Private/Closed Naruto AU: Roleplay

[Grand Master Koop]

Shiho cupped her hand next to her ear as Tayuya screamed strait into it, the young girl was able to hear the prisoner's words pretty clearly despite her self made ear plugs. Shiho recoiled a bit. "Oh alright! You don't have to shout this loud!" She moved to crawl off until she felt a sudden movement on Tayuya's body.

"Whoa there." Glancing back, Shiho saw Tayuya attempting to kick her off, so she reacted quickly. Bending her knees, Shiho pushed off of Tayuya's back then used her neck as a pivot and spun in front of her. She then used the centrifuge force and leaped away.

Shiho landed on the ground and turned back. "Oh sorry! I guess I was a bit too forward! I'll be more mindful next time!” Her voice was still booming.

 

[Godjacob]

It took a minute or so for Kenji to regain his cognitive abilities and senses once the whistle passed, and about 3 times the length for Aisha and her companions given their sharper senses caused even greater pain. Kenji needed a moment to process what just happened all around them before he could even scan ahead; one he had relatively recovered, the reality of the situation was clear. Rika & Darui were gone, and there appeared to be no trace of either of them anywhere which only raised further questions.

Where did they go? Why was Darui out to speak with Rika? What purpose did Rika have for coming out here? All these questions were bound to drive him mad if Kenji had not gotten answers and as Aisha and her wolves slowly worked to recover Kenji turned to the pair.

"A-are...are you guys okay?" Kenji asked, shaking the residual ring in his ears as he checked with his allies.

"G-gahhh....t-that was torture...." Aisha whined, as being an Inuzuka naturally the whistle hurt more as Sky & Luna chirped their own whines, but in spite of the pain they would recover. Seemed that Rika was gone which posed a "where do we go from here" issue, and as Kenji went to check on Taji Aisha herself frowned while she worked to shake the ringing out of her ears. Though as visual and auditory signs of her seemed gone, her nose did twitch as one subtle trace of something remained for her sharp nose to pick up...

-----​

Rika herself made it to the bottom of the stairs, with Darui a step behind her, as she scanned ahead. It appeared to be some sort of underground chamber; vast as it was lifeless, with only the numerous torches present to offer any light as among the cloaked or notable figures among them two things stood out to her.

One was a large container with chains and seals around it, where she presumed the prize of the island mission had been.

And another, a large x-cross table ahead of it. One of the figures who seemed to be an older man with an aged beard who stood at the base of the large container saw the girl and motioned to the table.

"Have a seat, we must make sure you are secure." The old man advised, one of Kumo's sages and wisest figures. Rika knew what he meant as she gave a nervous nod and walked to the table. She laid upon it as her arms and legs moved to the cross pattern as two attendents began the process to firmly secure her wrists and ankles to ensure she'd locked firmly in place.

--------
"The only thing you can ever do as a parent is care for your child within the best of your ability. You and your wife risked life and limb for both your nation and his well being, which can never be understated. It is understandable you have regrets over what you were not able to do, I wish we could have given Tomiko a life with more luxuries than she was given. That we could have given her assured finical stability, now she puts most of her money back to this community and us as a "thank you" which I wonder if we deserve. So just be thankful where you ended up with Mori rather than linger on the what ifs." Kuro advised Iwao.

"A spar huh? Well Tomiko isn't one to back down from a challenge, though taking on one of our nation's elite is of course troubling I do hope you can confidently reign it in. She has a tendency to push hard no matter the situation." Atsuko said with a sheepish expression as she trusted Kasumi but Tomiko was quite the competitive sort so she worried she'd force her to go a little harder than comfort.

The twins along with Hoshi seemed inspired by the sled idea, though whether they could get Tomiko to help with that was less than certain least till the latter gave an assured wink their way as she seemed fine with it till they had their own way to power the sled. Jirou herself had a small smile as she was touched Mori would go so far for her sake and vowed to make this up to him in some fashion.

"Hey, I made it to the top didn't I? No need to still be so sore about that as I had everything under control." Tomiko replied back quick to speak up her defense on the climb that Mori seemed to still in good spirit still take pot shots at her at. Naomi giggled a bit but she took each word Mori said in stride thankful both he and Tomiko beyond her brother seemed to offer some advice to her on her path to power as it were. It seemed sound, to make her way her own style so she stood out which left her with a lot of creative options to consider once she would begin her training.

----------
Madoka listened as Yasu asked what she wanted of him as she herself wondered how she would phrase this question, she was not used to speaking with Yasu one on one or most people and what she asked may have been curious but she eventually decided to start off simple and work from there.

"You have work by the border, do you not?" Madoka asked as she figured this would be easy enough for Yasu to clarify.

---------
Tayuya would have probably spat back with a curse or something equally dignified but as Shiho seemed to focus her attention to the Uchiha she decided not to bother with it. Rather she turned her attention to Sagiso who seemed to be speaking to another new arrival to this compound and whether she had said anything to Tayuya the Oto-nin had not heard given her focus on the clingy Hyuga.

Maybe Sagiso had forgotten about her and she could slip away. But she doubted she'd be so fortunate.

"So, what now? Tayuya asked Sagiso with her arms folded over her chest. She cared little for her current conversation and in truth if this was to be her fate she'd rather get it over with quickly. Least this way she could be prepared and properly defend herself...

 

[DarkHydraT]

Iwao pondered on the words of the baker for a while. Kuro had a solid point, and the jonin had to admit that he was right. He was luckier than he really knew, and Kuro made him realise that. He was still alive, that wasn't something most of his former friends could say. He had a loving wife and a son who, although scarred, didn't carry any resentment against him. "You're right, I should stop living in the past and look at what I have now. It's time I noticed that." He flashed a grin at Kuro before looking outside, judging by the sun it was getting late. If he had to guess, it was about 8. "We should go soon, it's been incredible to get to meet you but we wouldn't want to overstay our welcome."

"Our nation's elite? Well, I am not your ordinary run-off-the-mill ninja but the elite? I appreciate the compliment, but there are more capable jonin out there than me." Kasumi scratched her neck as she smiled sheepishly. "And I promise to stop her once she goes too far. Over-exertion is a thing after all, and I would rather have her take it easy during a training session than go all out and miss out on multiple other sessions.

"You made it to the top and almost slipped, remember? You could have very well slipped, I was high on adrenaline and anxiety during your little session of playing mountain goat. I know people say reach for the skies, but you don't have to take it that literally!" Mori exclaimed, though he had a small smirk on his face the entire time.

"Kasumi, Mori. Let's go, it's getting late and we shouldn't bother these nice people any longer." Iwao told his family and was met with a pout from his son. "Fiiine, see you all next time!" He waved at the children in the room before giving Atsuko and Kuro a hand following after the example set by his parents. "Thank you for having us over, we really appreciate it." He thanked the other pair of parents before getting his hair ruffled by Kasumi.

"Look at that, my little boy shows some good manners!" Said little boy tried to fix his hair and couldn't stop a small grin from gracing his face. His mom might be a bit rambunctious at times, but she had a good heart. After one final farewell the Utamara family stepped outside, making their way towards their own home and with new experiences under their belt. Even though one family member might be a bit overwhelmed with all the feelings he is having right now, his parents should be able to help him figure them out.

----------------------

Taji was disorientated, the incredibly shrill whistle did a real number on her. "I-I..am fine. I think so atleast...." She had a bit of trouble getting her words out, but in the end she managed to speak. "What kind of...whistle was that? It...hurt like no tomorrow, those...things should be....illegal!" The girl exclaimed, her calm exterior seemingly disappeared after the audio attack. "Ninja using....the Transformation Jutsu..can really get hurt by this." Her words became easier to understand and she began to speak closer to her original speed.

 

[kyuukestu]

Sagisō

Triumph edged itself into Sagisō's face, slowly curving her lips and leaving smug quips dancing on the tip of her tongue. The Nadeshiko grown Hyūga swallowed the provocation on her tongue. If Tayuya got worked up again the chase would likely resume, and as much fun as that sounded, she hadn't the time for it.

"It's just a bath, not the end of the world."

Rolling her eyes, Sagisō led the way. The Clan's bathhouse wasn't far from their current location, but the void of silence as they traveled was something Sagisō immediately sought to fill.

"How's your neck?"

The question was, of course, directed at Tayuya. Tinged with a measured level of concern, Sagisō's tone was carefully balanced neither pitying nor overly concerned. The maneuver Shiho had pulled was a rather dangerous one. The slightest misstep could've easily left someone with a very broken neck.

Sagisō ~~ Flashback

Control...

There were very few times in Sagisō's life where she wasn't in control of the situation around her and, she had to admit...that was one of those few times. It had happened before she could react, an accident she could never correct...blood that would forever stain her hands.

Those same hands clenched at her clothing, holding the fabric tight to her shivering skin. The Uchiha imprisoned across from her was sharp...or just lucky. His words unwittingly pulled at a tender scab, an injury she'd yet to heal. Discomfort bleed from the wound, the thin veil of scar tissue so easily eroded, leaving only an ooze of raw emotion.

The stone grey walls grew blurred, but a few good blinks restored her vision.

Accepted it..?

Of course, she had! What else was she to do..? Even though she wanted to reject it with every fiber of her being, would that bring her sister back?

She knew the answers to those questions and so she swallowed it. A bitter pill, surely, one of hate and remorse. It stuck persistently to her throat but it would go down one way or the other.

"we—*cough*"

Her voice cracked as she spoke, but she quickly covered it with a cough.

"Well. Enough about me, what about you? An Uchiha born in the Mist...quite an experience I'd imagine..?"

The topic or rather, its focus on her, was no longer something she enjoyed. Flipping the script on Kiro, she gave herself time to decompress and time to recompose.

 

[Nukas]

Nadeshiko
It was obvious the Raikage was just as eager to get on with this meeting as she was, so she decided not to keep him waiting. She took the scroll from the attendant and bowed to the Raikage. She mainly did this out of respect, and because she was grateful that it went so quickly so that they could be done with this errand. She didn't say a word or even stop to inspect the scroll before turning around with the other four Nadeshiko kunoichi, and exiting the quarters of the Raikage.

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

B.O.S.E.C. Examined the mindscape scene, it’s spectral form analyzing the memory. It traced a line down past Seiun’s cheek with a single long talon.

“͢S̵uc̵h̡ ͝fo͠n̕d̷neşs. H̨e sh́ow͞ed̸ ̸you ̷p͏at̨i̵e͝ncę w̢he͢n no one ̵ęlse͡ ̛wo͠u̕ld̴.҉ K͝in͟d͝n̨e̴śs̴.͠”
҉
It circled the younger version of it’s host, progressing over to Seiun himself in present day. It’s shadowy grasp making it to it’s shoulder, an low whisper echoing from within.

“̴B͢ut̷ I͜ t̴hi҉nk͏ we ̨b̧oth ķn͜ow ͜it wàs̕n’͠t ̕d̢e̶stine͡d t͝o ļa͡st̶.̨”



.....


“Hey...it’s youuu...!” Kou said somewhat excitedly

He didn’t know her name, just that she had helped him against Dosu, although that very memory was pretty faint, as much as he tried to recall it. While he was thinking about this, the two girls seem to whisper something to each other, giving a nod, Ino approaching him.

“So...you want to go to it?”

Wait. What?

He didn’t know if she was serious at first. Him? A previous pick pocket and now allying with their enemy allowed in such a place? He gave a Nervous half smile which turned quickly into one of worry.

“Oh! Are you serious??” His eyes darting left and right.. “Won’t they uh...not exactly be thrilled to see me?”

 

[Grand Master Koop]

With the previous matter resolved, Shiho thought it was time to return to her initial task. “Alright I’ll be leaving you girls now! I have something I should really get to doing!” She yelled with a wave of her hand before she jumped up a tree and began leaping away.

While she approached the building, Shiho had a thought. “I wonder if Kiro and his gang are there already, I hope I didn’t make them wait too long.” She hurried her pace and jumped into the vents of the building then began crawling though the celling towards the sewing room.

 

[sSoul]

Taiyo
The FBS master chuckled internally when he took a retrospect on his situation. Despite Raku's youth, her advice had some validity, which Taiyo recognized by nodding after she was done.

"Well two teachers are better than one, although I wish I could teach you guys something in return..."

He would've offered to teach either of them FBS, but the Leaf-nin knew that his technique could still be improved for himself. As for learning from Furījia, it would be a hard question to ask, but overall rewarding if she said yes.

"Thanks Rakusupa, Ill be aure to ask Furijia the next time I'm able to," With that, Taiyo turned to Kiro to ask, "So are we still going to the sewing room or no?"

 

[Godjacob]

Ay would watch as the Nadeshiko Kunoichi depart, before he turned to Atsui & Samui among others. "Escort them out of the village, I don't want incident and ensure they leave and nothing else." Ay said with an expected level of precaution as the Jonin nodded and departed to sure the Nadeshiko Kunoichi got to the gates just fine. When they left, Ay dismissed everyone else present outside of Shee; one of his two most trusted attendants.

"Have preparations been made?" Ay asked, once he had been assured all other parities had left the room as Shee nodded.

"Yes Lord Raikage. The host is present and the seal is being placed." Shee explained, as Ay nodded and within the next moment both men vanished as they set off to their own secluded entrance area.

-----​

"I-I think that was the idea. Seemed Darui didn't want anything not even animals here." Kenji mused as he guessed the motive behind the whistle as much as a literal pain as it had been. Though as they recovered Kenji become frustrated; Rika was gone, Darui was involved in whatever this was about but he had no clue, and now they lacked any leads on where she could be. Seemed that they hit the literal dead en...

"I-I think I still have her scent!"

Aisha's declaration interrupted Kenji's thoughts as Aisha made her announcement. She and her companions flew down as Kenji followed motioning for Taji to do the same as soon the group came across what seemed to be a subtle elevation and what seemed to be a hole of some sort that connected to some underground vent. Luna & Sky sniffed in their bird forms as did Aisha before she turned to Kenji and presumably Taji. Once they arrive Kenji scanned it as he thought over what Aisha claimed and what the general purpose of this may have been, before he reaches his best hypothetical guess.

"Well, seems to be something to air out....whatever is down there. And if Aisha can pick up Rika's scent than she might also be down there." Kenji explained before his face paled. The vent was too small for their regular bodies to crawl through, and their bird forms would be poor to navigate the underground vent that the hole connected towards. But one animal Kenji and his team had experience with before seemed ideal for this.

As if fate had been playing one big joke at his expense. But with a defeated sigh he glanced over to Aisha, the wolves & Taji.

"Well, I know one way through...." Kenji said with dread as Taji quickly picked up on it and likewise was not a fan of what seemed to be the only course to take. Aisha was indifferent to it, and with a silent agreement they all poofed as they changed from birds to rats. And in succession they moved down the vent.

-----​

What Kenji and his ground would see at the end of the vent, hanging high above the room was what seemed to be some sort of ceremony taking place; with some wise elders present along with what was presumed ninja for security; which included Darui as it was not long before all eyes were directed towards Rika....as she seemed strapped to a table while one ninja seemed to be finishing up what appeared to be placing some sort of crescent shaped seal on her stomach.

The hell is going on!?

Kenji had to shift his thoughts as the "rats" observed the arrival of Ay and Shee. Both moved by the large sealed container as a pair of sealing experts moved to both sides while the Raikage glanced down at Rika whose gaze seemed distant. Something which was not lost on the head of Kumoagakure as his intense gaze focused on her. Though to be fair his "casual" face seemed to also be the intense face, just a default if Aisha had to say anything on it.

"Second thoughts?" Ay asked simply enough, as Rika was silent as she bit her lip and balled her hands into fists bound as she had been. In the deepest part of her soul, she wanted to say yes. Yes, she wasn't sure she could do this. Yes, that she felt maybe she had not been ready for this. Yes, that they needed to consider another candidate. Someone anyone else. Yes, that she wasn't ready to give up her life for a burden such as this. Yes, that she didn't want this life...

"No Lord Raikage....I-I am ready."

Resigned to her fate, Ay nodded as he moved aside and the two Fuinjutsu specialists made rapid handsigns in synchronized movements. Rika tried to steady her breathing as the "rats" observed in their obscure hidden position as his eyes widened as realization slowly hit him on just what was happening. The chains that held the sealed container were removed on command just as the two sealing specialists slammed their palms along it.

"Goddess' Guidance: Lunar Sealing Jutsu!"
​

A massive shockwave blasted through the area, as the essence of the Bijuu and its enormous power shot through the room as it was guided along by the sacred sealing technique. Slowly but surely its mass of energy was driven from the container and towards the seal on Rika's stomach; which itself had shinned just as the technique activated and sure enough it began to transfer to her body.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

RIKA!!!

Rika's screams sounded through the chamber, once which had been sealed off to prevent such noises from reaching the outside. But even these preparations could not account for keeping all the energy of the beast from blowing over. As such vents were in place to channel out the excess force...such force that shot towards Kenji and company now as their eyes widened.

Tumbling up the vent, the group of rats had been knocked all the way back and out of the vent as they flew outside and landed with thuds. Taji groaned a bit as Sky had landed on top of her while Aisha was knocked on her head as all worked to slowly stand.

"E-everyone okay?" Taji asked around, as all eyes focused on Kenji who glanced back at the exhaust point they were knocked through as he seemed shaken by what they discovered.

R-rika...Rika is the next host....

 

[Retro Master]

As expected, Raiku did offer up his help after he had been called out. Something which Taiyo seemed to appreciate from all three of them. The FBS ninja also reminded Kiro that they were still completely clueless when it came to the direction of the sewing room.

“Oh right. Hey Rakū, would you mind telling us where the sewing room is?”

Careful with his tone and expression, Kiro gently questioned the young nurse. Rakū did appear to be more relaxed while in his presence. Something which Kiro was surprisingly conscious about. Hopefully he could continue this streak and avoid startling her.

 

[kyuukestu]

Yasu

Madoka's question caught Yasu off guard.

"The border..? Yea, I work there. I thought it was the best place to get some training in."

And it was also the closest he could get to Tomiko, but that part he left unsaid.

"It can get dangerous though, small skirmishes break up between us and the Iwa-shinobi all the time..."

Rakū


"The sewing room..?"

They were headed in the wrong direction if the sewing room was their destination. As with most of the more menial buildings, the sewing rooms, laundry, food storage, etc. They'd all been relocated into the Vermillion bird district, where they were in close proximity to the living quarters of the maids and other members in the service sector. While she hadn't spent much time at the room in question, she had many friends who were maids-in-training, so she'd been there a handful of times.

"Sure, I can show you. Follow me."

She led the small group from the central district to the southern district, as the moved forward the prevalence of the bustling maids and butlers took a sharp increase. Eventually, they arrived at a rather quaint room, simple and sturdy in its design.

"That's the sewing room."

Hyūga Maid

There was so much to do and yet...some people...

Creasing her brows the main directed her gaze upwards. She'd been en-route to completing one of her various tasks when an unsettling racket began above her. Something or someone was trying to force themselves through vents not constructed to allow their passage... The identity of that something was soon revealed as the ventilation systems peeled away from her X-ray vision, leaving only the clear image of one little scamp.

She maid followed along patiently, her steps easily keeping up with Shiho's crawl. She followed until the miscreant was crawling over one of the ventilation grates, and as she did so —Bang— the maid struck, flipping the grate beneath Shiho's feet. Even before the girl could hit the ground, the maid had struck out once more. Tiny shocks of chakra emitted from her fingers which shattered the bubbles clogging Shiho's hearing.

Gazing with disproval, she voiced with a chiding tone.

"Please walk like a normal person. The vents haven't been cleaned and you're getting dust everywhere."

 

[Grand Master Koop]

Shiho was busily crawling through the vents on her way towards the sewing room. “Alright just a bit more, couple more corners and I’ll be there.” She said to herself when suddenly, she felt the surface beneath her collapse as she crawled over a ventilation grate. “What the?” She let out as she fell out of the ceiling.

Before she hit the floor or even had another thought, Shiho felt the bubbles clogging her ears suddenly get popped resulting in a sharp pain to spread in her ears. “Ow crap! I forgot to pull them out.” She let out. The young girl then heard a voice in front of her, even though her ears were ringing the voice was clear enough that she heard what it said.

“Ah man, but walking isn’t as fun though.” She mumbled to herself. Shiho wanted to object but thought that now wasn’t a good time and just accepted the command and walked away after nodding towards the maid.

Shiho jogged through the compounds across the districts until the sewing room into view. She noticed Kiro’s gang as well as Raku standing just outside it. “Oh hey, they arrived.” She said to herself as she dashed pass them into the room, hopped on a chair and crossed her legs. “Hey there, welcome to the sewing room.”

 

[Godjacob]

"I mean, all things considered given everything else that happened, I doubt one kid coming in would cause much of a stir. Probably gonna have some more questionable figures come to steal that attention anyway. Besides, if you and Sakura tag with me you should get in fine." Ino said, as word of mouth about the two Oto prisoners held at the Hyuga compound had not escaped her notice as heir to the Yamanaka. And that status is what she banked on to slip Kou in as she figured no one would really object to that given Kou was relative harmless and her name should help sway doubts.

Ino was not too keen on this, as she didn't know Kou so well, but given that possible shadier characters were likely to come anyway she figured she could help her friend here. Though Sakura knew she'd owe her one for this.

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

Kou looked between the two, this plan making his heart beat a little faster. He never envisioned that he might get to go to one of these. His lip quivered into a smile and he hugged Sakura, holding back grateful tears.

“Thank you...” he said, somewhat muffled with his head in her stomach.

It may have seemed over the top for bystanders, it just being a festival that happened every year. But to the boy? It was like a dream come true.

 

[sSoul]

Taiyo
After much anticipation and confusion, Taiyo had finally found himself in the Hyuga sewing room. He was greeted by Shiho, who now currently sat in a chair cross legged, almost as if she was there the whole time.

"Hey Shiho, I have a question," Taiyo proclaimed as if to break the silence, "Could you make some clothes for me as well?"

 

[Grand Master Koop]

Hearing Taiyo's request, Shiho hopped off her chair. "Sure, I've got no problems with that." She then looked towards him and Kiro. "Alright first of all, if you want me to make you clothes then I'll need to measure your sizes. I can't effectively make a set of clothing for someone if I don't know how big to make them after all." Shiho took a step back towards her work table. "Don't just stand outside, come on in." The girl invited as she grabbed a roll of soft ruler.

 

[Retro Master]

As expected, Shiho was generous enough to also make Taiyo a new pair of clothes. Shiho hopped off the chair and grabbed a roll of soft ruler as she emphasized her need to measure the size of the two boys. Something about having to determine their fit by measuring how big or small they were.

“Alright, guess I’ll go first.”

Kiro said this as he came inside the sewing room. As for Raiku, well, Kiro figured the Uchiha would’ve asked by now if he also wanted a new set of clothes. In any case, it seemed both Taiyo and Kiro would be able to finish with Shiho before those other girls were done. Maybe he would have time to check out his gift from the Hyūga Head...

 

[Grand Master Koop]

"Great, so just stay still Kiro, this won't take long." The girl said before suddenly appearing beside the Uchiha. She began by holding up his arms and measuring their length and diameter before moving on to his legs and doing the same for each section. "Mhmm, these are good numbers, you're about average for your age." She rambled before moving up to his upper body. She moved from his hips width and sides height to his abdomens diameter and chest size. She then had him extend both arms to the sides and measured the overall length of both his arms with his chest.

"Alright next up..." She stepped around behind Kiro and proceeded to jump on his back to mesure his head diameter. "Huh, your head is a bit bigger than I expected when simply looking at you." She said before hopping back down and walking back to her work table. She noted all the measurements down on a clip board.

"Alright that's good, we're almost done Kiro. Just need one last measurements." She retook the ruler and walked back towards the Uchiha. "And I assume this is pretty important for a person of the male gender, your crotch size." She knelt down next to Kiro. "Alright hold still, this will only take a moment."

 

[kyuukestu]

Mei

The Mizukage rolled her wrist, easing the slight ache in her joints. Although it had taken some time, she'd perused all the documents needed. Letters to each of the other Four Kage lay on her desk, a calls for a Kage summit during the upcoming Chūnin Exams. She kept things on a need-to-know basis but conveyed concerns about the more frequent activity of S-ranked criminal organizations.

By tomorrow, each of the Kage should've received the invitation. In the meantime, it was time the village was shaken up a bit. It was the end of the year, and recent events had soured things. She planned to take advantage of the season to hold a festival where she would reignite the spirit of the citizens, and she already knew just how to do it.

Each and every member of the mist idolized the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, and in the past three months her efforts had paid off. The best and brightest were selected as the new generation of Seven Ninja Swordsmen, and although not all the slots had been filled she had just enough to use them as a patriotic symbol.

 

[Retro Master]

Though Kiro may have been a bit skeptical about the process, he didn’t show it. The prisoner just stayed still as Shiho examined his body. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary until she unexpectedly jumped on his back. Luckily, it didn’t take much for Kiro to steady himself. He hadn’t really noticed how small Shiho was until now.

Once she was finished with those measurements, Shiho hopped off and went to put information in her notes on the work table. However, she wasn’t done yet. The Hyūga girl came back and knelt beside him as she mentioned having to measure his crotch for the final step.

“Almost done? That was pretty quick.”

He casually replied, looking down at Shiho as she went back to work. Part of Kiro was expecting she would need some more from him. Maybe Shiho might require something else afterwards? Nevertheless, this pace was something Kiro could appreciate.

 

[Grand Master Koop]

After finishing her last measurement, Shiho stood back up and took a moment to stare at the tape with a blank look before walking back to her desk without saying anything. She noted the last number down on her clipboard. "Alright, that's all I needed from Kiro." She said out loud before turning her attention towards Taiyo. "Alright Taiyo, your turn. This won't take long." She said as she straightened her measuring tape with both hands and made her way towards the fire ninja. A smile on her face.

 

[sSoul]

Taiyo
Giving a resigned sigh, Taiyo let Shiho come over to do what she needed to do. While preparing mentally preparing himself for the series of events that were involved in the process of measuring his body, his mind began to wander.

You know I'm really glad that my sister isnt around to see someone measure my crotch.

Yeah that'd be a quick way to destroy some innocence.

What does she even need that info for anyway?

Beats me...

Taiyo felt his face get a little hot as he was about to let Shiho do her thing, for he didnt exactly trust her entirely.

 

[SageNeb]

Raiku followed along to the sewing room and watched as Shiho went to work on getting the measurements for Kiro's clothes. He didn't really pay much attention since he didn't really care about this little thing.

Should I even change clothes for tomorrow? Eh, I can just wear my kimono I usually wear for festivals. More importantly what should I train for after tomorrow? Should I continue training with Ramer? Maybe I should try to see if I can use that seal father gave me...

Raiku thought back to when he got that as he reached towards his neck before going down and touching the upper-center part of his back. The process of applying the seal was pretty simple, but then again he was cast under Genjutsu so he wouldn't feel any pain.

-~-~-~-~-~-~-
"Father, do you know anything that could help me? Maybe some new jutsu?"

"Shisui is already training you in fire style and summoning and he's more skilled in teaching than I am. Are you not satisfied?" Senshu said in response.

"No, it's not that... I don't know, maybe you have some techniques that he doesn't have that you can teach me?" Raiku asked.

Senshu thought about what would be appropriate for Raiku to learn at his level. After a moment he turned back to his son with a serious look on his face.

"I do have something for you. But it is a very important jutsu, and you should respect it's tradition." Raiku gave a nod and then Senshu continued. "Long ago, during the First Shinobi World War there was an Uchiha who was incredibly loyal to the village. One of the best Leaf-ninja of his time and a friend to the Second Hokage. His name was Kagami Uchiha. His Will of Fire was so strong that he was able to turn it into a blessing for his descendants."

"Although he died at a young age he was able to make a scroll which he passed on to his children. Those children passed on the jutsu from the scroll to their children, and I am one of those. The jutsu contained in the scroll is called the Manifestation of the Will of Fire. By tradition it is only passed down by someone's parents, so unless an Uchiha were to break the tradition it is only available to the descendants of Kagami. If your life force is decreased enough, the jutsu's effects will begin and you will be granted the power of your ancestor to help you survive."

Senshu stood up and had Raiku do the same.

"I believe you are ready for the jutsu. Follow me." The two Uchiha left their home and entered a forest clearing. There stood a large stone which Senshu went up to. He activated his Sharingan and scanned the stone, before pressing a part of it with chakra. A seal appeared that looked like depiction of the Will of Fire on the Kage's section of Konoha's Cemetery. Below it was a large scroll which Senshu took out. Then he brought it to Raiku and laid it on the floor.

"Put your signature on it with your blood."

Raiku nodded and listened to the directions, like how he did with his summoning contract. Then Senshu placed his fingerprints on it, which also was marked by his blood. This was to represent him passing on the jutsu.

"Now, look into my eyes." Raiku knew he was probably going to be placed under a Genjutsu but he trusted his father and knew it was really him. After that Senshu did hand seals which he told Raiku to watch with his own Sharingan to copy. Finally the Uchiha went behind Raiku and pulled down his shirt so he could place the seal. After the Will of Fire symbol was placed on the center-upper part of Raiku's back the seal began burning, but due to the Genjutsu Raiku couldn't feel the pain. After a moment the burning ended and Senshu lifted back up his son's shirt.

"There, it is done. When you think the time is right, pass the seal down to your own children and make sure neither you nor they break the tradition."

Senshu went back to the stone and reversed the process he did to get the scroll, making it look like how the stone first appeared. The two Uchiha deactivated their chakra and went back to their home since the ceremony had been completed.

 

[Grand Master Koop]

Shiho went to work and performed the same measurements on Taiyo as she did with Kiro just moments earlier. She jotted the numbers down on her clipboard again. “Alright that’s all I’ll need for now. I can start working on you’re clothes now, should be ready in time by tomorrow.”

She then took a few steps across her desk. “I would usually ask for something in return in exchange for my service but since tomorrow is a special occasion I’ll make an exception.” She then opened a desk drawer and pulled out a metal box. She opened the box in front of Taiyo and Kiro. The box was filled with gumdrops. “Gumdrop?”

 

[kyuukestu]

Hinagiku

"A child..?"

As she listened to a report from a Hyūga Maid, Hinagiku's brows grew taunt. It appeared that along with his arrival one Akugami Taiyo had brought along a certain Akugami Suisei, the latter of the two —apparently having been forgotten at some point— now idly roamed the grounds of the Hyūga Clan leaving the busy maids somewhat troubled. It certainly wasn't advisable to have a child clogging the already congested highway halls of the Clan. It would've been far too easy for her to get hurt, and far too inefficient to have the maids dance around her while they worked.

"Then...by all means, feel free to bring her to me."

With a small sigh, Hinagiku dismissed the maid. She swept away the clutter on her desk, scrolls, parchments, and letters falling into the storage bins built into her desk. She'd already dealt with matters relating to the village, and now all that remained was to leave her orders for the Clan.

Among the forefront of which were instructions for certain business ventures and the clan's political relationships. In one particular scroll, was the order to shift into military readiness, and apply the stricter military training regime. Although she planned to dabble somewhat in the dealings of the Clan outside the village, she wouldn't actively be monitoring their activity inside the village. She only hoped her four Cardinals would prepare the Clan appropriately in her absence.

Either way though, as the matter stood, the Hyūga Head now found herself with free-time and since her own daughters would be off having fun she wasn't opposed to taking a bit of a breather.

 

[SageNeb]

Raiku noticed Shiho finishing as he was done with his daydream and observed the other people in the group to see what they wanted to do next. As Shiho took out a box of candy the Uchiha decided to walk over to the trio and see if he could get one.

“Hmm... Shiho, would you mind if I get a gumdrop, too?”

Raiku loved sweets since he was a kid but ever since he got dedicated to his training as a ninja he stopped eating them in order to maintain a healthy diet to keep his body fit. But since he hadn’t tried one in years he wondered if his taste buds would still enjoy the flavor like they did when he was a child.

 

[Grand Master Koop]

While waiting for Kiro and Taiyo to take her candy, Shiho’s eyes shifted towards Raiku as the Uchiha stepped forward and asked if he could also receive some of her candy. “Oh of course Raiku. Take as much as you like, I’m not stopping you.” She offered with a smile.

Her eyes then rolled away and stared off into space. “Besides, I stole these from my brother’s room so they’re not even mine.” She mumbled to herself.

 

[sSoul]

Taiyo
"Sure, thanks," Taiyo took one and popped it into his mouth. Then he heard Raiku's asking for one and immediately regretted it since he could've offered him one. Fourtunately, Shiho's heart was big enough that Raiku could be able to indulge in the treat.

Hope Susei's safe, wherever she is...

I'm a horrible big brother...

Speaking of Susei, she was currently in the care of the Hyuga maid who was now taking her to a Miss Hinagiku Hyūga. As she was being transported, the little girl was looking around at the manor, admiring the interior decorations.

 

[Retro Master]

“I guess I can take one.”

Kiro was hesitant at first to try the gumdrops Shiho had generously offered them. He grabbed a piece and took a moment to examine it for anything malicious. There could be poison in there for all he knew. Considering the kindness Shiho continued to display, along with Raiku and Taiyo appearing to want them, Kiro figured it was alright. After placing the gumdrop into his mouth, Kiro looked over at Raiku.

“Well I’m going to go check out the gift Lady Hinagiku gave me since we still have some time. You did say you came to check up on me so we can go there if you want.”

Pulling out the key gifted to him by the Hyūga Head, Kiro realized he’d have to ask around to get the exact location for his house. Probably a maid if he ran into one. With the clothes among other things settled, Kiro was prepared to head off.

 

[Grand Master Koop]

After Kiro and Taiyo both took a piece of candy from the metal box, the innocent smile Shiho had on her face slowly shifted into a sly grin. "Alright that's great! I'll get you back on that favour you owe me later. Except you Raiku, consider that your present." She said in a casual manner as she slapped the lid on the candy box. "Your clothes will be ready by tomorrow so be sure to remember to come pick them up by then." Shiho informed them before opening a drawer to take out a sewing kit.

 

[Retro Master]

Raiku nodded thankfully Shiho’s way as he put a gumdrop into his mouth. Apparently, he was also free from whatever payment Shiho expected in return at a later date. It seemed her pure kindness only extended so far. Turning to Kiro, the expression on his face was unreadable. It was more of a nonchalant glance in his direction after Shiho had spoken. Raiku took that as his queue to follow Kiro since he still had some business with the prisoner that needed to be discussed. After a small wave in Taiyo’s direction to signal his departure, Raiku exited the room with Kiro.

 

[kyuukestu]

Sagisō — December 25th

As beams of sunlight scattered across the Hyūga manor, they illuminated the scene of one girl as she trained. She sat cross-legged along the ground, her eyes closed and her palms resting in her lap. On the surface, all seemed calm, not a whit of movement could be seen, save for the rustling strands of hair that danced in the wind. However, that was just on the surface. Below the skin was a completely different world. Chakra rushed through her veins, weaving between organs and traipsing along sinews of muscle and blood. Manipulating her chakra flow was one of the Skillful Star's daily exercises.

It wasn't all than strenuous, but it prepared her body for a morning's workout. Today, this work out would be skipped. As Sagisō slowly opened her eyes, she could see the Clan rising with the sun, the maids preparing the Winter Celebration. In a few hours, at 8:30 sharp, the first event of the Winter Festival would be held, the cooking competition that she'd registered in along with Shura.

While she wasn't sure about her fellow Hyūga, she was quite confident. After their hunt yesterday she'd journeyed throughout Konoha, seeking out the resident butchers for their advice on how to prepare the venison they'd hunted. Long story short, she'd done what she could in preparation, now she just needed to follow through and execute. Though...there was no need to get worked up now. She still had a few hours to go after all.

With a soft heave, Sagisō sprung from the ground and onto her feet causing pins and needles to numbly prick along her toes. She gave her legs a sound slap and set off for her room. She took the long way there, waltzing past Tayuya's room for no reason other than to cause a needless racket. Which she did. A clamor of knuckle raps and sound kicks bouncing off the wooden walls of Tayuya's abode.

"Rise and Shine little Koshō! Remember we have a concert at noon~!"

It'd only occurred to her as an afterthought, but she took the time to remind Tayuya of the concert. Speaking of the concert, a maid had informed her that her clothing was ready and the maids had been very insistent that she change into those clothes before heading out today.

Sagisō mused at the Leaf's strange customs. They'd never done anything quite like this at Nadeshiko...

The sudden comparison left a taste of homesickness in her mouth, and Sagisō decided.

"Right after this festival...I think I'll head home."

 

[Retro Master]

After doing his usual early morning run, particularly some sprint-interval training around the training grounds, Kiro had gone straight to the training hall like he normally did. Unlike the day prior, there weren’t any distractions to prevent him from working on his conditioning and technique. With the hunting trip among other things, yesterday did have its fair share of entertainment so Kiro wasn’t too bothered. Once he found a heavy bag for himself, Kiro went to work.

Though punching a heavy bag bare-knuckled held a greater risk for injury, it was beneficial for strengthening purposes. Particularly the bones and muscles in the wrist area. Of course, he only did this only a few times a month to prevent injury or fatigue. Keeping his strikes a little less than half power power, Kiro started off slowly with light punches before gradually building speed. Making a fist firmly, he landed his punches with maximum contact on the first two knuckles. He also continued to monitor his wrists, making sure they remained straight and not bending at awkward angles.

Afterwards, he would transition into some roundhouse kicks. Kiro made sure to avoid kicking directly with the shin bone to prevent bruising and pain. The shin bone itself lacked the necessary muscle and fats over it to absorb a direct blow. For safer and more powerful kicks, he connected with the right part of the shin. More specifically, the front-outer shin area which contained the tibialis anterior and extensor digitorum muscles. He repeated this process, adequately rotating his hips to connect with that area. Every movement was precise and focused. Even the slightest mishap in form could cause him to misjudge and mistakenly kick with the shin bone or even the top of his foot.

Kiro eventually went into a fluid string of punches, kicks, elbow and knee strikes. Each subsequent blow flowed systematically as if it were part of a combo. Once Kiro was done with a few more drills, then he’d probably head off. With the festivities starting in a bit, he’d have to get his clothes from Shiho soon. For all he knew, the Hyūga Head might lock him in a basement if his clothes didn’t match her expectations. Considering what day it was, that would be unfortunate for Kiro.

Flashback ​

‘Turning it on me just like that? I suppose that’s fine.’

Whether or not Kiro heard the subtle crack in her voice remained an unknown. Sagisō elected not to answer him and he didn’t bother pushing the subject. There was no need. As much as he enjoyed listening to Sagisō, she had spoken enough. Perhaps almost too much. It was only fair of him to reciprocate. Something which he had been hesitant to do until now.

“Yeah, fighting a group of Mist Anbu trying to kill me because of sharing my father’s blood was quite the fun experience. A battle which I totally won by the way.”

Transitioning away from the rather somber mood left by Sagisō, Kiro spoke in a light but facetious manner. Though his choice of sarcasm betrayed the dreadful memory, Kiro would rather not recall that suffering completely. The amount of times his life was nearly taken away from him was more than the number of fingers he had. However, the half-blood Uchiha was clearly still alive. How could one even question such a victory? His expression had only a hint of humor in it. One which disappeared as his tone recovered its seriousness.

“I doubt the life I had in the Mist was one I was supposed to experience. As you know, there’s a reason why “noble” clans prefer to keep their blood close. Any competent village wouldn’t pass on the opportunity to make use of such an asset. My mother had me keep the bloodline a secret and I was too young to know or care. Perhaps if things stayed that way, they would still be here.”

Taking a calm breath, Kiro gently stood up to stretch his legs. He had been in that sitting position for far too long and there was a possibility being still could hamper his recovery. Kiro limped a bit at first but began to slowly move around the cell while continuing to speak.

“Obviously, I’d be lying if I said it was all sunshine and rainbows. Not like they’d be able to get past those leaden skies in the first place. Even before all that, however, there was still a simple goal. Being a shinobi made should make you free. You’d be able to see and go beyond the Mist at your own will. A childish idea I shared with many others. Like Seina and Zen. Unfortunately, it’s a shame that even on the outside I still find myself locked away.”

There was a clear decrescendo in his tone as Kiro neared the end of his words. Standing beside the bars, he ended on a pianissimo. He leaned his back against the wall and tilted his head to get a better view of the hallway. His glance slowly narrowed its focus towards one of the bars. Specifically the one where his left palm hovered over as if he were contemplating whether or not to touch it.

“The Mist does have its own bloody history. A corrupt past which bled death and despair for the pursuit of power. It took time but eventually, things changed for the better. For most at least. Of course, whenever there is a change, there are always those who still prefer the old ways…”

Kiro lightly tapped the bar with a few fingers from his left hand. Immediately, he flinched and retracted his entire hand. The entire thing was frozen, which was expressed by Kiro in a hushed tone, almost sotto voce.

“Damn that’s cold!”

 

[DarkHydraT]

Rays of sunlight and the smell of omelettes woke Mori up, He stretched his body and rubbed his eye, before letting out a large yawn. He placed a foot on the wooden floor and recoiled with record speed. "Damn, that's cold!" He exclaimed as he tried to pull his clothes towards him as he stretched his leg as far as possible, putting his foot on them and pulling his leg back.

A voice came from the kitchen. "Morning Mori, and try to mind your voice. Not only did you not watch your language, but you also made a bit more noise than appreciated. Your mom is asleep on the couch, so be good and keep that in mind." Iwao said as he continued to make breakfast for his family.

"Morning dad. I'll try to keep it in- where's my sock? Urgh, on the other side of the room." Mori flinched with every step as he stood on the cold floor and grabbed his wayward sock. After getting dressed, he left his room and noticed eight gifts were lying on the floor next to his room with the ninth one being the responsibility of his mother. It would have been finished, if she didn't fall asleep in the middle of knitting. "She really spent all night knitting huh?" The youngest member of the Utamara family asked with affection and surprise in his voice.

"Yep, and if I didn't get you into bed after you fell asleep, you'd be lying next to her." Iwao smiled as he cracked another egg open on the frying pan. "Could you do her a favor and finish her work? I can't knit for the life of me and I am busy, so you'll have to do." He added some spices to the egg that was in the pan and thought out loud. "Should I add some thyme to it?"

"If you want, cooking isn't my forte either." Mori took the knitting needles, wool and knitting project out of the hands of his mother and began to finish the project. It was a blanket with an oven with a loaf of bread on it, and it didn't take a genius to figure out that this blanket was for Tomiko's parents. When they came home last night his mother was adamant on getting gifts for the so-called 'most resilient people' she ever met. Mori chose her side and Iwao could not do much more other than laugh and give in, so mother and son started knitting until the dead of night and father tried to find gifts that fit everyone down in the slums which proved to be more difficult than expected.

Jirou was probably the easiest to find a gift for. She wanted to be a writer so she'd get a notebook to practice writing and a pair of purple mittens to keep her hands warm. Hoshi wanted to fight against boredom and travel across the world, so Mori thought that it'd be a good idea to give him a book about the other countries with heroic and amusing tales about them. For someone who valued fun, the Legendary Sannin must be atleast a little interesting. If not, then Tomiko could get him interested and if he did get interested, Jirou could finally get some peace and quiet. Naomi wanted to train and cared a lot about Mr. Snugglebottom, so she'd get some light training equipment, a self-made coupon for a day of training with a member of the Utamara family of choice (Iwao groaned at the idea whilst Kasumi approved wholeheartedly) and Mr. Snugglebottom would get a small knitted pale green sweater to compliment Mr. Snugglebottoms color and to reference the color of her brother's hair. Speaking of her brother, Ren was surprisingly hard to find a gift for.

Even though Ren was a tough cookie to crack, Kasumi and Mori were not giving up that easily and settled on a bigger version of the sweater that Mr. Snugglebottom had and a pack of kunai. Kasumi thought that the sweater would fit him nicely, even though the sizes could be a bit off because of the lack of measurements for most clothing articles. Thankfully Mori was willing to act as a model for Ren's sweater since they were about the same size and body type. The twins would probably appreciate the magic set Iwao found in a lesser known store and the blinding clothes that would make sure to draw attention to them. Sure, the combination of powder blue and hot pink hurt Mori's eyes but it was the idea behind it that counted. As for Tomiko, Mori was adamant on making her a red cap that covered her ears and the back of her neck with the kanji for Tsuchi on it as a makeshift Tsuchikage hat. To keep up with the trend of a piece of clothing and a different gift, she would get a pack of Miliary Rations Pills taken from Mori's personal stock and a note saying 'In case you want to tread in the footsteps of my son' which caused Mori to groan and Iwao to let out a hearty laugh.

As Mori finished the blanket, Kasumi woke from her slumber. "Morning mom, just finished the blanket and dad's busy cooking." He said with a smile as he showed her the finished blanket.

"Good job kiddo, I'll take it from here." Kasumi smiled as she ruffled her son's hair and grabbed the blanket. It was finished just as she imagined it, and she added a piece of paper to the gift. It was a form that Atsuko and Kuro would have to fill in once they got an answer from Tomiko on the training offer she made yesterday. She didn't expect to receive a no, but she still wanted to give them an option.

"Finally awake, sleeping Beauty? Eat up, we can deliver the presents later." Iwao grinned as he put an omelette on the plates of his son, his wife and himself.

Mori stifled a yawn as he faced his father. "We'll visit uncle today, right?"

Iwao's smile dropped a little, but it didn't disappear. "We will, he deserves a merry Christmas as well."

-------------------

Taji was awake for a decent while now, training her stamina. Growing up in Kumo, her lungs were capable to draw more oxygen out of the thin air than outsiders like Aisha, but that was no excuse to skip on stamina training. The only excuses for that were broken bones or a death of a loved one. Having repeated the following program; jump rope for a minute, followed by 20 squats, 20 sit ups and 20 jumping jacks for the last 20 minutes was not enough to make her muscles burn and make her sweat, she wanted more. She began a session of 10 pullups on a nearby tree branch, 10 squats, 10 pushups and 10 situps with only 20 seconds of rest after each full session and repeated it 10 times. So far nothing new, and she knew that routine could be deadly towards motivation and it would risk the development of overuse. With this in mind, she began a new set that hopefully would prevent that. She began preforming burpees and after every five burpees she'd go for a jumping knee tuck. After a session of 50 burpees and 10 jumping knee tucks, she began preforming lunges with bicep curls and jumping pullups.

A sheen of sweat covered Taji's body, her muscles were burning and she started to gasp for air. This is what she wanted, but she was not done yet. She had to run a mile and run back to her home as fast as possible, something that was made harder by the differences in altitude. She took a deep breath and took off.

---

Taji gasped for air as if she would never breathe again once she returned home. She counted a time of 24 minutes and 18 seconds, which was not too bad but not enough for her. Tomorrow she'd try to break that number, but for now all she wanted was a shower and some filling breakfast instead of the light meal she had before training. As steam began to fill the bathroom, Taji allowed her mind to wander as she was washing herself. She'd tell her parents that she planned on moving out after Christmas, they probably wouldn't oppose it too much if she gave enough arguments for it. Parhelic Circle flashed before her eyes, the place where the most skilled tattoo shops were. But she wouldn't dare to get a tattoo, would she?

 

[sSoul]

Taiyo
After his mind replayed essentailly a dramaticized version of the hunting trip to occupy his state of unconsciousness, Taiyo had awoken from his slumber. While he was leaving in his pajamas, he noticed his little sister still sleeping, however he felt like the Hyuga manor was secure enough to allow him to leave for a little bit. The FBS master wanted to get some training in, but he was unaware of the location of the training room. Locating a nearby maid doing her business, he intercepted her to ask his question.

Once she told Taiyo what he needed to know, he thanked her kindly and made his way to the training room. And of course, he would only find Mr. Kiro Uchiha himself, likely doing whatever he does at this time.

"Fancy meeting you here Kiro. You mind helping me control my fire jutsu?" He actually had an idea for a new jutsu, but he thought that he should enact Raku's advice as soon as possible, and this was a fantastic time to do so.

 

[kyuukestu]

Furījia

The scattered light of daybreak cast jagged shadows across Furījia’s face. The furrowed ridges of her brow set her eyes in darkness while each uneasy wrinkle of her nose left a jagged bisection across her lips. It was no understatement nor form of expression; her feelings were painted across her face, and swathed in darkness.

Today was the winter festival. It wasn’t the first one she’d attended, but it was her first attendance as a representative of the Hyūga Clan. It was her first official event in her capacity as an heiress...yes, that’s what she was, an heiress. She was heiress first, then Furījia second —as it should be... The weight of responsibility outweighed that of individuality. She understood that now after hearing her sister discuss the very matter with Kiro.

Her frame physically sagged beneath the weight of that thought. Heavy was the head that wore the crown. A crown soon to be hers as she came of age.

“Is it too heavy? Would you like to take a break?”

Concern tinged the voices that broke her reverie, the entourage of maids currently surrounding the young Hyūga. Blinking away her dreary thoughts, Furījia straightened her back and squared her shoulders. Once more, she stood at attention.

“No, it’s fine. Please continue.”

The resolution in her voice betrayed her thoughts as she responded, not only to the maids but to herself. With her resolution stated, the maids busied themselves once more with her appearance.

“We’ll be done in only a few more minutes.”

At that Furījia grimaced, eliciting a series of sympathetic chuckles for her entourage. Well over an hour had been spent on Furījia’s appearance for her first ‘socialite event’, and as per the customs of the Hyūga Clan, she was required to look her best. This meant a full set of ceremonial clothing, paired with a hairstyle and ornaments that complimented it.

Weighing upwards of twenty kilograms, the ceremonial Jūnihitoe that Furījia now wore was composed of fourteen different layers, each carefully woven with hues that matched the season and the event.

Colors collaged onto a light blue background, depicting a winter snowscape of hills and valleys, and the flurry of flakes that descended upon it from the clouds —exquisitely represented by the fluffy woolen collar of the dress. The workmanship of the textile was superb; the threaded scenery seemed to come alive with Furījia’s every moment.

As the fabric of the kimono stretched and contorted to accommodate her motions, snowflakes seemed to dance on the wind as the pattern was put in motion. Accompanying her dress, the maids had styled her hair into a low bun, a meticulously crafted nest of organized chaos held together precariously by a silver hair-pin reminiscent of a star or snowflake.

Of course, these weren’t the only touch-up she’d received. Her nails had been trimmed and manicured and her eyelashes had been carefully curled amongst other things, but they were hardly noticeable.

The sun continued to creep over the horizon, brightening the room as more and more light spilled through the window planes. The strengthening glow illuminated Furījia's face, bringing a warmth that drove away the morning chill. As the girl angled her head, allowing a maid better access as she laid down a light layer of make-up, she found herself staring into the rising sun. It seemed an awfully auspicious sign to her and involuntarily, she cracked a smile. The Sun rose over the horizon unceasingly each and every day, regardless of how it felt. The laws of nature were absolute and dutiful. Maybe that was what it meant to be—

"Hyūga...huh?"

 

[Godjacob]

{December 25th}
​

A day into the journey home Azumi's group had settled by a nearby lake for the night, the early chill of the morning wind brushed against her cheeks as she rose out of her tent and stretched a bit before she moved by the lake to freshen her canteen.

As Azumi walked, the events of their mission weight on her mind. More specifically the Caravan she slaughtered in the name of ridding Taki of the invasive lot under Konoha pay to leech off its people. Azumi had no regrets over what she did, it had to be done to help establish better relations for the people of Taki.

But, even as she went to get the water, she gazed upon her reflection as her stare had her think about the last of her victims. That mother and those children, terrified as they begged for their lives only to be silenced. Those cries that were snuffed out as Azumi shook her head to fill the canteen all the same. Killing people had been an expected reality for ninja, and that itself was of no consequence for Azumi as she had killed even before this mission. That had been self defense yes but it left no bother to her and in the years where Ame repaired itself in the wake of the wars that ravaged her home. Yet those past experiences and what Azumi had convinced herself seemed to matter little, as while her faced remained neutral her right hand refused to stop shaking; as if those deaths of the children and innocents within the Caravan had nerved her to some capacity.

Azumi had to quell these nerves now. There was no going back, she made her path and it was the one to bring a better world for her people. She could not afford to show weakness, not to her team or herself, so she worked to block out those images & screams from her mind and sure enough the hands ceased with the shaking. With that settled, Azumi returned to camp.

"Reaver. Baiyan. Are you up?" She asked them both, as she'd rather they advance in a hurry as she wanted to avoid lingering around for too long.

----------
"All right all right that's it. Just gently lay it out here and...yes!"

"Quiet you idiot. Do you want to wake everyone up?"

"Oh relax. Mom and dad are sound sleepers. And nobody else is up at this hour anyway."

On the front door of one of the various homes of the Iwa slums, a Tomiko along with a second Tomiko clone right by her side dragged their custom made make-shift sled that had been pulled from its home in the junkyard. As the had began to fall across Iwa, a rare sight in these lands but never an unwelcomed one, there seemed to be several crudely wrapped items loaded onto the sled. Presents. Both for her parents, Mori and the members of the crew in respective fashion as she moved with her clone and worked to get the sled in perfect position just outside her own home.

Course, she had...a couple other presents she had prepared. But those were in her room, as she would have to give them late to her friends in Sunagakure at another time. Somehow.

Either way, Tomiko had known her crew were expected to come to her home later that morning. So she aimed to set up the rather "flashy" entrance of the gifts. Once she had finished here at her own home, then she had to get herself and her self-made partner in crime to the main city to visit Mori's house which had expected to be an interesting trip to say the least. For that she needed a sled....and had a pillow on hand along with an old beard and red outfit she presented to the clone.

"Alright, get dressed and come out on my signal. Understand?" Tomiko asked with a hushed tone to the clone who nodded in kind as she had began to get in character She slipped the pillow under her shirt as if she had gained "weight" while she placed the red outfit before the clone's limited curiosity caused it to pause.

"Do you think this Mr. Clause is real, by the way?" Tomiko's clone asked curiously as had soon began with the "dress up" while Tomiko rubbed her chin in thought; the legend of the man who handed out presents across the land had been well known thought most passed it off as just some folklore. Either way this caused her produce a sly grin. "Probably not, though it is the spirit of what he represents that matters. But who knows? Maybe he is real...and maybe he's a ninja, which is why nobody ever sees him!" Tomiko said with a light chuckle as her clone followed suit.

Though once she was finished chatting with herself, Tomiko had her clone get dressed and hide with the sled of gifts in a secure location while she soon snuck inside her own home as she tip toed back to her room and lied in bed as if she had never left it. Thankfully, her parents had only began to stir shortly as she soon heard foot steps that approached her room while she pretended to sleep; with even fake soft snores that helped sell without it having had gone too far.

"Morning Tomiko, happy holidays." Atsuko said with a smile as Tomiko "yawned" and smiled turning to her mother.

"Happy holidays mom."

----------
Kenji had a lot on his mind, to say the least. Usually the more lackadaisical ninja had not not up at this early hour...but given the day it happened to be combined with the events the night before.

It had been the festive season, a time for celebration and a presumed more tranquil period for the village. Yet these events seemed minor compared to the revelations he discovered the night before about his teammate. A Jinchuriki, a host for one of those great beasts and that only raised so many more questions. Was Rika always in consideration for being the next Jinchuriki, or was this decision made in that conversation with the Raikage they observed from afar? Was the previous Host that left the village a relative of Rika in some fashion or were they unrelated? Would Kenji along with Aisha & Taji be discovered at some point and punished for discovering this or would Rika be allowed to tell them of her current status?

And if she could...would she?

Knock, knock, knock.
​

Irregardless, Kenji snapped out of his thoughts as he heard knocks on his front door. Kenji walked up to the door and opened it...only to be tackled by a pair of wolves that had began to lick him all over.

"Gah hey hey easy! I'm not a chew toy!" Kenji protested as he managed to get the wolves off him before his eyes focused on the Inuzuka who flashed a toothy grin her way.

"Yo Kenji, how's our little thunder wolf to be?" Aisha said with what seemed to be a playful tone as Kenji shook his head before he rubbed the back of his head as he had been unsure whether he should get into his thoughts that plagued his mind.

"Well, been better. But also have been worse so I shouldn't complain. How have you been?" Kenji asked as Aisha instantly moved up to his bedroom as her companions followed suit as Kenji sighed. Sure come in Aisha come right in, not like you need an invite just make yourself at home.

----------

Get over yourself, get over yourself. It is over, it is over. Just breath. Just breath...
​

To say Rika had been restless would have been rather kind on that use of the word as Rika had barley gotten any sleep at all. Once the ceremony had concluded she was escorted back to her own apartment as she'd be given a day to allow this new transfusion to adjust. So far that adjustment had plagued her with nightmares as well as a body that seemed to react oddly; nothing that had suggested she was losing control of the beast, but something that had been a sign of her mind as she struggled with the weight of all this.

But, Rika had to be strong. She was now someone Kumo counted on to bear the burden of this beast, she had to remain strong. This was all just in her mind. All just in her mind. Rika washed her face by her sink as she tried to just clear her mind before she gazed upon her reflection.

Only to see the very beast, the Isobu itself...stare back into her as it had a manic grin on its face.

Smash!
​

The mirror shattered into pieces as Rika punched it on reflex which made the image of the beast fade. Rika panted in place as the shock seemed to cover her pain as it took a delayed reaction to notice her bloody fingers.

Rika quickly wrapped it in some gauze, and just as quickly she moved to grab a jacket and set out. She needed some fresh air, she needed some space. She needed something to get her mind off it.

----------

Tayuya sat on her bed as she just...looked at the ceiling above her. She had been awake for about an hour or so and was unable to get back to sleep, as it seemed the Oto-prisoner had a lot on her mind. The past couple days had been eventful the say the very least with yesterday especially having been one Tayuya could not forget; for better or for worst.

-Flashback-​

Tayuya was forced into a rather...awkward position. For better or for worse she was dragged along to the Hyuga spa area as she would not doubt be an awkward experience. But given that she either did this or have this terribly clingy Hyuga pester her to her last days she opted for just treating this like pulling off an old band-aid.

Just yank it off and it would be over before she knew it. With that, she would slowly remove her hat as her long red hair floweed down past her shoulders, as she then begrudgingly began to pull at her top...

"Rise and Shine little Koshō! Remember we have a concert at noon~!"
​

The sounds of the aformentioned Hyuga snapped her from her memory, as Tayuya internally groaned at the mention of the concert. While it would be a bit less shameless than the spa sharing it was still a pain as Tayuya flopped the covers over herself as she "pretended" to sleep.

"Give me five minutes. I'll be up and ready." Tayuya muttered just loud enough for her to hear beyond the door.

----------
The sun shinned in the early morning as it peaked through her curtain. Sakura's eyes began to flutter open as the kunoichi slowly rose as she let out a yawn while she stretched in her pajamas as she scanned from what was presumed to be her bed.

That was, till she found herself on the couch, with a blanket over her body and a pillow behind her head.

This puzzled the kunoichi, until she realized why she was here as she remembered that she offered Kou a place to stay and beyond that even offered her bed for the child. She figured Kou could use it more, least till it was decided what to do with him by the Leaf as in spite of not being a couch person she figured the kid needed it more. Though she had made the condition that he could at least try to not have his "brother" the rat get near her personal items.

Oh and a shower. A condition which was a bit awkward for her to ask but hey....her mother's rule. Least they allowed him to stay after that.

Either way, Sakura got up and made her way upstairs as she knocked on her door. "Kou? Are you up?"

---------
Takato had woken up in the early morning, though that had not been by choice. Instead, a pair of paws danced over his chest as with a groan he got up and glanced. A small kitten with black and white fur, which included a white patch of fur that formed a circle around its right eye among an otherwise black face, barked towards the young Nara who had blinked in understandable confusion.

The kitten let out one audible meow, before it circled around and rested on Takato's gut as it gently laid down to rest. Takato had too many questions, before he noticed a post card by his desk. Takato grabbed it as he scanned its contents.

Happy Holidays Takato, I know that you always wanted to have a pet when you were young. So please welcome the newest member of the family. Mittens. I am sure you will take good care of her, some fresh food is downstairs.

With hugs and kisses,
Mom
​

Takato sighed. His mother of course would tie back to that idea....granted, he had wanted a pet since the offers were between that and making friends as the latter had been a bit too much work for his taste. Takato had been sarcastic when he made that request, as he expected his parents to not have the time to help raise a pet.

Course, now that Takato had been old enough for missions, his mother now presumed he could handle a pet. So that had been that, and with a sigh Takato carefully picked up the kitten as he moved downstairs to go and give it some breakfast; the small fluff ball nuzzled against his chest all the while.

What a way to open the holidays...

----------
The early holiday morning had been one of interest for the Inuzuka Clan. A recent transfer from the hospital placed the other Oto-prisoner under their care as the Hyuga Home had been a bit crowded as it was. Hisao herself was a bit eager, especially when it was informed that this one was concerned to be the most troublesome of the lot.

Which only excited the older woman. As discipline was her specialty~

But for now, the important thing had been to ensure he had transferred over with no issues. This was easy enough as one of the extra guest rooms was open to Zaku being slid onto the bed was of little trouble. Seals had already been put in place to manage that troublesome curse mark prior to his arrival, and Hisao had added a special little touch of her own.

And odor mark was subtly placed on Zaku's body. One that had a smell that had been impossible for humans to notice, just as a special little endurance policy for those who had the sharp senses needed to notice the otherwise invisible mark. Beyond that other measures had been put in place to ensure no trouble would be caused; visitors would have to be screened before they entered the Inuzuka Compound, his various weapons & items had been confiscated, he would not be allowed to leave Inuzuka Compounds and more. Otherwise Zaku had been left in his room under care & supervision and given a "fresh" set of clothing as an Inuzuka attendant moved by his door and cracked it open. She aimed to set up a modest breakfast by his side as she desired to check if he was awake or not.

----------
If one had to take a guess where Madoka would most likely be in the early hours of the morning, the nearby hospital would likely be the last place on anyone's mind. Granted, Madoka rarely opened herself up or really moved out and about in public much anyway; why would she when needed the time and had taken pride in care for her puppets? But there was this one routine exception to this rule beyond missions and other matters.

In this case, it was being nearby an older woman that laid on a hospital bed.

This woman was Madoka's own grandmother, Kaori, who had been dealt physical ailments for the past couple years as the years had caught up with her. Madoka had not made mention of her to her friends or anyone for that matter, as this was something that she desired to keep close to the vest and really had been something she tried to keep under her own emotional control.

Madoka had not known her parents, so for as long as she could remember Kaori was her parental figure and someone who provided care for her when nobody else cared. Just Karoi, and her own puppets to provide that support in her life. So when Kaori fell ill Madoka had made it a point to visit her whenever she had some free time that afforded it.

Really, this routine was one of the few Madoka could claim her own. She lacked the great passion of Tomiko or even Yasu. She had her grandmother on the mind but really no agency of her own to speak of. Nothing that had said why she desired to be a ninja or what she wanted to be.

That needed to change, and as Madoka changed the flowers in the vase for a fresh set of orange poppies while her mother slept, Madoka had already maid up her mind as she moved over to give her a soft kiss to the cheek.

"Happy holidays, rest well..." Madoka said to her, before she would had gone to take her leave; her destination intended was that of Yasu's home.

 

[Grand Master Koop]

Inside the room of a certain Hyuga, Shura looked though his closet trying to find something. It was now the day of the festival and Shura was looking for the sweater he usually wore during the event to fulfill the color requirement. After not being able to find it in his closet, Shura began looking around the rest of his room and soon spotted a set of clothes on top of his dresser with a note attached to it. He grabbed it and proceeded to read said note.

Hey bro, so I know you usually wear that one sweater you have to fill the color criteria but well.. that sweater is really ugly. So I took the liberty of making you new clothes this year and scrapped your ugly sweater for materials. ~Shiho

Shura let out a sigh. "Geez, who said you could dictate what I wear." Nonetheless, he grabbed the new set of clothing his sister made for him and changed into them. After changing, Shura went to exit his room but stopped right before exiting his door. He looked at his new attire. "I kind of liked that sweater." He mumbled to himself before walked off.

 

[SageNeb]

Sema had woken up at dawn like normal and made herself breakfast. Her parents were out on a mission so she had the house to herself. After finishing eating she went to her room. She grabbed a scroll and unsealed it, revealing her normal bow. Sema then sat down cross-legged and began plucking at her bow's string with chakra.

Sema brought her spiritual energy mostly for this chakra yet it flowed from her to her fingertips to the string like a flowing river. The vibrations of the string caused by the Yin-release created a Genjutsu in her room, and as the vibrations caused beautiful music to be played a spring of water appeared and then cherry-blossom trees, animals and more, it seemed as if nature itself was being contained in just one small enclosed area. While Sema did this she was able to practice her jutsu and capabilities and was at peace, which also helped her train her mind. As the music Sema had been playing was drawing to a close after a good amount of time had passed, the Genjutsu began fading away and then finally the room was back to normal.

 

[kyuukestu]

Konohagakure — Village Center

Booths lined every street, vendors preparing their stalls for the long and profitable day that awaited them. The closer to the village center the stall was, the grander it seemed to be, and the more space it seemed to take up. This was a calculated play on Hinagiku's part, carefully allotting the space available to each of the businesses and pricing them relative to their proximity to the village center, and by extension, their accessibility to the public.

Working on a post-paid agreement, the Hyūga Clan would be footing the bill for all of the food eaten today, and so, Hina had spared no effort in crunching an agreement that wouldn't immediately dip the Clan into the reds. The vendors would be paid based on how much they sold rather than at a fixed rate, and thus, Ithe more they could sell, the more money they could make afterward. Thus, the locations closest to the center of the festival and most likely to be frequented by the citizens became hot commodities, and Hina had ensured each business paid handily for the right to set up in those spots.

Although the festival was a logistical nightmare, Hina dutifully oversaw it to the end ensuring everything that needed a supply was well supplied, and every event was given an appropriate location. Speaking of events and location, the stage for the cooking competition had been completed and collapsible tables and utensils had been set up to satisfy all the needs of any would-be chefs. The event in question would begin in 15 minutes, and she would ensure it began not a second later.

She would supervise the festival's running from a roof-top location where a large long table had been set up with enough seats to accommodate all the clan heads as well as the Lady Hokage. In fact, she was headed to that location now where she imagined Furījia would already be awaiting her. It was a risky decision to involve her young daughter in the matters of the village so soon, but times of peace seemed to be rapidly fleeting, and she would do what she could to groom the girl for the role she was required to play.

"*sigh* I'd better hurry."

Citizens were already pouring into the streets as the festival officially began, and Hinagiku had no intention of being delayed by the crowd. Slipping away she made her way to the roof-top banquet, where, as she'd expected, Furījia awaited dressed in a ceremonial Kimono that complimented her own.

Smiling to show her approval, Hina followed up by pursing her lips and speaking.

"Follow my lead, Village politics is something you'll have to get accustomed with."

================================​

Inuzuka compound

Crossing her arms, Sagisō awaited clearance from the curious Clan of sniffers that'd been deemed Zaku's caretakers. Making use of the minutes before the cooking competition started, the Nadeshiko kunoichi decided to pay Zaku a visit. It'd been quite some time since they'd actually talked, and she wanted to do a bit of catching up.