The Mountains Wild Flowers

Kenta Oda leaned back against the stone walls of his clans compound. He was waiting for his partner Kohana and also practising his hidden technique. We was dressed in all black, his feet were bare and his eyes were closed making him blind for only a split second. He saw the world in black and pale blue with his sensory jutsu. Even after years working on it he could only see a good ten feet 360 degrees around his body and only for a short time before he felt a slight strain on his body and chakra pools. 'Where are you Kohana' he thought to himself sighing slightly as he cut off his hidden technique and opened his tri-coloured eyes and looked down the path for the younger genin.

There was a clunking sound around the corner.

Kohana breathed in ragged gasps as she ran, her staff bouncing against her back. It was made of one of the hardest woods in the world, so when it bumped against her, it hurt. She grumbled and tightened the strap so that it was pressed firmly against her back.

The young genin was late, very late. She was supposed to meet Kenta at his place fifteen minutes ago, but had lost track of time, being the ditz that she is. Her stockinged feet ached in her sandals from all the running, and she was probably sweaty too. Gah. At last, she saw a familiar sign and more familiar roads and even a familiar shop nearby, and after a few more corners, arrived at the Oda compound. Though out of breath, she forced herself to walk a few more steps towards a teen covered in black. "Kenta-ssssssha, I here..."

Kenta looked at the panting girl and sighed "You're late Kohana but you didn't need to kill yourself getting here". He patted her on the shoulder and walked over to the fountain in the front yard he looked over his shoulder at her "Come have a drink before we get moving". Kenta cupped his hands and gathered cool water from the simple marble fountain. It was cool and refreshing and he felt it flow through him, working its way down his throat cooling him off. "You worry too much about pleasing others and meeting their expectations Kohana" he said stepping to the side allowing her room to take a drink from the fountain.

"I...S-s-sorry," she stammered apologetically. Kohana took a deep, deep breath and followed him like a worried, dejected puppy. The pat on the shoulder cheered her up, though. She liked pats. Well, at least from him and the people she trusted. They were comforting, and to her, very endearing.

As he walked to the fountain, she nodded and relaxed. Water was her element, her nature, the extension of her spirit, and thus one of her very few sanctuaries. She knelt by the edge and cupped her hands as Kenta did, before taking a long sip of the clear, crisp liquid. When he spoke to her again, she made sure not to splutter as she replied.

"Oh! I..I'm sorry about that, Kenta-san." She smiled sheepishly. "But you know, I just grew up this way."

He sighed this was typical Kohana always apologizing for everything. He looked at her and nodded his head showing his understanding despite not getting it at all. His parents had imposed on him the idea that the Oda clan was all that mattered yet he was to hard headed to allow the brainwashing to take hold. " Well what did Sensei want us to do again, chase goats, battle lions ?" He asked with a sigh. He hoped that things would get a bit more interesting, he didn't care if it was a mission per-say but a new earth jutsu would be interesting to tinker with.

"Oh right! Training!" Kohana fumbled with the strap around her back before pulling out a little scroll, the width of her palm. When she unfurled it, it was no more than the length of Kenta's hand. Scribbled on the rough paper, in small, neat handwriting was Kohana's reminder of their Sensei's message. "Um let's see... he wants you to help me develop my water jutsus, and then develop any jutsus you have that aren't perfect yet. And then by 4 o'clock he wants us to do the E rank mission, help the sundry shop lady clean up her stock and move her new supplies. Then we report to Sensei and get our reward for the mission...that's about it." Proud of her organization skills and neatness, Kohana happily furled the scroll and put it away.

"Working with water huh, well I suppose we should get to a larger source of it" Kenta said looking at the gate. It was true that there was a natural spring on the grounds but calm water was more easy to work with and thus would not serve. He thought for a moment about places that would have a large amount or moving water and soft earth until he reached the perfect place for training. "Follow me Kohana" he said walking out the gate with the sun at his back and the hard earth under his feet.

"O..okay." Kohana nodded and fiddled with the strap of her holster, tightening it once more. You can never be sure, she thought. As he walked out the gate, she fell into step behind him obediently, following as best as she could in his footsteps. She would not walk in front of him nor beside him lest she distract him or obstruct his path. Instead she just looked around as they walked, her like a lost little duck and him the guide. The sun was bright today, though there were lots of puff of white clouds against the blue sky. They were white and thin, though, and she didn't expect any rain.

As they walked, she wondered where he was taking her. He was so very quiet at times, and she wondered why. She did not speak unless spoken to or needed to, and that was because she didn't want to disturb others. Why did he not speak? Did he have nothing to say? Did he prefer having it all in his mind, and only there?

The hair on the back of his neck began to rise followed by the ones on his arms, it was a sensation Kenta disliked. It was often a sign one was being watched or followed and though he knew Kohana was the one at his back the feeling stayed the same. It was so ridiculous, Kohana wouldn't attack him in the village would she? No the risk would be to great but when they got to the training spot he had in mind...
It would be easy to explain, they were sparring, it was an accident he should have dodged but he blocked. Everyone would believe her, the sweet little flower would never murder someone. He stopped dead in his tracks and blinked, quickly wiping the paranoia out of his mind. Kenta did not turn but rather stepped to the side giving Kohana room to walk beside him. "uh could you walk beside me Kohana, I guess being followed  by a cute girl gives me the willies" he forced a chuckle and rubbed the back of his neck trying desperately to make the hair return to normal. 

"Oh! O-OKay." Kohana blushed but stepped forward so that she could walk parallel to him. The cute comment registered, but then she noticed his face. It wasn't shy or embarrassed... it seemed worried, almost even fearful. The frown on his brow proved that. Kohana bit her lip and clasped her hands as they kept walking. Did she do something wrong? She must have, if he needed her to walk beside him. Oh well. She didn't know what, nor could she ask him lest she seem rude.

"So, uh... Just wondering, but where are we going? Is it far from here?" she asked, trying to break the tension. She herself was a little awkward when she asked this, twiddling her thumbs as they walked. It seemed they were leaving the populated areas. Kohana had no qualms going somewhere quiet and isolated with Kenta, he was nice and trustworthy. But would he be okay with just her around? He might get more of the willies.

His body relaxed when she began walking at his side and she started talking. Kenta was really overly paranoid but he couldn't help it, the life of a ninja was full of  back stabbing. "There is  a water fall just outside the village, it should provide you with a challenge while the wet earth will provide me with training tool" he said as they approached the western gate. He nodded at the guard and tossed his a gold coin and they passed without so much as a hello. Kenta had noticed the light pink blush that had stained Kohanas cheeks and he chuckled mentally to himself. He waited until she was finally back to her regular complexion before he commented on it. "you don't get many complements do you Sock-girl?" he said as they were nearing the waterfall. The sound of rushing water was getting closer soon they would need to speak louder or use radio to communicate, luckily Kenta always came prepared. 

"Waterfall..." Kohana murmured, thoughtful. She had tried using running water once before, but it was still somewhat difficult to control. She was always used to water in a basin, in a bucket, in a cup, on the ground, on her skin, to use. But moving water? Even more so, a waterfall? That would prove to be a challenge. Not only would she have to try to develop her next jutsu, she would have to learn to control rushing water. It was going to be a tiring day indeed, but she refused to give up. Kohana nodded to herself - she wouldn't give up on this.

As they passed the guard, she smiled at him shyly before trotting off with Kenta. People generally intimidated her, especially those with judging eyes. She supposed going away to somewhere nice and secluded would be good for her. When Kenta started speaking, she turned her face to him - and turned a bright pink shade, a blush deeper than the one before. "I - I - no," she blubbered, getting all flustered and self-conscious. Kohana wiggled her toes a little as she walked. Cotton knee-length white socks. "I mean....no."

Seeing her all flustered was very amusing and Kenta couldn't help but chuckle. Kohana was cute there was no denying that but you always had to watch out for those kinds of people double so if she was quiet. He stopped chuckling as they finally arrived at the waterfall and the lake which was at its base, this would test them alright. "you may want to go bare foot like me lest your socks get ruined" he said kicking the air just a few inches from her face. Kenta wiggled his bare toes right In front of her face "Come on Kohana nothing feels better than mud between your toes" he said with a hearty laugh. In the time since they graduated from the academy he had never seen Kohana without socks on but then again she probably had never seen him with them on. He wondered for just a moment if he could convert her to his way of thinking.

She walked, red-faced and fidgety. The only compliments she got were for her cooking and Ikebana, and even they weren't from boys, so this was...well, this was something alright. When they got to the waterfall and lake, however, she gasped. It was... it was so big! And the water was so very clear. She could see through to the ground at its shallow end. There were small fishes swimming about, and tiny crabs shuffling between the smooth stones. The greenery around the area wasn't bad either. Kohana smiled. Training here might be strenuous, but it would definitely be easy on the eyes.

When he spoke of going barefoot, she bit her lip. Her socks gave her comfort and protection - she rarely went about barefoot, only in baths. But she understood the need for it here. Kohana sat down and pulled her pants off, leaving herself in little shorts. Slowly she peeled a sock off her right foot, wiggling her toe afterwards. It was....so naked. She took the other one off and folded it neatly, putting it away with her shoes. Then she got up and stood by the edge of the water. There was mud on her soles. She felt the earth and the stones. It was...scary. Kohana looked at him warily, trying not to scream "HOLD MY HAND". "A...are you sure?"

Kenta lowered his foot when she started peeling off her clothing. Kenta watched her and fought the urge to fall on his back and laugh, it was like she had never seen her toes before. They made eye contact and Kenta grinned from ear to ear, the nakedness of her feet was going to make be a distraction for her. "Yes Kohana nothing Like the feel of mud between the toes" he said grinning like a fox. 

He pulled out a scroll and began reading. without looking up he chided Kohana as she stood there adjusting to the feeling of the earth on her naked soles." you're a big girl and sometimes your feet will get dirty, now if you are done having a mini panic attack try starting small and remember water needs to flow" Kenta said while he focused on forming a pillar of mud. 

"I don't mind getting covered in much, I just...like socks," she pouted petulantly. Kohana took a deep breath and then stepped forward a little more. She could feel the squish. She winced. Then she wiggled her toes in the mud, some water matting against her skin. "Oh goodness..." It was so alien, so strange. Did Kenta actually like this? It was like... like having your foot groped and molested by a slime monster. She gulped and tried to adjust, but it seemed very unlikely she would enjoy this sensation. She looked longingly at her socks and shoes; one of her comfy pairs, even. They seemed so dry and soft and clean and well..safe.

After a while, she sludged over ungracefully, looking anxious and frustrated. Some blotches of mud were on her face and arms when she pulled her leg up too fast and splattered herself. "I..this... um... you like mud?" she blubbered, trying to understand the strange sensatio- THERE WAS A CRAB CRAWLING OVER HER TOE. Kohana shivered and tried to stand on a nearby boulder.

"I cant stand the things" Kenta said in response to her comment on socks, bare feet were essential for his sensory technique. His eyes focused on the small clump of mud he was trying to mould into a brick thus far his progress was disappointing. Kenta sighed and looked up at Kohana, she was not coping well with the new training area. " Mud is okay, good for the skin I hear but I prefer solid earth beneath my feet whenever possible" he said trying his best to shape the little clump at his feet.

When she finally landed on the boulder, she breathed a sigh of relief and wiped her feet on its smooth, hard surface. They were as dry as they would ever be now. Kohana looked at him and then at his brick while he spoke. True, solid earth was much more stable than mud, and she felt guilty he had to bring her here for the water. Maybe next time she could bring him to a cave or some sort with dense, packed dirt to work with.

Kohana bit her lip and wondered if she could help him with his predicament for a little bit. "The jutsu I was going to learn was.. um...." Well, it was a different jutsu, to be honest, but she didn't mind learning this one first. "It's a water separation jutsu. I try to siphon liquid out of a mixture. In it's best form it can separate the liquids, but I'm not good yet. Could I...could I help you with that?" She motioned her head towards his wet mud. Maybe if she dried it a little it would be less likely to go limp.

Kenta gave her a half smile he was pleased that she was going to give him a helping hand metaphorically speaking. "Yeah I guess that would kill two birds with one brick" Kenta replied with a chuckle. He walked backward pulling the mud clump along the ground with a small wall of chakra, by the time he came to a halt only a small bit of mud remained. Beads of sweat ran down his face, using chakra to move things was very draining. "Son of a bit-" he stopped and looked over at Kohana on her rock oh god he was so embarrassed. "Um sorry Kohana, er please do your magic" he said scratching the back of his head while his eyes fixed to his feet.

Kohana tilted her head when he was about to swear, but he stopped himself and she giggled at his embarrassed expression. "Get some mud and come over to my boulder," she requested, sitting down cross-legged on the over-sized stone. She wiped her hands on her pants and brushed dried earth off the soles of her feet. A small clump was in front of her. Remembering her training with her sensei, she bit her lip and focused, hovering her palms over the dollop. Kohana breathed in and breathed out as she focused her chakra around it. With her affinity, she could feel the liquid slushing inside the mixture, keeping it sloppy and wet. She recalled the lesson in her mind and tried to follow the instructions.

Moving her hands back and forth gently, Kohana coaxed the water out of the mixture. It was slow, but it was working. Droplets of water seeped out and hung in mid-air, forming a small sphere of water together. Oh, she could do this. It was easier than expected, actually. Kohana smiled as the mud became dirt, crumbly and coarse when most of the water was successfully siphoned out. She used it to wash her feet clean. "Alright, I seem to be getting the hang of it... Bring on the mud!"

Kenta moved the dirt to one side while doing his best to bring more mud towards Kohana with only chakra. The task was difficult but after a few minutes he felt the strain lessen, yes it was somewhat difficult but not as much as when they started. Kohana seemed to be to be in the zone, water was her element after all and she was a girl. Kenta had learned that most females had better control not just over chakra but everything. "I'm just about tapped" he said using his last wave of chakra to push one last mud pie her way.

"I still have some left," Kohana admitted. It was hardest the first time; with more practice, it got easier and easier to control. By now only a third of her chakra was gone. She looked at the mud on the rock. It was 10 times as much as the one before it, and thus would hold about 10 times as much water to be sucked out. She breathed deeply and hovered her hands over this pile too. Kohana started a push and pull order of motion, coaxing the water to start moving around inside the mud and pool together. It was working; she watched as some parts dried as a specific spot get wetter and wetter. It was tricky at first, with so much water, but she felt at easy manipulating water like this. It truly was her element.

With a grunt, she pulled her hands back slowly. She wanted the water to stream out smoothly and fluidly, so no sudden movements. And it did; it followed in one thick rivulet, floating in the air as a sphere of water like the other clump. Now left on the boulder was a pile of dark, dry dirt, ready to be shaped and crumbled. "I did it!" she said happily, glancing up at Kenta.