Making a new friend

Akuma took a moment to slowly let her eyes open up, and for just a moment, she thought she was visiting Domoka in his realm in the forest, still in the Blind Eternities. It took a few moments, and hearing the voices of a few other humans, before she really came to realize the situation she was in, and the position in which she had fallen asleep the previous night. She had never been raised in an actual home, but instead had made due with what she had, usually by doing what she was doing now, and that was finding a comfortable spot in a tree and ensuring she was balanced, then falling asleep. The sun wasn’t up yet, but the first hints of light were beginning to peek into the sky, casting it a bright purple, which would soon transition to orange. A large yawn and she slowly rolled, falling out of the tree and landing on her feet, grabbing her boots that were hanging from a lower branch and putting them on. A few moments of dusting herself off, and she was ready for the day, which would start with some breakfast and water. She had a mission this morning, and it would be important to make a good impression because it seemed to be some sort of evaluation.

She had been paired up with a Jounin of the village, although she hadn’t been given a name as it hadn’t been decided yet, only that she was to meet them outside the gate and ready to travel to a nearby village. Apparently there were some boars that were running around and eating up all the crops, and it was putting the human lives in danger, warranting their extermination. She hoped that she could communicate with them using her gift as a Nature Clan member, but wouldn’t hesitate to slaughter them if she had to. In all honesty, they might be worth salvaging to eat at a later time, depending upon the meat itself. Akuma was far less than picky, but over the past 24 hours, she had discovered that humans were quite good at making tasty food… that she was hoping to sample again this morning. Slipping towards the nearby stream, she drank her fill of water, and then moved towards the market. She had made a bit of the currency they used, called Ryo, the previous day by helping a few other humans and as an expression of their gratitude.

It didn’t take long before she found a place that handled breakfast, paid and eaten, and then moved on towards the gate. Standing at 6’ 1” and with a wild mane of blonde hair, it was enough to draw the eye but the confidence she walked towards that gate was what truly made people pay attention. She had a gentle smirk on her face, showing just a bit of teeth, and her violet eyes locked onto the man who was standing guard, looking tired and bored, but was otherwise alone. “Akuma Ryujin, checking out and going on mission.” Her accent made the man blink, but then he quickly presented the log book for her to sign and she flashed him a smile and moved out towards the open area where it would be literally impossible to miss her. She had been instructed to wait for the Jounin just outside the main gate where they would make their movement from there. The first rays of sunshine began to spill over the horizon, and that had been the appointed time; dawn. Akuma was not one who would allow herself to be late.

Dressed in form-fitting leathers and sturdy fabrics, enough curves to make some people break their necks to do a double take, and her Konoha forehead protector mounted as a belt-buckle, she waited patiently. Dawn had been her own personal timeline, not the one that was issued for whoever was joining her. Idly, a bird swooped down and landed on her shoulder, chirping happily, causing her to turn her head and smile at the tiny creature. A silent bit of communication began to transpire back and forth, the Sage enjoying the news of the morning from the tiny creature. It was amazing how different they were from the creatures she found in the Blind Eternities, where usually the chatter was regarding the Dragons who dominated the realm. Instead, most of the news was revolving around the humans, but because they were so many and so diverse, the difference was entertaining.

Boar killing wasn't exactly the kind of jobs Luna did anymore, as they were often reserved for fresh Chuunin to get them field experience and work on basic skills such as tracking and hunting. But today she was assigned a special program to oversee a new ninja joining Konoha's ranks. And by new this does not mean newly promoted, but in fact an outsider who worked their way in. Normally becoming a ninja was something you were raised into, starting as young as the age of six. To join the military after your teen years was very unusual, but Konoha wasn't a prejudice village. The Hokage saw something in the wanderer that allowed her to register, and was apparently qualified enough to earn the rank of Chuunin off the bat. But despite his generosity, there were protocols that must be adhered to. One was completing so many hours of work under the guidance of a trusted Jounin. Although these Jounin alternated per task, today was Luna's time to shine.

Luna in most instances wears her casual outfit around the village. Her armor and additional gear is often burdensome to wear every day comfortably without exerting herself. Her casual outfit consists of a pair of long black boots with silver embroidery around the cuff. On both legs she wears a set of ornate stockings, a valued possession owned by Luna and known for their expert craftsmanship. The stockings work as an excuse her Luna to wear a pair of short black shorts without being too revealing, the shorts providing comfort and freedom which is perfect for the Konoha climate. Around her right thigh she has a few wraps of white bandage to work as a layer of protection for the blue holster she has strapped to her leg. Around her waist she wears a black utility belt which carried the bulk of her gear. On the right side of her belt she carried two blue holsters which are fastened by a simple metallic button. Around her back side she suspends a beige hip pouch filled with a variety of ninja tools.

On her torso Luna wears a basic black corset top which leaves part of her lower abdomen exposed, something Luna prefers purely out of comfort and flexibility when it comes to her casual outfit. Lastly she wears a black cloak to complement her outfit and makes up for any lack of decency comments she may receive. Luna overall stands at a respectable 5'7 and weighs in at a total of 130 lbs. Her skins is very fair in complexion showing her preference for indoors than training out in the sun or spending too much time outside in general without proper skincare. Her eyes and hair share the same shade of prussian blue, which both occur naturally by her genetics. Lastly Luna wears her forehead protector around her neck much like a collar with the steel plate facing forward as it shows her affiliation with the Konoha military proudly when she is not in uniform.

She was up at eight o'clock and was finished getting ready and out the door by nine. Not fond of mornings, she took her time on the non-urgent mission that involved her watching the new Chuunin kill a few wild boar. Luna's goal was to record her progress and bring any abnormalities to the attention of her superiors, should she find any. She was to meet Akuma Ryujin, a tall blonde with fair skin and violet eyes. Those were all the details she was given, and frankly, she would have no trouble spotting the woman standing by the gates as Luna gradually approached her destination. Twenty minutes late, but these were the types of errands she could afford to be lax on.

She beelined towards Akuma, making her arrival obvious to purposely draw her attention. The woman's height was definitely noted, as well a toned figure suggestion she was more brawn than brain. That could be a gross assumption on her end, but typically those who dedicate more time training their body tend to ignore their mental and spiritual development. It was no matter. Akuna was no her student and thus held little standards for her. She was merely here to observe the woman's performance and report any odd findings. "Ahem." Luna started, standing before the woman just a few meters apart giving some personal space. And as usual, Luna's hands were habitually placed on her hips almost giving a sense of hostility, but unfortunately teaching Genin over a decade developed some bad body language habits for the bluenette. "I presume you are Akuma Ryujin. Pleased to meet you. I am Luna Yamamoto, your Jounin overseer for this assignment. My purpose is to shadow your performance, to see if you are the right material to serve in Konoha's military. Given your lack of gear I can only imagine you plan to maul the boars with your bare hands. I hope you're up for the task." She said hysterically, jesting at her lack of preparation. It had been too long since Luna had to talk straight to another ninja, rather than talk down. It was a bit refreshing, but at the same time alien. While Akuma was entertained with her greeting, Luna faced the security checkpoint and began filling out her paperwork to leave the village gates.

---

[Analyzing Akuma 1/2 rounds]

Akuma didn’t mind her ‘shadow’ being a little late. The bird, which she had affectionately nicknamed ‘Little Yellow’ for the moment, was catching her up on some things around the village. She found out where the best place was to get bread, a few choice trees that might make for better rest, and what areas of the village that weren’t exactly ‘nature friendly’. It was interesting to learn that a lot of people were almost fighting nature, versus working around it or even working with it. She resolved that when she made her Clan Compound, that would be different. She would invite nature to grow with her, even if she had to use some materials harvested from Nature to make it. She was not about to be wasteful and such though, and it would be a testimant to the harmony that could be achieved through simply having a different mindset. She was certain that if they were willing to join her clan, that would be something that over time would come naturally. it was Little Yellow, who chirped once, who let her know that her escort had arrived, prompting the tall woman to turn around.

The first thing the blonde decided to do was give the young woman a complete once over, not holding back but also not sizing her up like a piece of meat, but more an assessment. This was someone who was supposed to be a Jounin of the village, which was technically one rank above her. Her clearing her throat only brought an eyebrow raise, because it was obvious it wasn’t being used to help clear a blockage from her throat, but to demand attention. Humans were odd creatures indeed, although she wasn’t certain that this was a particular tendancy she would be mimicing. The hands on her hips did absolutely nothing for Akuma; she simply wasn’t used to human mannerisms to interpret it as anything hostile. The introduction, as well as the assumptions, made her smile widely and nod.

“That’s me. And I’ve only ever needed my hands for anything, but if we are lucky, we won’t have to kill them at all. Seems a horrible waste… but if we do, I’d like to do it closer to home so that we won’t have to drag the meat. I can handle that much easily enough.” She waited a moment more for the woman to finish doing her signing out before speaking again. “I am going to apologize in advance, ma’am. I was not raised around humans, so there is a strong possibility that I will not understand some things as we go along. If you notice anything of this nature, by all means, let me know.” She bowed her head slightly, a sign of respect, and took a single, deep but barely noticable inhalation through her nose, getting a sense of what the chakra was like from the woman before her. Interesting. Curious. But nothing she would act on or mention right now, just mentally logged for future reference. She noticed that they were getting ready to head off, and almost instinctively she activated her natural blood, only a bit, but enough that it allowed two massive grey-black wings to emerge from her back, looking almost perfectly like a pair of dragon wings.

“I can carry you easily enough, and we will make better time this way.” She made her approach to the comparitively smaller girl, her wings flared a little bit, stretching instinctively. She did notice that there was a lot less Natural Energy in the Human Realm compared to the Blind Eternities, but that wasn’t much of a factor for this much. If she was willing, they would be airborne shortly, lifting off into the air and moving towards the village. Akuma had taken the liberty the night before to acquire a good look at the map, and find the location of the village they were going to. The airborne perspective would make it to where they would be able to identify any problems before they were in the thick of it, or even find their quarry much more quickly than if they were on the ground. It would require her to allow Akuma to basically invade all of Luna’s personal space, and her generous chest would wind up pressing against her back, but that didn’t even really seem to register to Akuma in the slightest, as it was something that she had never encountered before nor knew was something most humans were adverse to.

Within the few moments she met the woman face to face, Luna was able to quickly analyze several strong tells about her personality. Overconfident for sure... It was the nicest way to put it. Taijutsu dependence was a risky path to take, as somebody who practiced Taijutsu. Luna in the academy quickly learned the importance of branching out. Ultimately the three main ninja arts were key for success. Ninjutsu to master the elements and take the body beyond its natural limitations. Taijutsu to promote good health and making your body a tool in itself. Genjutsu to deceive and amplify your opponent's weakness. They were the three basic ninja arts that Luna specialized in. Having hands on experience in all fields she knew their value. To make matters worse, Akuma got the impression this was a run to the local wet market. A waste? Luna's eyebrows scrunched up with a bit of tension following Akuma's nonchalant attitude towards the mission. Even if it was a C-rank mission.

"Unfortunately, you will need to make compromises with your grocery trip. Our mission is to eliminate the boars, not drive them off. Goodness knows we have plenty of swine in the wilderness. Boars have always been a pest to farmland, but given their aggressive behavior lately, this likely indicates an overpopulation issue. Food becomes scarce and the animals become more and more desperate to feed. You should see this as a form of population control— a necessity to keeping all things balanced." Writing down her signature with an ink pen she set it down atop the clipboard and slide her documentation inside the security booth to finish checking out.

Luna would catch up to Akuma at a walking pace, though would stop just short of her. Not raised around humans? A chill ran through her body following the grim news. Of all assignments she had to be given the one dealing with a savage? The way she put it. She doesn't just mean she was raised without family or friends. She explicitly said 'humans.' Like society as a whole... Of course Luna fought to keep her visage as neutral as possible to not draw any unnecessary attention. She had nerves of steel, and they were certainly going to be tested. But she needed to endure. That's all she could do at this point. It could be worse...like an infiltration. Though I doubt she would have any problem with Sexpionage... The mind boggled, and after giving her initial once-over her appearance and the way she dressed, honey trapping would be right up her alley.

The silent judgements from Luna were met with a courteous bow from her colleague. As sour as a swill of vinegar the bluenette distracted the mind with thoughts of puppies. It was a helpful remedy in times of frustration where keeping one's cool was upmost priority. She wasn't a dog owner, but could appreciate the comfort they brought. But her vision was briefly disturbed by the sudden protrusion of wings out of the blonde's back. It was not so surprising given her experience, but unexpected. The once gray flesh started to transform into the appearance of stretched, transparent skin resembling that of what a dragon would have. Akuma followed her henged appearance with an offer to ride her.

Raising a single eyebrow she stared at the woman in confusion for a few seconds to let her body language set in in hopes the sage could pick up Luna's own emotions before replying. "That...won't be necessary. My task is to shadow your performance. That becomes impossible with my legs over your shoulders." That was Luna's reasoning, though deep down her motive was much, much different. "Anyways, should we get going? Those piggies aren't going to kill themselves." With that final statement, she started walking ahead keeping a rather relaxed pace. Leaving the village was a treat to her. As she spends most of her time training Genin, that also meant living the life of a Genin. She spent most of her time within the walls and saw less field action than the average Jounin. Being away from village limits and deep in the untamed atmosphere the Senju Forest provided was therapeutic in its entirety.

---

[Analyzing Akuma 2/2 rounds]

Akuma blinked at her first declaration, and immediately realized that she was remiss of giving some key information which was leading to Luna making some conclusions that weren’t entirely accurate, but she still brought up relevant information. “Oh, well that’s what I mean. Being a part of Nature Clan, one of the few perks is that I can communicate with most animals and have a deeper connection with Nature itself. They could have been driven out of their home by something more dangerous, perhaps something we should be worried about. If not, I’ll simply bring them home if we can; a single one can feed quite a few for quite some time. If they have to die anyway, I’d just prefer we don’t waste them.”

Akuma was all too familiar with needing to help with population control from the Blind Eternities. It was part of the upkeep of certain dragon’s realms to step in and correct the balance of their wildlife, and something she actively participated in because it was just another form of hunting, which was a part of her training.

And then there was the moment when she rejected the offer of them getting there by air, causing a look of almost a pout to cross her features for only a moment as the wings receded into her back, even her clothing reforming properly since it was made out of her own hair, something special she had come up with during her time growing up. She truly hoped she was done growing though; modifying the clothing constantly because of her growing body had been a major cause of frustration especially during her growth spurt. “I was gonna just hold you, not keep you aloft like a sack of potatoes… but if that’s what you’d like to do, you are the boss.” She shrugged a bit and then fell into step beside Luna, holding her pace and staying beside the woman. Maybe this was a good chance during the extended transit time to get to know who she was as a person.

“So, what do you like to do when you aren’t workin’? I’ve been doing a lot of reading since I got here to try to catch up on what I need to know, but getting some perspective on what you find fun might give me some ideas for myself, you know?” she asked casually, not really seeing any reason to be overly formal. If she gave something that sounded like an order, Akuma would most likely comply without hesitation, but it didn’t seem like she was overly worried about the mission being completely as quickly as possible if she didn’t want to make the best speed to get there. Akuma noted that she was most like the Blue Dragon Arcannis, one who controlled the element of water. That dragon was very business oriented and no-nonsense most of the time, but once you got past that and actually got to know him and the reasons he acted the way he did, he was a very good natured dragon whom she enjoyed the company of very much.

Luna didn't exactly follow with the blonde's reasoning, though she couldn't exactly speak to animals herself. Regardless, she didn't try Akuma too much seeing as this wasn't exactly her mission. Her task was to shadow the woman and make sure no serious harm befalls her. Failure to abide by the mission's details would be more information to go down on her report. But there was some release of tension following Akuma respecting Luna's personal boundaries.

The two would begin their journey, Luna lifting her head and gazing lazily into the sky. Scattered cirrus clouds marked the sky but nothing indicating a storm. The air was still a bit nippy given the change of seasons but would likely start warming up over the next few weeks. The sunlight was weak, not providing substantial warmth to roast in. Luna was not a fan of winter. Although the Land of Fire rarely saw a day below fifty degrees, the cold was miserable and limited her usual routine. Just dry and cold. But she couldn't complain as many places had it much worse. The Land of Water was often snowed over this time of year, whereas the Land of Iron was frozen over year-round except for a month or two. And then there was the Land of Frost which was mostly uninhabitable. Even by ninja. The closer to the summit one got the deadlier the cold. Tales have been told of a strong enough downwind from the peak managed to freeze any entire convoy solid.

Luna entertained herself with some nutty facts she picked up over her academic courses, and managed to be more thankful for her own conditions. In fact, if it weren't for this current assignment she would be cozied up by her fireplace, ensnared in thick blankets and enjoying a pot of black tea. She was thankful for the privileges she had. Amid her silence after the pair had gotten some distance from Konoha's gates Akuma started a bit of small talk to pass the time. Hobbies? It wasn't a question she got often. Matter of fact, her interests became less and less important to others the older she got. The easy answer would be 'I do a lot of things in my spare time' and leave it at that, but Luna needed to manually sift through her interests to keep some degree of privacy with this stranger.

"I enjoy my time off. Although I am passionate about my duties as an instructor, when you work with pupils ranging from ages twelve to sixteen years old, you tend to appreciate simple life pleasures: laying in the sun, resting your feet in a cool stream, a piece of dark chocolate, or a clean house. In the event I want something different, I would say I like fishing. It was one of the first sports I learned with my father. We visited a lake outside of the village. It was my first time leaving the village limits, so it was exciting yet nerve-racking. I never got good at it until my later years, and it was a rewarding experience to stock up on protein for the week without spending money at the market. More often than not we gave away most of our catch to our neighbors, keeping only what we needed. In return, our neighbors gave us stuff in return. The Momo family had a delicious peach tree. We would get a few during harvest, and a couple jars of preserves during the autumn. The Sakana's worked at a grocery store as butchers and would grind the fish we gave them into Kamaboko, where we would get a loaf each."

Luna droned on the entire time, staring nonchalantly ahead with a glazed look in her eyes. One that told others she was obviously daydreaming as she dove deep into her childhood memories. A set of blinks brought her back to consciousness as her deadpan expression became living once again. "But like all goods thing, they must come to an end. Our friendly neighbor's age caught up to them, and their homes put up for sale. The Momo family's house was the only one sold out of the two to my knowledge, but the owners had the tree removed due to issues with insects. Not that it matters, though. I don't fish as often as I used to. Especially in this weather." Luna was reminded of the cold once again as a breeze picked up during her monologue sending chills through her clothing. She could wrap herself in her own cloak and be perfectly fine, but she saw it as a sign of weakness. Her mission was to shadow Akuma, but that didn't mean she wanted to prop her feet up and get too comfortable. She was already on thin ice as it was between being totally lazy and remaining functional.

It was after she finished her long-winded dialogue did she turn her head back over her shoulder to see the horizon. Konohagakure was no longer in her light on sight. They were at least a kilometer away from the gates by then. At the very least she could appreciate the time killing potential Akuma's question had. The low road wasn't a bad one to take. It never was.

It seemed, for a moment, that Luna wasn’t planning on answering her, but after a bit of patient waiting and listening to her own footfalls, the answer came, and Akuma took it all in, processing each bit, one piece at a time.  She enjoyed her work as an instructor… which was good.  It was important to be enthusiastic in that type of job.  Akuma was then taken aback by just how down to earth her simple pleasures were, the things that she enjoyed, and she could definitely see that they had a lot more in common than she initially thought based on her demeanor.  But this was why she asked the questions she did; she wanted to get to know who this woman was; she wasn’t intimidated by the woman’s rank.  Then there was how her family and their community worked together and were close-knit, how they all helped each other, and it brought a smile to her face.  The bit about how it all sort of fell apart made Akuma nod; she was all too familiar with that much.

“The simple things are often the most enjoyable.  I’m much of the same way like that; I learned to value the little things when I was growing up.  But now that I’m here, it’s almost overwhelming how ill-prepared I was to face the task that I set my sights on.  It’s going to take everything I have and then some… but… I think I’d like to go fishing with you sometime if you feel up to it.  I hunt for my own food more often than not and tend to donate anything I don’t wind up eating to the orphanages and such around the village.  The kids went nuts when I brought a deer in one time and cooked it up for them.  Loved it.  I enjoy their positive energy, but I can see how being around them can make you want to just chill out after a while.”  Akuma chuckled a little bit, looking up at the sky as she spoke for a few moments before taking a deep breath, and felt that familiar pang of her heart as those day-dreams turned to ones of her own childhood… playing in the streams, trying to catch fish with her bare hands, falling asleep in the crook of Lathliss’ tail.

She missed them.

“Everything about this place feels so strange.  From the lack of Nature Chakra in the air, constantly being around other people and their unpredictable behaviors, even just the concept of using Ryo for currency… all of it is a lot to take in.”  There was a bit of apprehension in those words, but they quickly brightened as she continued.  “But I made my choices.  I’m here now, and I’m going to see things through.  My goal is to build a Clan District in Konoha and bring the rise of a new clan centered around my home in the Blind Eternities.  A clan of Dragonborn.”  This admission was said as though it had already been set in stone, and come to pass and was irrefutable fact.  But then she turned towards Luna, a smile on her face and curiosity in her lavender eyes.

“How about you?  Any big goals you have your sights on?” she asked politely.

At the start of Akuma's response, Luna nodded lightly agreeing with her first statement. Truth be told, she could be fully content living off of life's simple pleasures. She didn't like to see herself as somebody who thrives off status or attention. Those virtues were pointless to strive for, and can even become toxic if one sacrifices their own well-being for status or reputation. Luna passively paid attention to the blonde's hunting experience, listening as she kept her head forward and steadied her pace with hers. There was some benefit to having company on long walks such as this. The sounds of nature were peaceful, but sharing nostalgia had its own warming comfort akin to a homely evening in her living room couch. Hearing the settling voice of Akuma and her story was the type of autonomous sensory meridian response she'd unwind to.

"They say 'appreciate the little thing', but the more you mature you begin to realize the 'little things' are all you have. Life is a limited experience, and in this line of work, that experience is always at the verge of collapse. I know men, both dead and alive, who sacrifice everything for renown. They want their life to mean something by having their face carved into side of Hokage Rock, something I and the majority of people in Konoha don't even notice on a daily basis. Your greatest duty is building meaningful connections to those you care about around you, and your own well-being. It's why I enjoy my role as an instructor so. I can equip young Genin with the right mindset as they start their journey in this industry. A sensei's job isn't to just teach their pupils how to kill. They work as a role model and guidance, seeing how ninja grow up in a totally different environment."

Most civilian attended public school and lived a fairly ordinary life, often supported by a full family. As for ninja, they are often adopted into the program at a young age and develop physically and mentally when they grow older. It's a rigorous course, often cramming information taught over the course of years into four years. And as Genin they rarely see home, often working closely with their team and instructor. It's certainly a hard life, but once adapted, it becomes the only way of life. "In regards to your fishing offer...mmm. Maybe." Luna said nonchalantly, having not much thought on the matter. Fishing now was certainly a mood thing, and while the pros were clear, she fancied summertime fishing over winter. To her Akuma didn't seem so terrible. From what she could read, the woman didn't give off any red flags that suggested she was a creeper or necessarily dangerous. She intended to intrude her personal space shortly after meeting, but wasn't persistent which separated her from most males she worked with.

As Luna eased up (and caved in to the winter chills) she nonchalantly stuffed both hands in her shorts pockets, as shallow and ineffective as 'pockets' they were. They provided enough comfort, keeping the tips of her fingers up to the second joint insulated. Akuma started to share more about herself following the brief moment of silence after Luna's response. She found it a bit odd after hearing the term Nature Chakra more than once. Apparently it wasn't taken literally seeing as the two were far enough away from Konoha that it was no longer in sight and were surrounded by the Senju Forest. There was plenty of nature to go around, but that didn't satiate the woman. Perhaps she was referring to her kin, and how they radiated a similar energy. That would make sense seeing as they weren't around.

Everything Akuma was sharing led up to her lofty goal of 'building a clan district' as she stated so bluntly, a multi-million ryo project in itself. "Good luck in your endeavors. I don't know how much family you have, but I'm sure it's more efficient to buy a large house than securing two-hundred acres of land, property, resources, and trade. The clan districts you see around the village come from wealth, and have existed for centuries before the establishment of the major nations. Needless to say, what you're trying to accomplish isn't a task suitable for one person." It seemed like a strange goal for one person to have. At least Luna found it more practical to invest in an estate. Talking about real estate...I'm getting too old to still live in government housing. I should see about moving out of my flat." Home ownership is a wonderful thing, so they say.

She started to concentrate a bit, making a financial plan for success, but was abruptly interrupted by a follow-up question from Akuma. "A big goal? From me? I guess what I've been saying hasn't sunk in yet." Luna replied in a mildly taunting tone. "Nope. No big plans over here. I reached my big goal nine years ago, and that was when I was promoted to Jounin. Ever since then life has been a smooth ride, and I plan to keep it that way. If you're really serious about this clan district project, I suggest making smaller goals along the way. Raising the kind of money you need is quite a journey. Without any milestones in between it's easy to get discouraged. Make it your first goal to...I don't know, invest in a stable mean of income. Or perhaps make it to the end of the month with a net gain of one-hundred thousand ryo. That way you can manage your progress and stick to a plan rather than setting a destination and hoping you reach it in an arbitrary amount of time." Although Luna did not know Akuma for an amount of time that would warrant any form of friendship, she would at least try to advise her to make smart financial decisions and not wind up in a steep debt. Especially when the blonde seems to have good willed intent and wasn't pursuing this project out of greed or vanity. Luna could respect somebody going incredibly lengths for their own family, though in this case, she saw it as stretching herself too thin.

Akuma nodded at the wisdom Luna shared. “I agree… hell, that was the foundation of my argument with Nicol Bolas for being able to come back to this realm in the first place. You only get one life. One chance to make a difference. I don’t care about fame or glory… but hearing you speak about instructing, I know that I’m not ready for that yet. I need to learn how to properly be human before I can handle instructing others on the same task. I have a long way to go.” Akuma had always been the humble type, even when she was young. She knew that in the grand scheme of everything, she was just a speck in a much larger machine, and she was going to have to really work at it in order to make that into something that could be remembered for the ages. She didn’t miss the bit about the blue-haired woman possibly taking her up on fishing at a later time though; Akuma wouldn’t hesitate to invite her once she found a good fishing spot.

She did however notice the woman seemed cold and considered something for a moment, and finally decided to make an offer. “So, I naturally run hot. Generate a lot of body heat. If you want, I can remake a wing and surround you with it. Guarantee that it’ll cut down the chill, at a minimum. Your call though.” Her tone made it obvious that she simply wanted her new friend to be warm, not that she was trying to make a move on her, despite the fact that in order for it to work, she would very much need to be walking almost intimately close with Akuma. The blonde simply didn’t understand the concept of personal space, and that was something that was doubtful would ever truly become something at the forefront of her mind. To the blonde, it was simple; there was a problem, and she proposed a solution. If she accepted, however, Akuma would make the single large black wing on one side, more than large enough to completely conceal the smaller woman from the elements while still allowing her to see in front of her.

As they began to discuss the bits about the Clan District, however, Akuma paid close attention because she knew that a Jounin who had spent her entire life in this realm would know far more about it than she would. Once she had finished everything completely, Akuma having waited to reply until the very end to ensure that she got all the information, then she would reply in three different parts. “OK, first, nine years ago? You gotta be the same age as me, roughly… that is impressive as hell. From what I read, Jounin are typically adults before they reach that rank, if at all. But I think it’s important to always keep a goal in mind to help motivate you to drive forward… and I think you have one and don’t even realize it: Prepare the next generation.” A worthy goal, certainly. Admirable. Honorable. Something that Akuma could certainly get behind. One that, if Akuma could finish her own personal goals, she wouldn’t mind assisting her in accomplishing.

She then seamlessly transitioned. “Second, it’s not for my Bloodline or any sort of Blood Family that I’m trying to make a Clan District… it’s more than that. You know how there is the Frogs who have their mountain, the summons, right? Mine is kinda like that. I was raised by Dragons in a plane called the Blind Eternities. They can grant powerful abilities to those they share their blood with, and as a Dragonborn, or Dragon Sage as it’s called here, I am their ambassador. I am trying to give the dragons a home here, and those who would seek their favor, a place to earn it and train under them as I did. Unfortunately, a Large Home would not be something that would be able to handle such an establishment, but I assure you, if I succeed, the other clans will respect ours if nothing else. Dragonkin are not weak by any stretch of the imagination.” She didn’t boast, simply stated facts as she saw them, not taking away from anything being said and only building on it… but that lead her to the final piece of the puzzle.

“And third, I know that this will be no simple task. Small goals along the way and finding those who would support me in this is definitely high on my priority list now, and thank you for enlightening me. This may take me years, but I am fine with that. Dragons live exceptionally long lives. Even if my descendants are the ones to realize it, I would be able to rest soundly. I simply want my family, who has been hidden in the Blind Eternities for eons, to be able to trust humanity once again and share their wealth of power and knowledge amongst more than just myself.” She gave Luna a warm smile, and then looked up and noted that the village they were heading towards was coming into view. It was time to get to work.

“Looks like we are here. I’ll do some scouting and see what I can find.” She brought her hands up and formed the seal, and roughly twenty shadow clones came into existence all around the pair, who then quickly broke away and into the forest, spreading out and starting their hunt. They dashed through the woods, but Akuma just revealed that she knew one of the most prized techniques of Konoha; The Mass Shadow Clone jutsu. Considering that she was new to the realm of humanity, this might bring up some legitimate questions from Luna, but obviously, Akuma wasn’t even thinking about that in the slightest. She simply wanted to find out why this hoard of boars was endangering themselves to eat up the crops of the villagers.

Being Nature Clan and able to communicate with the animals instead of just guessing, getting to the root of the problem shouldn’t take long. Akuma actual simply continue to walk towards the village itself, hoping to have a centralized location to get the information from her clones and talk with the villagers themselves.

There was a sense of peace for the time being as the pair of kunoichi took turns making small talk during their trip. Boars were not threat to any of them. It was more or less a chore, but it generated income for the village and that's all that really mattered to her. Compared to any ninja, really, boars didn't serve as a threat. They were far more mobile, so the only task they were given is tracking and killing without thought. Despite Luna's attempts to act subtle with her body language the cue was picked up by Akuma that the wind chill was something that existed. After their brief pause in dialogue Akuma started up, beginning a conversation in quite an odd fashion. High amounts of body heat was a side effect of a hormonal imbalance or high metabolism, likely the latter given the woman's stated survivalist and hunter/gatherer lifestyle. There was no doubt the woman's body worked at a higher functionality than the almost-sedentary Jounin instructor.

Luna passed a sideways glance as Akuma wrapped up her proposal before naturally veering just slightly away from the blonde putting a good extra meter between the two for safekeeping. It was an odd request. Something that Luna questioned if the nature of it was serious or not. But sometimes the best answer was one not given at all.

The bluenette preferred to leave her age to the imagination of her companion, as she believed the concept of 'never ask a woman her age' despite Akuma not exactly asking. But truth be told she was a bit embarrassed to share her age, being older than most and having little to show for it aside from experience in her job and a strict routine. Akuma listed out her reply numerically, shifting the subject to her clan district. She mentioned what she could only presume was Mount Myōboku, location secret within the great Land of Fire which was home to the toads. The location was guarded in mystery, many saying a several month long journey through the Land of Fire, following a very specific path. It almost sounded like a fantasy land, and while Luna has heard of it, she never seen the place herself or witnessed any Toad Sages in her time.

Her goal was to create some sort of outpost within the village for her Dragonkin. It sounded like a stretch, and Luna was unsure how the other greater clans would respond to foreigners being recognized as equals, but it was none of her business. With Akuma's closure statement Luna lazily shrugged in response. As long as she was up for it then she had no reason to interfere. As long as she could live her day to day as normal Luna could care less about the politics of others.

There was a bit of excitement when she spotted the village in the horizon. They were traveling for almost an hour now and while she enjoyed the walk and talk, the thought of wrapping up this mission, getting paid, and cozying up at home was much more enticing. Akuma wanted to scout the area and did so with an impressive number of shadow clone. Twenty copies to be exact she Luna's eyes scanned over the lot of did a bit of quick math. It was a very efficient way to go about it, as she could cover more ground and find her targets faster than spending all day looking herself. Luna followed Akuma towards the small town which was going to likely serve as a rendezvous point for her clones. It was wise to give an assigned meetup location, so Luna could note that as a positive leadership trait from Akuma. But the rest of the mission's execution was still up in the air.

Akuma raised her hands in mock surrender as the blue-haired woman stepped further away.  “A simple ‘no thanks’ would’a been fine.  Ain’t like I got the plague, jeez.”  A part of her wondered if it was because of her Nature Clan’s bloodline, and the infamy that preceded it.  They were rumored as vicious, mindless and bloodthirsty, physical powerhouses that lost their minds and hunted down any humans they came across, friends and foes alike.  Perhaps it had been too soon to show off her wings.  That doubt ate at her normal confidence, and by just a short measure, the blonde seemed to have diminished a bit in her personal intensity, but said nothing of it.  Now wasn’t the time or place to be dredging up painful history.

As the actual mission began, the platoon of clones split up into four groups of five.  Each squad would work a different sector for each cardinal direction; north, east, south and west.  This was a tactic she had come up with for searching friendly areas, and the blonde knew it didn’t work in hostile areas very well, but she doubted the boars would be strong enough to be considered a true threat.  The clones bounded through the trees quickly, using her natural speed to traverse a fairly large distance in a short time.  This method of searching required that the original be in a centralized location because the way that information was relayed back to Akuma was that the ‘leader’ of each group would disperse, either at regular intervals or when some important information came up.  When that happened, the information would be fed back to the original and she would create another clone to bolster the ranks of the group that had dispersed a clone, allowing the seamless flow of information and reinforcements to work at maximum efficiency.

It didn’t take long for the original and Luna to get to the city center, where the elder approached the blonde.  “Are you here about the boars?” he asked, looking to be in his mid-forties and still strong and able-bodied, he seemed relieved when Akuma nodded.  “Don’t worry Boss, we’ll get this squared away one way or another in no time.”  She then looked up for a moment and slowly closed her eyes, focusing.  After only a minute, they opened again.  “Found them.  Quite a few, actually.  Going to find out what’s causing them to encroach on their land.”  Forming the hand-seal, she made another four clones who quickly dashed off in all four directions, the other squads making sure that was the only pocket of the pigs and where they were coming from.  Akuma closed her eyes again.

Another five minutes passed before her violet eyes opened again, and she turned back towards the elder.  “Have you been hunting a lot of wolves and bears lately?” she asked, concerned.  “Well yes.  We kill them any chance we get.  Don’t want them hurting anyone or killing livestock.”  Akuma frowned.  “You did too much.  The boars are out of control, population-wise because their predators are diminished.  Give the order to stop hunting them, and in a couple of years, the boars won’t be a problem anymore.  I’ll take care of it for now, but you can bet you’ll need to submit another request in a month to do it again until the predators get back on their feet.”  Akuma then turned south, where the majority of the boar population was, and created a dozen more clones, sending them that direction.

Ten minutes later, dozens of Shadow Akuma’s marched out of the woods in a file, each of them with a massive boar on their shoulders that was killed and bled.  The original turned towards the village leader with a smile.  “I’ll take whatever you don’t want back to the village.  I’m sure there’s plenty of people who’d like to use the meat.  How many do you want here to feed you and yours?” she asked, pleased that it seemed like a successful hunt.  This would feed Akuma and whoever she wanted to donate them to for quite some time.

Akuma at least picked up Luna's gesture, but responded to it in a seemingly negative way. She did recall Akuma stating at least a couple times by now that she wasn't raised around humans and thus failed to understand some of the simpler concepts many who grew up around civilization understood. "Generally, if you advertise yourself as 'running hot' you tend to imply you're always sweaty and emit a bad BO. But offering to warm another person with your body who you are not intimate with is seen as inappropriate. It's something you should be mindful of." But alas there was no reason to dwell on that part given the actual mission was about to begin. This meant Luna needed to focus on observing the blonde's abilities to write a full report.

The town was small and defenseless. Although within reasonable response time of Konoha, the lack of any passive defenses such as walls made it a prime target for any raid, organized or disorganized. There was no surprise a minor pest such as wild animals was a large enough threat for the townsfolk to gather up to nearly one-hundred thousand to deal with them. But some people weren't designed for combat, and when all you have to defend yourself is a handful of tired, inexperienced farmers with poorly made equipment, there is no doubt they sought help.

And help they received, as nonchalant it was. Luna and Akuma herself waited at the center of town while the copies of the blonde did all the work. Tracking was without a doubt in her realm of talents given her background as a forager. As Akuma and an older man made conversation, Luna remained in silence watching the horizon for any news. The clones of the woman were without a doubt deep in the woods judging by the speed they scattered. As Akuma spoke with the man she came to the conclusion the natural predators were being overkilled allowing the boar population to grow unchecked. It was a reasonable assumption to believe that was the case, though she didn't expect Akuma to reply with a request to stop killing them and request another work order in a month, causing Luna's eyes to curiously shift over to the farmhand's face to read any reaction he may have.

Generally when hiring ninja to do a pest extermination at the very least she could've guaranteed more than a month of security. But at least time was taken into consideration when just a few minutes and her clones would return with several carcasses over their shoulders. Luna kept her eyes locked on the clones as they returned victorious. When they came within appraisal view she couldn't help but notice substantial blunt trauma on the bodies of the pigs. "Looks like you really did use your hands." She left as a remark as the bodies piled. There was no shortage of meat, and no doubt that most of it would end up salted and preserved for the long term, or even sold. Unfortunately Luna wasn't a huge fan of pork, unless it was prepared as a sausage or covered in some sort of sweet, sticky sauce.

"Well, not to dampen your moment, but I believe we're done here. You did complete your objective as requested, so you can consider yourself 'passed' for this observation. But keep in mind that you are always being monitored. So always act with the best interest of the village in mind." Sunset wasn't too far off. If they started to walk now they'd make it within village limits just in time for dusk. But even then, Luna needed to write her report and file before she was actually free for the evening, only leaving roughly five hours of free time instead of a much more appealing seven hours if she utilized all of her resources. There were a couple options to make the best time, and only one required the least amount of effort. "Are your wings still working, or do I have to run home? Since this observation is over I guess we can take the fast and exciting way back to Konoha." Luna said throwing in a pair of air quotes for effect. Despite Akuma's awkward social habits, she was at least genuine with her actions and had utility.

Akuma had heard what Luna said, her eyebrows had scrunched together in an expression of confusion.  “Maybe that’s normal, but to me, that’s just plain weird.  If I stank, I’d just say I stank… and I don’t really get sweat really unless I’m trainin’ hard, I just am always a bit warm… and I never dealt with the whole ‘intimate’ thing so I can’t really speak on that, so I’ll take your word for it and keep it in mind.  Sorry about that.”  At that, she let the topic drop entirely as the mission truly began in earnest.  For the most part, all of it really had gone according to plan; something as simple as hunting down hogs and whatnot was a cakewalk for a natural predator like Akuma.

She hadn’t told anyone about her ability to commune with the animals, but before she had slaughtered a good portion of them, she had discovered most of what she needed to know when addressing the village elder before she had ever spoken a word.  The blonde didn’t need to worry about it as much as others because she was far more involved with Nature than your typical person because of her blood.  She knew the balance of nature, the delicate scale of the ecosystems, and how human presence had disturbed much of it, throwing things off balance as Nature herself worked tirelessly to compensate.  She also knew just how fearsome Nature herself could be, and without hesitation could wipe humanity off the map and not even bat an eye.  Akuma had a solid belief that if there were higher beings in this world, Nature was one of them, and she had been extremely patient and tolerant of human existence for a very long time.

Some of the boars had blunt trauma, but most of them looked as though they had been cut by something, despite the fact that Akuma didn’t carry a blade on her.  She had no need.  Her transformation enabled her to create claws that made the kunai in the market look like they were made of paper mache.  She hadn’t revealed that bit about herself either, especially considering the normal humans that would likely be terrified utterly if they saw her full transformation, or even just a single arm if she was being honest.  The blonde doubted very highly that Konoha would appreciate her scaring the crap out of the people who had hired them and likely would need to hire them again.

A bit more talk with the village elder and eight of the boars were offloaded neatly in a row in the town center, and the rest began their march back towards the village as she turned back towards Luna, complete with her task and listening to her confirm it.  A smile spread across her face as she declared that Akuma had passed, and there was only a single response to her warning.  “Konoha is my home now.  Keeping their best interests in mind is sorta in my own best interest now, ya know?” she said, the question rhetorical obviously from her tone and the wink she gave the shorter woman.

But it was when the woman asked if her wings still worked, the smile grew, now burning at a million-watts and excitement in her eyes.  “Oh you bet they work.  Hop on… I’ll show you a whole new world.  Nothing compares to the view from the air.”  She turned around and crouched, positioning herself so that she could climb up on her shoulders.  Once she had done so, Akuma stood with ease, placing her hands on the woman’s thighs simply to hold her in place as she did so that Luna didn’t fall off, and getting her feet to tuck in under her arms against her ribs for additional stability.  Then those massive grey-black wings emerged from her back again, stretching and making the Elder and other onlooker’s eyes open wide in surprise.

They didn’t get to gawk long, as those wings beat powerfully against the air, and after two, lifted them off the ground, continuing to lift them higher and higher until the people in the village looked no bigger than ants, and finally they leveled out.  Higher than any building or even the Hokage rock, the world sprawled out before them, giving Luna a view she would never have been able to experience before.  With a few more powerful beats, she began to move forward, flying towards Konoha at a great pace, but from Akuma, it felt casual and relaxed.  She didn’t say anything, but she truly wanted to know what Luna thought of it all and wanted nothing more than to share the experience with another person who had never seen the world from her perspective.

Luna was delighted to hear the wings thing was something that Akuma was willing to utilize freely. It likely didn't take much energy to use which had a slew of benefits, though personally if Luna could fly she couldn't see herself using it often out of fear of drawing too much attention to herself. Though, in the event of shaving a good half hour off of travel time she simply couldn't resist its efficiency. Luna would find herself on the path of comfort as she scaled the back of the blonde and perched herself in the best seat she could find, which would be her upper back at the nape of her neck. Her legs would be slung over and crossed at Akuma's chest as her thighs clamped down. This would fasten her to Akuma's body and prevent her from falling. And it was times like these Luna was happy she carried her cloak with her at all times. She'd draw the hood over her head and pulled the ends of her cloak inwards to wrap her in the thick fabric.

Warm at last... A slight relief as her body began to insulate its natural heat. As the woman's wings begun to beat they were airborne in an instant. Luna would be lying if she said she ever flew before. Although this isn't her first time being off the ground, her height was never really sustained for a long period of time such as this. And the times she was up in the air, Luna never really bothered to take in the sights, so to speak. Often times she was focusing on her opponent during her short trips off of land. From above she could see numerous landmarks including the great village Konoha itself. On the grand scale the distance they traveled was nothing compared to the ground they could cover with flight. The world certainly seemed a lot smaller from above, a first experience Luna would remember.

But as endearing as it was the cold was unbearable. Cooler temperatures and a strong draft given their speed. Luna would tilt her head down to allow the hood of her cloak to take the brunt of the oncoming air resistance. Fortunately, like all heavy cloaks, they doubled as a windbreaker making her body relatively fine when dealing with high speeds and chilly weather, the only parts of her not being as insulated being her face and her legs, though her legs had the benefit of at least being covered in a thin, mesh stocking.

It wasn’t long before they had ascended far into the air, giving Luna a brilliant display of the entire area that otherwise would have been impossible. Rolling hills, forests, meadows that were hidden from sight on the ground all played out beautifully before her as they rose to what Akuma felt like was a good cruising height, and then began to glide forward, only occasionally beating her massive wings to generate more lift and thrust. Long since used to the affects of the cold wind and having told the truth earlier in regards to generating warmth, as Luna hunched down in her position she would find that Akuma’s body was very warm, and in combination with her cloak and her massive mane of thick blonde hair was more than capable of keeping the passenger cozy during the trip.

Feeling her hunch down, Akuma changed the positions of her hands, now allowing her forearms to act as a wind-brace for her legs while still keeping her solidly in position. They flew on like that for several minutes, the ground speeding underneath them as they flew in the direction of Konoha, the direct path cutting a significant portion of the travel time off their trip. It wasn’t long at all during the mostly quiet ride that they arrived near the front gate, but before their descent, the blonde shifted, her wings beating for a moment as they hovered over the village temporarily, lifting an arm for a moment and pointing to a section of forest outside the residential area for the village. “That’s the area I reserved. Just gotta get the money together and I’ll have that whole little section.” She explained, obviously proud and talking as though this massive project was already set in stone.

Then finally the wings slowed their beating and they began to descend; she knew that she was supposed to go through the gate properly, and not fly in… at least until she was trusted enough to know how to enter and not raise any alarms. It would take the village and its population some time to get used to Akuma flying around, but she was patient. Today was a big step in the right direction. After about a minute, Akuma finally touched down again and immediately squatted, allowing Luna to disembark. Once she was free and clear, she would stand back up and retract her wings, the appendages once more absorbing into her back and vanishing as though they were never there. Looking towards Luna, she decided a single statement would suffice, and they were far enough from the gate guards that she was pretty sure they wouldn’t be overheard. “You change your mind about fishin’ or decide you wanna come with on one of my hunts, don’t hesitate. And don’t be a stranger, eh?” she said with a massive smile.