Hiroko's 'missions'

Mystical Safety Bell/learning one-handed signs

Missions and duties, Hiro knew these words so well. They weren't foreign to her in the least. In fact her life was made of these simple terms. That thing in her noggin that was so collected, so condensed that nothing ever seemed to look out. Her eyes so distanced barely portrayed her inner thoughts, if she had any. All her expression ever read was a look that said I don't care. It angered most people, that she showed nothing, but in truth she was perfect for her bosses. Whoever decided to address her and give her a job, loved that she did it without questioning or arguing. If she had anything, it was a simple "How shall it be done?" or "What do you need me to do?" They were thrilled. If anything, the young woman was an experiment; a test on how inhuman a human could be. It wasn't approached the same as others, no. This was focused as a sort of test on mentality, not pure strength. In order to be good, you needed brains; cunning. Yet to make room for that logical capacity something had to be sacrificed. In this case, they chose emotions. Through her previous teacher she had become a void it seemed her heart no longer anywhere but on a shelf. It seemed locked: Hidden forever in a locked jail cell. It was prisoner, chained and placed with a padlock, placed in a chest, locked, placed on a shelf, within a dark room which was as well locked and camouflaged as if it was never ever allowed to be seen. Never to be heard.

The woman had a color of jet black for her hair. The tresses a harsh color, feathered over her forehead. It framed her face whimsically, without a care almost like small scratches that glowed a black on her pale skin. The smooth color of her flesh almost blending in with the snow, yet it yielded a soft pastel color, with the shine of a fair complexion. Despite all her time in the sun it seemed the snow was the prominent element in her body's growing. Today she wore a long-sleeved dress that would cover her scars. The ones on her arms the deepest, the ones on her back as well a sort of symbol of her existence. Yet the way they looked made her appear as if she had never been human to start. She'd never believe that. Silken white pierced the mind as it fell along her body, hiding any curves and making her seem less than ordinary, if anything she looked homely in this dress. It fell into a sort of purple frame and the lilac color complimented themselves and her very well, despite how the cloth itself looked. She didn't seem to mind, striding forth with her long and feminine legs. A few scars falling along them as well as the round of her face. It seemed one of her eyebrows held a sort of nick in it, attracting minor detail and yet somewhat it seemed placed there on purpose. It was as if it were a birthmark, but it was far from looking like one. The paler colored skin stretching over her eyelid and into her brow.

Her steps were calm, collected, the icy snow on her nearly bare feet. Was it a bright idea to have open toed shoes? For most the answer was no. However, She was something else; something special. She had abilities that made her love the cold, as well her personality was so much better in the cold of the Yuki. Slush slush slush, the sound of snow crunching and slushing echoed almost loudly in the air. What was to be expected? Snow may just be condensed water, but it still would make noise just the same. It wasn't exactly a solid nor a liquid so the crunchy slushy sound was the two states fighting for dominance.

The buildings around her look abandoned; lonely in her wake. No one looked out at the world, in fact it seemed as if no one even lived here anymore. However that was untrue, very untrue. Her eyes adjusted, those piercing ice irises glowering at the road before her, were always aware of presences. She new she wasn't alone in this tiny village. It would be bustling come later in the day. For now the morning wind was a bitter hindrance that wanted nothing to do with people or creatures. It seemed angered by any entities out in its way. Angrily it howled at the girl as she fought her way into a building. It left her to shiver a moment out of pure instinct.

A moment passed as she stepped up to the large building. It seemed to bellow ill will, a building of such size in a land so cold, but Hiro wasn't here to judge. A soft rise of her wrist brought her to the door. She felt no hesitance pressing her palm to the cold metal. It bit fiercely at her exposed skin as she gripped and turned it. A sort of creak filled the air as the woman stepped forward, pushing open the large metal obstacle with a sort of huff and strain. The cold made everything hard to open and close. This was no exception on the matter. A flood of warm burnt her cheeks as the door closed loudly with a bang. The wind sucking it in place like an angry child. No one was around though, so no one would be startles by the angry weather.

Her heels seemed to click as Hiro strolled down the large hallway. A tattered rug divider seeming to snake ahead of her. She found that to be tacky, almost disgusting in looks, but again she didn't come here to be a decorator. As she walked, her pupils stayed straight ahead; locked on her target, a door that slowly came to be closer to her. As if it grew in size, it seemed to become larger with each step and yet it seemed to be farther away. Other doors mocked her as she walked, darting behind her as she passed. Though she didn't count them, she approximated at least 20 by the time she reached her second obstacle. With another grip and turn, she found herself approached by another slamming door after she had stepped into the round room.

A collection of two others stood, chuckling and sharing a breeze. However as she entered, they became silent a moment, as if talking about her. It didn't make her paranoid, but she did have a piqued interest in what was so secretive. Yet she said nothing and simply continued walking to a large desk, at which an older man was sitting with a grin on his face. He seemed to stare at her like a beast until his eyes closed in a more relaxed smile. His wrinkled face turned into a sort of comforting smile. His voice boomed heartily as he began to speak.

"Well Hello young lady, How are you doing?" His question was sincere enough, but it wasn't. A simple greeting Hiro knew all to well. Though she could have answered, Hiro didn't want to waste breath and energy to tell the man something he didn't care to know in the first place. In response she instead nodded. It was a simple, boring notion but it got the point across easily.

Though he seemed disappointed, the man nodded back, his smile fading. He seemed unhappy with her response, as if it didn't answer the question. Knowing not to press the matter, however he simply spoke. "That's good to know." There was a moment of awkwardness as no one spoke for a time.

At last the other figure in the room spoke. The person was also a man, his hair messy and brown, a five o' clock shadow in his wake. The gold of his eyes rested on the girl, almost scolding her for being rude. His height towered over her own as he stepped up to her, wrapping a hand around the back of her neck. "You know why you're here, little girl?" His voice was deeper, more sinister and almost skull shattering in its tone. His hand flexed, tightening his grip and closing the space between his palm and the girl's spine. He wasn't trying to kill her, or at least if he were she would have been long dead. "Well?" He stated impatiently as she didn't respond.

Hiro replied as she stared hard at the client in front of her. "You have me on a mission, I'm assuming." Her voice was cold and rejecting, a if biting him back for being impatient. "Again you volunteer me without my consent, sensei." Her eyes were piercing once more as they narrowed to slits, glaring towards the man's head. Despite the ability of tearing into souls, the eyes couldn't kill, if they could, they would have. "So tell me, what is it I must do?"

The brown haired man tightened his grip once more before turning his attention to the girl's potential boss. "Very good." His voice vibrated in an almost insult. It seemed he was almost angry with her actions, it was close to insubordination. Then again he knew Hiro well, she wasn't being a smart-ass, she was simply obeying as she did. It was her strange thing, being so obedient had its downfalls, but to the man it was heaven. He never had to tell her repetitively to do something or to not do something. He never had to worry about the job not getting done, and he never had to worry about half-ass jobs either. It was a miracle that he got such a wonderful student. Even if he found her when she was trying to kill herself.

That had been an odd day indeed. Finding the young woman crumpled in a small ball within an alley. Blood covered the area around her; red jewels that had been flicked this way and that to color the crimson snow about her. She looked dead when he reached her, yet her breath was very silent; almost unnoticeable to the teacher. In a sort of flare of pity, the man had scooped her up and tossed her over his shoulder. Who knows what some sort of creepy pedophile could do. A young girl, a dying body.. there were some sickos out there. The girl was just lucky he wasn't one. It wasn't very tough to take her body into his own home, she weighed nearly nothing. With little effort he tossed her on the couch and watched over her.

He didn't keep all his concentration on her though and instead decided to have a smoke while the girls body returned from the brinks of frostbite and hypothermia. The blue color of her skin faded into the natural hues of a human being. Once her breathing had returned to normal, she managed to roll off of the couch and landed on the ground with a thud. The man didn't bother to catch her. It was another hour before she woke. After calling her a dumb-ass, he asked her name, she gave it then passed out again. Letting her be, the man went to a cup of sake. It wasn't his priority to make her comfortable. Not even close. He didn't even need to help her as he did. The fact he did was simply luck and out of the remote kindness of his own heart... though at times he didn't see he had one.

"Well it's good to see such an intelligent young woman is willing to help me even though she was forced to." The client grinned as he spoke, interrupting the memory quickly. It was a slice through the air. He seemed oblivious of this fact though. Obviously not in the loop. Who could blame him though? He wasn't there, he didn't know what had happened. In fact he knew nothing other than the fact that this girl was exceptional. Perhaps she was only genin, but she seemed to know so much more about the world than some people who had been around for decades. The old man's face crinkled again as he smiled softly. "So I'm guessing you want to know what your mission is, huh? It will pay very well."

To be honest, Hiro could have cared less about something as petty as money. She had no need of that. So in response she simply nodded once more. She was sure she had already asked, but becoming curt or smart with the client would backfire most likely. Most people did not enjoy being embarrassed and who could blame them? What was accomplished through this? Nothing but mocking laughter which would infuriate the mocked, make them blush and hide their face from the judgmental glares and smirks. A simple laugh could turn someone's mood to awful or to amazing. Funny how the world worked.

Finding herself straying from the topic, she snapped back to her 'boss'. He seemed completely oblivious to the fact the young lady had zoned. His eyes moving to her teacher with a questioning glance. It seemed to make him uncomfortable that the girl didn't speak much. It was a disturbing fact and most found it something that was unusual and to be avoided. How could you have a conversation with a puppet? You can't. It was that simple, but he couldn't help thinking that perhaps if he tried he could get a few words from her. It yielded no results. Only awkward silence or nods. She was something. In a way the man believed that she was thinking that she was superior, that she didn't have to talk to him because she was above him. That was certainly not the case. However much it seemed like that, it was as far from the truth as possible. Hiro simply refused to talk about herself, her past or anything related to her. It seemed her teacher was very similar in this way.

Finally realizing he wouldn't get a decent answer out of the two if he begged, dipped his head and spoke. His hands hit the desk, touching and dragging the papers over the desk, spreading them apart. Writing and images were scattered of the organized parchments and the man looked up with a grin. His bony fingers moving back to the curve under his chin. "Have you ever heard of the Mystical Safety Bell?" His words seemed to imply a background story, but he had stopped for suspense. The green of his eyes soft and amused as he awaited the response of the young girl.

Hiro was a bit confused, but answered the question, "No sir. I have not." This time her voice sounded robotic, without any soul or passion. The lack of sincerity annoyed the client, but he proceeded to nod in a sympathetic way. Hiro felt a little annoyed. Why should he pity her? She was well protected with her skills. There was no doubt about that. Yet this man had the gull to treat her like a toddler with his looks. Again she caught herself before she fell out of hand and after a moment she was focused entirely back on the conversation. Her icy eyes as perceiving as ever.

A sort of grin crept on the old man's lips as his head turned to the taller man standing behind the young woman. The crow's feet around his eyes veining more as the muscles flexed. The man shrugged, clearly uninterested in answering yes or no. It wasn't his mission after all. He was simply here to make sure Hiro did her job and took good notes on it.

"Well, the artifact is said to have holy powers. A fascinating item put away for safe keeping. It once belonged to a young lady as yourself." He spoke, babbling on about the research. Hiro knew that the last part was a flattery statement, and for sure this time it got him nowhere. This particular compliment went completely void as Hiro knew that a girl such as herself would not possess some powerful object of holy powers. Blue eyes sort of blank she awaited him to continue. Her client seemed unnerved by the seering stare and gave a more nervous look, wiping his old brow. "Well anyways, I want to examine this. I am a doctor after all and this bell can do wonders. I want to see it. I want to examine it. I must have it!" His voice began to follow the track of a madman before he coughed and looked away. "Well anyways..."

"You want me to find this bell?" Hiro asked with a sort of blatant and blank expression. She wanted to cut to the point. It would be nighttime soon and starting a mission so late into the day could prove problematic. Temperatures would fall drastically and should it be a lengthy quest it would end up being a sort of death wish. Hiro may have been born in this snowy village, but she knew that come nighttime any human would end up dead. Frostbite could engulf legs and arms, hypothermia destroyed the mind. Insanity was not a good option when trying to do a mission. She needed both arms and legs to survive. THAT was a fact. Otherwise her agility would be pointless. In a second's notice her attention returned to her speaker once more, her lips parting as she spoke.

"So you wish me to get it for you?" Her voice remained monotonous, annoying, blank. The lack of heart giving her a lack of passion. She stared at her boss with expectant and nearly impatient eyes.

"Yes. Very smart girl, you are." He complimented, grinning that same nervous smile. He was uncomfortable around her. It was like having an assassin in the room. Any second he feared she'd snap and his neck would go along with her. Though no such thing was bound to happen, it still bothered him a great deal. She didn't at all flinch at the mission and her body barely moved. She was a puppet, unmoving, unthinking. "You did a very good job with this one." He said in a deep tone, looking at the girl's teacher. It earned a grin and semi bow as the man changed his position to stand crossed at the arms behind his student. Silence. "As I was saying... The bell is located in Otogakure. Find it, fetch it and bring it back to me." He said in a demanding tone, moving his hand in a fluid motion. As if her hand were a magnet, the papers returned to the original pile. Both hands now being used, he adjusted them, tapping the edges on the wooden desk to put them back in order.
"Find it and bring it back here in one piece is your mission. You will find it upon a shrine in within the confines of that land. It should be an easy task."

How wrong he was. Hiro did not argue. Her eyes dipped and her body adjusted, bringing her into a kneeling position. "Your order is my command." Her eyes closed. "I will do my best." After gaining an approved grunt from her teacher, she shifted herself, pulling her body to her feet. The kimono once more falling in place. It was an easy task to get up. Her eyes surveyed him for a dismissal which she got right away, before she turned and bounded off. Once again the door slammed behind her. Footsteps followed her though, making her stop and turn.

Standing with an irritated expression, her teacher bopped her upside of her head. "Use manners. Be nicer to your clients, you little moron." He said in a hushed hiss. His eyes almost as piercing as her own. In his however sat a rage that danced like an angry flame within his soul. "Next time I will make you relearn your place." He was rough with her, after the thump had made her stumble, he gave her small body a shove and continued walking. "Don't let it happen again."

Hiro forgave him quickly. Her head hurt a little bit. Her legs shaken for a second as she regathered her balance. Her grace remaining despite the loss of balance. "I'm sorry, master it won't happen again." she whispered after him. She felt insolent, stupid and rejected. It normally would hurt, but instead it was nothing. It was a wave of water that did absolutely nothing to her mentally. At least it seemed it didn't. It was just another thing she repressed to her little trunk. She was a tool, that was all. She didn't need to think she needed to obey. Thinking was for when she was alone.

Walking home was a peaceful experience. Hiro found it a relaxing time, it gave her the ability to think things over; to not have to worry about the pet peeves of her. No matter how inhuman they try to make a person, it will all crash down at some point. Hiro was no exception to this rule. She knew that. But when was the main question she faced. It would be a day she would crack and in that day what would happen? Would she kill someone? Possibly. Would she massacre? Most likely. Would there be anyone there to stop her? That thought stopped the girl in her tracks. Friends... She had none of those. They only spurred emotions, so the jeopardized her usefulness. Though they were a necessary part of growing up, she had never experienced what it was like to have a friend. Had she?

Mind wandering back to the times of childhood, she recalled a time of peace and love. At that time was her recovering period. She had met two young boys. She couldn't remember much more on that memory. Was it when she knew what 'happy' felt like? She wasn't sure. The boys' faces were a blur, a loss to her mind. She was confused. Was that when she had 'friends?'. Were those boys considered such? Did she ever meet them again? She wasn't sure. Had they been kind? If so what had happened. It was bothersome that she couldn't remember, yet the harder she tried the less she yielded results. Maybe she should just stop thinking about that. The wind blew angrily at her face, making her hair whip around as if to say 'yes, I agree completely'.

Her feet carried her farther than she knew. The cold snow on them almost unnoticed to her conscious. The condensed mind of her solely focused on the memory until she returned. Now her mind would find focus in something else. Coniferous trees made a sort of rustle with the wind, shaking there pines and needles this way and that. Her eye caught a glimpse of a small deer by its mother before bounding off at the sight of the woman. Deer, she liked deer. They seemed so carefree so whimsical. She sometimes wished she could be a deer. Actually she wished she could be any animal, as long as it didn't have a leash. This is why she didn't have a pet of her own. Yet in her own way, Hiro enjoyed being owned and ordered, she didn't know any other kind of life.

As the trees began to thin, Hiro found herself peering at the hoizon, dots poking at the sky above within the grasp of a sun setting. It was a painting in her eyes. Were she an artist, she would have instantly had inspiration. Sadly she was no such thing. She was but a humble ninja. One that did as she was supposed to and that was all. She didn't need anything else.

Slowly the buildings grew in size. Each step bringing her closer to the seemingly deserted bunch of houses. A lone child making a snowman by himself, glancing up to give Hiro a toothy smile before returning to his buildings. It was a bit lopsided and Hiro found that amusing, though she didn't know why. It was a good feeling, but another to add to her trunk. Good feelings left shadows for the bad. To feel good made a more devastating experience much more traumatic. Her smile faded and she continued her walking. It was a good fifteen minutes before she at last reached her house. It sat there, looking lonely with the curtains draped over the windows. No light left from it, no movement to give it a cozy feeling. It seemed without, a jail cell. Rising her hand, she grabbed the knob and turned, pushing with a heave and stepping in, sending a light spray of snow to float onto the wooden floorboards. Her coming home was simple; she needed to be prepared.

The building was much better on the inside than out. A wood panel floor that seemed to glow with cleanliness. Hiro took a pride in keeping her home clean. On her days off she would simply spent it waxing, washing and dusting. To some it was a boring chore, to her it was a vent. It allowed her to relax, to let off steam. The house seemed cozy enough on the inside, a sort of lodge feel to it. Walking in brought you to the living room, a smallish room holding a dark upholstered couch that seemed to beg to be sat in. A few feet in front sat a stubby legged table. It barely reached Hiro's ankle in height and the square piece of wood looked just as clean as the floor. As well it looked waxed and almost like you could lick food off of it and taste nothing. On either ends of the table were darkly colored cushions, a dark forest green that Hiro happened to find attractive. They looked less comfy than the couch, but enough to let it be known that they'd give you some comfort.

Off of that room was the kitchen. Whitewashed walls that looked spotless were glowing in health with the decorations that flickered over the framework, near the floor. Small little figures danced around the corners, giving the place at least a little 'jazz'. Otherwise it seemed average. The white fridge stood tall, towering over the counter beside it that held a small, silver faucet. The faucet had a swan neck, curving and falling like a candy cane, either side holding small knobs to turn on and off the temperamental water. Beside that was a small array of counters, matching. The tops a dark marble in color, glowing in a waxy shine was everything else seemed to. At the end of the row say a small stove. It looked older, as if it wouldn't work and yet looked well taken care of. As if someone were taking care of it as an antique. It still looked beautiful in the set up. There was nothing more in the room, except the small window along another run of wall. The wooden floor made soft creaks as she passed by it completely.

The house was completely spotless it seemed. There wasn't a penny out of place. It was, inhuman, uninhabited almost. Walls gleaming a eerily clean, floors without scuff or dirt. Well that was except the snow that melted slowly in the living room area. The large metal door shutting with a clang from its own forced weight. The sound made the house jostle and shake a bit, but soon it fell silent once more.

There were no colors other than tan and white it seemed. The dark green here and there, but all was coordinated. In a way it made the house look boring, but well-organized. Maybe Hiro DID have a gift for decorating. She couldn't be sure. Her legs were once more carrying her and she found herself wandering down the small hall. Three wooden doors closed, two on her right and one on her left sat in a sort of shut away leave me alone way. It didn't bother Hiro, it WAS her house after all. She continued to the far one on the right and grabbed the handle, turning it and throwing it open lightly.

Inside sat a bed surrounded by two bookcases, one on either side. Scrolls placed in neatly on shelves with books scattered in between them. They were organized like all others, but to most it would have been the most 'messy' thing in the house. A sliding paper door stood next to one of the cases, decorated beautifully with red and green colors. The flowers and butterflies oddly appeasing to the strange woman. It outlined its folds in black and the base color was a beige, but in all it looked beautiful. Hiro adored it.

Eyes back on her bed, she frowned. The green blanket looked so inviting, the way the bed was made looked as if it were a cut out from home and gardens, but she knew she couldn't sleep. She didn't have time for such, she was on a mission. Hidden by the bed was a small stuffed animal, seemingly invisible to the naked eye. Her one giveaway of being a young woman. She still tended to sleep with that at times, it brought her comfort. Now was not the time to swoon over its cuteness though.

Arching her body forward, Hiro examined the floor, looking for something intently. It seemed to have disappeared, but soon she remembered it wasn't on the floor anyways. Her body straightened and she guided herself to the closet. Opening the door, she gazed upon the small collection of clothes she had. Only a few outfits, but she didn't need many. After all where did she ever go? As well she was a ninja, so who was going to care how she dressed anyways? Most of the closet was filled with more scrolls and other misc. items. In a few moments, Hiro dug through them and pulled out a small, silken sack. It was about the range of her back in length and width with twin straps on one side. At the top it had a hole, that allowed items to be placed inside, the zipper obviously undone still from her last mission. In a few seconds, she had the back half full of items she was going to need, mainly a scroll that mapped out the country and a compass that would guide her hopefully. Where would the shrine be exactly? She remained unsure, but at least she had something to give her a heading.

Standing up, she closed the door to the closet and stared straight ahead, as if thinking. Her eyes chased around the room quickly before she decided she had all she needed from inside there and went on to the next spot. Her hands closed the door gently as she paced back down the hall and into the kitchen. Bag still open, she set it on the counter nearest to the sink before she walked over to the fridge. With a light pull, she had it open, the light burning on as if by magic while a humming sound reverberated against her ears suddenly. The ice of her eyes glared into the fridge as she reached with her hands and pulled out a few things. A small canteen of water being one and a closed package of unknown contents. The package a brownish color, a sort of knapsack held some jerky; the best food for missions. It may be most unpleasant to eat, but it would tie her over until she had a better source of food. As well jerky had a long sitting date and the length of its shelf period would ensue she'd have food long after her kills were gone.

In Yuki, she never had to worry about food spoiling. With so much snow around, if she were on a mission, she could simply stick her meal into the snow around her. The crystals preserved it for her, no matter the length. Unfortunately a lot of times her kill would be taken by vulturous animals. In most cases she would get two kills, the predator and its prey, but in Otogakure, she had no idea what to expect. She knew there would be no snow though, so jerky was probably a good idea. With little to no effort, she shoved the items in her bag and zipped it shut. Her eyes dipped in thought, evaluating before she gave her house a quick going over. When would be the next time she would be home? Her precious abode would get lonely, wouldn't it? Well in actuality, buildings couldn't feel, but if it could, she knew hers would be lonely. A single person living there who was barely home as it was.

Nonetheless, Hiro needed to get this done. She had her orders, now she had to take them. A sort of frown was still on her face as she made sure she had all she needed before picking up the fairly lightweight bag and slinging it onto her shoulders. The weight barely noticeable to her. Walking over to her large metal exit, she took a deep breath and sighed. The world awaited outside this door and now was the time to cross the threshold. With a silent good-bye she opened the door and walked out, listening to it slam behind her.

Her legs carried her slowly and yet quickly at the same time. Her eyes distant and in thought as she walked towards the old creaky peers. There were animals darting across the field along her way. The sun now hung low in the sky making the young woman curse to herself. She had taken too long and now she had to navigate at night. From the sky small flakes did a dance before her eyes as if trying to cheer her up, but Hiro was not amused. The snow crunching loud under her feet with each step, she could hear each shuffle of a new creature. It seemed that they feared her, but then again they feared everything unknown, loud or surprising. Even if she didn't intend to be. It seemed forever to get to the docks. Hiro hated this. Of the few things she showed emotion on, simply waiting for the docks to appear was one of them. The walk to the docks always made her uncomfortable for some reason or another, but reason or not, the girl had to get a boat. She needed to get to Oto and boat was the only way by far.

At last she reached the bay where a man stood upon a wooden peninsula wrapping a piece of rope around a wooden stake. He seemed young in years, but not nearly as young as Hiro, greeting her with a warm, but confused smile as she approached. "A little lat for a swim?" He teased gently at her, almost flirting. Hiro brushed it off completely and stared at the wooden boat. It was nice sized, the perfect size in fact. Something small that would transport her where she needed to be. Her icy eyes went back to the man who furrowed his brow and tilted his head slightly at her unresponsiveness.

Quickly, Hiro asked her question. "Is it reliable?" Her voice seemed to inquire doubt. There were many fisherman who used this peer, but few had boats that could go far. Leaks and holes however tiny they might be would hinder her greatly. At first glance it seemed perfect, but there was always hidden sources of doubt.

"Reliable?" The man let off a laugh as if it were the funniest and most absurd question in the world. "This boat has been in my family for generations. She might not look much, but I'm sure she's more than just reliable." He grinned widely and gave the small boat a tap as he sat with his feet dangling.

Hiro nodded and looked at the man with softer eyes, "Then I hate to ask such a personal question.. however I must inquire as to if I might borrow her." her eyes dipped in a sort of sympathetic glance. The other fishermen seemed to have vanished and this was the only boat around. Hiro didn't feel particularly giddy with making one. "I assure you on my life I will bring it back." She said with confidence. She figured he understood that was unless she died, then it would be kind of hard to return the boat.

He debated for a moment before rubbing his hand along his jaw and sighing softly. A sort of pained look glazed in his eyes momentarily before something struck him and he smiled again, "I'll tell you what." He started, a large smile plastered on his face. He seemed oddly laid back for speaking to someone as socially awkward as Hiro. "For a pretty young lady as yourself, go ahead. Just be nice to her, okay?" His eyes winked at her without the actual deed before he reached down and unroped the boat, offering the length of braided twine to her. "I expect to see her back, so don't go dying with whatever it is your doin'."

Hiro gave a grateful smile before gently taking the rope form him. She gave him a nod as he walked away, then turned to the boat. That had been easier than she expected, but she wouldn't complain. Her eyes rested on the waves and the rocking of the small boat as she mentally took the next step. Her leg rising, she put one foot forward and led herself almost fall into the wooden cradle. It rocked wildly, just like she disliked, leaving her completely uncoordinated. That was one thing she hated about boats. Her sack fell to the floor of the boat with a soft sort of thump as she adjusted herself to grip the wooden oars. Allowing the boat to settle, she began paddling. This would be a long trip on her own, it would take at least a few hours especially since she lacked an extra person for navigating. Well, that was fine. Hiro wasn't exactly in a rush and as she moved her arms in fluid rowing motions she realized the boat wasn't in a hurry either.

The waves tried coaxing Hiro to sleep, but it was to no avail. Her mind was focused and determined. This was a job she needed to get done and get done efficiently. Even as the moon took its height in the sky, she found herself sort of in a trance of her own doing. The rhythm becoming embedded into her very being, forward, backwards, forward, backwards. Hiro could have made a song to the beat, but found that a sort of odd tune and quickly dismissed it. Land was far gone from her view by the passing of twenty minutes. No direction showing anything but sea, to most it would be intimidating, Hiro however found it a wonderful break from usual life. The way the water rippled, glistening with each oar stroke made her feel at peace with nature. Above the waves the water, silver and haunting mingled with the black of the starless sky. Where were the stars tonight? Hiro was unsure. Her eyes however love the way the curved, glowing innocence o f the moon sort of danced in the water below. Nature had its own life and at night seemed to be the time it would be seen the most.

Another few hours passed before at last land came into view. It was almost saddening to Hiro to see the end of her voyage beginning. Yet at the same time, she knew it was just starting. The toughest parts were yet to come. Hiro knew this as she continued her pattern. From the looks of it the area was deserted, almost a jungle. It left her with an uneasy feeling, but what was to be expected? After all jungles were usually humid and at night time they were dangerous. It would be a good amount of time before the girl actually reached the land. The boat slowing as the water became more shallow, bouncing off of any hidden water obstructions. Hiro hoped the boat was okay, but as she didn't see any water, it was safe to assume it was. Her body lurched forward a bit as the boat hit land completely, beginning to drift away before she rowed back once again, her hand gripping the rope now. It was laced with her fingers, allowing her the pull she needed to hold it nearby. Her hands let the oars slip back to how they'd been before she was in the boat as she struggled to stand up.

Back and forth, the boat moved angrily, almost angering her on purpose as she swayed back and forth to gain a footing. It was annoying, harder to walk on water. However Hiro was going to be damned before she let a boat get the better of her. After a few steps, she simply moved, jumping forward and pulling the boat with her. It sad enough in the sand now that it wouldn't float away. Well.. at least not during high tide. This caused Hiro a moment of distress. How was she going to get this boat to stay? After a bit of thinking, she began walking, a bit more struggled as the boat dragged behind her, crooked towards one side. At last she reached the grassy area of the island and let the rope slide from her hands. It was easier to move now. Her land legs now broken in and her body loosened from the loss of the weight of the boat. She smirked softly, feeling as if she'd beaten the boat. That wasn't exactly true, seeing as it was inanimate.

Rolling her shoulders and adjusting her bag, Hiro decided to take a small break. Her body a bit fatigued from the strainuous rowing. It had taken about as long as she expected, but exerted a little more energy. The jungle was inches away; long trees with leafy branches that rustled in the night wind and even when no wind even blew. Bushes and shrubs moving in similar manners. Night was the day here and that unnerved the young woman a bit. A job was a job though. Sitting cross-legged she closed her eyes and simply adjusted to the sounds around her. She needed to know what was normal to hear and what wasn't. Focusing allowed her to know what she needed to fight and what she didn't. Bugs made buzzing noises, a bird screeched, an owl would hoot. Somewhere something snarled, further on something squeaked and skittered. It seemed that jungles never slept.

Hiro pulled herself to her feet at last. Her body swaying slightly but her composure soon regained as she simply closed her eyes and let her mind recover the lost pieces of her balance once again. For someone so graceful, Hiro was fairly unbalanced. It was an oxymoron it seemed; a contradictory statement. How amusing it was! Well to the creatures around her at least.

Opening her bag once more, she pulled free the map scroll, unraveling it to glare at the details. She was now on the right land, but was she even close to the shrine? She couldn't be sure. There was no one around to ask either. So she'd have to wing it essentially. However Hiro couldn't be upset, tonight she'd have to rest. After all, the creatures of the night would blend in and she wasn't about to become prey. With a heavy heart she looked around, beginning to pick up twigs and sticks from the ground. Lighting up a fire, she made herself a makeshift bed and laid down. Her eyes on the world around her before she fell asleep.

When she woke up she could smell the mossy dew scent of the jungle. It was musky, trapping and fairly irritating scent. it sort of disgusted her. She already missed the icy fields and overwhelming water smell that filled the cold air. It seemed the cold air itself had its own distinct odor. It was a crisp, faint one that burnt at noses and could tear up eyes, making them water. Her body shifted and she found herself moving to a sitting position. Homesick after one night was not good. Upon further notice her fire had blown out. She felt annoyed. Yet she needed to move on.

Walking through the jungle, Hiro found herself often attacked more by the plants than animals. Her presence scaring off the critters and beasts and she assumed she didn't smell too tasty. It was a dense forest and she wasn't used to it, her grace was not so graceful here. She tripped over large roots, her face got hit by low branches and swinging vines. A shrug would scrape angrily at her legs and make her lose her focus. As well she was already hopelessly lost. To kill the time, she began trying a technique she'd seen only a few times before. With one hand on the strap of her bag, the other was in front of her. A simple jutsu would suffice. A simple, one-seal jutsu. Transformation. Hours passed to no avail, each time making seemingly no progress. The same sign over and over. It became a new rhythm, yet yielded no results. Even as she approached her destination, the jungle dying away she still had no success with her attempts.

Finally she took a break, looking up to gaze upon the beauty that was the shrine before her. It seemed old, abandoned and in need of redecorating, but sturdy and well-put together. Her eyes stared at the entrance hard, relieved to at least see it. Her legs carried her upwards, the steps leading to the door. With a simple sliding motion, it moved from her way. The girl then looked around. The shrine seemed as if it hadn't been visited by anyone in years and yet, upon the middle of the small building a bouquet of flowers sat. The white lilies a beautiful compliment, giving the small room some color. Their stems tied together with a red ribbon and criss-crossed in the water of a beautiful clear vase. The water was beginning to turn a bit from not being changed as of recent, but still, even scattered petals gave the room some life.

Out of the corner of her eye, Hiro found what she was looking for. The small bell glinted a sort of clear colored white gold or silver. Not being an alchemist, Hiro wouldn't know. It was upon a small sort of string, made as well of tiny silver beads that lined up for a good couple inches. The small orb within the outside sphere of the bell seemed to hold a reddish glint to it. It was an odd mix, but at the same time it was attractive. Assuming that's what she had come here for, Hiro reached forward. Her hand slowly and gently gripping it. It felt cold in her hands. At the same time it seemed gentle, fragile. Nothing struck her as a healing property, but she was no medic.

As she admired it, something registered as wrong. The building began to shake, the main giveaway being that the vase tipped over. The lilies lying now on their side as if weeping, while water dripped away from them. Hiro braced herself for an attack; however none would come. Instead the floor below her gave way and that's when it all came crashing down. Quite literally. Something happened that no one would expect; Hiro screamed. A natural instinct when you're falling to your supposed death. Yet it seemed her life didn't flash before her eyes as they always said it would. Instead all she saw was falling rock and fading light, small rocks and pebbles that disappeared into the darkness. Everything went black and yet she could still hear. Was that what being dead felt like? The bell was still firmly clasped in her hand as she finally hit the ground, quickly becoming winded, a gasp flying from her lips. She realized, no THAT was what death felt like. She did however quickly acknowledge that being dead meant no pain. So that thought was quickly discarded.

Stuck alone in a dark area was very intimidating, but Hiro was more worried about getting out than her potential fear of the dark. There was no light, just dark and even as her pupils grew to see in the dark, it wasn't enough or humanly possible to do so. Hiro sighed and twiddled her thumbs. The bell ringing oddly in the air. In the confusion, she'd forgotten completely about it. Well she had what she needed, but now she needed to find her way out. It would be pointless if she didn't come back. Deciding she couldn't really figure out where to go at this point, she started up her signing again. Seal. Damn. Seal. Damn. Seal. Damn. It was a loop, continuing to go in circles.

Hours passed or was it days? Hiro couldn't tell. She couldn't even use a makeshift sundial, let alone see a watch. The end of her own nose was beyond her sight in this awful darkness. However she was persistent in her seals. At last she felt something go right. A sort of joy overflowed in her. Yet at the same time a light began to glow, as if the heavens themselves were congratulating her. However she quickly dismissed that thought because she knew that God didn't live in her fist. A strange look became cocked on Hiro's face. Her eyes showing a sort of shock. The bell was shining. How odd! It was a spectacular light and as she stood, she realized it was more than enough to light these dark caverns.

The walk through the caverns was annoying and long. It seemed to take forever for her. Each twist and turn bringing another eight. How far had she fallen she began to wonder, but then she blamed her bad navigation. No one could be perfect in these tunnels unless they'd been there before. So naturally Hiro was not. It seemed to take forever as she slowly made her way to the surface once more. The bell glowing as bright as the sun itself. Once she reached the grasp of the sun however she found herself in a jiff. How did she turn it off? She tried tapping it and swinging it, but the light stayed. With a sigh she focused and decided to kill two birds with one stone. Her free hand slipped up and she did that one hand seal. Poof! She had taken the form of her teacher. She felt exquisite. Though a little awkward as being a man was not something she exactly planned on doing often. In a few seconds she poofed back and the light had turned off. She couldn't be 'happier'.

Walking through the jungle once more was just as much of a pain as the first time. Hiro still found herself getting lost, she still tripped over the roots and still got smacked in the face by branches and vines. She swore to herself this was the last time she did a jungle quest for a very long time. She had a reason to despise the jungle, it attacked her constantly. Feeling drained, she at last reached the boat. A sort of annoyed look sat on her face though. She had to drag it back to the water...

Placing the small bell into her bag, she grabbed the rope that was tied to the boat and began lugging it. It was harder than before, but by the time she reached the water, she was incredibly grateful. In fact she nearly collapsed in the boat and slept as if it were a bed. Unfortunately for Hiro, she still had a mission to complete. Well two in fact. Her eyes were heavy but her body still moved. Her dainty fingers grabbed the oars and she began to row once more, for hours unending until at last she had returned to the dock. The man wasn't there, but then again Hiro had no idea what time it was anymore and nor did she particularly care that he wasn't there. She was more concerned with reporting back so she could go home and laze on her bed.

Effortlessly she tied the boat to its stake and bounded off. Her eyes focused and her mind reeling. Get there, then sleep. It was almost as if she would pass out from exhaustion, but something kept her going. She was satisfied with the results of the mission, she had accomplished what had to be done as well as learned something that most people could only dream of. It was a day to remember for sure, but it deserved to give her a day of rest. After all, she was still human, she still needed sleep.

Her feet dragged her to the familiar building, a trail of footprints behind her. At last she reached the door and pulled it open. It seemed heavier the second time around and closed just as loudly. Loudly her steps echoed through the halls as she no longer had interest in acting very ninja-ish. She wanted sleep and this man was the last obstacle before she reached it. Her body reached the second door and ripped it open as well. With a flushed sorta look she stared at the man, her exhaustion showing terribly.

"You look awful." Of course the first words to fall from his lips. The woman resisted the urge to strangle him. After all of this that's how he greeted her? Yeah it didn't sit well, but she gripped her sanity as he continued. "You're here alive, I'm guessing you got the object I want?"

Answering his questions with actions, she took out the bell and placed it on the desk. A sort of successful grin sitting on her face. She felt proud. Her eyes watching every move as he examined it. There was awkward silence for a while. A sort of sound similar to disgust came from his mouth. The smile he had was quickly gone. "No no no.. this is just a stupid bell. Not what I wanted!" He sighed and tossed it at the girl. "Get it out of my sight. It is nothing but a lie."

Hiro caught the bell and stared at the man in disbelief. Did that REALLY just happen? She was glad she was exhausted, that would have been her snapping point. Her eyes on the bell then back on the man who spun his chair away from her, waving dismissively. "It's not what I wanted, you obviously grabbed the wrong bell. So you're not getting paid, now get out of here!"

As the man finished his speaking, Hiro shook her head. She wouldn't press matters further with this man. She had a feeling that if she would, she'd explode at him. He was obviously unhappy and she knew that had to have been the bell, but his facts were wrong. However at this point Hiro no longer cared. She turned and left. Next stop; bed.

Done. words: 9233

Stamped.