him that the Clan had not been nearly as brutal or unforgiving in training her as it had with him. A fortunate child, then- one who was able to truly enjoy her childhood.

Enviable.

"You can feel it beneath your feet," Kusari explained, "or if you were to place your hands on the ground. I am sure you've done both things, many times. Narrow your focus to those memories- core memories of the earth, the ground, stone." He instructed her without reprimand, because at this point he had become certain that harshness was not the best method for the child. Kin seemed like one eager to please, and so, giving her the carrot would be much more effective than the stick.

The gods knew, Kusari was not against the stick.

"Familiarize yourself with the feelings that those memories bring you. Be able to draw them to the forefront of your mind. After you do, we can move to the next portion of the exercise."

Hono Kin

[Hono Kin]

She wasn't really sure what to make of the situation really. When they mentioned how they could feel the earth, ground, and stone, she'd take the liberty to look outside, and would legitimately step outside of his house for a moment, and would run her hands along the surface of the dirt and cobble. Before slowly squeezing her hand through the soil. Yeah. That made about sense. before she'd run back and would nod her head. "I get it. It's rough. Course." She says, before digesting the thought.

"And it gets everywhere." She says with a slight notice. Goodness sake should Kin ever discover the nightmare that was sand. "I understand the earth now sensei!~" She says with confidence renewed in her tone. It seemed as if she was pretty sure she was ready for the next step. Though, when she did do a little bit more in depth thinking, she had to question how much more in depth she could really grasp it really. Looking up at him hopefully, she seemed really excited. How couldn't she be?

"What's the next step Kusari-Sensei? Are you going to teach me some new technique or exercise?" That seemed to be something that really excited her. After all, what kid didn't want to learn a new technique?!

[Honō Kusari]

He watched as she walked outside at a leisurely pace, then promptly dug her hands into the dirt, contemplated the feeling, and came back to give an answer. Sans the ability to recall anything, she took the opportunity to create a new, fresh sensation to use. It was... one method, he supposed. Kusari quietly sighed, but gave no other visible sign of his thoughts.

Coarse. Rough. Gets everywhere. These were certainly some of the myriad aspects of Doton. The important thing though, was not what Doton meant to Kusari. It was what Doton was to Kin.

And she'd created a suitable answer. Ninjutsu was all about questions and answers. Someone asks, what will you do?

As she grew, she would learn many different possible answers. It was time for her to learn the foundation of her very first one.

"Grab a rock from outside," he instructed. There were many who used leaves for this exercise, because leaves were malleable to many types of Chakra. But they knew that her aptitude was for Doton, or at least, that was the pretense of this particular exercise. "It doesn't need to be a large rock. Something you can hold in one or both hands will do."

kin

[Hono Kin]

Made a lot of sense that he was pretty reserved in the ability to give her a lecture. No? After all, he was a jounin sensei. Someone that taught the Genin. When she was told to learn the foundation of ninjutsu, she was told to go get a rock. Was he going to tell her to break a rock? She'd learned how to do that before. Sure, she was still training it every single day, but that wasn't so hard. When she twisted and channeled it abruptly, she could make it turn into a nice fine powder if she tried really hard. Grab a rock.

"Okay!" She found herself stepping out, and with it, she'd go to find a smooth black stone. It was a stone. A simple stone. There were many like it, but this one was hers. As she crouches down, she holds it in both hands, and looks it over. Before then promptly running her little legs back towards Kusari's home and sliding inside. "I've got a rock!~" She says it so cheerfully, as if she'd discovered some sort of hidden treasure or valuable gemstone. Before presenting it to him. Holding it in both her hands, it was a flatter stone, one that felt a little like sandpaper on the surface. It was about as rock as rock could get. "This is gonna be great! Hehe!~"