Waterlogged

[notveryspecial]

Where: Amegakure
When: January 20th - March 3rd
Notes: catch all post for Sakura's trip to Ame, so theoretically open to anyone in Ame during her time there.

[Top level comments hold openers]

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Jan 20 - Arrival

[notveryspecial]

It would be ungrateful to be unhappy about rain while Konoha suffered from a snowy winter. It would be further ungrateful to complain over receiving a high ranking mission, particularly a diplomatically important one, so soon after promotion or after such a dismal result of her last mission.

Yet, she was ill equipped to deal with either. The reason she now stood within the gates of Ame instead of Konoha was the very rain that had so thoroughly soaked through her traveling cloak this time. If she hadn't slipped in the rain last year, she would never have become so tangled up in the game the leader of this village and hers insisted on playing with her.

She would also likely still be chuunin. Her path to jounin had been difficult enough that she couldn't say delaying that would have been terrible either, though.

Regret served her nothing good, however. She could do no more to change time than she could refuse the request for this mission that she so completely lacked the skills to properly accomplish. She simply hoped that, whatever the result of this would be, war between Konoha and Ame would not be due to her actions.

Which was one primary reason she would keep any dissatisfaction to herself. And any mention of her ill fit for this mission. The man who hired her had shown to be easily annoyed by her disagreeing with his decisions about her.

In truth, though, her primary concern at the moment was getting inside to where she could officially be welcomed by the God of Ame. If only because it meant she would be dry.

[teachingpeace]

She wasn't met by the man she was familiar with, not exactly. Instead she was met by one of his other faces, bright orange and familiar eyes peering at her critically for a moment. "You arrived safely Haruno-san?

He waved, and the gates opened to allow her within the confines of the village after the question, his black and red robe swishing around him as he turned to lead her inside.

[notveryspecial]

She recognized his eyes, at least. It was somewhat impossible to forget those. She had heard before of the 'god of Ame' using avatars or incarnations of some sort, though she never really understood what that meant. Presumably, this had something to do with that.

As for what exactly it was, though...she really wasn't certain. Henge of himself or another? A trick by close servants of him to make him appear beyond the level of one person? It was probably something Konoha would want to know...but she was aware at least that openly interrogating the person she was supposed to be representing Konoha to was the opposite of the kind of behavior expected of her.

Still, despite her curious expression, she didn't hesitate to follow him once the gate was open. "I didn't encounter any problems on my way through your country."

[teachingpeace]

"I thought not, but better to be sure that there was no... points of darkness on your way." He didn't hesitate to wait for her, back straight and head held high. Unlike what she'd seen of him in his natural form, this body held an unmistakably commanding presence with every movement.

[notveryspecial]

The difference was...interesting. Although...it was possible the one she's spoken to before was simply a messenger or emissary for the real Nagato, and that explained his unusual demeanor. While she was aware other Konoha nin had been employed in this position previous to her, neither of them were in any way close enough to her to tell her something like that even if it weren't a matter of security.

"If there were...such points...there would be no need for concern. Jounin of Konoha are fully capable of dealing with such hazards." If the person that Konoha sent to represent itself had to be protected or rescued on their first day...that was not a political mystery to her.

[teachingpeace]

"You misunderstand. If there was anything of the kind once you entered my country that you did not see, it would be entirely unacceptable." Not because of her. No, it would be entirely a fault in his own perception that would need to be fixed.

[notveryspecial]

Ah...she supposed, thinking about it that way, it did mean a matter of national pride to ensure an envoy wasn't assaulted on their way into the country. Or...really, at all during their stay.

"In that case, there was nothing of concern. The people I encountered were all...civil...and kind." It would be a bit much to characterize the few people she'd met on her way in as 'friendly'...but there wasn't anything negative to say about them, and it seemed like leaving it off at 'civil' would imply there was.

[teachingpeace]

He examined her carefully, then gave a brisk nod, apparently willing to go with that point. "Good, then we have nothing to be concerned about on that matter." He headed into a building, all of which were rather dramatically tall, a moment later. "Would you prefer supplies or housing first?"

[notveryspecial]

She hesitated a moment at his question. Curious as she might have been about where she would be expected to stay (or what the living conditions were for the people of Ame) there didn't seem to be any reason to address it first.

"If it's alright, supplies seems more appropriate?"

Feb 14 - Nagato

[notveryspecial]

It wasn't the best idea she'd ever had. In fact, she questioned it heavily. She probably could have gotten away with not doing it at all. If he discovered the holiday at some point later, though, or if he somehow knew about it already, there was a chance he might feel offended. He was...difficult to offend, she'd found, but it was still her diplomatic duty to make Konoha look good.

She really didn't know how to do that, she still didn't, and she was still sure that choosing her was a terrible decision, because even if she hadn't done anything wrong yet, she was bound to do something eventually. That was why diplomatic ninja had special training to ensure such things didn't happen. She couldn't be trusted with her own Hokage. Trusting her with another leader was either preposterous or purposefully setting her up for failure.

...But those were concerns for another time. Or this time, if her actions were taken the wrong way and Nagato felt offended by the familiarity of them. Which was possible, if...somewhat unlikely by her experience with him so far.

Still, it felt sort of right? She wasn't the type to get very much for the people she knew back home during this holiday, and Ame's choices of candies were rather limited, but she worked with what she had. It wasn't home made, because she absolutely wouldn't be able to make it, but he'd mentioned during the Konoha chuunin exams that he liked this candy of Ame's...hadn't he?

...She was positive he hadn't criticized it, at least.

Anyway.

She'd bought something, and she'd wrapped it in papers carefully so that it looked a little less absurd than simply handing the leader of a city exactly what he could go out and get for himself if he wanted. She was by default always on duty while serving in Ame, so there wasn't really a time to do it as it would be appropriate for a personal gesture. As it was really meant to be a gift from Konoha to Ame in the spirit of the holiday Konoha was observing that day, though, it seemed appropriate simply to wait for a regular meeting with him as Konoha's emissary, and give it to him at the end of it.

She really didn't know if that kind of a loophole was acceptable or not. This was yet another reason not to have chosen her for the mission at all.

14

[teachingpeace]

He tended to not go out of his way to seek the girl out, but the fact that she was actually pleased to see him, as much as she was pleased to ever see him it seemed, was heartening in a way. It allowed him to think that perhaps over the next weeks she might settle to a point where she would be less awkward about being in his village.

"Haruno-san. Has your day gone well?"

Re: 14

[notveryspecial]

It wasn't so much that she felt awkward being in his village (though she still couldn't say she was a fan of the constant rain that was a part of it), as much as she was awkward being the diplomatic representative of her country in the village. It wasn't like she wasn't always a representative of it, of course...but usually what that meant was that she simply had to be polite to the client and do her job well.

When the job itself was diplomacy, she had really no idea what to do, even now.

At least giving candy was something that didn't seem wrong, though. "Ah..." Should she inform him ahead of time? Possibly. He might be busy otherwise. "Actually, I have something to give you today."

Re: 14

[teachingpeace]

He blinked, then a small frown came to his face. "You didn't need to get me a gift. I'm content with your presence in my village, so there is no need to repay that."

Re: 14

[notveryspecial]

She shook her head, quick but slight. "It isn't a thank you gift." He was paying her, after all, giving a thank you gift to someone who hired her would be rather unprofessional and silly. "It's...the observation of a festival in Konoha." It didn't seem like there was a more accurate or succinct manner of explaining it than that, and waffling on trying to explain it too long would simply hold him up.

Re: 14

[teachingpeace]

He blinked a few times at that, then reached to accept the parcel, examining it. "What is the festival about?"

Re: 14

[notveryspecial]

"It..." Well, technically the holiday was about a sort of affection that would be inappropriate to offer as a gift of goodwill, but in practical application, it wasn't about that. People tended not to restrict themselves in that way when giving gifts. Perhaps it was better to share less information about Konoha in this case than more. "It's a festival meant to show someone's appreciation for a friend or associate." She gestured at the parcel. "The nature of the gift reflects that of a story from early legends of the Akimichi clan." The truthfulness of it was...suspect, in her opinion, given that simple candy couldn't have restored his energy in the state he was, but either way legend was an appropriate term. "In a harsh winter, the husband of an Akimichi woman was buried in an avalanche and nearly frozen, and she had only one thing to feed him to give him the energy to bring him home alive. In honor of that, the people of Konoha give something similar, so that the person will be given the energy they need to make it through whatever difficult time they encounter in the future."

That...was enough of the truth that it seemed like a fair compromise between being inappropriate and showing good will of Konoha. She coughed slightly. "...Ah. Symbolically. The usual gift...isn't present in Ame..." That was, neither the usual sorts of candies that the citizens of Konoha offered, nor the actual food pills she usually gave to her friends and teammates. (After all, those were much more useful and therefore thoughtful gifts than candy that wouldn't actually give them extra chakra or stamina.)

Re: 14

[teachingpeace]

He stared at her, then the gift, before looking back again and his head ducked a fraction, just enough that his hair swung forward to hide his blush.

Mostly. "Thank you for thinking of me. You could easily have passed it by without my even knowing."

a few days after her arrival

[notbalanced]

There was another from Konoha visiting. Juugo kept his distance the first day, only locating the visitor by the feel of her chakra, and paying attention to it more than he might otherwise. The next, he watched with his eyes as well, usually perched on high places with his friends on his shoulders. The birds of Ame kept him informed of many different things, and he listened to them while she watched.

On the third day, Juugo decided he would go introduce himself. He got within easy sight distance before deciding it was too soon and turning around to go the other way.

And so it went. Missions and training put things off on some days, and Juugo himself on others, but Nagato enjoyed her company, and there had been plenty of encouragement from many quarters to make himself welcoming to the visitor, so today, Juugo was determined to do it.

He was wet from the rain, not that he minded in the least, when he approached, touching and tugging at his earrings for reassurance, gaze lowered and peeking up through his wet bangs. Even soaked his hair stuck up every which way though.

Finally, after several deep breaths, Juugo felt centered enough to try.

"Hello."

Re: a few days after her arrival

[notveryspecial]

It would have been impossible for her to miss her silent shadow. Even though she was still acclimating to Ame, ninja were trained to notice someone determined to follow them around. Also, he'd even shown himself to her clearly once.

She still hadn' t paid him much mind, though. She sensed no outright hostility toward her, Nagato showed no concern for his presence either, and it was perfectly normal. Locals could freely follow visitors around as long as they didn't hamper them. Even an emissary. Especially an odd one like her.

She still wasn't completely adapted to the rain in the city. She wore a hood when she could. but that only soaked through, too. Her hair was wet too, though less then his. Water dripped from her hood, but not do much that she had trouble looking at the large (very large) man who approached and finally spoke to her.

He went days without speaking to her, so she assumed he wouldn't mind a few moments of silence from her in return, as she studied what she could of his features through his hair. He didn't look familiar at all, so perhaps he came from a family native to Ame.

Finally, she inclined her head slightly and responded in the quiet and calm voice she defaulted to while acting as Konoha's representative.

"...Hello."

[notbalanced]

Juugo faltered visibly for a moment, almost as if he hadn't expected anything in return and now wasn't quite sure what to do, but the greeting in return relaxed him a little after that first moment, and he lifted his head to look at her. The color of her hair was nice, like a flower, and Juugo could tell that she was a trained ninja, even without the chakra. He returned the nod after a moment or two with an abrupt little bob of the head that was more bird-like than anything else, just like the way he tilted his head a little to look at her in return.

She wore a hood, and part of him was sad at that. The rain was nice, clean, and Nagato's gift to them--though maybe others couldn't feel Nagato in it as clearly as he did. Maybe she came from someplace dryer and wasn't used to wet. Fire country was where Konoha was, wasn't it? Most places were probably dryer, but Juugo hadn't kept track of which country was which when he'd been alone, so he didn't know how much dryer Fire was.

She wasn't of Ame either, so maybe it made her feel off to experience it. So he didn't talk about that. What could he talk about? Now that he'd said hello, Juugo wasn't sure what came next. He foundered again, visibly, and then tried a small smile.

"Do you like Ame so far?" That was a good question; a safe and easy one, right?

[notveryspecial]

Covering her hair in a hood served the dual purpose of concealing it and trying to keep it passably dry. Rain wasn't exactly a foreign thing in Konoha, but if she tried to function in Ame the way that she did in Konoha and ignore the rain, Nagato's gift to her would be a month long flu. She assumed as well, though, that more peopling in Ame would wear a cloak in the rain than have her shade of pink hair. Standing out didn't seem wise in a country as insular as Ame.

If he ever waited on her to select a topic of conversation...they would just end up sitting silently somewhere, probably. She wasn't good at that sort of thing if she wasn't well familiar with the person she spoke to. So, she wasn't really...silent to make things more difficult on him, she really wouldn't have known what to say to him on her own.

She hesitated at his question, and gave a small nod. "Your village is...very impressive, and you've all been very kind to me. Thank you for having me here." Well, it was Nagato's strange and persistent whim, but the villagers were friendly enough for a foreign village, so that was something. She hesitated a moment, calculating whether or not to ask the question, before she spoke again, tone curious. "Do you like it here?"

[notbalanced]

Hearing that made Juugo smile a little more. Good. While Ame could take care of itself, it was better if they didn't have to fight at all, and part of that was being friendly with the other nations and villages. Juugo wasn't sure where the encouragement for him to go out more fit into that, really, but he could try. He owed it to Nagato and Ame for saving him and making him safe.

So when she asked that question he nodded, and then remembered it was polite to answer out loud. "Yes. Nagato takes very good care of us and watches over us."

Even now, with the pitter patter of the rain, Nagato was watching over them. Juugo tipped his face up, enjoying the cool, chakra-filled drops landing on his face. His expression went beatific for a moment, and only dimmed slightly when he looked at her again, curious and open.

[notveryspecial]

She observed him curiously as he spoke, and as he seemed to become thoughtful for a few moments. Clearly the residents of Ame were better adjusted to the rain, that he went through it like it was nothing, or perhaps even a soothing familiarity. But then, that was true of any village (other than perhaps Konoha, which didn't really experience extremes of any weather, but then they were most comfortable with the trees).

What really caught her attention though, was the manner in which he spoke of him. It was different from what little she'd overheard from other villagers so far. "Nagato? Do the people of Ame always talk so familiarly about someone they worship?" Or was the term 'God of Ame' something he gave himself, and only adhered to by the people to avoid his ire?

[notbalanced]

Oh. He'd messed up with honorifics again, hadn't he? Most people in Ame didn't mind anymore, but this was a stranger, and some people were picky about them. Juugo drew in on himself a little, face falling with embarrassment.

The best thing to do would be to just tell her, right? So she wouldn't think less of Ame, or Nagato. He touched his earrings again, letting that soothe the nerves.

"No. I just forget; I'm not very good at not mixing them up."

Juugo looked up through his bangs, hoping the explanation made sense. He could explain more, but would that be good or bad? Some people didn't like hearing about how Nagato had found him and brought him to Ame. They got sad, or upset, or angry.

[notveryspecial]

It didn't really bother her what a stranger used to refer to some foreign leader, she was merely curious about his choice to do so. Considering who the leader was to the people of the village.

She observed his body language with curiosity. Was he a new member of the village, or some sort of exception to the usual people of Ame? (Well, more than was already obvious). She couldn't tell if he were simply nervous, or also guilty.

She offered a softer expression after a moment. If he was simply nervous, then treating him kindly would dispel that somewhat. Probably. "...Would you like to sit down?"