It wasn't the swordsman, Sunuke, who agreed to take her to the Academy. Rather, it was that strange woman who seemed to recognize that Kari wasn't human. She called her a puppet, for whatever reason; is that what she was? A puppet? This was a new body she wore, she had control over it, though not complete. In a ways, she could see how it might seem as a puppet might. The thought stayed in mind on their relatively short journey down the cliff to the village of Iwagakure.
It wasn't until within the halls that the woman, Ryu, spoke. She asked if Kari knew which branch of service she hoped to join after the Academy; in her past life, she was a medic, a leader of them eventually, even if for a short period of time.
Before the chance came to answer, Ryu knocked and was swiftly answered by who could be suggested to be the Academy's director. Or headmaster, whatever you wanted to call it. "Please come in," he prooffered. Before taking it up, Kari finally answered the woman.
"Medic..." she'd breathe out quickly with the puppet's question. A man was there, already. "Question was...for me..." Perhaps it was a bad time to come; perhaps it would have been wiser to join the Academy when she could better speak and more humanly move. "Am Kari...Akiyama Kari...would like to..." she paused for a moment, "enroll." With that, she'd move her way into the office behind the other woman. Perhaps they could figure out all of this stuff.
Ryu and the headmaster exchanged words, of which Kari found herself ignoring. It was unusual for her; she was generally one to focus on any and everything that was occuring around her: that was the way of shinobi, was it not? Any information gained was something she could use in the future, for any number of reasons. Her single minded focus on becoming a student was preventing her from doing what was the most basic of actions as a shinobi. She ought to have known better, but she didn't care now. She wanted to become a student and finalize her life without the influence of Isaki Karurosu.
"So what is the relation between you two? Siblings?" Kamaru asked, "you her guardian?" Kari had caught that question. "Stranger...met earlier...led me here." It was an honest answer she gave; Kari only willingly came as it was an easy chance to come to the Academy; she didn't know this place as well as a true native.
Finally, the headmaster turned his attention to Kari. ”Miss Akiyama you’re looking to enroll at the Academy? There is paperwork to file out much like someone wanted to teach. After that you just need to come to classes you sign up for, meet the requirements for an exam, take and exam, and do a mission for the folks over at the embassy.”
She was escorted by the man. She followed in silence, trailing as closely as she could as to not attract the man's eye back towards her; walking was difficult as it was, even after the two weeks of ceaseless training that she had undergone, it still didn't seem quite human. Movements seemed too mechanic, too forced. It was a problem she had had since day two: when she actually was made to practice walking and the likes. It was something she'd have to learn to hide soon.
The walk proved short: a short distance later, there they were. If she had questions: she had to ask them now; ghost memories of an Academy stayed behind from the man who had died. She knew exactly what to expect from the Academy; nothing here would prove any kind of challenge for her, once she was recovered. "I've none," she stated to the man. It felt like he was but prolonging the inevitable: her joining Stone, finally. Residence was with Akiyama Kazuhiko for now, but for how long that would be was still questionable. In the case of bodily harm: medical ninjutsu would suffice, medical procedures could be done, but at not by the Shamans. She couldn't afford to let them know what she really was.
She filled the forms with such, quickly. It was straight forward, as the Academy's director had said. If there was nothing else, she'd finally be one of them. She could finally start her new life.
That was it. It was all she had to do. Kamaru mentioned some things, but it was all pointless for her. She'd be evicted if she dropped out. She could apply for housing in the Barracks. She'd figure it out soon enough. Her new life began here. She didn't have to live as Karurosu anymore; she was finally, and fully, Kari. The Maruishian. The Academy Student of Iwagakure.
"Thank you..." she mumbled and a nod. Though her face stoic, behind the veil she felt as though some great, insurmountable challenge had been completed. Isaki Karurosu had no part of her identity; she was Akiyama Kari, sister of Akiyama Kazuhiko, Maruishian citizen and student to become a shinobi. The elation of that successful switch in identities being complete was all that mattered. Beyond the few, she needn't worry about being discovered. And of those few, there were maybe two who could even ever discover. The true new challenge, as it was before, so not quite so new, was to hide the fact of what she was, of that she wasn't quite human despite appearing so.
Now, there were a few questions. All minor. "When can...begin?" Naturally, she wanted to get this started with. Classes were simple, sure, but they took time. The less of it she wasted, the sooner she could help Kazuhiko at the hospital. She'd see about moving into the Barracks as soon as she could -- that was a new thing, for students to live within the school grounds rather than visiting it daily, not that it was such a major thing. It could allow for more focus on training, and less focus on socialization with those who are not shinobi or otherwise. "Is that all?"
The headmaster told her there was nothing. She was enrolled and could apply for a class immediately. She was free to go. She was free to begin her life.
Akiyama Kari was born.
It wasn't until within the halls that the woman, Ryu, spoke. She asked if Kari knew which branch of service she hoped to join after the Academy; in her past life, she was a medic, a leader of them eventually, even if for a short period of time.
Before the chance came to answer, Ryu knocked and was swiftly answered by who could be suggested to be the Academy's director. Or headmaster, whatever you wanted to call it. "Please come in," he prooffered. Before taking it up, Kari finally answered the woman.
"Medic..." she'd breathe out quickly with the puppet's question. A man was there, already. "Question was...for me..." Perhaps it was a bad time to come; perhaps it would have been wiser to join the Academy when she could better speak and more humanly move. "Am Kari...Akiyama Kari...would like to..." she paused for a moment, "enroll." With that, she'd move her way into the office behind the other woman. Perhaps they could figure out all of this stuff.
Ryu and the headmaster exchanged words, of which Kari found herself ignoring. It was unusual for her; she was generally one to focus on any and everything that was occuring around her: that was the way of shinobi, was it not? Any information gained was something she could use in the future, for any number of reasons. Her single minded focus on becoming a student was preventing her from doing what was the most basic of actions as a shinobi. She ought to have known better, but she didn't care now. She wanted to become a student and finalize her life without the influence of Isaki Karurosu.
"So what is the relation between you two? Siblings?" Kamaru asked, "you her guardian?" Kari had caught that question. "Stranger...met earlier...led me here." It was an honest answer she gave; Kari only willingly came as it was an easy chance to come to the Academy; she didn't know this place as well as a true native.
Finally, the headmaster turned his attention to Kari. ”Miss Akiyama you’re looking to enroll at the Academy? There is paperwork to file out much like someone wanted to teach. After that you just need to come to classes you sign up for, meet the requirements for an exam, take and exam, and do a mission for the folks over at the embassy.”
She was escorted by the man. She followed in silence, trailing as closely as she could as to not attract the man's eye back towards her; walking was difficult as it was, even after the two weeks of ceaseless training that she had undergone, it still didn't seem quite human. Movements seemed too mechanic, too forced. It was a problem she had had since day two: when she actually was made to practice walking and the likes. It was something she'd have to learn to hide soon.
The walk proved short: a short distance later, there they were. If she had questions: she had to ask them now; ghost memories of an Academy stayed behind from the man who had died. She knew exactly what to expect from the Academy; nothing here would prove any kind of challenge for her, once she was recovered. "I've none," she stated to the man. It felt like he was but prolonging the inevitable: her joining Stone, finally. Residence was with Akiyama Kazuhiko for now, but for how long that would be was still questionable. In the case of bodily harm: medical ninjutsu would suffice, medical procedures could be done, but at not by the Shamans. She couldn't afford to let them know what she really was.
She filled the forms with such, quickly. It was straight forward, as the Academy's director had said. If there was nothing else, she'd finally be one of them. She could finally start her new life.
That was it. It was all she had to do. Kamaru mentioned some things, but it was all pointless for her. She'd be evicted if she dropped out. She could apply for housing in the Barracks. She'd figure it out soon enough. Her new life began here. She didn't have to live as Karurosu anymore; she was finally, and fully, Kari. The Maruishian. The Academy Student of Iwagakure.
"Thank you..." she mumbled and a nod. Though her face stoic, behind the veil she felt as though some great, insurmountable challenge had been completed. Isaki Karurosu had no part of her identity; she was Akiyama Kari, sister of Akiyama Kazuhiko, Maruishian citizen and student to become a shinobi. The elation of that successful switch in identities being complete was all that mattered. Beyond the few, she needn't worry about being discovered. And of those few, there were maybe two who could even ever discover. The true new challenge, as it was before, so not quite so new, was to hide the fact of what she was, of that she wasn't quite human despite appearing so.
Now, there were a few questions. All minor. "When can...begin?" Naturally, she wanted to get this started with. Classes were simple, sure, but they took time. The less of it she wasted, the sooner she could help Kazuhiko at the hospital. She'd see about moving into the Barracks as soon as she could -- that was a new thing, for students to live within the school grounds rather than visiting it daily, not that it was such a major thing. It could allow for more focus on training, and less focus on socialization with those who are not shinobi or otherwise. "Is that all?"
The headmaster told her there was nothing. She was enrolled and could apply for a class immediately. She was free to go. She was free to begin her life.
Akiyama Kari was born.
WC: 1059