Scenic Overlook (Open)

Iro had just retired for the day, finding herself at an outdoor lounge overlooking the village of Sunagakure. Iro dresses the common appearance many active Fujio clan members wear. Like many Shinobi she wears the common black sandals which secure her feet and ankles. Iro wears a pair of loose fitting black pants which extend shortly above her ankles, which she has wrapped in a set of white bandage wrap. Her pants are paired with a black sleeveless, backless top with a white undershirt in the same design. A single, tan obi is worn around her waist. Lavender arm warmers are worn around her forearms which are additionally wrapped with a tan cloth. Around her neck Iro wears a matching scarf. Around her forehead Iro sports her forehead protector. In a black cloth she has the steel plate facing the front with Sunagakure's emblem engraved on the plate.

Iro has long, plum hair which is fastened in a long ponytail using a tan hair tie. She keeps the rest of her hair parted in the front with two long bangs reaching down to her chin. Iro herself stands 5'8 and weighs approximately 140 lbs. With deep tan skin she bares golden amber eyes. Iro has an impressive athletic figure including a toned abdomen with muscle work shown around her body. She sat at one of the many sectionals which each had a table with a thick parasol to block the sun's harsh rays. At night the parasols are removed and the tables opened up to be fire pits for the rather chilly nights in the desert. However currently it was sunset, and the rays still gave off a warming aura. At least for other people. Iro felt rather cool in the presence of the sun. The bitter, unforgiving heat of the desert was very moderate in her skin. This is due to her clan, being Scorch users and having an increased durability to heat.

She sat on the section gazing over the village. The people all looked like ants as they bustled to their daily business. The occasional squad of Shinobi were seen taking the "highway" upon the roof tops. It was nothing to be alarmed of. This outdoor lounge is frequent for dates and social gatherings. Light snacks and drinks are served with comfortable seating and an astonishing view. With her right leg folder over her left she reclined on the couch having both elbows resting on top the back support letting herself stretch out after a long day.

Kaori stretched as she entered the outdoor lounge that overlooked the streets of Sunagakure. It had been a long day full of research and training. She was dressed in her usual attire. A pair of black shorts was accompained by a loose fitting shirt which had its bottom secured with a black obi. Kaori’s hair was put up in a low, messy bun. Its scarlet color made her stick out from the rest of the crowd. As she walked over to grab a refreshing glass of water, which is just what any shinobi needed after a long day in Suna, Kaori saw that she wasn’t the only one who stood out with her odd hair color. There was another female shinobi in the room, but instead of red, her hair was a dark shade od purple and her skin was a deep tan.

With the cup of water in her hand, she decided to take a seat next to the plum haired woman, only partially due to the limited seating of the lounge. Once she sat down, she took a sip of her water and looked upon the young shinobi who were dashing across roofs instead of walking in the streets of Suna like normal people, but Kaori could understand their behaviors. When Kaori knew that she wanted to be a ninja, she wanted to emulate everything the ninjas of Sunagakure did. Although she did run across roofs when she was younger, she didn’t do it often, but the temptation was always existent.

“Is it always this nice up here?” Kaori asked, mostly just to strike up a conversation. It would be awkward sitting next to someone in silence, at least for Kaori it would. Besides, this was the first time she had ever come up to this lounge in particular, so there was another reason to her question besides the sole purpose for having a conversation.

The door to the outdoor lounge opened from the inside, Iro not expecting any visitors at this time of hour nor was she expect anyone needing her attention. Currently most people *just* got off work and are choosing to spend time with their family or run errands. Perhaps she was not the only one who found the scenic overlook to be a worthwhile spot to relax after work. To Iro it was a form of therapy. She was well aware of the mental stress her job put on her, thus she practice kindness and good mental exercises outside of the Shinobi life. Her good karma was a way of bringing closeness to her people and keeping the world balanced. Shifting her gaze over her shoulder she spotted the new entry. A short, petite redhead dressed fairly casual for the outing. Iro was unfamiliar with this woman, having no interaction with her in her daily life. Iro could only assume she was a civilian by appearance alone. Through the short gaze she had of the redhead she looked at Iro with the same neutral eyes. Iro could not help but welcome her with a pleasant grin seeing as they were the only two out there.

The redhead found herself sharing the same sectional she was on, setting a clear glass of iced water on the table before them. Iro turned her head back at the sunset. Hearing the redhead speak Iro was obligated to give attention to what she had to say. "Yes, it is. Not a lot of people like the desert as it is. Some tell me it's too plain while others dislike the heat. However,
to me, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. There is a lot to see in everything Brahma has provided us. There is no such thing as ugly, it just may not be your own preference." Shifting her torso a little to give direction to the redhead she nodded gently. "My name is Iro. I come from the Fujio clan. May I have your name?"

While the Suna shinobi that sat next to Kaori could have simply gave a one word answer and the two of them could have just continued on with their day, she instead gave a much more developed and sophisticated answer. Kaori was very happy to hear her elaborate, which most likely meant thay she would want to continue the conversation. If she didn’t want to, she would have given a much shorter answer. After speaking about how most people only saw the negative things in Suna, she continued on to say that to her, the beauty in things were all in the eye of the beholder. Kaori nodded in agreement. She personally didn’t see Suna as just a plain, hot, boring desert. In fact, growing up in the Land of Wind, the heat didn’t bother her much and as for the “plainess” of the desert, well, she didn’t think it was ordinary at all. Sand dunes constituted a great portion of the desert, and as the wind blew, it shaped and shifted the dunes that so overnight the landscape may look completely different than the day before.

After giving her little spiel, the shinobi asked Kaori what her name was, but not before introducing herself first. The Suna-nin’s name was Iro Fujio. She was a member of one of Sunagakure’s clans, which meant that she was most likely exposed to everything having to do with ninjas since she was a young girl, unlike Kaori who was the first shinobi in her family.

“I’m Kaori Inoue... not really part of any clan. I’m actually the first person in my family to become a shinobi,” she explained. In that sense, she and Iro were very juxtaposed. It only made Kaori want to know more about the difference between their lives. “So... being part of a clan you’ve learned some jutsus exclusive to your clan, right?”

Exp: 20

"One should not ask another to reveal their secrets upon first meeting them." The voice was a rich baritone in tone, and it would come from behind and above the two women speaking. Atop the building sat a lone man, staring out over the village. He frequented this spot often, choosing to rest on top of the building rather than go inside and actually pay for it. The staff inside didn't really care, as long as he wasn't taking a seat from a paying customer. Since most people didn't get on the roof... this arrangement worked out in Nobunaga's favor most of the time.

When the first girl had come out, he said nothing since she had been relatively quiet. Both of them had stared out over the village, relaxing after the day's work. He knew not what she had done, but Nobunaga had just finished an intense training session with an old sensei from back before Sunagakure had existed. It reminded him how much he had grown since then, how much easier it was to keep up with such an experienced warrior. Time and adolescence did a lot for a man, more than Nobunaga had expected when he was younger. It also gave him a greater propensity towards thinking- sometimes to his detriment. Today was one of those somber days of reflection, with the peacefulness he had sought usually being granted at this scenic locale.

He was back far enough on the roof that unless one of the girls turned completely around they would be unable to see him, but he could still keep an eye on them. When the second one had come out and started up a conversation almost immediately with the first, Nobunaga had wished that the two would quiet down after introductions and a sentence or two. But alas, he was not a woman, and could not possibly fathom their need to talk to one another as much and as often as they did. This, too, he was going to ignore until the second girl, one 'Kaori', inquired about Iro's clan's techniques.

Nobunaga wore a kimono of light, black material that would keep the harsh sun from his back. On his back was strapped a Nodachi with the handle to his left shoulder, while a pair of swords consisting of a Katana and a Wakizashi sat on his left hip. The black hair of his clan was pulled up into a bushy ponytail, and his face bore a look that told of his current thoughts by a glance. He appeared distant, reflective almost, upon events a young man should have never experienced.

The chuunin pushed himself up from his sitting position after speaking, making himself easier to see to the two fellow Sunagakure shinobi beneath him. Shinobi sandals clicked on the roof as he found his feet and brushed the sand off of his legs and rear before his arms found their way folded across his chest. "Sometimes, a hello is enough. Nobunaga," he said, introducing himself with a curt nod of his head.

The two exchanged named, Iro trying her best to memory the other girl's despite being terrible with names. Kaori Inoue...Kaori Inoue...Ka- As she jarred her name around her mind while listening to what she had to say, all focus to their conversation was bluntly intervened by a deep voice loud enough for her to get the hint he was referring to them. Iro lost half of what he was saying due to her focus being divided, though was attentive enough to pick up "reveal their clan secrets upon first meeting them" which was enough to put the rest of the puzzle together. She turned her head, her body already being canted ever since she directed her full attention to Kaori and not the view. This made things easier, only having to turn her head over her shoulder to get a view of the speaker. He rose from his resting position giving her a full view of his appearance. He was armed fairly well with enough swords to clearly display his finesse with them; an obvious Kenjutsu user and possible close-quarters expert stood before her.

His legs planted firmly on the roof he stood with a pompous composure as he folded his two bulky arms across his chest. Iro identified his body language to his words. Although he came off as rude Iro believed he was acting on perhaps her interests, or simply raised within a different household in which socialization was not common. Iro reacted by smiling almost shyly hoping his presence did not offend her acquaintance, Kaori. "No, please! I don't mind the company." Turning her head back to Kaori she spoke to her directly, changing her volume and tone back to what she initially had it at. "It's not big deal, really. I have only just begun practice my clan's ability, and although I have mastered the technique, I am far from an expert." Iro turned her head briefly to glance at Nobunaga's presence before returning her eye contact back to Kaori. It was a certain body language to show she still accepted his presence and acknowledging his existence.

"So you're the first family member to ever become a Shinobi? That must be exciting for you, but awfully worrisome for your parents.
As you may have assumed, being born within a clan whose nature serves as a powerful tool in combat, it is natural for us to serve. In some households it is sometimes expected for the men to represent our clan. I don't believe in enforcing these decisions, but I tend to stay out of politics. Congratulations,
by the way. What do you do exactly within the military? I have not seen you around before." Although she was not initially inclined to have refreshments the frosty glass of water that was brought in by Kaori has tempted the corner of her eye eventually making her parched by association. Luckily for her, two of the staff members exited the building as they began working on bringing the parasols in as the sun settled beyond the horizon and dusk was beginning to settle in. With a simple hand gesture she motion one of them to come to their table. "One Fuzzy Navel, please!" The staff member whipped out a notepad and pencil, quickly jotting down a few notes, before bowing and pacing off inside leaving the other staff member to reset all the parasols.

After asking Iro about being part of a clan, someone made a comment towards what she said. Evidently, he was eavesdropping on their conversation for whatever reason. When Kaori turned around to see who was talking though, she couldn't see anyone. A puzzled look came across her face. Why someone would randomly chime in but not show themselves, she did not know. Only after he spoke did he show himself. Oddly enough, he was on the roof and introduced himself as Nobunaga. Given that he most likely already heard them exchange names, it would be pointless to reintroduce herself.

Once Nobunaga finished talking, the two shinobi returned to their conversation. Iro reassured Kaori that her question regarding her clan was fine. Apparently she hadn't even begun to delve into the more advanced abilities of her clan. However, the topic was quickly transferred back to Kaori. Iro seemed to find it interesting that Kaori was the first shinobi in her family and assumed that it would worry her parents. Kaori had no doubt that her parents were worried, but she was glad that despite their fears of their only daughter dying on a mission or something, they still supported her choice in deciding to become a ninja.

Conversely, as being part of a clan, Iro was born into a family who naturally raises shinobi. Since they were on the subject, Iro asked Kaori what she did in the military. "Well, I'm a chūnin, but I mostly focus on medical jutsu and chemistry. I'm guessing your focus is in a different field?" Since they had not previously met, Kaori highly doubted that Iro was also a medical-nin. Based on what she said about her clan, Kaori assumed that Iro probably specialized in ninjutsu and trained to fight with it like a lot of other shinobi did, but she could be wrong. Taijutsu, bukijutsu and some others were completely valid as well.

Exp: 30

How impudent! Neither one of them even bothered to introduce themselves! Where was their honor and respect for a fellow comrade? Nobunaga knew that he wasn't exactly great when it came to introductions and courtesies, but he was better than nothing. The chuunin waited patiently, allowing the two girls a little more time to correct themselves. This "little bit of time" turned into almost ten seconds as the two continued on with their conversation. Nobunaga had been sitting here before either one of them had even gotten there, trying to enjoy the scenery. Is that not what we're supposed to be doing?

When neither one spoke up, with only the Fujio girl even replying to him at all, Nobunaga would calmly walk to the edge of the roof with his arms crossed. Once at the lip, he would drop down and land in a squat like ninja in this world can somehow do without breaking their legs. Right around this time is when the server would come out and Iro would order a Fuzzy Navel. He was pretty quiet about the landing, too, all things considered. Perhaps he would have to take a different approach with these two. Perhaps they just hadn't been raised right? Or perhaps they were just a little... thick.

"Ahem," he began. "I appear to have missed your names. Nobunaga," he repeated, with another bow though this time he actually bent his back a little bit. "Did I hear one of you say you were a chuunin?"The server looked at him, seemingly annoyed.

"Hey, if you're down here you're gonna have to buy something. Cough up or get back up there," she indicated the roof with her finger and then waited patiently for his answer. Nobunaga said nothing at first, staring passively at the server for a few seconds. Finally, he relented and produced a few coins out of a coinpurse resting on his right hip.

"I'll pay for her drink, then," he said with a nod towards Iro.

The server shrugged. "Good enough for me. Good luck," she said before walking back into the lounge for Iro's drink. Nobunaga blinked. Good luck? What did she mean by that? He was genuinely puzzled for a moment before it sank in what she had meant. Yes, good luck. I suppose that's what most men would be focused on, he thought silently to himself.

Would the women finally introduce themselves? Find out next time, on Dragonba- er, Gladius!

As the waitress was dismissed Iro returned her attention back to Kaori as she spoke about herself. "Chuunin? Looks like we have that in common. Though you said you were apart of the medical division. That's great to hear. We need as many trained medics and chemists as there are combat personnel in this village." Iro was about to continue before the stranger, conveniently, spoke before she could process what she was about to say next. He started with a raspy clear of his vocals before requesting their names, reintroducing himself with just his name in the process. It was an odd quirk some people shared, often speaking only one word for their input. Whether it was a destination they wished to be at, or name exchanging such as this, Iro found it to be somewhat ill-mannered to believe the people you meet are not worthy of a few more words to make a complete sentence. Though, as the waitress overheard this man's presence he was caught trespassing lest he contributed to the establishment somehow, which at that point he volunteered to pick up her tab. At that point Iro could not completely antagonize Nobunaga's appearance.

"Well, yes, as I was going to say: I am also a Chuunin for Sunagakure. However for me, I am not apart of the medical branch. I wish to specialize in Fuuinjutsu and become a valuable attribute to the village. Plus,
as I have already mentioned before, I am a member of the Fujio clan. If any of you did not know, the Fujio clan are wielders of Scorch Release. We have the ability to naturally combine our Wind and Fire natures to create a powerful nature in its own. Current, I simply work on the field as most Chuunin do.
It's tough to have any particular role as a Chuunin unless you're Medical.
The administration likes to hold special roles for the Tokubetsu Jounin when their skills develop more." From the corner of her eye the waitress came back with a frosty glass filled with a transparent yellow mixture of orange juice and peach schnapps completed with four ice cubes. She returned her attention back to the man. "Oh, and feel free to call me Iro,
Nobu." She said with the same courteous smile given to Kaori upon their first meeting.

It seemed that Iro, like Kaori, was also a chūnin. However, she didn’t practice medical jutsu like Kaori did, but she still acknowledged that it was an important job to have. Iro didn’t say anything more before Nobunaga cut in asking for their names and restating his own. “I’m Kaori,” she replied before Iro continued on with the conversation. As it turned out, Kaori’s original prediction of Iro specializing in ninjutsu was incorrect. She was actually focused on fūinjutsu, or sealing techniques. However, as part of the Fujio clan, she did possess Scorch Release, which made her ninjutsu stronger than others’. Still, Kaori thought it was interesting that Iro chose to practice mainly fūinjutsu instead of ninjutsu. “Wow, that’s actually really cool.” Fūinjutsu didn’t seem as popular as ninjutsu, which made

After Iro’s drink came out, she introduced herself to Nobunaga. Since he decided to cut into their conversation again, she assumed that he wanted to be included. “So, are you a chūnin too?” Kaori asked Nobunaga. It was the nice thing to do. Besides, his answer could make things more interesting. He was clearly interested in weapons. That much she could tell based on the swords he had. Kaori personally didn’t have much of an interest in weapons. Besides the basic shinobi tools and her trench knife, she didn’t have any other weapons, but her fūton techniques would become rather useful if she did decide to use it to supplement one of her weapons.

Exp. 40

Both of the girls finally introduced themselves to Nobunaga. Iro belonged to the Fujio, the clan bearing Scorch Release. What really intrigued him was her expressed interest in fuinjutsu. He had an interest in weapons, as both of them could plainly see. Being on good terms with a fuinjutsu user could be very beneficial to him in the long run. So it would seem that he was going to be sticking around for a bit to get to know this "Iro Fujio".

The other girl introduced herself as Kaori. He had overheard her earlier say that she was a chūnin, with a liking towards medical ninjutsu and chemistry. How peculiar it was that three people with an unusual skill would meet on this day at one spot. It was almost as if life had spun the web of today's events specifically for this meeting. This Kaori asked Nobunaga if he, too, was a chūnin.

He nodded. "Yes, actually. I'm part of the Assault squads, and I've recently begun to learn the art of forging blades. My family..." he paused here for a moment, deciding on if he wanted to tell them his true family lineage. The name Kazehana stifled the conversations among those who would otherwise consider him an equal, leading to checked tongues and honeyed words. It was, frankly, a very annoying occurrence. Nobunaga was grateful for his birth for most things, but interacting with comrades within the village was not one of them. "...I hail from the messengers, the Hayami. I can't say I'm as skilled as most of my peers with our bloodline, but I like to think I'm no slouch either." Nobunage glanced at Iro, keen on delving further into her levels of experience with fuinjutsu. "How long have you been studying fuinjutsu, Iro-chan?" The waitress returned, apparently since it wasn't very busy inside. Nobunaga waved her over, wishing to be a bit more generous to the group. "Two more of those... whatever she got last time." The waitress smiled, took his coin, and turned to go get the two Fuzzy Navels. It was time for everybody to just relax a little bit.

[OOC: I'm so sorry I kept thinking it was your post after Nobunaga so I waited this long ]

As Kaori took the time to introduce herself Iro went for her own drink grabbing the fuzzy navel off the table. Despite her body being hotter than normal she still enjoyed ice cold drinks. Taking a sip the numbness immediately took effect as the iced liquor saturated her tongue and down her throat. The alcohol immediately made her feel warm inside as the sweet peach schnapps and orange juice worked together as a fruity satisfaction. Setting the glass on the table again she listened to Nobunaga more intently, welcoming the man as part of the conversation. Despite her not knowing much of the Hayami aside from hearing the surname a few times in her life she nodded to show her interest. "I have been interested in Fuuinjutsu for most of my life as a Shinobi. It is a skill I wish to develop into profession next to my clan's Ninjutsu. Though, Fuuinjutsu is what I'm most comfortable at. Being twenty-one I have studied Fuuinjutsu for...nine years. Clan Ninjutsu for only about two years.
I don't have any plans to develop another study down the road yet, but I'm sure something might strike my interest at some point."

Reaching down for her glass again she went for another drink, this time longer than her previous. The sweetness paired with the heat of the alcohol made it sensational to drink. Closing both eyes she leaned her head back as her hair fell with the motion. The colorful liquid in her glass quickly depleted as a few empty slurps were heard leaving nothing but four clear ice cubes in her glass. With a satisfied sigh she opened her eyes setting the glass down on the table. "I am not a heavy drinker...but Nobunaga is right. Work is over. It's time to unwind." By then the waitress returned with two alcoholic beverages of the same format. Iro grabbed one leaving the other for Kaori. Taking a sip she held the highball glass in her hand scooting over to the left leaving a section of the couches' cushion open between here and Kaori. "Take a seat. No need to be standing out like that." Iro said this while patting the back rest of the couch inviting the man in. "So Kaori is a medic, and you are the weapon guy. I must say, it's fortunate we all met. Down the road we can certainly rely on each other. Knowing someone in the field is a good start."

[It's fine ]

Nobunaga said that he was indeed a chūnin too, but also added in that he was part of the assault squads and recently began learning how to craft weapons. He paused for a moment before going on to say that he was part of the Hayami clan. Kaori thought that it was a bit odd that Nobu paused like that. The subject of clans and family weren't challenging for Kaori and it at least didn't seem like it was hard to Iro either. Part of her wanted to know what Nobunaga's clan was like, but the other part of her knew that it was better not to ask. If he didn't want to talk about it, she wouldn't pressure him.

While Kaori and Iro both had unique specialties, Nobunaga seemed to take a particular interest to Iro's fūinjutsu. Since Kaori was far from a weapons expert, she too took some interest in Iro's jutsu preference as well. The red haired shinobi rested her head in the palm of her hand as she listened to Iro talk. Evidently, she had been studying jutsu for nine years. After doing some quick mental math, that meant that Iro was 12 when she started studying her fūinjutsu. Conversely, she only started studying her clan's ninjutsu for two years, meaning that she was 19 when she started. That was a huge age difference and to be honest, Kaori was quite surprised that Iro didn't start learning her clan's jutsu earlier. Maybe Kaori's assumptions about clans were wrong.

Kaori didn't really expect Nobunaga to order two more drinks. Kaori was fine with just water. She rarely drank anything alcoholic... but Iro was right. It was time to unwind. Being a chūnin was no easy task. Kaori couldn't imagine what being a jōnin must be like. It was something she aspired to be, but it wasn't something she was remotely prepared for at the moment. She still had lots of training to do.

After receiving their drinks, Iro offered Nobunaga a seat. Kaori nodded her head in agreement as Iro gestured for him to sit down. Kaori took a sip of her drink as Iro began to state all of their unique rolls as shinobi and how it was fortunate that they all met. They all now personally knew others in specific fields. As time went on, that could become very valuable. "Yeah," Kaori began. "Especially since we're all in such unique fields. I mean, it's pretty easy to find a ninjutsu specialist. Sealing, healing and weapons? Not so much." Kaori couldn't think of too many people who strayed that far from classic ninjutsu. It seemed like the majority of her old classmates were comfortable with ninjutsu. Granted, there were many different forms of ninjutsu that made certain people's ninjutsu stand out more than others, but it was still just ninjutsu.

Exp. 50

(Sorry guys, been a busy weekend for me)



Nobunaga listened intently to Iro as she explained her desire to become a fuuinjutsu specialist within Sunagakure. To the two women, his expression would not change at all. In his mind however, a spark of delight ignited and stayed glowing. Getting on good terms with a fuuinjutsu specialist could be what he needed to make his blades the most desired commodity in the Land of Wind, as well as his ticket to becoming one of the best swordsmen within Sunagakure.

He moved to sit, the waitress bringing the other two out. Iro took one immediately, having finished her first, the second going to Kaori. That was a little annoying, but not something that couldn't be remedied. Nobunaga set a few more coins than last time in the waitress's hand and asked her to keep those things coming. He wasn't sure if the two would get tired of the fruity drinks, and if they did they could speak up and change what they got without issue. Of that he was sure. Nobunaga sat with Iro's beckoning, leaning back against the couch with his arms folded across his chest to allow the two girls to more easily talk to each other.

Both Iro and Kaori spoke aloud Nobunaga's thoughts about this fortunate meeting between three relatively specialized shinobi of similar rank and experience. Nobunaga would speak his mind on the subject after the two women had commented and began sipping on their drinks. "Very fortunate indeed. I'd wager we made up the three points of a well-rounded team too; fighter, medic, support. That's not to mention any secondary benefits that may develop, too." He paused briefly here, turning his head slightly to Kaori and shifting his attention to her. "Are you a certified combat medic, by any chance?" He didn't remember if she had said that or not or if she had just mentioned studying the healing arts. It took a lot of practice and control to use ijutsu, so sometimes lower ranked medical shinobi are restricted to the hospital or field hospitals rather than being a combat medic. Most of the medics he knew were combat medics, due mostly to his field within the village's military, and he hadn't seen Kaori before.

Iro was certainly glad the others shared the same philosophy she had. Knowing the right people could get someone far in life. They seemed to have agreed with her. Iro grabbed her glass and took another satisfying drought of the cocktail. The effects of the alcohol were beginning to influence Iro to some degree. She was certainly a bit light-headed and warm on the inside. She was not a heavy drinker, though she was no sucker for booze either. Iro had little to add to the conversation at the moment. She sat in her spot with the drink in hand. The sun had already set over the mountains, and with dusk in full swing the air started chill. Although it was very slight the environment was much more chilly to her than it was for the others. Being dressed lightly and having a naturally higher body temperature had its perks as well as its detriments. One of the drawbacks being cold weather. The Land of Wind was perfect for her due to the natural high temperature it had. Summer in particular, which was a bane to many residents, was just the perfect temperature for her.

The fire pit before them had fresh charcoal stocked for the night. Charcoal is more manageable for guests not requiring much attention and having to add wood every fifteen minutes or so. A bed of coals like the ones they had would practically burn all night. There was oil and matches present for ease of use, though Iro had no use for them. Simple fire should do the trick. I don't want these to turn white immediately. Handing herself the Tiger seal she channeled basic fire nature. Leaning over the bed of charcoal she exhaled a small stream of fire which scorched the charcoal over a period of a few seconds. It was enough heat to get them burning a sufficient flame. Iro leaned back in her spot as the flame grew providing more lighting and warmth for the others with her. As she sat back she noticed a few more people utilizing the lounge. Three other tables were occupied by small parties, each having a life and conversation of their own. By now the street lights and buildings would begin to light up the evening scene.

Not only did the three chūnins have a unique set of abilities, but they complimented each other as well. Just as Nobunaga said, they would make a well rounded team. He seemed to take interest in Kaori this time instead of Iro. He asked if she was a certified combat medic. “Well, I’m working on how to fight with my ijutsu, but I can fight with ninjutsu, but I still kind of stay away from the battlefield,” she explained. She was a weilder of both suiton and fūton. She knew how to use various techniques of both releases, but she needed to work on her ijutsu fighting skills. She knew how to use chakra scalpel, but not offensively. She could spray some poison mist though, but that was a fusion of her medical jutsu and chemistry. It wasn’t purely one or the other.

By now, the sun had stopped heating up Suna and a cool temperature had settled upon the desert. Iro, with her fire release, heated up the coals to keep everyone warmer. Kaori couldn’t say that she was surprised that Iro had fire release. What else could scorch release be based on? Although, that did make Kaori wonder what kind of release Nobunaga had, or even if he had one at all. Although it was rare, some shinobi relied on weapons and taijutsu to make up for their inability to use ninjutsu. “What kind of release do you have, Nobunaga?” Kaori asked, assuming that he wasn’t one of those few shinobi.

Exp. 60

Nobunaga's attention split from Kaori for a moment when Iro lit the fire in front of them with a small stream of fire. It cast a pale, flickering light on the trio of chuunin as the natural light faded each passing minute over the horizon. Small lights began to dot the village underneath, indicating people turning on the street lamps. Soon they'd all be on, but without electricity each one needed manually lit. It was fascinating to see the wave of lights as they swept from east to west with the waning sunlight, a melody of lights to look forward to every night. It was why Nobunaga liked his spot on the roof; more visibility.

His question to Kaori gave Nobunaga a better indication as to where she was with her medical skills. It sounded as if she could perform ijutsu well enough, but applying it to combat scenarios is still somewhat challenging. Something that can easily be worked on with some help, he thought to himself. Kaori then asked Nobunaga what elemental releases he possessed. His right eyebrow twitched up, having not expected the question. After a brief delay, he would uncross his arms. He held both of his hands out palms up a foot and a half in front of his chest, funneling a small amount of chakra into each palm. In his right, a small burst of wind would resonate and perhaps blow a few strands of hair around in the brief gust. In his left, a small coating of dust coated his palm. He brushed the dust off on his kimono and gave a slight smile. "I'm capable of Earth and Wind, of which I like to think I have a particular talent for the latter," he said in earnest. "I also possess the Swift Release of the Hayami, though manipulating Wind into Swift is a bit more difficult for me than I'd like."

Nobunaga would continue his conversation with Kaori, himself now interested more in what she was capable of. Iro had described her abilities quite in depth, and so he found himself curious about Kaori in this moment. "And you, Kaori," he asked in relation to her possessing elements of her own. As he began that question, the waitress would return with three more Fuzzy Navels. One more for each of them, and as Kaori was answering he would take his first. The waitress would pull a small table over and placed it on one end of the lounge couch they were on to place the other two drinks on. Then she would return, winking at him before leaving. He ignored her, focusing on Kaori instead.

Nobunaga hadn't ever had one of these drinks before, and its color disturbed him somewhat. It looked nothing like sake or ale, the two drinks he was more familiar with. Regardless, he was always interested in trying new things. He took a sip, the fruity flavor of the drink almost slapping his senses. He recoiled from the drink, his face contorting into one of mild disgust. Knowing that the first was always the worst, Nobunaga tried another sip a couple seconds later. This time it wasn't as bad, and like with other alcoholic drinks, it didn't taste bad enough so as to be undrinkable. You girls need a good pale ale, I think.

"Swift release? I see." Iro dove into her basic knowledge about Sunagakure's clans. Swift Release was one she did not know a whole lot about. One could make a baseless assumption about it seeing as its primary element was Wind and its name having to do something with Speed. Iro could at least figure out enough that it was used to increase the speed of either the user or themselves. It was not a far fetched idea, to say the least, however nothing was factual about it yet. Iro gazed into the hot coals as Kaori and Nobunaga were getting acquainted. She did not feel the need to be the center of attention or involved at all times. Iro would instead silently listen to their conversation. It was nice to have company and to feel involved in a group. Kaori and Nobunaga have been shown to be kind and somewhat intelligent people. Iro would sip her drink silently waiting to hear Kaori's response as much as Nobunaga wanted to.

(I'm SO sorry. I had some surgery and then got pretty sick afterwards and didn't expect at all to be out this long >.<)

Nobunaga replied to Kaori's question stating that he had Earth and Wind release along with swift, which was the release exclusively used by the Hayami clan, although evidently he had trouble manipulating his wind release into swift release. It made sense. Well, Kaori didn't exactly have any first hand experience converting one release into another, but it sounded difficult. Still on the subject of releases, Nobunaga asked Kaori which kind of releases she possessed. "I have wind and water," was all she said. Though water was typically better paired with wind and though water was generally better paired with lightning, Kaori did know that she could use her wind to add extra force to her water release.

After finishing her drink, Kaori noticed that it was getting rather late. If she wanted to get up bright and early for training, she would have to start making her way home. "Well, it was nice meeting you both, but I should really get going. Thanks for the drink." She got up and left the lounge. If she got the chance, she would try to meet up with them again.

"Yes, it was good to meet you too," Nobunaga said to Kaori as she left. He turned to Iro after, deciding that perhaps he should leave too before he got a little too giddy with the drinking. "I suppose I ought to get going too. I would like to meet with you again, Iro, it was a pleasure talking with you." Nobunaga stood when he said this, finishing his drink in a couple quick gulps. Following a satisfied sigh, Nobunaga would then bow to Iro before turning to leave through the building rather than the roof. If Iro wished to stay a bit longer, Nobunaga had forwarded enough money to pay for a couple more drinks.


[exit]

With their farewells Iro nodded. It was nice meeting the two. Someone who she felt she could rely on when the time was needed. Iro remained at the lounge for a few more minutes as she enjoyed the heat from the fire and sipped on her drink. She was quite tipsy by then, but she was more than contained. She would leave the lounge and return back to her home, resting up and getting ready for the next long day at work.

[Exit]