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After the Fourth Great Shinobi World War ended, the world was experiencing a time of peace. The villages for once were able to live in relative harmony with one another as they rebuilt, and for once, all seemed to be well. The kage were able to live peaceful lives and soon began retiring, passing on the baton to the next generations. That is until an unknown virus infects the northern coast. The first to fall is the once powerful Raikage, Ay. While many thought this virus was a simple mutation of what may have well been the flu, no one would ever think of the destruction it would cause. Especially when it infected a certain Uzumaki Naruto.
With his death came the malice; with the malice came the destruction; with the destruction came the shinobi' revolt; and with the revolt came the sacrifices. The Bijuu became filled with malice that they sought to destroy the world. Shinobi sought a way to fight them and once again capture each of the Bijuu. Time passed, and a plan was devised. The Jinchuuriki would be sacrificed for the greater good of the world, and with the deaths of nine individuals, an uneasy peace began.
As time continued, the villages began to truly restructure. In a peace that would last 80 years after the downfall of the Bijuu, the world would see the creation of a great many things. Technology was beginning to take root and before long the blossoms that grew from the tree of the advanced mind would bear fruit. A many great things came to be. A railroad between the vast many nations. Mechanical limbs to replace lost ones. Radios that could reach between villages. Everything seemed to be becoming less reliant on the shinobi. Only the need for them never truly vanished. As with the growth of time, also continued the growth of malice.
"Help yourself! every thing you see here is for both of us. You get two of each roll."
Yuu's eye's almost visibly sparkled behind his glass lenses. It looked delicious, home-made. When you can't cook for yourself, home-made food was quite the blessing. Seating himself, Yuu dug in his bag and procured a jar of honey, a substance he carried with him without fail. A tasty addition to most foods, raw honey had many health benefits, both internally and externally, that made it a must for him to carry as a medic, and as a Kamizuru, quite cheap and easy to keep on constant supply.
Using a knife provided on the table, he spread the honey on his roll, offering the jar to his companion to share. Having a particular fondness for peaches, which weren't exactly native to the higher mountains of Iwagakure, Yuu could say that this inn provided him with one of the best breakfasts he'd had in a good long while. This pit-stop was worth it so far. He'd just have to see how the rest of the adventure went.
"Let's go."
Yuu nodded, grabbing his things and following behind. As he walked behind the girl, he watched the back of her head. Why keep the hood up constantly? Shy, perhaps? If he'd been in a particularly foxy mood, Yuu would have pulled it down to see what she was hiding. But, Yuu knew his manners, and it was socially unacceptable to harass strangers like that. At least, it was for the esteemed members of the Kamizuru clan. Outside of eachother, of course.
"We will soon reach a small river and follow it on our way. That way we will have all the water we need and food will be easier to find. One of the herbs is a water plant so it'll help searching for it as well."
“Sounds fun. We can fish, too.”
Fish was, perhaps, the only thing Yuu could cook, provided he could get it scaled and skinned, which was a project in and of itself. Wait until the pink turns white, or just spear it and char the entire fish black. The only fishing he was any good at was spear fishing, though, and that required fish big enough to spear.
It took another hour for the river to come into view. Recalling a map, Yuu identified it as the Deijou Ouchi Kawa, Muddy Hollow River. This river cut a good ways through the Earth Country, splitting through the range deeper in to the midwestern area. Yuu idly wondered how long they'd follow the river before breaking away, and then how long they'd go today before stopping. Rising and falling with the sun was the best route with a non-objective mission. There was no need to move under the cover of darkness, not without an enemy to hide from. All they really needed to worry about were the bijuu, and with the size of the continent, Yuu wasn't too particularly worried. If he spent too much time worrying about a bijuu attack, he'd never leave the village. When they'd finally reached the river and traveled it a good length, Yuu decided it was time to stop and eat lunch, which, naturally, meant catching it.
“Let's stop for now. Why don't you forage for berries and herbs? I can catch us some fish.”
WORD COUNT | 560 TAGS | Kumoro Lien ADDL. NOTES | We're going on an adventure, an adventure, an adventure~
“Let's stop for now. Why don't you forage for berries and herbs? I can catch us some fish.” Yuu offer at some point. Lien stopped and looked at him surprised by the placement of the sun she could tell it that lunch time was still a couple hours ahead of them. She wasn't hungry but the shinobi who was with her probably wasn't used to travel by foot or start his way so early. It wasn't a good time or lunch and by the flow of the water she knew that catching something would be hard. the current was fast and the water looked like it was boiling, it told her the river was shallow here and the bottom was full of big stones. The dark and dirty color of it also told her that the bottom was muddy, the fish simply will not see the bait. No, that wasn't a good point. She looked at her map and saw that the river was soon to enter a zone where it became a small pond. a place like that would be much better for fishing. Returning the map to her back she looked at Yuu.
" I apologize, but it is only 10 am. sure, we have spent about 5 hours on the way already but it is too early for lunch. If you wish we can get fruits and berries. In a couple of hours we will get to a place here the water will most probably be more fitted for fishing and there might be animals we can hunt or nests to get eggs. I wouldn't advise to try catching anything here. The water isn't good and filling your stomach now will result is feeling bad and heavy later." Lien said and pointed at the water. Looking around she saw that plenty of raspberries were growing around. "Anyway, there are raspberries here and they are ripe. We can enjoy them for now." Lien said and came to the nearest bush starting to collect some of the berries. In the mean time. Tiarra crawled out of her hiding place and climbed up the trees looking for ripe edible fruits for her master and snacks for herself.
"I apologize, but it is only 10 am. sure, we have spent about 5 hours on the way already but it is too early for lunch.”
Yuu pouted. Breakfast had been, although delicious, rather light. But he was just the hired help, not the one in charge, so he wouldn't complain.
"If you wish we can get fruits and berries. In a couple of hours we will get to a place here the water will most probably be more fitted for fishing and there might be animals we can hunt or nests to get eggs. I wouldn't advise to try catching anything here. The water isn't good and filling your stomach now will result is feeling bad and heavy later."
From the way she talked, Yuu could tell Lien was well-versed in this way of life.
"Anyway, there are raspberries here and they are ripe. We can enjoy them for now.”
He perked up at “raspberries” though. He supposed that was good enough, and she seemed to be right. He'd take Lien's word for it.
“That sounds good.”
After a while of foraging and distracted exploration, among other necessities, Yuu located Lien again.
“Which water herbs will we be looking for?”
WORD COUNT | 201 TAGS | Kumoro Lien ADDL. NOTES | *kicks dirt* I have no idea what I'm doing. <3
“That sounds good. Which water herbs will we be looking for?” Yuu asked after they have spent a nice time 'hunting' raspberries. Lien looked at him and took the notebook out of her bag. She then gave the notebook to Yuu open at the middle of it. There was an illustration of a small size plant with medium size round and oval leaves. At the top of the plant there were few small white flowers. This herb was easily recognized as the Watercress, a common finding anywhere were sweet water was. The roots of it are always in the water while the top of it, leaves and flowers, are always above the water. It is most usually found of river banks but is also very common in the shallow parts of lakes.
"The Watercress is the most common of the 5 we are looking for. Most of it can be used but the seeds and leaves are what you will usually take. We use it to help the organism clean the blood stream from any toxins. It can also help with problem with the digestive system, liver, womb and other organs. Some even smoke the dried leaves in order to clear their mind." Lien said and stood my his side looking inside the notebook. gently and carefully, she flipped a few pages making sure to not touch Yuu. She stopped at another illustration. It was a picture of a small tree with white and pink flowers. It has long narrow, long and pointy leaves - the Nerium Oleander. It was a tree that can only be found in the Land of Earth a it only grows in in rocky river banks where lots and lots of small stones can be found. Being very poisonous most would not use it for it's medical uses not wanting to take the risk. By the picture of the plant was a remark - 'the milky juice that will come out of it when cut is very effective in caring for heart problems.' "Hardest part with it is making sure that the juice collected is clean without bits of the tree itself inside."
Lien then flipped another page, a small plant growing out of vertical stones was on the page, Adiantum Capillus. A plant used to help in cases of bad coughing as well as others minor issues. Usually found on the cliffs beside waterfalls. next came a tall crop with tiny violet flowers at it's top. Vitex Agnus, a simple seasonal plant which is slightly uncommon and is used as a pain killer, a medicine for poisoning caused by food and as a treatment for bad eyesight. A cream made with it's flowers is a popular way to improve hair growth. After it came the Acacia Raddiana Savi, a bush with thorns and cute ball like fluffy white flowers. It is used for all kind of things starting with inner bleeding, tooth pain, burns and more.
Lien took a moment before flipping more pages. "Next is the 'queen' of all the water plants we need. It's rare and only grows is very shallow large ponds..." she spoke and reviled the picture of what looked like a simple water lily. "The Silver Lily. I have never seen one before myself but I'm confident of where to find it." The girl said and took a step away. This lily got it's name but it's color. It was indeed silver, a substance in it gave it the unique color and soft shine. It was also much larger that other lilies. Burns, pain, poisoning, simple toxins... You can basically use it for everything! by itself it is a perfect way to help people calm down and fall asleep, but added to other medicine, it would make the cure much more effective. Of course, it was also a popular perfume selling for a high price.
"Umm... Yuu... you better look up..." Lien said pointing up above the boy's head where Tiarra placed herself. She made a her web into a shape of a bag and it was full of fruits. It was a good thing. The only problem was, She was about to drop it on Yuu's head and it will hurt if it hits, even if there will not be any damage done. "Keep in mind, she's most likely to drop down right after it..." The ginger added after a moment.
Yuu took the notebook he was handed, examining the page he was shown. Watercress. An easy enough plant to find, and useful too. He looked up with the redhead started speaking.
"The Watercress is the most common of the 5 we are looking for. Most of it can be used but the seeds and leaves are what you will usually take.”
Yuu held his tongue, wanting to tell her he knew exactly what watercress was for. He knew what all of the plants in her notebook were for, and how to make medicine out of each one. However, he refrained and listened to her explain instead, impressed she knew as much as she did. When she turned to oleander, his brow knit. Oleander was a rather common plant, but it was one of the most toxic herbs there were. Few would want to retrieve it to make medicine. But the small note scratched by the illustration was accurate, it worked well for heart problems. Too much, however, could stop the heart completely.
"Hardest part with it is making sure that the juice collected is clean without bits of the tree itself inside."
“Mhm.”
As she showed him the other plants Yuu slowly begun to understand why the trip would take so long. Some of these plants were rather rare. Maidenhair fern (or adiantum capillus, as was written), especially, was difficult to harvest, as it grew in places very difficult to reach. It sounded like this was going to be even more of an adventure than he thought it would be.
"Next is the 'queen' of all the water plants we need. It's rare and only grows is very shallow large ponds... The Silver Lily. I have never seen one before myself but I'm confident of where to find it."
The silver lily was also a plant Yuu had not personally worked with. Many water plants didn't grow well in the medicinal greenhouse, and many of the medics didn't want to travel that far to collect it. But then, Yuu had gone all the way to Sunagakure for medicinal plant trade, so this trip was nothing short of easy. Knowing where to find it meant being able to come back again. When the girl stepped back, he closed the notebook, looking at her expectantly before noticing the look on her face, as well as the direction of her gaze.
"Umm... Yuu... you better look up..." Yuu looked up without even needing to be told, seeing a large bag held by silver threads dangling over his head. "Keep in mind, she's most likely to drop down right after it..."
The notebook dropped to the ground at the same time the bag did, fruit clumsily caught in the medic's arms. It was either he caught it or it landed on his head. Not that Yuu had time to catch his breath, because as soon as the bag was caught, a huge, hairy weight collided with his face. With a yelp of surprise, eight hairly legs flailing for purchase to jump off, Yuu stumbled backwards, hat abandoning him with the spider. The tip of the bow on his back collided with a large rock, knocking him off balance, and the chuunin fell onto his back, landing straight on the quiver, glasses skidding into the dirt. To top it off, the bag in his arms fell open, various pears and apples rolling every which way.
Catching the breath that was knocked from him, Yuu could hear the girl laughing at him, and with a growl of annoyance he sat up to see her doubled over on the ground, laughing long and hard. Swiping a pear from the ground, he chucked it at her head, superb aim allowing it to collide and ricochet fantastically off the ginger's skull.
“Laugh at that, why don't you.”
Getting to his feet and brushing himself off, Yuu crouched and started gathering the fruit that scattered into a pile, letting the irritation ebb away. Hopefully the spider didn't make a habit out of dropping on people's faces. Unfortunately, the blur meant his frameless glasses blended into the gravel of the ground, and he had a lot harder time finding those than the green and red fruits.
WORD COUNT | 705 TAGS | Kumoro Lien ADDL. NOTES | Aa
Lien was more that surprised to see that Yuu didn't step away when catching the bag of fruits. The result was entertaining enough for her to laugh so hard she dropped to her knees. Tiarra lander herself right on his face and then jumped off. It all took a mere second but Yuu lost his balance and fell back with the fruits all falling around him and rolling in all direction. No, she simply couldn't take it and started laughing even more. All the way to the point she found herself lying on the ground and pounding with her arm on it. After a short moment she felt something round hit her head.
“Laugh at that, why don't you.” She heard Yuu's voice. It was already too much. Just as he told her too she was not laughing even harder feeling the risk of choking. It took her a long moment to get out of her state of what seemed like hysteria. She sat down trying to catch her breath and calm herself down. getting up ad cleaning the dirt off of her clothes she looked at her companion. He has already collected all the fruits into one pile and was not looking for something. Concentrating a little bit he saw he did not have his glasses on. Coming closer she looked around. Spotting the a small shine made by the light reflecting from the glass she got the glasses out of the dirt.
"I'm sorry for earlier. I found your glasses. Give me a moment I'll clean them." she said and had used some of her water to wash the mud away from the object. When it was clean she dropped it into the boy's extended hand.
with her eyes were still sparkling from the entertainment Tiarra provided her with Lien took an apple from the pile of fruits. before she could take a bite she felt her furry friend drop herself on her head. Again. It was a habit she had for many years now even if she never jumped on people who were strangers like Yuu. 'Can i taste bees?' Lien heard Tiarra's voice by her ear. "No dear, you can't." Lien whispered in reply. So Tiarra was trying to provoke Yuu in order to try out one of his bees? That was surprising. On the second thought, no, it was not. She already got herself in trouble a long time ago trying to get a chance to taste some of her father's kikaichu.
She was eating her apple and remembering how things turned out back then. Tiarra learned once and forever to not try hunt Rin's kikaichu. When Aii was 'infected' with them, Tiarra didn't even try. Finishing the fruit she threw the left over into the water. "How about we keep going?" she asked Yuu politely.
Usually Yuu didn't have a problem finding his glasses when they fell; it wasn't as if his vision was that awful. Still, it was a blow to his pride when she located them before he did.
"I'm sorry for earlier. I found your glasses. Give me a moment I'll clean them."
Slightly miffed but not letting it show, Yuu stood and brushed the dust off, rearranging the straps across his chest. His back would be sore a good while, having landed on the hard quiver. Oh well, wouldn't be the first time he'd landed on it. Holding his hand out for the frames, he shook the water free from the lenses when she returned the glasses.
“Thanks.”
"How about we keep going?"
Yuu nodded in acceptance, pulling the fruit back together into the surprisingly strong bag of spider silk. Selecting a pear, he slung the sack over his shoulder, nibbling on the yellowish fruit as he followed behind his employer. As they walked, he kept one lilac eye on the water, watching for fish or other critters.
WORD COUNT | 177 TAGS | Kumoro Lien ADDL. NOTES | I recommend we, like, find one herb a day. This is a 5-7 day trip in one thread. XD And five herbs. Also I don't know what to do in this post so I'll just leave it with me following you.
As they were walking on the river bank the water in the river was only moving faster but it was clearing as well. The river was getting deeper but the speeding up wasn't a good thing. It implied there was a waterfall ahead of them. A short walk, mere 30 minuted and she could already hear it. It didn't sound big but there was something about that sound making Lien unconfined. Not saying a word wishing to not cause her companion any more trouble she kept her worries to her self. 5 minutes more and they have reached the waterfall or, waterfalls, if to be correct. they have reached a part of the river that had many small waterfalls, a perfect place to find some of the herbs they need, especially the adiantum capillus. with waterfalls of small size it would be much easier to collect in this place.
"This place might be difficult for movement but it's perfect for plants! Keep your eyes open!" Lien said looking at Yuu and having a big smile on her face, not that he could see it anyway with her scarf covering it. She started looking around as she was slowly and carefully making her way down. at some point Lien spotted the plant. It was out of her reach yet she tried anyway. No use, she could not reach the plant. "Tiarra, the herb over there," The ginger spoke up softly, "do your magic, but be careful, the rocks are wet." As the girls was speaking, the spider crawled out of her hideout, unhappy for her rest being interrupted and unhappy for being told to work a second time for the day. Leaving a trail of silk behind her with it's start in Lien's hand, Tiarra did her way to the herb. There was only one plant and a it was a small one as well. it only took the spider a second to tie her web around it and cut remove the plant from the wall with her fangs. Returning to her muster she complained 'Don't make me do such things! you got him for that!'
Waving the first harvested herb before Yuu, the girl was very happy. "We got our first find! It's not much but it's a start right? and it's not even noon yet! This forest is very promising already!" She handed the herb to Yuu, as it was right now, it's almost useless to her. "Please take care of it when we get down." she added and kept climbing her way down from the top of the waterfalls. Big wet rocks and moss made it hard and it took nearly 40 minutes to get down mere 10 meters. When finally reaching down she saw that the water lost a big part of it's speed only a few meters from the final waterfall. She waited for Yuu to get down before asking him of any findings he could have had. This was a good place but didn't have many herbs to harvest. " I don't see much we can get here. Staying here means wasting a lot of time and not getting much in return. Tomorrow we are going to climb down another waterfall, a big single cliff. The chances to find adiantum capillus growing in big amounts there is very high so i wouldn't advice to waste our time and energy here." she took a few steps to keep going but her legs were tired from the climb and the food they had so far wasn't much. The girl was running short of her energy. "Let's take a short brake, you can work on what we already have for now." She offered.
"This place might be difficult for movement but it's perfect for plants! Keep your eyes open!"
“Naturally.”
Yuu's odd-colored eyes watched the water of the river rage over the side of the cliff, following his company down the side. Seeing the girl struggling to reach a plant, Yuu was about to go and help, but he heard her whisper and the large tarantula left her cloak to fetch the herb instead. He watched for a moment as the spider cut and retrieved the herb, bringing it back to her master. Tiarra seemed to function on a higher cognitive level than most insect companions Yuu had heard about, even the Aburame's kikaichu. But wait, spiders weren't insects, they were... arachnids? Perhaps that was why.
"We got our first find! It's not much but it's a start right? and it's not even noon yet! This forest is very promising already!"
Yuu accepted the herb she handed him with a smile.
“Yea, we should be able to find a lot here.”
"Please take care of it when we get down."
“Will-do.”
It took them a long time to descend the crag, hunting for more of the plant as they went. A lifetime of living in the mountains proved that Yuu was having a much easier time on the rocks compared to his companions, and he kept one crystal blue eye on her to ensure he could catch her if she fell. Or, at least he could try to.
When they finally reached the bottom, thankfully unscathed, their findings were pitiful. This had apparently been a bad place, and Yuu collected from the girl what little she had found.
" I don't see much we can get here. Staying here means wasting a lot of time and not getting much in return. Tomorrow we are going to climb down another waterfall, a big single cliff. The chances to find adiantum capillus growing in big amounts there is very high so I wouldn't advise to waste our time and energy here."
“Alright,” Yuu said, examining the wet plants he'd been provided, “You definitely know what you're doing.”
From the way Lien's legs shook when she went forward, the medic could tell she was tired. Yuu himself felt fine, but again, that was from a lifetime of scaling cliffs regularly.
"Let's take a short break, you can work on what we already have for now."
“Alright. I'll get started in a moment. You should go rest.”
Shifting his grip on his back, Yuu looked around, hunting for a flat-rock surface. Locating one near the river, he went to it, testig the security. It was only about two feet wide at its widest point, but it was solidly grounded and only a little bit damp from water spray. It would work.
Yuu removed his bow, laying it down on the ground. Dropping to his knees (a little mud never hurt anyone) in front of the rock, the chuunin laid the herb down, pulling his side back into his lap to dig through it. Finding what he was looking for, the lilac-headed male laid out a mortar and pestle, empty jar, and the honey from this morning on the rock. He didn't have much in the way of vitamins to add, but the honey would help make a sufficient poultice. He hadn't exactly prepared for medicinemaking.
Tearing the herbs up in pieces, Yuu placed them into the stone mortar, grinding it into a paste. Every now and then he dipped his hand in the cold river water, dripping some into the dish. Once satisfied, he opened the jar of honey, pouring a very small amount into the mortar before grinding again, adding more of the herb until it was all eventually crushed with a sweet smell. Dipping his hands in the river water to rub off any dirt that may remain, Yuu used his first two fingers to scrape the sticky paste into the empty jar. Warm water would have been ideal to use, but it wasn't an option that was available to him out here.
Screwing the jar shut, the medic moved to the edge of the water, cleaning the past from his hands and his tools.
WORD COUNT | 699 TAGS | Kumoro Lien ADDL. NOTES | Aa
Lien was rubbing her legs and watching Yuu work. It didn't take him long and he already finished his work. The boy was quick, very quick even. Hopefully, it had no bad effect on the quality of the job he did. Lien was sure impressed. By the time he was done, the girl's legs got better and she could keep going. Letting the medic know she was well and the break was over she stood up and started walking again. It didn't take very long, a bit over an hour, and they have seen the lake marked on the map. It was bigger that she believed but it still wasn't big enough to be uncomfortable or hard to pass. The water was crystal clear and almost still It was shallow with many water plants growing on the bank. There were colorful lily pads all over the place but the pond was too small for the silver lily. Looking at the water she could see there were lots of fish. some were bigger, some were smaller but it was still a place full of fish.
Lien came close to a big tree that used to grow near the water, now, as it grew old, the seasonal change in the water level made it wall down and it went good 7 meters into the water. the big strong branches that have yet to rot away help the log above the water and the top branches where dry. The wood was great for fire, making temporary rods and even a chance to find some bait- termites. Even if the insects were small they were a good bait for small and medium sized fish. Looking around the log and branches, there were no termites. A little disappointment but she could still find worm. They were easy to find and use as bait, bigger fish got interested in them but the process was less pleasant. Not that it mattered anyway. Getting some smaller branches she came back to solid ground. Looking around the torn out roots she started digging until she find the worms she was looking for. Taking a small empty glass jar from her pouch she put some of the worms inside. Then She took out of her bag a long thread and a couple of hooks. Looking around she spotted some sugar canes near by that will be a good fit for a rode, a much better choice than the branches of the fallen tree. Chopping up a few of them and making the rods she handed them to Yuu. "Please catch some fish, remember not to catch more than we can eat in one sit. It's a rule of mine. Mother Nature gives you all you need with great generosity, one must respect that and never abuse her kindness." She said softly. "I'll go look around for more herbs while you're at it." With those words she left further into the forest moving around the lake.
Half an hour later she returned with a some more herbs, a much bigger amount than what they got at the waterfall. She left the pile for Yuu to sort and work on and sat down at a dry place with the branches she got earlier to start a fire. If she wouldn't have had her fire it she would probably ask Yuu to have his glasses, thankfully, it wasn't needed and the wood caught fire well. With this they can now cook the what ever fish Yuu got. Taking it from him, Lien got on the fallen tree ones again took out one of her tanto swords and cleaned the fish. first the scales, than the gut. putting the fish aside she took more branches as well and big wide leaves on her way back to the fire. pushing some branches into the ground, ,putting more on top on them and covering with leaves. On top of the leaves she put the fish and covered it with more leaves. Adding some wed branches and leaves to the fire every few minutes made sure there will always be soft smoke with a pleasant smell to it. 25 minutes and the smoked fish was done. The white flesh got a nice honey like color. "Lunch is ready!" the girl declared and took some of the fish for herself to eat. Removing the scarf from her face she pushed some on the meat inside. "Yep, it sure is ready."
The trio—the spider, Tiarra, was large enough to count as a traveler—set out again once Yuu finished making the poultice. Crafting the medicines, the poultices and creams, were one of the things he was best at doing, and had been practicing making them since before he was a genin.
The lake they had seen on the map came into view, and it was rather beautiful. The lily pads looked inviting, like stepping stones, but when Yuu was little he'd found out that lily pads make very, very bad stepping stones. The water lilies were still pretty, though. None of them looked like the picture in the notebook, however, so pretty was alll they were.
Yuu watched with curiosity as his cloaked companion balanced on a fallen tree in the water, walking towards the branches to collect them. She seemed to be looking for something in the bark, and apparently hadn't found it, not that he could really read her expression to tell. All he'd really seen of the girl was her eyes; she'd made sure to not let him see her face completely, even when eating. Hopefully curiosity wouldn't get the better of him during their week together.
Next she started digging in the dirt, and the curiosity deepened. Clearly, they were stopping here. He shifted his weight to one leg, hand on hip, watching quietly and waiting. Once she started crafting what he recognized as fishing rods, however crude, Yuu realized when she was coming towards him with that she expected him to go fishing. With all five rods, with the way she handed all of them to him.
"Please catch some fish, remember not to catch more than we can eat in one sit. It's a rule of mine. Mother Nature gives you all you need with great generosity, one must respect that and never abuse her kindness. I'll go look around for more herbs while you're at it."
“I can do that,” Yuu said, throwing an unbaited hook into the water, one ice-blue eye watching as she left his field of vision altogether. “...”
Once she was gone, Yuu pulled the hook out of the water, looking at it, and then looking at the jar of chopped worms. Picking one up, he looked from it to the hook. No one had ever taught the medic how to fish with a rod before. Let alone five at once.
“How the hell does this worm go on... wait, aren't I supposed to hold these?” he muttered, examining the tools he'd been provided. “...how am I supposed to hold five?”
With fiddling, Yuu managed to get a worm hooked onto one of the hooks. Not even bothering with the other four, the chuunin whipped the rod and threw the line out into the water... only for the worm to fly off.
“What.”
With a sigh, he grabbed the line and pilled it back in, dropping to a cross-legged sit to reattach another worm to the hook, trying not to poke himself. This time he all but knotted the poor thing around the metal hook, and stood again, flinging it out into the water once more. This time, the worm stayed on. That wasn't so hard, Yuu supposed.
After a few minutes, the medic felt tugging on the line, and pulled the rod back, met with resistance that pulled the line in different directions. Yes! But... how the hell do I reel it in...? The line was yanking hard, and with some difficulty, Yuu pulled the rod upward and got a hold of the line itself, pulling it in by wrapping it around his hands. When the fish emerged from the water—a good size at that, a foot long—he held it up as it wiggled in the air, then stared blankly at it.
“...How do I get you off the hook?”
The creature was slippery, and his first attempt to get it off caused him to drop it, where it splashed back into the water. With annoyance he grabbed hold of the line before it took the pole with it and brought it back, gripping the damn thing tighter. Pulling at the hook, he managed to get it out, but in the minute moment of victory, his grip on the fish loosened, and it lurched from his fingers, smacking onto the rock he sat on, then flopping into the water. It was gone. In pure irritation, Yuu nearly threw the whole rod in after it. Nearly.
Instead, he inspected it, then cracked the end off over his knee. He didn't know how to fish with a rod, but he could gig fish. Even if the gig was makeshift. Sitting on the rock again, Yuu pulled his shoes off, unwrapping the bindings on his legs and rolling his pant legs above the knee. Lien wanted fish? She'd get some damn fish. Taking the makeshift spear he'd made from the rod, he stepped into the cold water, wading to a place that didn't have many lilypads.
After a few minutes, the sand from his feet had settled, and he could see to the bottom of the crystal clear water. Seeing a dark fishy shape float in front of him, the cane speared down, shaking violently once it hit its target. Pulling the gig from the water, the fish wiggled weakly before stilling, and Yuu tossed the dead fish onto the rock where he'd been sitting before, next to the remaining rods.
“'Respect mother nature' she says...” Yuu muttered in irritation, stilling to wait for another fish. “Well if mother nature would respect me, we'd get along just fine.”
It didn't take long for him to spear two more fish, and the amount of flesh on the three would be plenty to feed the two of them. Breaking the rod over his knee again, Yuu scraped the broken edge along the rock until it formed a sufficient bevel. Satisfied, he crouched, scraping the scales off the fish.
Lien returned before he needed to even worry about making the fire, still working on cleaning the fish, having replaced the sugar cane bevel with a kunai to gut and clear the smelly insides. By the time Lien had finished starting the fire, Yuu had finished cleaning the fish and they were ready to cook. Trading off the fish for the herbs she'd returned, Yuu looked them over, removing bits of debris from the leaves as she got the blaze going and set the fish to cook.
Yuu watched the girl idly as he set up his things to work, wondering how she could work so efficiently with her scarf and hood up constantly. Then again, Yuu personally didn't like being unable to see out of the corners of his eyes, a view that hoods disrupted. It was one reason he almost never wore his hood up.
"Lunch is ready!"
Yuu had ground a little more than half of the herbs into the jar from before, slowly filling it with the sweet-smelling mix. He knew there were a lot more things to collect and set the remainder aside, coming over to join her for food. When she pulled down her scarf to taste-test the fish, he saw her face completely for the first time.
"Yep, it sure is ready."
“You're pretty,” he absently commented, selecting a slice of the smoked fish, “You shouldn't keep your hood up all the time.” After taking a bite, Yuu realized what he'd said, a flush of color dusting his cheeks. “Ah! I just meant, you keep your face covered all the time, and I'm just gonna shut up and eat.”
WORD COUNT | 1272 TAGS | Kumoro Lien ADDL. NOTES | It's fun being angry without cursing, nice change of pace from Kashii. XD He gets so easily flustered.
“You're pretty. You shouldn't keep your hood up all the time.” were the words that came from Yuu's mouth when he took some fish. “Ah! I just meant, you keep your face covered all the time, and I'm just gonna shut up and eat.” He added soon. His face getting a soft shade of pink. That was just great. That was honestly just great. Lien glared at him. Strong eyes with a hard cold look in them. She didn't answer immediately but looked very, very displeased. "The reason I wear my hood does not concern you. The reason I prefer traveling with women is due to statements like the one you just made. We are here for business, not for a date. Do not forget it at any given moment and think more carefully before you speak up. This time I'll ignore it and act like I have never heard it. Next time, there will be consequence." During the time she spoke she kept er eyes fixed on the boy. Tiarra came and took a position in front of her master in an intimidating stance. The spider was protective, very protective even.
Looking down on her familiar Lien smiled softly and put her hand on the creature in front of her. "hush sweetie, hush, Kamizuru or not, there is no reason to be like that. Not yet at least." the girl spoke softly calming down her 'pet' and patting her gently. Lien was always a gentle girl. Never going into unnecessary conflict, never doing unnecessary damage. She had no intention to get into a fight with the boy. She needed his help but had to warn him. She girl was a mix between two clans that Kamizuru were unfriendly with. The Kumoro which they feared for a good reason and the Aburame with they hated with all their heart even f the event that caused it was technically the fault of the Kamizuru themselves and took place hundreds of years ago. Blood is ticker than water, bad blood is runs deep in this world - very deep.
If there will be a moment when she'll need to confront him, she'll use her brain. She could usually talk herself out of trouble with pure logic and sharp thinking. Unless the hostility came from an idiot or a member of the main clan. Yuu wasn't the second, that's obviously and even if being clumsy he didn't look that stupid to her. No, he was a smart kid, she was confident about it.
Finishing her part of the meal she took Tiarra in her hands and put her on her head. She moved to a place a bit further away from Yuu and sat down leaning on a big tree. "Let me know when you're ready to leave." she spoke up loudly in Yuu's direction and closed her eyes taking a nap. With Tiarra on her head being a personal 'watch dog' with high intelligence and the ability to speak with Lien, She young Kumoro wasn't worried and felt safe enough to take a little nap.
There were a myriad of reactions to his words Yuu could have expected, but such hostility was not one of them.
"The reason I wear my hood does not concern you. The reason I prefer traveling with women is due to statements like the one you just made. We are here for business, not for a date. Do not forget it at any given moment and think more carefully before you speak up. This time I'll ignore it and act like I have never heard it. Next time, there will be consequence."
He blinked at her, a bit miffed, and swallowed his fish.
“It was merely a comment. If it were a date I was looking for, it would be with a girl I actually liked rather than a stranger I met from a flier on a board.”
He ate quietly in annoyance after, only to hear her whisper to her pet.
"Hush sweetie, hush, Kamizuru or not, there is no reason to be like that. Not yet at least."
The aforementioned Kamizuru paused, brow furrowing only slightly. Yuu had never once mentioned he was a Kamizuru; it should be of no consequence to the girl whether he was or not. … Or to the spider. Yuu lowered the bones of the fish, observing her carefully, suspicion starting to sink in. Discarding the bones into the fire, the medic pulled half of the second fish, leaving the rest, contemplating. Yuu took on the job and intended on completing it, but something about his company was starting to bother him. Still, he watched in silence as she rose when she finished eating, finding a tree to sit against.
"Let me know when you're ready to leave."
“...”
Yuu watched Lien go to sleep, still debating if she should be considered a threat or not. A good part of him itched even more to know what she was hiding under that hood, but the large hairy mass of legs and fangs on top of her head deterred him from peeking. Instead, the medic occupied himself cleaning up the fire, dousing and burying the evidence—as all young shinobi had been taught to do—out of habit.
Yuu essentially felt ready to leave once it was finished, but she had just fallen asleep, and rest was always a good medicine. Perhaps she'd be less irritable with him if he let her sleep. Fetching his bow and bag, the chuunin wandered a bit further down the treeline, selecting a comfortable-looking tree to sit against and rest himself.
WORD COUNT | 421 TAGS | Kumoro Lien ADDL. NOTES | I'll be mean and leave it here because he just wants her to rest it off.
Lien was woken up by Tiarra at some point. Her body was stiff from leaning on the tree but she was feeling well and refreshed after the nap. Looking at the sky that was clearly visible above the pond. She could tell it was late noon, around three or four pm. The sky got her to worry. Rain clouds were covering it. She was surprised as the sky was clear up until this point. The girls will have to remember that the rain clouds come fast in the Land of Earth. Hopefully, they leave just as fast.
With her clothes, there was no need for her to worry, she won't get wet even if she was to travel under heavy rain. Her companion was a different story. He didn't look like he was ready for such a journey and having him soaked to the bone means he might get sick. Having the medic ill was the last thing she wished for at the moment. Getting her things as fast as she could, she came to the medic. He was asleep. She told him to wake her up when he was ready t leave and he went to sleep instead. taking a long stick in her hand she poked him arm. "Wake up Yuu!" She called out obviously displeased. She would be fine if he was working on the herbs she brought for him. She would be fine if he was to search for more herbs by himself. She was not fine with him slacking off. If he would have at least told her he was at least to tell her he was taking a nap as well she would understand. If needed she'll poke the boy a couple of times more until he woke up.
"Hope you slept well, we don't have much time before the sun will set and it might rain later on. We need to hurry for up and move." she told him when he awoke, turned her back to him and started walking in a fast pace not wishing to loose even a single moment of sunlight and dry ground.
Last Edit: Aug 22, 2014 9:33:31 GMT by Kumoro Lien
Yuu was jarred awake from a dream he couldn't remember, holding his arm where he'd been jabbed and looking up at the angry girl holding the stick. Ah, crap...
"Hope you slept well, we don't have much time before the sun will set and it might rain later on. We need to hurry for up and move."
It was quite apparent in her tone of voice that there was no well-wishing to be had.
“Right, sorry. I thought it would be best to let you rest.”
By the way she turned her back to him and stalked off, Yuu realized that had been the wrong route. Well fine, next time I won't let you sleep. Girls were such complex creatures. Shaking the remaining sleep from his head, Yuu gathered his things and rose, using the bow as a support to get himself on his feet and set off after her, pulling the string over his head and resting it in place on his back.
As they walked, the sky grew progressively darker, rumbles in the distance. The Kamizuru cursed himself for not having a tent; but then, when he'd left his home he'd not been prepared for a camping trip. He did have a thick blanket rolled at the bottom of his bag, and that would help for the most part if they found some semblance of cover. If he knew better earth jutsu, Yuu could have made a shelter, but he didn't, so they'd have to make do with what they find when they stop.
WORD COUNT | 260 TAGS | Kumoro Lien ADDL. NOTES | Girls are complicated creatures.