Late-Nite Research [PM to Join]

[Inari Shiren]

"Ughff."

A barely audible grunt came from a comfortable corner in Konoha's public Library, as a black-haired youth rubbed his temples. He was leaning over a leather-bound tome...it was called Religion through the Ages or something like that, he cared little now that he was this deep into browsing it, looking through different ideas of spirituality and the like. What was letting him view the dead...and where were the dead exactly in relation to him? Curiosity was driving him to answer questions that no 11 year old should normally have to answer, but he was perfectly fine with it.

At least, he would be, if searching actually resulted in anything concrete. At the moment he was staring at an article on some stupid cult called Jashinism; he had no idea what the point of it even was. Just going out to kill people for fun? Guh...it seemed even research into ridiculous digressions like these were providing him with more questions than answers.

He flipped back to the table of contents of this religious annex and quietly scanned it, finding what seemed to be nothing else of use to him. He sighed as he leaned back in his chair, tossing the heavy book off to his left, where a growing pile of scholarly volumes on spiritual subjects was sitting; currently about 3 feet high, and set to grow even larger judging by the equally-sized pile on his right, the books he'd yet to look through. He picked the next one off the top...Chakra Meditation and You; The Art of Spiritual Wellness. Wh...why did he even pick this one up?

He just tipped it off to the side of the table gingerly, before holding his head in his hands. He was starting to get a headache...he'd found some useful information of course, but so much of it seemed contradictory based on what he was looking at. Was there really no way to know for certain what was...not wrong with him, he didn't prefer to call it that. But...maybe that was the appropriate term. He felt like a hypochondriac looking through a medical encyclopedia while matching his symptoms to various diseases, each more nauseating and deadly than the last. It didn't help that most people who didn't know him well thought all this stuff about seeing ghosts and feeling the other side was just craziness on his part. At this point he wouldn't dare ask any teacher in the Academy about it...getting kicked out of school and having no possible way to become a ninja just because the wrong person thought he was stark, raving mad would destroy him. So here he was...persevering in his search for answers to the best of his ability. And trying not to believe that something actually might be wrong with him.

 

[Sazuki Nao]

Kotori was a small child...she was currently busy trying to do certain things... `She was hoping, skipping and jumping through the time zones. Just in order to learn more and learn quicker.
At one moment she hopped right through time next to a boy, a little older then she was she gambled... But she snickered and picked out a book she needed next to read through, seconds later it was the same thing, only placing the book back and getting a new one... Eventually, she kept up with the real-time and started to read a little more and more... She was tired of the fact she had been using it that much already. Slowly she eyed the new student that was and kept learning till the times were passing by late at night. "Hey... uhm...Shouldn't you keep it easy..? I mean... if you keep inside this building, it is rather musking with all the dust and all..." She said and patted the back side of her head. "I mean... taking no sunlight and drink enough... you can get quite a headache..." She said as she herself was noticing the same thing already happening towards her.

[ooc: small post sorry.]

 

[Inari Shiren]

When the young girl's voice reached him, he wasn't really studying at this point. He was staring at pages and looking at words that no longer made sense. With the nebulous spiritual concepts he was dealing with, actually keeping up with the weird terminology and foreign ideas was way too much for his tired-out mind. He barely even noticed her speaking to him, actually, as the rest of the world beyond the book he was uselessly staring at had faded away. But eventually as she kept talking in his general direction, he shook his head and came back to reality, rubbing his eyes and yawning. "Oh...hi," he managed to say before almost falling out of his chair, barely grabbing the back of it to stay up. He smiled awkwardly in her direction, fixing himself up so he was once again sitting upright, pushing it back so he could face towards the Uchiha...not that he could tell she was one of the fabled clan just yet, anyway. He'd always had them as dangerous, stone cold badasses in his mind, rather than happy-go-lucky kids like him.

"It's kind of late for the headache thing," he said with a little laugh, after spending a few moments to actually figure out what she said to him through the haze of his fogged short-term memory. "It's been......what the, 5 hours!?" He gasped a bit, realizing that he hadn't actually looked at the clock on the far side of the library in ages. "Aw...jeez...dad's gonna kill me..." he sighed out, rubbing his head in what seemed to be embarrassment. "But I mean, I kinda sorta had to stay here, y'know? Otherwise with all the classes I'm taking I'd never have time to study what I need to...anyways, uh, I'm Shiren. Inari Shiren, future Leaf Shinobi! Pleased to meetcha!" He beamed in her direction, speaking that leaf shinobi bit with immense pride. "Are you a student too?"

[OOC: No worries!]

 

[Minamoto Daisuke]

It had been one of many long days in the Konoha academy, lesson after lesson filled the daylight hours for Minamoto Daisuke. Yet even after classes had ended, the academy student did not return home. Instead he chose to head towards the library, a fountain of knowledge that was very often overlooked in his opinion. Of course being a shinobi relied on physical prowess to quite an extent, however it would be knowledge that Daisuke saw as the most important factor in ninja life. In truth that’s why he was at the library, not necessarily for love of learning but for self-improvement; the boy had a lot to live up to in that regard. With prominent parents and Mizukage grandparents, Minamoto Daisuke felt pressure beyond that which he anticipated most of his peers would experience in their early years.

It had been quite some time since the blonde boy’s arrival at the library and – as habit dictated - he had searched relentlessly for papers focused on the once great Kirigakure. Once a suitable book detailing the village and its history had been found, Daisuke quickly sat in a darkened corner of the room as to not be disturbed. His icy blue irises scanned page upon page of print while his mind digested knowledge pertaining to his family and their point of origin. The light of the room was not so dark as to obscure the prominent and deep blue tattoo that rested below Daisuke’s right eye.

On occasion he glanced up to swiftly scan the area; perception of the ever-changing environment around him was something he felt the need to continually focus his attention on. Awareness of even minute details would serve him well in life and training that skill at this early age did nothing to impede his growth. Of course, Daisuke had been aware of the other occupants in the room for quite some time now however he chose not to speak but to rather allow for the peaceful atmosphere to remain without disturbing his peers. Though he did keep an eye on them, his mind analytical as always.

“What is that jutsu?” The Minamoto’s voice rang out from his corner of research. The question itself was aimed toward the girl in the room who seemed to be studying books faster than humanly possible. “From what I’ve noticed, you’re either only reading the first page and putting books back or there is something else going on that we can’t see.” With this said, the boy closed his own literature and peered up toward the others present in the library. His piercing blue eyes scanned both male and female before flicking back to Shiren. “What is it that you have been studying so relentlessly for the past five hours, Inari Shiren?” His voice was one of very little tone and intonation, this was purposeful in order to disguise his interest in that which his fellow academy student had been reviewing for so long. The Minamoto boy didn’t want to betray any of his inner feelings. After all… that’s what a shinobi would do – or so he assumed.

[Topic entered]

 

[Mihoki Kahora]

Kahora’s timetable has been a little bit bare recently. Partly due to her painfully shy nature but also the fact that she’s not sure what she wants to learn. She had no doubt in her mind that she wanted to become a shinobi, but she never really considered all the steps it would take to get there. She was willing to put in the work if only she could figure out the kind of person she wanted to be. One that her parents would be proud of. One that children would look up to.

Still being new to the academy, Kahora didn’t have the area fully mapped out yet but she already had a place she could escape to. Pushing open the doors of the library, she wandered to the shelves and picked up once of her favourite books of all time, Traces In The Jungle . A quick glance at the blurb was enough to tell anyone why the Senju girl liked the book so much. Falling in love with the natural world was something that came so suddenly to Kahora but made sense in every single way. The way natural brought her a sense of calm and serenity was incomparable to anything else in the world. The reason she loved this book so much was because it was obvious to her that the author understood her point of view for once. If only she could meet her.

Now, where to sit?

It was a rather busy day in the library that didn’t leave the small girl many options. She could hide in the corner on the floor of the library and read or she could take a leap of faith and try to introduce herself to new people. Looking round the room she didn’t see any familiar faces. Where’s Saitou when you need her. Kahora took a deep breath and walked towards the table a few meters in front of her. Come on, don’t be a baby. These people look nice. Looking between the two boys and girl, she quietly requested. “Um hello, do you guys mind if I sit with you? I’m Kahora by the way. I-it’s nice to meet you.”

[Topic entered]

 

[Sazuki Nao]

"huh.. me? Oh! I am Uchiha Kotori, simply Kotori is enough." She said polite and listened towards him. "I... am some sort of student... as you wanted to say..." She giggled and folded her hands behind her back. "So.. Uhm... what were you doing up la--" Just when she wanted to question her question she heard a voice from behind her... She swore she was having troubles from the tiredness... because she hadn't even noticed people entering the door right now. She rubbed the back of her neck, blaming herself for that mistake. "I erm... I used... an ability I have since... two years now... It is called temporal step and lets you hop... in and out of time..." She muttered the last part a little as she was unsure how people reacted to it... she couldn't even believe when she caught herself on the fact she easily spoke that to them... Folding a hand over her mouth she looked a little around. "So... Er--." Against she shushed herself as a small female started to join in on the conversation. She smiled politely and waved towards her, it was so strange for her... Suddenly being along with her own age of kind... "I erm... I am Kotori, nice to meet you both." She said and would give a polite bow towards the other two and stand upright again. "I do not mind at all... I had been reading books, is there anything I can help you guys with?" She asked and was wondering if there was anything she could do.

 

[Inari Shiren]

[OOC: Apologies for the obscenely late response, been busy with work and school and procrastinating with vidya games]

Shiren had initially thought he had stowed himself away comfortably in a quiet part of the library. But perhaps the art of environmental awareness was still lost on the young student, as much as he aspired to a career where life and death were decided with it. Needless to say, he was incredibly surprised when a boy's voice pierced through the quiet conversation he was beginning with the...Uchiha, was it? Truly? His father Hizu always had plenty to say about the Uchiha, most of it consisting of casual slander, yet Shiren was always more curious about them than anything. Revered by some, feared by others...copying abilities, genjutsu prowess...the various urban legends and tall tales of their abilities began to swirl through his mind...

He shook his head, almost drifting off into thought again and asking Kotori aloud about the "spinny-death-wheel-weakass-shinobi-crutch-eyes" his dad Hizu had often gone on about. Instead, he turned to what seemed to be a fellow student, asking both the Uchiha and him questions in a calm, calculated tone. However monotonous it was, it carried with it a certain tension that even the oft-oblivious Shiren picked up on. He definitely seemed both interested and perceptive; Shiren had no idea that Kotori was using some kind of time skipping jutsu, yet this kid was picking up on it with ease. Temporal step, was it? He'd have to ask about it sometime. For the moment, however, he preoccupied himself with figuring out how to answer his question.

"Uhh...nothing, really. I...figured I'd read up on some religious and spiritual stuff. In case I have to deal with any that have weird powers when I finally get my headband, y'know? Always be prepared!" He was smiling on the outside, but he hoped he'd managed to mask his true intent. He wasn't about to get labeled psychotic by people he just met. Or if there truly was something to this ghost-seeing stuff, he didn't want to put his trump card out in the open so early. It was what his brother Yoshi always told him, always keep your best tricks up your sleeve until you need them most.

He shifted his eyes around a bit, both outwardly and inwardly looking for a chance to change the subject. Thankfully, one came in the form of what seemed to be another student, a timid-sounding girl he hadn't met before. "Sure thing!" he responded when she inquired about sitting with them, flashing her a warm smile. "I guess we're forming a cool kid's club, welcome aboard. I'm Inari." He then turned back to Kotori, a look of interest on his face now. "So like...stepping in and out of time? That sounds like some insane jutsu...uh...if you're a jonin using henge, I promise I'm going straight home after I finish this research, please don't give me detention!"

 

[Minamoto Daisuke]

Daisuke sat quietly on his own with some distance to the pair, his book now laid down on the desk at which he sat. His icy gaze continually scanned those within the room as the Minamoto boy gradually made mental notes on each of them, committing each detail he observed to memory for potential later use. Of course, this was not in any way intended to be used in a harmful manner to those present but rather to be used to maintain an informed perception of those around him. Thankfully Daisuke was acutely aware of the presence of another just before she made her entrance into the library. However, it was her appearance that caught him off guard, he could feel his emotionless composure begin to waver as she entered but the young student was just able to hold his calm expression long enough to cover his face once more with his book. She introduced herself as Kahora, a name Daisuke would remember.

The Minamoto boy listened from behind his book as Kotori explained how she was able to navigate so many books in such little time. A space and time technique it seemed, with emphasis on time – something very interesting and previously unseen by the student. All the details being fed to Daisuke remained present in his mind as he committed names and abilities to faces. With the slight knowledge of at least one of Kotori’s abilities as well as her clan, Daisuke was left needing familiarity with both Shiren and Kahora.

Having now established at least some information about each of the others present in the room, Daisuke felt it fit to introduce himself. At least he could use it in order to learn more about those others in the room with him. He had clocked Shiren’s interest in spirituality by his choice of literature, but still Daisuke strove to learn more. The blonde boy cleared his throat before speaking up. “I’m Minamoto Daisuke. We seem to have gotten to know quite a bit about Uchiha Kotori, but I’m interested to learn more about the two of you.” His piercing blue eyes studied Shiren first, quickly followed by an elongated stare towards Kahora as he tried to get a read on her. Hopefully now that everyone knew his name, they would feel more comfortable revealing more about themselves.

 

[Mihoki Kahora]

Directing a shy smile towards the girl who Kahora has learnt the name of, Kotori, she listened carefully not wanting to miss anything out. “Time travel? That’s so cool. If I could do that I’d eat some ramen and then travel back in time so that I could keep eating it because it’s the best. Wait… would I remember eating though?” Glancing at the three people, she realised she probably seemed a bit weird. Why do I do this to myself? Imagine if I could just be normal and cool for a minute. Just a minute! “Anyway, you should show me how it works sometime. T-that’s if you want to of course. Hang out… like all of you.”

Figuring that the Senju girl has said enough already she let the other two boys speak. She loved learning about people, whether it was the lady in the flower shop or her fellow classmates. People made her extremely anxious, but they also made her push to better herself. That’s why she joined the academy in hopes that she could become the best version of herself. The dark-haired boy, Inari, seemed nice. She wondered if his proposal of having a cool kid’s club was legit. She couldn’t wait to tell Saitou about it. She couldn’t wait for the day she had friends to go out and explore the world with her.

Daisuke. Her eyes sparkled learning the name of the boy that made her heart do the thing that it really shouldn’t be doing. Should it? They’ve only just met. It would be weird. But why does it feel strangely right? Kahora contemplated for a minute, trying to think of something to say. A thousand thoughts ran through her head but none of them were good. Filling the silence, she answered the blonde-haired boy’s question, ignoring the way her heart skipped a beat when he looked her way. “Um well I like ramen. Quite a lot actually. Wait, I’ve already said that. My bad. Um. I’m a student at the academy, joined a few months ago even though my parents didn’t want me to. I knew I had to though, being a Shinobi would mean the world to me especially if it means I can protect the ones I care about. Sorry for getting deep there.” Kahora shook her head lightly and looked up towards Daisuke, “What about you? What’s your story?”

[MFT]
[WC=403]