When the comforts of civilization begin to dull our senses, we must never forget that in the beginning, there was war. And war. And more war. Long before there were empires, there were humans consumed with greed and the hunger for power. Resources, territories, information—these were the forms of sustenance upon which we preyed. Today, we call such habits vices. Oh, how arrogant we have become! Are we not still impelled by those primordial emotions? Is the advent of war so far-fetched? But alas, for you to truly understand, we must dive deeper into this land’s half-forgotten past.
There was a time when might was the only law that humankind knew. Fearsome clans roamed throughout the land, seeking amenable grounds within which they could take root and opposing forces against whom they could test their mettle. Given the irregularity of nature’s bounty, certain regions appealed more than others, and dominion over such coveted territories became the spark that ignited the earliest inter-clan wars. These fierce, internecine affairs tended to conclude only when one side had decimated their competition into oblivion, and many clans of story were rendered extinct during this period.
The victors of war, having claimed their territories, often made truces with surrounding locals, offering protection in exchange for access to the yields of agriculture. Over time, certain communities emerged as more dominant than others, either due to numbers or sheer talent, and their rapid expansion would force smaller, neighboring communities to either collapse into their fold or be devastated. When the dust settled, humankind found itself divided into the five major territories that we are familiar with today. And was the bloodshed over? With our lands obtained and our bellies filled, were we finally content?
06/01/2023 June is for Juggin
We made it y’all, another month of OTA, and fresh off the press we have another promotion ready. Leaving behind the opening bonus sadly, we welcome the jugggggg! June is for juggin AKA working hard, so we are making it a double rewards month for every mission completed! Yes we said it's double rewards, now you all can really get into the thick of those builds if you work hard enough. And who knows what you might uncover in the process. AND all jobs are free to enroll no quest EXCEPT ANBU(Black Ops) roles.
OOC: Takes place before Yuurei departed Hi no Kuni to head to Kaminari no Kuni for the Stolen Lives event
DingDing!
The shrill chime of a metallic bell rung through the building as the tall Nara clansman stepped through the door, signalling to the elderly shopkeeper that someone had entered their store. Squinting from behind a gigantic pair of frames on the other side of the room, a gray-haired man gave a friendly wave to him as he entered, being no stranger to their presence within their store. Being one of the many gardening stores within Konohagakure that also catered for the herbalist arts, Yuurei, as much as he preferred to keep to the shadows and stay anonymous, was well known by the man as one of his regulars. Though his hair had changed colour with age, one could make a fair assumption that he also belonged to the Nara clan due to the clan's symbol which was proudly mounted on a piece of wood and hung behind the ancient register.
Further confirming his familiarity within the store, the DingDing had awoken a small, equally elderly-looking dog who had previously been lying on an unopened bag of compost. Giving itself a shake, it approached the younger Nara eagerly, and he in turn also bent down gently to give it a welcoming stroke.
"How old are you now, Shibu? Around 90, give or take?" he asked, more directed towards the dog himself than anyone else.
Having managed to hear the man's quip, the shopkeep retorted with a 'You know full well that Mr.Shibu is in the prime of his youth, Yuurei - aren't you, Mr.Shibu?. Yuurei wasn't all that sure how embedded in truth this was - he was pretty sure he'd known this dog most of his life, and whilst it was true that he was graying around the edges, he still had a playful spark in its eye that many of a similar age tended to lose. The dog's tongue, however, struggling to stay within the confines of his mouth, said otherwise.
Giving the dog one last pat, Yuurei rose back to his full height and began to explore the store in search of what he needed. Whilst he appreciated those who gardened, it wasn't why he was here, and neither did he have any space at home for him to cultivate his own flowers or foodstuffs. Walking down the long, windy shelved corridors, he moved to peruse the herbalist section. Though his memory was excellent, he'd managed to misplace a set of small trimming scissors which he used to prepare the herbs for conversion, and was in search of a new set. Though the ones sold at the store were quite expensive, it was considered an investment - they 'd be used for years. As long as he doesn't lose them again, that is.
Yellow eyes scanning the different packages on the wall, he became lost in the detail, trying to decipher which one best matched the pair he had lost.
Honoka wiped the sweat off of her brow as the sun heavily beat down on her, radiant and yet masochistic all the same. Such a gorgeous day was the perfect opportunity for her to get some earnest gardening done, and she had went right to work plowing and tilling the ground that was to become vegetables and spreading a ton of mulch for her flowers to prosper. It was hard, painstaking work, but it was one of the few things that her parents allowed due to the self sufficiency of it all. The problem was that they had barely any money through the winter so they had devoured her surplus of food and the seeds had gotten lost in the shuffle. It wasn't as if there weren't any methods of replenishing her supply, thankfully, so she had removed her dirt-stained clothing and had opted for a simple outfit as she ran through town.
A light green t-shirt marked with a large, tortoiseshell cat sprawled across the midsection and chest. Below that she wore a pair of blue jeans, cut straight, and a pair of open toe sandals. Making her way through the village, she waved and greeted the various residents she had gotten to know. Doing missions, like her Konoha clean up, had also gotten her rather acquainted with those who were around. It was nice to gain a rapport with the people in her village, making her feel like an actual piece of the puzzle instead of simply an outsider.
Arriving at her destination, she pushed through the door and was pleased to hear that typical 'dingdong' that indicated someone had opened the door. The smell of various plants and herbs hits the nose as soon as one enters, the fragrance incredibly relaxing to the young woman. Smiling, she waved to the owner who had seen her plenty of times over the years.
"Hiya! I'm here for a ton of seeds, I'm late getting these into the ground this year, but that's life," she casually began to talk to him, before a light and almost wheezy bark was emitted from his dog. Turning her head to greet him, she was surprised to see someone was already near the dog.
For a moment, Honoka was hit by a wave of deja vu as she felt like she had been in this position, staring at the back of this person, once before. Gazing intently for a moment, she realized that she wasn't mistaking. He turned after petting the dog, turning down a different aisle. Doubt crept up within her. Their last meeting had ended amicably but it wasn't throughout the entire conversation, though she did assume life was supposed to be met with strife. Putting her optimistic foot forward, before she gathered the things she needed, she followed his foot steps and examined him checking items and it appeared he was in need of new shears.
"Yuurei? Is that you? Fancy meeting you here!" she called out to the man, attempting to converse with him once more.
Reaching out to pick up a small plastic package that held what looked like the scissors, he was quite sure this was the type that he was looking for. Turning the package around and reading the fine print of its label, Yuurei's mind tried returning to the object when it had been in his posession. Mentally comparing what he recalled of the cherished item and the product in front of him, here he stood soundlessly for a few moments, when all of a sudden he hears this agitating, grating voice.
'Yuurei? Is that you? Fancy meeting you here!'
Though he'd only met her a week or so ago, the pink hue reflected in the shiny coating of the pair of scissors gave her identity away - he didn't even need to turn around. Sighing under his breath, he rolled his eyes, put on his best winning smile, and sharply turned on his heel to turn and face the pink-haired kunoichi. If she looked to him, she would see a similar smile to what she'd seen during their first interaction, somewhat well-meaning, but more tinged with expectation than genuine happiness. The kind of sarcastic smile you'd give someone after they cut in front of you in a line. But - if she'd learned anything from their first interaction, he likely didn't mean any true offense - that was just his manner.
Taking a moment or so to take in what she was weari- what's that shirt? the smile parts so he can exclaim a simple greeting: "Hello, Pinkie" he'd used the same nickname back in the Verdant Forests, and whilst he'd definitely riled her up, from what he could tell it hadn't bothered her. How could it, when it was true? And even if it did offend - he did really care? Lowering his hand, the plastic packaging of the scissors still clasped within his spindly digits, an awkward pause filled the aisle as the sound of Mr.Shibu snoring echoed from across the room. ..Please don't say she thinks we're friends or something.. he ponders, the silence becoming all too loud until he cut it with a simple
"What are you doing here? Are you lost?"
"Haven't you got better things to do, like making your ancestors proud or something?"
Slinging a taunt at her with a small semblance of a smirk, he was in all seriousness wondering why she was here. He hadn't seen her during previous trips to the store, but then again, had he really been looking out for someone that he didn't know? He got the feeling that she may have had some kind of a green thumb from their initial meeting, but he didn't particularly pay any mind to just how green that thumb was. Moving away from his current position, having now found the item he needed, he stepped forwards towards her, closing the distance to leave an appropriate 2 meters between them.
Putting the matter of the seeds that she needed to the side for the moment, she was struck by how similar their meeting was. Both times his back had been to her, and she could almost see the muscles within his frail body tense up. It brought a smirk of joy to her face, nearing smugness by the very second. It was nice to see that the effect he had on her was also there for him, making her ever more gleeful. It took him a moment to turn around, and he gave her that off putting smile once again. It was as if he was forcing himself to smile, strained, and tinged with a bit of condescension. She'd prefer he used his regular face, it was less...ominous. He did just that, reading her mind, and greeted her back by using the nickname he had 'gifted' her last time.
She didn't care what he wanted to call her, but it wouldn't kill him to at least remember her name, or so she thought. This time he left the air silent, like she had done prior, and she wondered what thoughts were bouncing around a scarecrow's brains? Smirking at the adept mud slinging going on within her mind, she almost forgot that things were quiet.
Her smirk diminished none at his baby barb, as she noted that his saccharine tongue hadn't changed neither.
"No, I didn't get lost, though it seems as if your bun may be too tight since you can't remember I mentioned that I love gardening, and plants," she responded venomously, though, without any anger behind her words. When her button wasn't being pressed, she had an incredible reserve of patience.
The next statement did bother her, though not in the way that he had intended. Her pride, her love for her clan, that all extended only to her grandparents. For anyone further back who wasn't a part of the greatest era, who contributed to their legends, they were nothing more than worthless scum. It was because of hearing their folly repeatedly through childhood that she rarely partakes in social engagements, and has very few friends. She's barely even close to her brother, though she loved him dearly, she felt like she needed to show him a proper way of living.
"Most of them are the reason we're in the position we are..." she mumbled under her breath, mostly to herself, before figuratively shaking off the vibes they left and looking him directly in the eye.
"It's my personal day, again. I can do what I like today, and that's the reason I came here. I needed seeds, and a couple of other items. I assume you're here for something herb related?" she questioned, attempting to gaze at his hands and feeling that she had been correct based on the particular dual-bladed item.
It seemed as though Honoka had learned somewhat from their first interaction, and he was met with a healthy - but ineffective - amount of resistance to his jibe. As a result, the smirk remained and the black-haired man proceeded to cross his arms, the scissors still in his grasp as he did so. She was right, he could faintly remember her saying something along those lines when they'd last met. But doesn't every girl love gardening and plants? "I'm not so sure that I believe you" he begins - where was he going with this? "It's hard to imagine someone enjoying gardening that much and also be scared of a harmless beetle - what about earthworms? You know, studies show that earthworms support in creating a nutrient-dense and stable soil structure" his bright, yellow eyes search for hers, as if trying to prove a point. "You should see them as allies - not.. eh," he unhooks his arms, waving the scissor around to emphasize his point; "..Monstrosities"
Having tried his best to prove his point, his arms crossed once more as he looked on at her, her pink figure diminished somewhat in his taller shadow within the narrow aisle. He just couldn't imagine someone like her actually enjoying gardening - or at least not the parts which actually took the most work. Spectating a beautiful garden grown by others? Absolutely - pinkie seemed the type. But getting down and working the earth, sowing seeds and digging up a whole myriad of insects during the process? Impossible. He'd believe it when he'd see it.
His last comment clearly hadn't roused as much a response from her as it had the first time they'd met - it was clear from that conversation that he'd found a button to press, and unfortunately for her, such was his talent. Amongst other things. He could respect how cooly she held herself together, but he liked to think that she was seething underneath the surface.
"It's my personal day today"
"..Personal day?"
He couldn't help but repeat what she'd said - in context, it all sounded quite sad really.
It was just the way she'd said it - as if she had no other freedom in her day-to-day to focus on herself, and knowing what he knew of her already, he figured his suspicions were true. Whilst his profession meant that he spent each day doing what he enjoyed - crafting various concoctions to support the Village of Konohagakure and Its Citizens™, he wasn't particularly tied down by a schedule. Others in his family held different ranks - a few even trusted ANBU to the Shodaime, but that had never been his style. He appreciated the flexibility that the role gave to him, and frankly, the less time he could spend kissing Momochi's feet, the better. He could have opened his mouth and questioned her again about her preference of living her life based on the expectations of others, but he didn't - perhaps he was learning, or perhaps he just felt as though she was in too deep. Brainwashed, a zombie, a husk doomed to live each day like the last and play puppet to the strings of her master. '.....' He disassociates for a moment.
Taking his arms away from his chest and furling the hand holding the scissors, his simrk returns to a thin line, and he holds up the product for her to see, the other hand framing it, as if advertising it on some kind of infomercial. "I'm here to purchase a pair of scissors, to prepare herbs before they're processed further" he confirms, lowering his arms and gazing on at the eccentric-looking kunoichi.
"..What kind of seeds are you looking for?" the delivery was somewhat dry - but well-meaning.
Was he actually instigating a conversation? A nice conversation?
Honoka almost didn't want to admit that he wasn't completely wrong with his estimation, she had clearly shown a major weakness with her reaction to the beetle. And she definitely had the reaction he likely imagined when he pictured her actually gardening. The first time she had begun, her tiny thin fingers had reached deep into the cool, pleasant earth only to be met with the wriggling of the worms. Believing it to be a bug, she immediately threw the soil clump spreading grass and dirt everywhere and began screeching for help.
Educating herself led to her logically taking a stance on being okay with worms, though it took years of conditioning that her parents 'aided'. Armed with the combination of the two, she had initiated a symbiotic relationship with the creatures. She didn't love them and yet she didn't hate them like she did every other creepy insect in the world. Everything that he was saying, he was simply preaching to the already converted choir.
"Actually, I have no problem dealing with them," her response was curt, odd for the woman.
As if to prove her point, she held out her arms that were still littered with stains from the earth. She hadn't expected to encounter anyone on her trip, so she only changed her clothes but didn't wash herself off. The only thing she couldn't help was encountering any bugs while she was out. For this reason, she became well immersed in the art of insecticides. If there were any that made their way through, she had her brother or father handle it - though usually suffering severe admonishment for the latter.
"You do seem rather obsessed with me, I love it!" she mentioned, casually yet icily still deep in thought.
This man, Yuurei, was someone who just did not seem to mesh well with Honoka. She didn't exactly dislike him, but it felt as if every conversation was a battle. He did seem to give, every so often, and seem as if they could have a delightful time but the majority of it made her wonder his intentions. This wasn't the calculated friendship that she was used to, there were no transactions here. Two people, seemingly much different, interacting in all of their natural glory. It was a good experience for the young woman, if she could ever take it as a learning experience.
The conversation took a turn when he repeated her words back to her and wore a strange expression on his face. Her thoughts froze as she tried to imagine what was going on in his mind. What she had said wasn't that strange, a personal day. Surely such an occurrence wasn't that strange? There was a strong silence, but this one made Honoka feel uncomfortable for some reason she couldn't exactly define. When he began talking, she shoved the unnamed emotion into a corner as he confirmed her earlier suspicions.
"So, what will those herbs you collected before be processed into?" she questioned him, genuinely curious about what had come of his expedition.
"I'm really looking for some good vegetables to help us get through, ideally some edamame, cucumber, kabocha, and daikon if I can," she rambled on her list, momentarily getting lost in the thoughts of her conquest.
Despite the fact that the kunoichi expressed that she didn't feel the same hatred towards earthworms as she did the rest of bug-kind, Yuurei didn't quite believe her. He'd seen just how extreme her reaction had been - surely there was no creepy-crawlie on this earth that escaped this hatred? Her showing her dirt-stained arms to him made him think nothing more than that she should really go and take a shower. Was she trying to prove a point? Raising an eyebrow, his silence spoke volumes and it was very clear that he didn't believe her. Or - at least, he believed that she'd definitely been rolling around on the ground somewhere, but the tolerance to earthworms, not so much.
"You do seem rather obsessed with me, I love it!"
Internally..
'What the fuck is that meant to mean? I swear, if she-'
He grimaces,
"Don't flatter yourself"
If there was one look that she hand't seen yet on his face, that was of disgust. He wasn't obsessed with her! If anything it was her fault that they'd run in to eachother today - she could have kept quiet and gone about her way, but no. Pinkie had to ruin his day and start wasting his time. Sigh. Staring down at his watch, as if trying to figure out just how much of his life he'd spent in this very moment talking to her, he then returned his gaze back to the woman, who had now started talking about a topic far more familiar to him. His face had since returned back to its regular, displeased look, clearly having perked up a little at the thought of speaking about one of his favourite subjects. "The Risch?" he mutters, remembering the herbs he'd gathered during his run-in with her. They were at home, sat carefully within one of his many herb stores. "I'll likely create an elixir this week - Risch can be used for the healing of wounds, or to cause blood to thin" He pausesa after elaborating on the herb's use, his eyes dipping to the scissors held carefully in his hand, as if considering something "My methods are very reactive. I'll create it in such a way that reflects the mood I'm in at the time" he says with a shrug, bright yellow meeting with her own emerald green. If Honoka knew one thing about Yuurei is that his mood was perpetually sour - this would also give insight in to perhaps what kind of concoctions he specialised in.
Herbalism had been an escape for him after the passing of his mother - there was nothing better than crushing a herb in to a mortar, it was better than taking that anger out on someone else. Not that Yuurei was against that - but even he acknowledged he couldn't just go around slinging punches. Was gardenng an escape for her? Perhpas there was a small part of him that understood her. "With such a burden on your back I'm suprised you have time to spend gardening" he comments flagrantly, referring to the weight of service she felt towards her own family as he started moving up ahead and out of the aisle, passing the kunoichi.
"It must feel good - having something that you can call your own which doesn't ask anything from you beyond some water and pruning" his words trail off as he moves elsewhere in the store, though just before moving out of view he stops, looking back at Honoka.
"I'd expect it gives you a sense of control, doesn't it?"
Finishing his psycho-analysis of the woman before him, he falls quiet. Just like a game of chess, he played his piece, and now waited to see what move she would play in response.
This time the emotion that spread across the face of the man she was interacting with she knew all too well. She had experienced that look of disgust all too many times from her parents. Thinking about them made her heart twinge a bit, but the most prevalent emotion showed on her face with a wide smile. So often he was on the offensive, eviscerating her on a personal level both times that they had met.
If that wasn't bad enough then there was that damned beetle incident that she would be unable to wipe from his memory. The worst part was that it was a true reaction with no hint of hiding her feelings, so she couldn't even pass it off as a joke or anything of the like. So in this moment, that she had finally struck some sort of nerve within him. The sweet sensation of a revenge victory filled both her mind and mouth.
"Flatter myself? But you're the one so interested in my life and whatnot," she continued, ever so innocent in her own blade slinging. And he was over-theatrical in his manner, sighing loudly and checking his watch as if he had somewhere else she needed to be. Her comment earlier was like a gold mine, and she would note that it was a good way to change the tides.
Upon her mention of the herbs he had acquired his stature and demeanor changed to his average, condescending, and yet somewhat well meaning one. He had explained last time that the herbs had a variety of uses and even those could harm or heal, and she wondered which he decided on. When he answered, she realized it was a naive question in its base. It mattered not for either way he would find a use for it, but it was interesting to learn that it just depended on his mood. She was finding that he was very fundamentally different from herself, he followed his mood and feelings while she followed her expectations.
She couldn't help but bristle a bit at his preconceived notions on her 'burdens' that she had to carry. While it was true that her family had placed an unbelievable amount of expectations on her that didn't make it anything like a burden. It was an honor that they had such high expectations of their progeny. She didn't like the way he talked as if he pitied her and the circumstances she lived with. He further elaborated and she was stunned because the entire time she had engaged in her hobby, she never considered the facts he had laid bare before her. She questioned herself. She wanted more time to dwell on the information and her own thoughts, but she was not given that.
"That has nothing to do with it. You're reading into me too much, once more. I do it of my own volition, and I do it because I enjoy helping the family with my own hands,"
She hadn't necessarily told a lie but it simply wasn't the full truth and she couldn't shake off his words echoing in her mind.
Interested in her life? - why would he be interested in her life? What could there be to enjoy hearing about? Scrunching his nose somewhat at the sheer thought, he shakes his head, brushing her comment off. Yuurei didn't know the details of her life history, but then again, he didn't need to know. They were like chalk and cheese, two people cut from a very different cloth. Yuurei forsook his family for moving on so quickly after the death of his mother, frustrated at the lack of action from their side to avenge her untimely demise. It was true that from a biological perspective blood did run thicker than water, but not when it was needed most. Why weren't they as angry as he was? Despite his facetious attitude, on the cover of it all Yuurei played along as a dedicated, if not slightly flippant clan member. But deep down his own concept of family had long since warped - it had been a long three years. Honoka however, well, he wasn't sure exactly what conditions had created such an honor-bound servant to her own kin, but he was sure that there were some complicated family connections there somewhere, there always was.
Who needed them anyway?
'..You're reading into me too much, once more..'
The more she continued to deny his suspicions, the more he felt a resistance in her words - she was, no doubt, conditioned to speak such drivel about wanting to support them. Though not a psychologist, Yuurei had wound up enough people in his time to be able to identify their weak points, and today's interaction confirmed the exact location of hers. Her words felt empty - full of hot air, as if trying to reassure herself that she did believe what she was trying to convice him about. "I don't believe you" he spoke, the pair of scissors still in his hand "Or at least - some of it. Have you heard of stockholm syndrome? You might want to look it up.". Honoka by now would recognize that despite the fact that he was clearly trying to antagonize her, there was some seriousness to his words. And with those words, his piercing yellow eyes dropped their stare and he turned once more to turn the shop clerk up ahead. Stepping closer, Shibu's distant snores became ever louder - he was out for the count. He couldn't ever remember him being a guard-dog, but if there was a dog to take the role, he wasn't the one.
Handing the scissors across to the elderly man, ryo passed Yuurei's hand to the shopkeep's old, wrinkled hands and the exchange was made. Pocketing the product, the long-haired Nara manoeuvred towards the entrance of the store, and then stopped mid-way, as if he'd been musing over something and suddenly changed his mind. Turning back towards where he presumed the young kunoichi was, he took her appearance in once more - 'Extravagant..' and waved a hand limply in mid-air, as if swatting away an invisible fly. "What I do believe is that you genuinely care for them and hold what they think of you in high regard" he pauses, giving her a moment to take in his words whilst the old man counted the ryo in his palm and put it in the ancient register, paying no mind to the conversation at hand.
....
"..I also believe that they are likely take advantage of that"
stray black hair blew slightly in the breeze generated by the door opening as another customer walked through the door. He gave her a curt bow of his head, and spoke the words
"Be well, Honoka"
He moves to leave, exchanging the dimly-lit store for the bright sunshine of the day.
The thoughts that had been circulating around Honoka's head began growing from a noise in the background to a grand roar, almost like the chorus of engines. He had driven a seed of doubt within her and, with his intense nurturing, was seeing it blossom right in front of her. Over the years many people had derided the way Honoka conducted herself, much like a puppet herself for her parents she allowed them to pull her strings and did so happily. She was everything to her clan, she was the single cog that could stop the whole machine from flowing.
Having him so brazenly and unabashedly attempt to tear apart her conditioning was causing her psyche to flux, causing her physical pain as the opposing mentalities battled it out internally. Was she truly happy in the expectations she was given? Was she truly nothing more than a willing slave to their desires?
"And what of you? Has your family lost all faith in you and now you just seek to cast doubt on others?!" she bit back aggressively, most unlike her, as she lightly placed her hand on her head. Though she had a venomous tongue and liked to banter, something was definitely different. He was getting under her and she was having immense trouble hiding the fact.
As she was lost in her thoughts, he began moving away from her before saying one last thing. He laid bare her feelings, accurately, before stating that she would be used and moving away. Leaving her in a stunned silence, her head literally pulsed and pounded but she attempted to fight through it. He was wrong! He had to be wrong! If he wasn't, then that would be even worse than if he was. It would deny everything that she's ever thought, believed, lived for. It would deny her very existence, and she would not stand for it. She rushed after him, like a fish outside of the water not even knowing what she'd do or say.
"You're wrong! You don't know anything, least of all my life. They don't use me, they cherish me they believe in me, they would never use me! I am their sole hope and what's so wrong with that? With believing in me?! Is your own home life so tragic that you have to tear apart mine?!" she was so lost in her emotions that she hadn't cared the volume she spoke, causing people to stare as they walked by.
