[Honō Chisai]

FROM THE FLAMES OF BATTLE I WAS FORGED, FROM THE ASH LANDS I BECAME ANEW, MY SOUL STANDS UNYIELDING TO THE CHALLENGE AHEAD

Chisai knelt as the last embers of the flames she had started died. The scent of smoke and ash filling her lungs as her hands collected the remnants of the tree into a pouch that she would later grind down until ash and water became the right consistency. She gave a last cursory look at the dying embers that had consumed the trunk as the scent of smoke was carried by the wind before looking at the figures that had watched this ritual. A small nod was the only thing she gave them as the cluster of elders retreated to send the missive. To gather the close knit family of the girl.

Days would pass as the Flame of the West penned deeds of others into scrolls, taking a moment to observe her work before moving to the next stanza of a saga that had parts glorious as it had them sorrowful. She hoped this new name would be the latter rather than the former. But all within the higher echelons of the clan had agreed that the girl was ready and for what Chisai had seen herself, she believed it so to. Other names were added to the list and once the bookkeeping had been done and whatever rite had been put to parchment and given to the scribes of the clan, a ceremony was called in the stone gardens at the center of the compound.

All who could have made it were present, fires burned on top of the black sand that surrounded the stones carved with the names and titles of all that had came before. War drums were beaten, as if it were a call to war rather than to appoint a merit. Standing on a dais, surrounded by the elders away from the crowd that assembled, Chisai observed her kin to would be honored, giving more time for those missing to arrive.

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419 ● @ ● NOTES

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[Honō Saya]

Saya had never been to a Naming Ceremony before; there had been a handful since she had graduated from the Academy, but none quite as large as this one. It was an auspicious moment, to have one’s name and deeds recorded in the clan’s history, to be honored for your work and bequeathed a title to match. Every Hono worthy of the name had been granted a moniker, even if it had to be bequeathed posthumously, as her parent’s had been- to know that her cousin had managed to earn his spot was a bright spot in an otherwise bittersweet occasion.

Just smile and nod, Saya. Koji deserves this. She thought as she strolled down the long hall that led to the ceremony chamber, her heels clacking against the wooden floor with every step. Naming Ceremonies were formal affairs, so rather than her usual attempts to fuse modern and traditional elements together to form something unique, the Hono girl had gone for a fully modern look, eschewing the traditional kimono in favor of a long, sleek dress whose primary color matched her hair that cut off just above her knees and left her legs bare. The sleeves were long, covering her wrists, and colored a complimentary brown, while her heels were black with red soles, adding a good four inches to her height.

All in all, she cut a striking figure, looking far more like a proper adult than she did in her Shinobi attire, though not eye-catching enough to distract anyone from the truly important people at the ceremony. A nice ornament to admire, then ignore while the real adults moved forward. Just smile and nod. Saya thought, her lips parting in a small, perfunctory smile as she entered into the main chamber, mingling with her relatives like a good Kuonichi should. There were compliments, some half-hearted and some genuine, but for the most part the older Hono left her alone, many of them looking… uneasy when she met their gaze. As if she needed their approval anyway.

Eventually, Saya made her way through the crowd towards the dais, standing off to one side so as not to get in the way of the ceremony, yet remain close enough to still show Kojirou support. She decidedly did not look Chisai’s way, her honey-yellow gaze resolutely avoiding the blonde’s figure as she approached, not out of disrespect, but shame. The proctors of the Chuunin Exams may have passed her, but it was clear, at least in her eyes, that she was far from worthy of the rank- her actions in the second and third round had shown that, if nothing else. So she kept her head down and eyes averted, standing to the side and hoping to all the heavens above she went relatively unnoticed.

Please… Just ignore me.

Honō Chisai

[Honō Chisai]

FROM THE FLAMES OF BATTLE I WAS FORGED, FROM THE ASH LANDS I BECAME ANEW, MY SOUL STANDS UNYIELDING TO THE CHALLENGE AHEAD

The Lioness saw the gathering of her kin, descending with the bowl cradled within her hands as the elders followed her, carrying incense burners, the scent of wood smoke trailing behind them. She would look at the gathered front rank of the honored, a smile appearing on her lips as her fingers dipped in the mixture of ash and pigments that she had crafted before she would 'brand' the first to be granted a name that would transcend their own, taking them into realm of inspiration for those that would come after them.

She had recited the names in private before, etched them into the scrolls and memorized each one of them as they were added behind the elders by a clan's mason. The sound of drums syncing with the sound of the chisel striking the stone, the echoes of claps and sounds of excitement from close kin and kith to the recipients came and went as she continued down the road as the names came and went. Chisai spoke them all, Herald of Burning Skies, Bearer of Cleansing Flames, Guardian of the Last Hearth, all holding a weight of their own, all holding a special significance that for those that received them that would make a before and after in their lives.

Chisai would then stop on the last one of the recipients, a girl that averted her gaze, perhaps not dressed as formally as she should've for the occasion but nonetheless dressed with enough decorum to receive the honor. "Is something wrong, Saya?" The blonde asked gently, leaning to a size to peer a look at the girl, a bright smile perching slightly on her lips.

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307419 ● Honō Saya ● NOTES

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[Honō Saya]

Saya watched the ceremony with a look of detached interest, doing her best to show support without standing out; the honors were handed out with all the circumstance they were due, each recipient kneeling before Chisai handed them their scrolls and announced their new title. She clapped when appropriate, giving a bit more enthusiasm as her cousin received his scroll, the emotion genuine even if it was bittersweet. Eventually, however, the blonde handed out her scrolls, the ceremony coming to a close as the final title was given out and the Clan Head moved…

Directly in front of her.

The red-head blinked, confused as her cousin spoke, asking if something was wrong, as if she had somehow intuited her unease at being up here, despite not receiving a title herself. She took a moment to breathe, steadying her nervousness beneath the elder Hono’s gaze- and then spoke, her voice perfectly cheery and polite as she bowed her head in respect, giving a perfect curtsy that left her dress, tight as it was, untouched.

"Not at all, Chisai-sama. Why do you ask?" She raised her head after speaking, straightening out her dress with only a small bit of nervousness as the entire clan stared at them, clearly interested in why there had been a pause in the ceremony.

Please, just move on… Please.

Honō Chisai