Ground And Growth [Akari]

[Uchiha Kouhei]

Sietch Zensunna. The name didn't quite roll off the tongue, but it seemed like Hikari would have to get used to it. The youth had never been to a Hidden Village before, only the regular cities one would find scattered in the world, including Soon's Haven. At a glance, things weren't even so different, except for the fact half the people seemed to be walking around wearing the headband and flak jacket commonly found on shinobi. Hikari cocked his head as a group of children ran by, chasing a ball. Too young for genin. Academy students, maybe. Maybe just kids. Even Hikari's earliest memories included his parents training him.

The man was lounging on a bench facing a small park. Grass and trees weren't a common sight down here. Maybe someone had used wood release to grow it. That had to be it, right? The thoughts rolled idly through Hikari's head as he stared ahead of himself. The fingers of his prosthetic left hand tapped the bench's back rhythmically. What a strange feeling this homecoming was. For some reason he had expected Sunagakure to be... Different. Worse. For so long he had told himself that it was a breeding ground for everything bad in the world, and instead the village was almost dreadfully mundane.

Hikari leaned forward, folding his organic fingers between his mechanical ones as he rested his elbows on his knees. No, he should not discard his doubts so easily. It was only natural that the common folk were all regular, as well as the shinobi while they were with their friends and families. Perhaps he should sign up as a Sand shinobi. See what they were like from the inside and, if needed, dismantle them...

 

[Shinomiya Akari]

It had been an uneventful day thus far for Shinomiya. Although, to be fair, she considered every day to be more or less uneventful; nothing that happened in her life really concerned her all that much. It was a lot like reading a book. There were moments of stress, or worry, but it was all just sort of distant. As for the present moment though, while uneventful, it was nevertheless unpleasant. Too hot. Too bright. Even with the sunglasses she was wearing, together with the large, cone-shaped hat and light but modest robes she had on, being out in broad daylight like this was pretty uncomfortable for the young, pale girl. But such was life.

Ordinarily, Shinomiya was the type of girl to work unfailingly at her task until it was completed. However, suffering through one of the few things that bothered her was enough to give her pause. Rather than continue on with her errands for the day, the Genin made a detour towards the nearby park, in hope of catching a brief respite and clearing her mind. If nothing else, nature was mildly pretty, and it usually had a calming effect on Shinomiya. As she continued walking, her eyes locked on to a nearby bench, and the shade cast over it. Too tempting to pass up. Barely even noticing Hikari, Shinomiya sat down by his side, letting out a quiet but audible sigh shortly afterwards before taking off her hat and placing it on her lap.

For a moment or two, she sat in silence, staring at the trees and strangers ahead of them. Yet, it didn't take long for her to get her bearings, and then direct her attention to the man sitting next to her. She stared for a second or two before turning her eyes forward once again, gazing off into the distance. When she spoke, it was with a slow and relaxed, yet subtly formal and pensive tone, the kind of voice reminiscent of a wisened old sage. Not that she was anything of the sort whatsoever, of course. "Pleasant day we're having, isn't it? A bit too hot for my tastes, though." There was a brief pause, just long enough to separate her trains of thought. "...Nice arm, by the way. Looks like fine craftsmanship."