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Post by Uzumaki Minato on Dec 23, 2013 22:37:44 GMT -5
SPIRAL KID: THE CHŪNIN EXAMS CNT. It seemed as though time had been flying by heedlessly ever since he completed the Chūnin Exams. The last couple of days were such a blur for him. He could hardly remember much of anything that happened; although, that's probably because him and Ein had been doing a lot.
During their short period of time in Konoha, after he requested and was approved from his 'leave of absence' (which Kumo also approved), he showed her all of his hangouts, mainly the spots he used to get in trouble in. He suffered from quite a bit of nostalgia during that short time, but that only helped him realize how far he's come as a shinobi.
Times sure have changed since he was the little bushy-haired kid in the academy that everyone liked because he was the grandson of Rokudaime Hokage Naruto. Now he was what any would call a genius, although he never quite got the concept of why. He just did everything he was taught, to the letter, and it worked for him. Sure, he had quite a few talents that he excelled at. Who doesn't?
Today was just another day for him. Yet, it was far from normal because today his journey wasn't unfolding within the place where he was born and raised. He was in the Cloud village, with his new friend, Arisato Ein. Who was a badass blade-slinger who he fought along side during the Exams, and the same generous person who agreed to craft the weapon he'd been contemplating over for quite some time.
He wasn't quite sure where they were exactly; but, from what he could observe with his green peepers, the Cloud village lived up to its' name. Hands laced behind his head as he strolled down the road, with Ein leading the way, he was mind-boggled by everything he saw.
"This place is pretty cool," he stated, looking at the structuring of the buildings he had just passed. They were completely eccentric in comparison to what he was used to.
"You must love living here?"
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Post by Arisato Ein on Dec 23, 2013 23:07:47 GMT -5
Ein thoroughly enjoyed her time spent in Konoha. It was so much more different than Kumogakure, almost like it was worlds away. Everything about the place was exotic...the buildings, the weather, the shinobi...Ein only wished that she had longer to spend there. At the same time, though, she was eager to get home, back to her parents and sister and dog. They had only received word that she would be home after stopping off in Konoha for a day or two. They had not seen that she would be returning a Chunin. Nor that she would be returning with a friend.
Ein had never thought of the Chunin exams as a place to network. But it would make sense that the exams would be held with every village attending in order to foster this connection between shinobi. People that they would have likely never otherwise met. It was more than a test to see who was worthy of advancing to the next rank. It was a way to remind everyone that even though they were from different villages and had different ideals to protect, they were all shinobi and furthermore, they were all people with similarities and differences who were capable of forging friendships that could and would last a lifetime.
Finally, they were back in the land of the Cloud, and Ein could not be happier to be back. There would be more of a bounce in her step as she showed the gatekeepers her ID, as well as her letter stating that she had been away at the Chunin Exams, and Minato's allowing him leave from his own village to Kumo for the purpose of business and Ein as his escort.
Now it was her turn to show him all the sights to be seen.
And once that was done, they finally arrived at her house. It was a cozy little spot, situated near the mountains. It was just about built into the mountain, trees around their fenced-in house.
"This is it!" she said proudly to Minato, holding out her hands. "It's where our family's lived for centuries. Right off the quarry, so there's plenty of material to work with. I do love it here. I love this village. My family loved this land, even before there was a village here. They helped the first Raikage build this place from nothing. Before that, they were smiths for the Samurai that protected the mountains, before they migrated to the Land of Iron. Even then, the Arisato had a symbiotic relationship with the Samurai. They got their weapons from us, and in turn, gave us their business. Allowed us to flourish and build a reputation for ourselves. I'd do anything for this village."
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Post by Uzumaki Minato on Dec 23, 2013 23:35:36 GMT -5
SPIRAL KID: THE CHŪNIN EXAMS CNT. The spiral ninja nodded his head with a smile of delight as he heard Ein speak about her family's history. It was always interesting to her tell him the things she did, she had so much passion in her tone. Minato envied that about her. Lately he hasn't had much passion for anything, he'd conquered most of the goals he set for himself. There was really only a handful of things he had yet to complete, although soon they'd too be in hindsight.
Eventually, he'd rediscover and reconcile that passion he once had. It was all a matter of time.
"I bet your folks are anxious to see you," he said, stepping up beside her. From the impression she painted about them, he had a lot of confidence in his statement. He moved his hands away from their rested position and onto the straps on his knapsack that rested across his shoulder. "Let's go share some of your good news with them."
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Post by Arisato Ein on Dec 24, 2013 16:30:56 GMT -5
"Yeah..." she answered somewhat wistfully. "I sent a hawk letting them know when I'd be home, but not much more than that. They don't even know that I'm a Chunin yet. Figured I'd save that much for a surprise."
She smiled, nodding before turning toward the house.
"Let's go make an appearance."
Opening the door, they would first be met by Ein's mother. She was a larger woman with friendly eyes of deep crimson. Minato would find himself drawn into a hug, regardless of whether he wanted it or not. Kiki, who was barely three years old, contented herself with driving a little toy race car up and down Minato's leg.
In the kitchen, they would encounter Ein's father, and it would be easy to see where she got her looks from. His hair, a strangely familiar snowy white, was cut extremely short, only slightly longer on the top. His eyes were a vibrant blue, his skin slightly more tan than Ein's. His features, while chiseled and possessing a degree of strength and sternness, emanated a certain amount of softness, and he extended a strong, calloused hand in Minato's direction. The handshake of one man to another.
Dinner would be served, and Ein hurried through hers in order to get Minato back outside while there was still daylight.
"There's a number of different minerals in the rock here, and different concentrations for whatever you might want to make." she explained, sweeping a hand out over the quarry of the mountain. She turned to face him, smiling before jabbing a finger out toward the west side of the property.
"Back that way and out a bit, there used to be a volcano. Long inactive now for centuries. But the rock there is heavy with volcanic basalt. I think that would be a good bet, combined with carbon steel. It'll yield a graphite-gray blade with a black edge. Very durable, not needing sharpening often and lightweight. What do you say?"
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Post by Uzumaki Minato on Dec 25, 2013 1:51:23 GMT -5
SPIRAL KID: THE CHŪNIN EXAMS CNT.
Following close behind the snowy haired kunoichi, upon entering her humble abode, he was instantly pulled into a warm hug. Although he was trained diligently to ask his feelings and expression, he was still taken aback by how friendly Ein's mother and kid sister were. The cute little one who was using his pants leg as a race track, he offered her a soft smile.
From the den area they entered the kitchen, where he was now being greeted by Ein's father--who was a lot less frightening than he would imagine Ein's dad to be. That statement actually extends to her mother, too. She was a fierce, young kunoichi, so he was half expecting to find out that were parents were Goliath who thwarted the Titans of the shinobi lands with their metal death-sticks.
Minato received her father's hand and issued a firm grip, like all men were suppose to do when shaking the hand of another. It was a weird courtesy thing that men do, which allows them to be both tough, masculine, and respectful all at once. The key was to exert an equal amount of strength, yet not to squeeze. He nodded once the hand shake was over, it was a sentient that he always did to show respect for others, usually his elders and sometimes his peers.
The dinner that he was served was spectacular. Again, it was another testament to how different the Cloud was from the Leaf. As much as Minato loved his grandma's cooking, and the snacks he usually ate at his favorite shops, this meal that he ate with Ein and her family, to him, was grander. Trying new things was often amazing, if one allowed them to be. Minato was not opposed to this idea.
"Volcano?" he recited back, looking over in the direction that Ein thumbed towards. Without much contemplation, he nodded decisively. His mind was made up before he even considered pondering a single thought. "Let's go there. That sounds like a good idea, to me. Besides, I've never seen a volcano before."
Itching at that spot right behind his ear, he stood aside, "Lead the way, Ecchan." Lacing his fingers together, much like he usually did, while assuming his relaxed posture, he waited for Ein's lead.
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Post by Arisato Ein on Dec 26, 2013 9:49:20 GMT -5
Ein grinned at Minato's response, throwing her pack over her back and nabbing a pickaxe that was leaning on the side of the house.
"You won't be disappointed." she assured him, tucking the pickaxe into the empty pack and starting out the back gate.
The volcano, more of a mountain at this point, was sparsely smattered with grass at its base only about a half mile out from Ein's house. It elevated at a gentle slope, which was easy to navigate. It was the perfect time of day for this...the sun was even in the sky, still hours above the horizon but the weather was beginning to cool down. As they traversed, Ein pointed out many of the healing plants and herbs exclusive to this area, flourishing in the volcanic soil. The air there was pure and light.
"We have to go up about halfway. That's where most of the lava settled and hardened. The lava never actually made it down to the ground level, as far as I know. My dad built this house only shortly before I was born...I guess he was pretty confident that the volcano wouldn't become active again."
She laughed as she said so...her dad was noted to be something of an oddball within the village, if for no other reason, than to have situated his family at the base of a volcano.
Finally having reached their destination, it was easy to see the difference in the terrain. The plants and grass were scarce, replaced by layers upon layers of rock. About another half an hour up was the mouth of the volcano. But everything that they needed was right here.
Ein placed her hand on the rock, which was smooth and dark in color.
"This is it." she said proudly. "Volcanic basalt. Lava that flowed down the mountain, and hardened here over centuries. It's unique because it blended with the high quantity of quartz that was already in the soil here. The lava was mafic, or rich in iron. So it's basically a volcanic iron rock. Blended with carbon, it will yield the material that we want."
She smiled as she took the pickaxe out of her pack and readied it in her hands, Bringing the point down into the ground, a chunk of the rock sheared off, revealing graphite gray rock underneath, shimmering and sparkling with bands of black and deep red. Ein selected a chunk as large as her head and showed it to Minato. She then tucked it into her pack, resuming breaking the rock.
Once her pack was filled to where she could fit no more rock in it, she sighed, wiping her forehead and turning to Minato.
"Well, ready to head back, or did you want to head up to the mouth of the volcano?"
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Post by Uzumaki Minato on Dec 26, 2013 20:05:03 GMT -5
SPIRAL KID: THE CHŪNIN EXAMS CNT. Although it wouldn't seem like it, Minato enjoyed their journey up the side of the volcano. It was exciting for some reason.
There were many things in life he had yet to experience, and this was one of many. Honestly, he never imagined himself being able to see a volcano, nonetheless him ever walking up the side of one.
"Yeah," he nodded in response to her question. Allowing his gaze to face upward, he peered through the clouds. "Let's continue going to the top. I wanna see what's up there."
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Post by Arisato Ein on Dec 26, 2013 22:06:40 GMT -5
Ein seemed surprised, yet unsurprised at the same time at Minato's decision. Of course he wanted to go to the mouth of the volcano. Why wouldn't he? Her wide-eyed stare soon after turned into a dangerous smile.
"You sure are an adventurous fellow. Are you sure you're not really a Kumo-nin disguised as a Leaf shinobi?"
She said it in jest, really. Kumo shinobi were extreme. Aggressive. Ambitious. They were the Dauntless of the shinobi villages. She never thought she would meet someone whose adventurous streak would match her own.
"Not even I have been up that high..." she admitted, turning and starting to head higher up the summit. "So it will be something new for the both of us."
It was a pleasant trip up. The air was beginning to cool...the sun would be setting in a couple of hours...there would be more than enough time for them to get to the top of the volcano and head back down before it got too dark. Even if they did take a little too long, the light from the house would be visible from where they were.
"I brought some tea cakes from the house, just in case we got hungry on our way up. I usually eat every couple of hours, but it's okay because I typically work it right off..."
She laughed, a little embarrassed after her statement. Her metabolism wouldn't allow her to go more than three or four hours before she needed to refuel again. She supposed it was a good thing, even though it felt like a burden from time to time. "Do you want some?"
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Post by Uzumaki Minato on Dec 29, 2013 19:33:57 GMT -5
SPIRAL KID: THE CHŪNIN EXAMS CNT. In response to Ein's comments he grinned. To say that Minato was adventurous would be accurate. Growing up, he was always enthralled by being outside, experiencing fun and new things, and going places where he wasn't suppose to go.
"That makes it sound that much better!" he pocketed his hands and took off behind the snowy haired girl. The sound of his sandals trekking across the terrain sounded weird to him; not only that, the atmosphere seemed thicker, and more chilling the further up they went. In one way, it was relaxing and amazing, in another way it caused more thoughts of curiosity in regards to how making it to the top would feel.
"No thanks," Minato replied, raising his hand from his pocket and scratching the side of his yellow mop.
"Oi, I was just wondering..." he started, letting his voice trail off a bit. "I've been hanging with you since the exams, and I haven't seen you around many other people. Do you have any...friends that you hang with?"
He didn't actually hear what he said until after he finished speaking. It was awkward. His question came off a bit rude, which wasn't his intention.
"Sorry to ask like that..." he continued on, "You just remind me a lot of a friend of mine, and you're real nice. I know a lot of people back home, like that, who don't have any friends."
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Post by Arisato Ein on Dec 29, 2013 20:00:13 GMT -5
Ein shrugged, ramming a teacake into her mouth. More for her, she supposed. She had barely swallowed the first before a second was shoved in, hand going to swipe a few rebellious crumbs from her cheek and chin. They were nearing the top now. The smell of volcanic ash was growing heavier...not a wholly unpleasant smell. It was earthy, just a bit peppery and smelled of heat, even though the volcano had not been active for decades. Still, it was cooling, and so there would be a slight difference in temperature as they neared the open mouth of the structure.
Ein considered Minato's question while trying to fit a consecutive third and fourth cookie into her mouth. Withdrawing them and tucking them into the pocket of her jacket, Ein grew serious, continuing to trek upward. The rock was getting a little more crumbly now, newer and not as formed as it was at the base.
"Well, aside from my squadmates, Nozu and Nu...I guess I'd have to say no." she said, finally, honestly and earnestly. She cast a slight glance at Minato back over her shoulder, smiling a bit. "People are afraid of what they don't understand, and from fear, hate is born."
Not everyone hated her, honestly. Adults seemed to like her just fine, and so she felt that once she was all grown up, things might get a little better. But for now, amongst budding shinobi, someone who could easily break apart the building blocks of shinobi technique just as easily as taking a breath didn't tend to go over too well.
"Grown-ups like me." she said, testing the ground and digging her heel in to boost herself up now. "But the other kids...they think I'm weird. Think I can kill them. And they hate that their techniques don't work on me. Really just a bunch of hateration, I think. It'll get better once I'm older. That's what people keep telling me."
She wasn't quite sure that she believed it, though. After all, the people who would grow up with her were the ones who didn't like her now. But that was neither here nor there.
"We're here!" she said joyously, tapping her foot on the level ground that was the top of the volcano. Squatting down, she peered into the cavernous hole up top. It was dark, hard to see inside, though there were still some glimpses of glowing red hot pulsing every once in a while, the hot magma cooling beneath young, hardened rock.
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Post by Uzumaki Minato on Dec 30, 2013 21:59:46 GMT -5
SPIRAL KID: THE CHŪNIN EXAMS CNT. Making it to the top of the volcano caused him to grin a teethy grin. The view from up there was a marvelous one, and despite the chilling breezes that whisked to and fro he felt as though he was standing among the heavens. He reached out slowly, making sure to keep his footing, and touched a cloud.
Behind him, Ein was turned around and looking downward within the volcano. Placing his hands into his pocket, he squatted down as he also looked down into the volcano.
"That's a long way down," he noted, arching his left hand over his eye brows as he looked closer.
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Post by Arisato Ein on Jan 13, 2014 23:51:31 GMT -5
"Yeah..." Ein said, unable to take her eyes off the abyss. She felt like she was being drawn in. It was hard to believe that she had never been up here before. She would have to ask her parents if they had, either. All these years that she had lived on this mountain, all this time that she had spent mining it and playing on it, and she had never been to the top until now.
A hand went to her back pocket, pulling out the tanto that she had lifted from the Genin in the exam stadium. At once, she set to scraping at the rock at the lip of the top of the hole. She concentrated hard, using both hands to bore the blade into the rock, carving intricate lines. It would no doubt wreck the blade, but it was cheap, anyway. Its life would be given for this endeavor. And once Ein was done, she stood, wiping the sweat from her forehead. In block letters, the pair's trek to the top would be immortalized.
"Ein and Minato"
And beneath that was the date.
"There." she said, breathing a breath of satisfaction. "What do you say we start heading back? We can still get this started before dark. If we can get the smelting going tonight, it will be done in a couple of days and we can finally get this underway."
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