Like Snow In The Desert [OPEN]

[Kishinami Kou]

Curiosity​

Finally stepping outside the safety of his home and outside the world of books into the the vilage that was now his reality, he had catch up to do and a lot at that. He was still pretty new around here, hell he couldn't even really give directions for anything that was not included in his daily routine. And yet, he had decided it was time to expand his horizons, maybe would find someone who needed his help. Up to this point he had never really considered it, but was he bored? He had been travelling his whole life and now? Now he decided to stay in this place to become a ninja, to expand his possibilities, to be of use... Yet he had stayed in his house to go into a reading spree. Now that he had left it behind him, he kind of missed the time he had spend in the academy. Sure he had been far older then the students there, but he had been able to teach them things they didn't teach in the school, tell them stories. So that had been fun. I his solidarity inside his own four walls though he realized that trying to gain knowledge wasn't the only thing he needed in his life. So why had he left his home? To still gain more knowledge? To find someone to help? Maybe gain friends? It was probably all of those, he had knowedge the surpassed most people of his age and probably even older ones aswell, yet he didn't understand himself as much as he would like. If one were to sum up what got him wandering around town in one word, then it would be curiosity. And right that curiosity had brought him to the probably worst part of town to be new, heck he barely knew his way around the good parts of town and yet he felt drawn to this bizarre place that the dubbed the 'red light district'. What he had heard and read of it seemed so different to what he knew of, never had he really had the chance to step in such a world. Which is to say that he had no interest in what the different shops had to offer, he was a spectator of the going ons.

Barely entering this, to him, new world, it was obvious that he was out of place. Clean white hair that reflected the light and therefore seemed to shine in whatever color of light hit it. Not to say that the black coat he wore was made of rather expensive material. He quickly got attention, eyes wandering over him, judging him, piercing him with all kinds of different emotions. What was keeping him here? Well rather then feeling satisfied with having a good look at this place, his curiosity kept growing. This part of town was really something, so many impressions, so many unique people... were the other parts of town as interesting as this one? Sure the young man was aware of the problems this place had, but he knew that thinking of how to fix it would do no good. "Hey boy~" He finally heard someone call out to him, dragging him out of his thoughts and his spectator mode back into the world around him. He turned around only to look at a lightly dressed woman. She was clearly out to get his money, but her looks affected him little. Not that he wasn't interested in woman, he just was to smart as to accept such an offer. "Would you like to enjoy yourself some with me?~" If only she hadn't asked, he was to nice to just shoo her away, so his answer looked a little different. Ah, I'm sorry, but you're not so much my type, but I will say that I think you would have much better chances with the man if you wore that ribbon on your head a little more sidewards. You should also consider wearing a more darker color of thigh highs, maybe drop the whole fishnet gimmick." And that was enough to get her thinking, 'cause which young man would try to change something about a prostitute so freely and out of the blue. Well, it was enough to let him get away. Considering what problems he could get from just her alone, what if someone was waiting in a back alley to try and rob him? No thank you. Seems ike the headband around his waist wasn't enough to keep him safe after all. Here was to hope he wouldn't suddenly get jumped, being a spectator did suit him.

MFT: WC - 783

 

[Kou]

A tall cloaked figure walks the streets at a leisurely pace and weaves around the people that are going about their business in this seedier part of the town. They're draped in rags of varying brown and cream hues that have been sewn and pieced together to take on a quilt-like quality with some of its thread fraying on its outer edges and holes spotting the cloth. It's been tied shut around the figure's neck and aims to cast a shadow under the hood that's been created. Not everything is left to question with the shape, however, and they do seem to possess a fairly svelte and feminine physique.

In reality, this facade took a lot of effort for Kou to maintain. The transformation she was trying to maintain added nearly a foot and a half onto her usual height and there were several other aspects that were changed about her in an effort to appear older than she really was. She had been studying hard in the academy and was often looking for creative ways of testing what she's been learning. She thought that there was no better way to do this than to go to the part of town that the adults and instructors generally advised against. Not for anything sordid but it would be a fine test to see if she could blend in amongst an older populace and practice the mannerisms that are coupled with creating the perfect disguise. She might stop by a restaurant, get a quick bite to eat, and then be on her way out of the red lights like nothing had happened. It would end up being a long enough trip that she would be testing the limits of her chakra control, but one not so long that she would completely exhaust her reserves before the end of it. That was her hopes anyway.

She's just about to walk up to a nearby open-air stall set between two dimly lit stores when she overhears the scantily clad woman addressing Tatara nearby. She cants her head towards the sound to better hear it, but eventually shrugs off the thought. Kou honestly had no idea what sort of fun the woman could have meant, but the request seemed harmless enough to her at the moment. Plus, he ended up turning it down very politely and even offered the woman some advice on how she could look a little nicer. The server slaps his hand down on the surface of the counter hard to snap Kou out of her distracted state and he mutters irritably, "Lady, are you going to order something or not?"

Kou blinks, her currently dull and grey eyes not able to focus on the balding middle-aged man just trying to make his living. "Oh! Y-yes..." She says, her own voice surprising her. She had never sounded this mature before and it would take some getting used to. "Two skewers of yakitori over rice, please.." The man grunts and turns to start putting the order together. Kou gets her money together and pays for a meal after it is placed on the counter for her, and she bows respectfully to the server. "Thank you very much." She turns around and bites a bit of chicken off the end of the skewer. Kou looks around and tries to contemplate her next move. It had gone so easily so far that it seemed a shame to call it off this early.

 

[Kishinami Kou]

Suspicion​

While there wasn't such a thing as a new person trying to get his attention, he was already looking up and turned around again at the sound of a hand smacking down on wood. He was cautious at first as he didn't want to get dragged into anything. The thing was, there was nothing to get dragged into, nobody aside from him seemed to have even notied - aside from the person it seemed to have been directed towards, but even then it didn't really seem hostile. He would have already been ready to make his leave, if the hooded form sitting at the stall hadn't grabbedhis attention. He was about to open his from his postion, but realized there was no room to say what he wanted to say out loud, so he decided to approach the stall. Luckily it was rather empty, aiding his cause as it would prevent others from hearing what he wanted to let the woman know, that was if it was a woman at all, something fishy was going on. He sat down directly next to her and folded his hands on the counter seperating them from the supposed cook behind it. In this way he already signalized that he had no ill intention, which was perfectly true, he didn't even carry an weapon on him, unless one counted his medical tools and supplies he always carried with him. Before he was able to talk to the stranger, he was aready asked if he wanted to order something. Well he had to if he wanted to get the chance to talk to his person of interested, huh? "I'm taking whatever the chef recommends." At which the man snorted and left him be. So Tatara had no intention of consuming anything in this part of town, as he still wasn't sure if he could trust anything or anyone, the things he had heard and read still lingering in his mind. That was to say he planned on paying, just not eating. Finally able to put his focus on the woman, he finally asked her what he had on his mind.

"Say lady, are you perhaps under the influence of a jutsu? I can tell, I am a ninja after all." Well he could barely tell since the technique used seemed to be really basic and not even cast by a master. He was only recently approved as a genin and had little knowledge, but he could see there was something going on here. He continued on, all the while whispering, Now don't worry, I don't plan on releasing whatever it is you did, but I wanna warn you that it is easy to see through for anyon who has a little knowledge of Ninjutsu." He lightened a bit up and now had a smile on his face, "If I had to be honest though, that clothingstyle of yours only aids to making you look suspicious. Not that I would recommend it, since it's equally as dangerous, but if I had to disguise myself as a woman, I would probably make myself look like on of those easy-to-get ladies. Not that I wanna pretend to know your reasons." He couldn't know that he was actually dealing with a little girl right on front of him so he didn't really have any restraint on what he was playing on. To be fair though, with his get up one probably couldn't be to sure of his own plans if they didn't know him, suspicious was the right word to use for him aswell around these parts.

 

[Kou]

It is only when the young man gets closer to the stall that Kou, or at least the version of Kou that she wants to be portrayed right now, starts to pay Tatara any mind again. Even as her gaze tries to track his movements, she does not seem honed in on any one thing about him. It could easily be mistaken that she was trying to look at something far behind him. She waits to see what he will do but soon loses interest when he just seems to want to order some food to eat too. She hardly wanted to bother him in the middle of his meal, so she just takes another bite of her own and turns to look off the other way. She could almost make out the distant sounds of a hawker trying to sell some jewelry and baubles to whoever would listen to his offer.

The question whispered beside of her leaves her tensing up and Kou's form lurches in a fit of coughing and gasping. A bite of chicken caught down the wrong pipe in her startled state. It's easy enough to dislodge, but catching her breath was another matter entirely. She turns on her seat to properly face the snow-haired boy and leans in so that they could continue to speak quietly once more. "Is it really that obvious?.." She asks with concern, "How much do you know?" Her head tilts down and she runs the tattered cloak in between her fingers. She honestly thought that hooded and cloaked figures were somewhat of a norm in this part of town. At least that was always the image that came to her when she thought of the word 'red-light district'. Was no one else around her dressed the same way?

"Easy...to get?" She presses Tatara, her voice confused by the term. She didn't want to be easy to capture after-all, from the way he put it, it sounded like she was easy enough to 'get' in this disguise. How much more vulnerable could she get? "I do not...want to be got, though. That would be bad. Unless you're saying that...the disguise should be so bad that it makes me look more harmless so they don't put as much effort into paying attention to me.." Awkwardly choosing her next words, she continues to twist some loose threads between her fingers and bashfully asks the older nin, "Could you...describe the look you mean to me though? Maybe the people here too? Just to make sure I...understand the advice you're trying to give me."

She knew that it was a stretch asking such a thing from a stranger, but it would prove essential if she wanted to continue her work in blending in with people around her. She could not exactly people watch, after-all, and could only go off of whatever she was feeling or hearing about to spark her imagination. Basically enough to know what all should go on a 'person'. They normally had hair, ears, eyes, noses, mouths, and clothes that kept them from wandering around naked; all with the potential for a variety of colors. She could not deny that refining the details was something that wouldn't come immediately to her, no matter how much she tried to refine her hearing.

Belatedly she comes to realize how rude she was being, Kou had not even taken the time to introduce herself to the stranger. Granted, he had yet to introduce himself to her either so they were both somewhat in the wrong on that front. "My name is Kou, by the way.." She whispers to Tatara quietly. She didn't feel like giving this disguise a proper name yet and didn't recognize the voice of the boy before her. It was most probable that he had never even heard of her, so it would do little to reveal the nature of her identity yet. Namely that he was sitting beside of an academy student that shouldn't be in this part of town.

 

[Kishinami Kou]

Confusion​

He had seemingly hit the nail on the head and was correct with the woman using some sort of disguise, well, in addition to her cloak. The question was, if she was so heavily hidden behind siad cloak, why would she need to use a jutsu to aid her? Did she switch gender? Maybe made herself smaller? Or was it a voice change? He wasn't really good with these kinds of things yet, he could detect it and he could probably release it if the woman didn't stop him from trying, but that wasn't his intention and wouldn't hep either of them. "Well.", he started, "I could make out that there was something wrong about you, so I more or less took a shot at finding out, that's how progress is made after all. You see I am not all that great at the ninja stuff yet so I can't tell much about you, maybe if I knew about your chakra some more." He still had a smile on his face, the same smile that never seemed to leave him. Maybe he would be somehow able to calm her down, she seemed a little nervous, but that was understandable.

The reaction to him calling those prostitutes 'easy to get' was not one he would have expected, not only did he not understand what he meant, but she also interpreted too much into it. He put his hand to his chin thinking, for a moment. "Hm, I thin kyou misunterstood me, I meant it is easier to disguise yourself as one of the prostitutes to not stand out to much, cloak and obvious disguises will always grab attention, even if they hide your apperance. If you don't mind you appearance to be known, then it is always better to just look like the people in your surroundings. And as far as i've seen, there are no people here wearing hoods, not on the streets anyways." He wasn't sure if she was playing him though and raised an eyebrow, instead of answering her, using a counterquestion. "Are... You're serious, no? I..." He all the more wanted to know who was hiding behind that disguise now, but decided to just answer her. "I'm sure you have seen them, the woman who dress lightly, showing their bodies off to attract men." She intruiged him, but he couldn't tell if that was good or bad, she seemed like she had a lot to learn though.

At her introduction his second eyebrow rose up a little and he really didn't know what she wanted. "Kou it is? That is a nice name." He pondered his next answer, but before introducing himself he said, "Is that your actua name? Or a disguise aswell? You know what, don't answer that, my name is Tatara, Yamasaki Tatara. I'm a ninja and doctor, although i am better as the latter." He rubbed his chin thinking, "You know I would love to answer all the questions you have, but do you think you want to do it here?" He eyed the cook who had placed his meal on the counter, the meal which Tatara didn't plan to touch. If Kou really wanted to keep to herself then this wasn't the place for it, but what did he know about her anyways.

 

[Kou]

"Oh, I see..." Kou says as her lips drift into a small thoughtful frown. The note she took from his confession was that she could have played dumb for a little longer and maybe threw him off track to his assumption that she was out of place. If he really wanted to prove himself right though, he could have just released it even if she tried to deny it. Worst case scenario the attempt did nothing and the best was that he would know exactly who was under the disguise. "That makes sense.." She allows, belatedly realizing that she had slipped into silence, "Prostitute?" The way she uses the word sounds foreign on her tongue like it was a strange made-up word that she's never thought to say.

Based on what she could get off of context Kou could at least tell that it was some kind of job or title that made women stand out. She occupies herself with her food once more, starting to put a dent in it, but her cheeks burn red with embarrassment hearing how few people were wandering around in such mysterious attire. "I never really thought about it like that. I always thought that...this is what the norm was. But I've never really been here before, and no one really talks about it much around us...I've only heard rumors and stories about what happens here." Her fingertip traces small circles on the countertop in idle motions, "Sometimes it's as normal as it's just a part of town you can cut through for shortcuts or grab a bite to eat. Other times it sounds like an exciting place filled with mystery and secret meetings and people on the wrong side of the law." She only shifts more uncomfortably when the Genin seems more confused by her question than anything. Of course, she understood it, most people could just look around and take his advice to heart. Especially for what was placed so plainly before them by normal terms.

"I...cannot see. It's been this way since my birth..." She finally confides to Tatara, that muted whisper dropping even softer to a nearly inaudible mumble. Confession out of the way Kou decides to ask Tatara, "Oh! So, they are women trying to find...boyfriends? Husbands, maybe? But..." Her words trail off into confusion as the clarification raises more questions than it answered right now. She only knew of a couple of other older students who had boyfriends or girlfriends and all they ever did was spend time together and talk about mushy lovey-dovey things with each other. Others older would whisper about crushes but it rarely trickled down to people in her class. They would just worry about their hair or how they smile, Kou couldn't remember them needing to worry about how much skin was exposed. Why would boys even be interested in something that mattered so little?

She had a strong feeling that it was just a concern that she would eventually find out when she was older. It probably wasn't something he would want to explain to her and her questions could always be brought to her grandfather later. So, she would spare him from any more questions on that subject. She opens her mouth to answer Tatara's question but chooses to close it when he tells her that she did not have to answer his questions right now. "Tatara." Kou repeats to herself, "That is a nice name too. It is good to meet you." She turns her head up and down the street to try to listen, judging how busy it was. "It would probably be...unwise to continue it here. I'm not sure where to go, though. Do you have somewhere in mind?" The cloaked woman slips down off of the stool in front of the stall and stands patiently waiting for Tatara's decision.

 

[Kishinami Kou]

Surprise​

Did she though? 'I see' didn't sound convincing, not to him anyways, the woman infront of him seemed to lack a lot understanding of the world around her and her general knowledge seemd to lack aswell... He wasn't being arrogant just because he knew he smarter was he? But he wasn't imagining things either... Understandings this woman wasn't easy, this wasn't helped by him having a little lack in comprehending behaviour of others. While he kept his smile, it didn't seem like the woman was looking at him at all. Sure it was hard to tell from her hood hanging deep over her face. What he understood though, was that the word prostitute came out of her mouth as a question, a thought that stuck in her mind, one she hadn'd completely digested.

His smile turned into a smirk the more he listened to her and he honestly wanted to get behind that disguise the more she talked. "Oh, so you aren't here usually? I guess that someone expains that you didn't know how the people look around here.", he now supported his head on one hand, leaning on the counter next to him while looking at her, for the first time trying to take her figure in to see if he noticed anything special about her. "Well, you shouldn't risk coming to this part of town just for a shortcut, especially if you don't know your way around." Funna that he was giving her that advice, he came here without knowing himself, but if he had to guess, then it was more dangerous as a woman then as a man. One word grabbed his attention though. 'Us'. Slowly things seemed to go in a direction he could follow, but if he was right, then by any means it was good he hadn't released the jutsu on her. Instead of sitting by idle he cut to the chase and whispered out a, "And do you want to tell me who 'us' is?"

And another piece that came as a big surprise, but made all the more sense to him, was that she couldn't see. "Are you kidding me?" He said out out loud, before going back to whispering after he realized he had been to loud. "You're blind, don't know anything around here and still try to walk around like you got something to hide?" He smacked his hand to his forehead and slumped down on his chair a little. He wasn't angry, more so was he surprised at her and glad that he had found her and not anyone else. Back to a weak smile he decided to talk straight to her, "Listen, a prostitute is a woman who gets paid by others to have sex with them, there usually is no love involved. Sadly I guess around these part not everyone if doing it because they want to and if I'm honest, I wouldn't touch any of them, unless you're fine with getting a disease or two." He didn't know that this might only lead to him having to explain more, but that was not what was on his mind right now.

After everything he had heard from her and the conclusions he had drawn for himself, he jumped off his seat and grabbed her wrist. "Sorry Kou, but I can't let you wander around these parts any more, we're leaving." Assuming authority he tried to drag her along with him, his goal being the outskirts of the redlight district. It was time to end this charade.

 

[Kou]

Kou's breathing begins to get more shallow and she lifts a hand to wipe a couple of beads of sweat from her brow. It wasn't so much that she was getting overheated under the cloak, but the weight of maintaining this form was taking its toll. She wasn't sure how much longer she could keep this up, but at least it was sounding like he was ready to leave for the next destination. Even if it wasn't outside of the Red District, maybe it would be someplace with a bathroom. It wouldn't take much to excuse herself, get a breather, then try to come back to hold it a little longer. How much longer should she keep it up though? If he wanted to spend time with her he was going to find out who she really was eventually. The foundation of a strong friendship couldn't be made on a lie like this. Even if it was never intended to be a real lie, to begin with.

An awkward and weary laugh is expelled and Kou tells Tatara, "Yes, usually I stick to other parts of town. There's another market that usually has all the ingredients I need to pick up for meals. Sometimes artisans stop by too with interesting wares..." Her pale lips curve up into a buckling smile and she nods her head. "I'll remember that. It doesn't seem too worth it from the sounds of it. I mean, the food is pretty good." This is hastily tacked on just in case a grumpy chef was still able to listen in on their quiet conversation. The last thing she wanted to do was offend, especially since she's finished the last of her meal and had a full and happy belly. Kou rubs the back of her neck nervously and shyly mutters under her breath, "Well...I meant my classmates mostly." Her shoulders twitch up and she flinches from underneath her hood at the sound of Tatara's outburst. She figured as much would happen. Her usual wrappings weren't there to protect her eyes and she didn't aim to make it overly obvious in this shape.

"I didn't mean to look like I had something to hide.." She tries to remind the older Genin in a soft but defensive tone, "I thought I would just be another person out and about on their day.." Her words trail off and she listens to Tatara try to explain what a prostitute was in a more direct manner. It didn't do much to help, she didn't know exactly what they were getting paid for, but she understood that love wasn't a part of it at least. Just a business arrangement of sorts, but the thought that some are forced into something they don't want to do makes Kou frown all the same despite not understanding the gravity behind it.

"That's...bad. Why would touching them get you sick?" She asks, "You're a doctor, you'd be able to help them get better, right? That way no one is getting sick and people can be safer out here." Kou tilts her head down after Tatara grabs her wrist, not seeming to overly mind it despite briefly jolting from getting startled by the sudden touch. "Oh um...okay." She allows, nodding her head quickly. She was willing to take any excuse for her to be somewhere safer when everything collapses. The tall blind woman struggles to keep up with Tatara often stumbling and threatening to fall over while he tugs her along the path. It forces her to sometimes pause and muster up her reserves before she could start to move again. When the distant sounds of the Red Light district were far behind them, Kou finally gives in.

A dusty cloud surrounds her shape and Tatara would find his hand around a much more delicate wrist than before. He might not even see anything until he tilts his head down to see her much shorter height. The child pants in soft hoarse breaths and looks up at Tatara. A small wary smile curves her lips and she mumbles up to him, "Thank you...can you um...not tell the instructors about this, please?" She wasn't sure how the older Genin was going to react to who she really was, but she could only hope that he wouldn't be too angry or upset with her.

 

[Kishinami Kou]

Revelation​

He did notice the change in her breathing, but he assumed she was exhausted rather then actually sick. It so seemed that she had reached the limits on her maintaining her jutsu. "Yes, that is as it should be, if you don't have business in this part of town you better not come here and even then it is safer to go with a friend or colleague." Again, he came here alone and without important business to attend to, but unlike her he knew what he was getting into. "There shouldn't be anything that is of such interested that you would have to come here. And I doubt that the food here is as good as what you can get at home or in the better parts of town. If you want I'll invite you next time, I bet we can find a lot to talk about." He didn't really care if the cook was unhappy with them, afterall he hadn't even touched the food he had ordered. And even if she couldn't see it, he kept having a little smile on his face as he listened to her words. "So I was right, huh? Classmates you say? I didn't think you were that young."

Right. "Well, now you know, just don't look suspicious, and you'll be perfectly hidden, no need to conceal yourself, although I guess it is difficult to know how to look when you can't see." He still wasn't sure if she had understood him, but decided to drop the talk about prostitutes, as that wasn't talk that a kid needed to have, especially not in public. Instead she managed to touch another difficult topic. "Hm, it's not that easy to explain, there is very rarely a disease that you an get by touching someone else, what I was refering to were so called Sexual transmitted diseases or STD's in short. If you don't know about sex, I might have to teach you about it whenever we have time, but let's say these diseases are bad, transmitted by body fluids they make you really sick." He scratched his chon again. "But listen, you don't need to break your head over it, if you don't understand it right now, there's more opportunity some other time." Hidden under his smile he had for the first time a somewhat sad expression on his face, "I am afraid there is bigger problems around here then just disease, but even then, ninja might be able to accalerate healing proesses, but there is no way to get rid of every problem, there are always more things popping up that need fixing and some of which still have no way to cure. If I could, I would help everyone who needs it, but there is no way I can achieve that alone, not here anyways." His face and tone lightened up, "Again, don't think to much about it, that's adult business. Instead, if you or one of your friends needs a doctor come to me I'll help you, ok?" He had no problem talking about these topics, but this was the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong person.

Of course he turned around immediately when his grip loosened and the woman behind him turned into a a cloud of smoke. He didn't let her go yet, but he also made no advances towards her, he infact waited for the smoke to disappear. The small person now standing infront of him was so fragile and delicate looking that he wouldn't have known it was the same person from before if he hadn't been here besides her. Atleast they had managed to come pretty far. "I'll not tell anyone if you promise me you won't come here again until you're atleast an adult or come here with one. So for now let's keep going and get out of here." He was hoping for her that the next time she came here, she would be able to see for herself, if there was a way to cure her blindness, he would want to find the way, just one more thing added to his goals.

MFT: WC 711

 

[Nakata Dai]

Curiosity killed the cat.

There were very few places which resembled the streets of the Grand Palais back home in Konohagakure. However, the darkness of these dimly lit streets welcomed Anatsu. It was easier for him to take cover on these streets while he conducted his business in Sunagakure. He was a bit stuck here. Suna's ANBU had proven to be more competent than that of Kirigakure and Kumogakure. Fleeing the village was no easy task, even for a skilled former ANBU captain.

Dressed in all black, Anatsu did not stand out in any particular way. He was of average height, standing at about 5'11, close to 6'0. His figure was slim as well. Navigating quietly was also one of his many skills. Sure, people did notice him from time to time. However, in the Grand Palais, no one seemed to care. They had bigger worries and more interesting things going on to occupy their time.

He kept his head down to hide his face and walked through the streets as quietly as possible, looking for a dark ally or somewhere to take shelter. He did noticed several characters around the way. Some causing mischief. Others paying for mischief. And even some others scolding at others to help avoid mischief. None of these characters managed to capture Anatsu's attention.

He was just passing by.

- S:Rank - 60 minutes
- Topic Left Unless Stopped
- MFT

 

[Kou]

"What do you mean by that young? I don't think you're that much older than me...you don't sound much older than the people that are almost ready to graduate!" Kou asks up to Tatara belatedly, her bottom lip protruding in a small pout. She wasn't a baby after all! There were even some people who were younger than her in the academy, if only by a few months or so. She dismisses the thought with a huff and chooses to instead listen to the older Genin explain some of the complexities involving treating the injured and sick. "So you...can't help them? Not by yourself, anyway? If a bunch of doctors went down here, could they help them? Can they die from the diseases?"

A flurry of questions is about to erupt from her, but his reassurances make her fall quiet. "Okay...If my friends and I get sick or hurt, then I'll be sure to find you. And did you really mean it that you'd take me here again sometime so we can talk?" She had to admit that she wished that she had a little more time to get to know the Genin. The conversation that they were having seemed so fixated on her at some points, that she hardly got to learn anything new about Tatara himself. Meanwhile, the sound of Anatsu's footsteps in the distance is far too faint and indistinguishable from the others coming and going from the Red Light District to seem out of the ordinary to Kou. The man would be free to wander the alleys he wished to and the child kicks at the ground until she finds a stray stone to roll out of her path. "Okay..." Kou mumbles apologetically, "I promise, Tatara-san. I just wanted to practice my jutsu somewhere interesting. It's no fun practicing with my grandpa or by myself...plus I thought I'd be the first person in my class to come down here and I might have stories to share with them when I got back!"

She feels along her fingers and pulls and twists them in timid motions, "Meeting you is a good enough story for them. Maybe I can tell them about the sick people around here too. Maybe the more people that know about them, the more people there are to help them someday soon." She wasn't one for exaggerating to make herself or an otherwise ordinary outing seem more exciting because it felt far too close to telling a lie for her taste. Tatara would be free to lead the way for her and Kou would walk along his side. She lifts her arm up over her head and turns her hand around so that she may hold his arm as they walked. The only things that would have to worry about the blind child today would be some of the pebbles and sand that she tried to kick while she walked, but most of the time she ended up missing them since it was still mostly a game of guessing to her.

"What were you doing out here by yourself, Tatara-san? What kind of business did you have here if you weren't here to help the sick women?" Kou asks up to Tatara absently.

 

[Kishinami Kou]

Insight​

A broad smile formed on Tataras face and he had to surpress a giggle when he heard her estimation of his own age. "Is that so? It seems like I am not quite as many as I would have imagined. But you can't know so I'll tell you, I am actually already 20 years of age, 21 later this year, so I think I'm probably double your age." He wasn't mad at him being basically called a child, it was quite the other way around, her reaction did seem funny to him, a misundrstanding from lack of proper information. He got back to seriousness when she changed the topic back to the sick people that might live here. "Well now, calm down there I only assumed there were probably quite a few sick people here. From experience these sort of areas tend to have a lot of sick people, who only spread more sickness from being unable to get treated, they're usually too poor. But that is probably not the main probem, from what I've seen and heard it's the amount of criminality and illegal acts that makes this part of town so unsafe. Aslong as those won't stop, there will be no betterment of this town and problem will continue to arise." He let out a barely audible sigh. "I have only become a resident of Suna recently, but from this part of town being as it is I would assume the leaders have bigger issues to deal with and/or don't possess the necessary manpower." His gloved hand ruffled through her hair. "It's ok for you to not think about what I told you today too much, you should focus on growing up and becomming a splendid ninja first."

"I'm happy you'll trust me in your treatment." He replied happily, had to correct her in one point though. "If it is not necessary, I would rather want to avoid comming here again, it's not safe here, what I instead suggest is us meeting in a better part of town, conversation is safer and food is better, you can even show me what you learned, how's that sound?" He suggested and kept on his way, the stray Uchiha nothing he would have noticed as he didn't sense any danger in the surrounding area, granted his sense for that wasn't that refined yet. The phrase, 'There is nothing here a Kid should be proud of and tell her friends about', went through his mind, but for now he wanted to avoid causing her more confusion or even make her feel uneasy.

"I hope I didn't scare you on our first meeting. I enjoyed it, but I can't say I recommend telling others, you'll risk getting in trouble so be sure to stay on the safe side." He was relieved his story seemed to somewhat have inspired her to do good, if more kids could grow up with such a way to look at things, then the world would be a better place in no time, but the ego of man wouldn't allow such a thing to be achieved easily. 'Babysteps', he reminded himself. Changing any small thing shouldn't be rushed, trying to better life for everyone was on a whole different scope of things. He turned his head around to look down her arm and up into her still hidden face. "As I said, I haven'T been here for long and I wanted to make my own picture of this place. Aside from being a doctor, I also want to become a researcher. Understanding this place is essential if you want to fix its problems, so this was only the first exploration. I guess if I wanna learn more, it might get dangerous though." It wasn't really a lie, but this determination only came after seeing what was going on here. Stepping into the streets of Sietch Zensunna the genin came to a halt. I gues we're back in safer parts now, what do you say you leave for home for today? It is getting quite late already, I'm sure your parents will get worried."

 

[Kou]

"Whaat?! You're gonna be twenty-one?!"

Kou yelps out in disbelief and her unfocused eyes narrow in an attempt to peer up at Tatara. He could have easily been lying to her, but then again it was just a sign that she should try to pay more attention to the sound of people's voices. There were some boys in the academy that had just managed to get past that awkward age of voice-shifting and cracking that made things hard to tell. She just had to find out other tell-tale signs that would give it away. The important thing now would be to try to save some face from the mistake.

"You sound younger. So...I guess that's a good thing? A lot of the instructors say they'd give anything to be our age again. You'll have to tell me when it's your birthday! I can make a cake for you." What person wouldn't be distracted by the thought of cake? The flush that burns on her cheeks again has time to fade while Tatara tries to clarify some of his concerns about that side of the town. At least some of her information wasn't that far off. It was a place where there was more crime and criminals than other spots in Suna. It brought up a fair question of what other things the village could be concerned with. "Yeah..." She mumbles quietly, "There's the war, right?" It was something she knew little about, but enough to know that it was still a fairly big problem to be worried about.

Her hand gently squeezes his arm and she smiles up at Tatara, "You're right on that too, too. Someone might tell an instructor. Ah well, it was still a fun trip anyway. You didn't really scare me at all, don't worry about that. If it's what you want, we can start hanging out in safer places. But I'm gonna hold you to your promise! I have so much I could show you! I've been practicing my Genjutsu and Ninjutsu and I've been studying really hard. Maybe I can help you research more about Suna!" Unlacing her arm around Tatara's, Kou starts to jog down the street. She waves over her shoulder at the older Genin, "Okay! See you again soon, Tatara-san! Thanks for helping me today!" With that, the child runs off down the street to head to her grandfather's home.

[Exitting Thread]

 

[Kishinami Kou]

Parting​

"Indeed, hnhnhnhn." He could only laugh a little at her behaviour and attempt to make this little mistake up. Cute in a way. "Well, I don't think age matters a lot, but celebrating something is usually pretty fun, my birthday is on the sixteenth of april, I'll be looking forward to it." HE smiled down at her but felt a little awkward, he hadn't celebrated his own birthday in years, partly because he felt like it didn't matter, but mostly because he had no reason to, who celebrated their birthday alone?

She didn't seem to highspirited after everything he had told her, but she ended up mumbling something that interested him. War? What war did he miss? He hadn't paid much attention to the news and was locked up most of the time, he seemed to have missed important going ons. He didn't ask her about it as he didn't want to make her feel any more uncomfortable. After bein glost in thought fr a moment his smile returned as her innocence schowed again and he let out a little laugh, "Hnhnhn, I'm sure there's a lot weboth can still learn..." His eyes wandered down his arm as she released him from her grip. He kept standing there for a while watching her back to make sure she atleast had someone looking over her for a little. His usual smile had turned into a neutral expression as he turned around to walk back into the Grand Palais for more exploring was to be done.

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