Re: Chapter 4.0: Konohagkure
Nori lightly folded her arms across her chest. "Nothing is ever really a coincidence, though, is it? Everything is linked together somehow, but I think I can say for all of us that we know just who it is," she replied and somehow part of her hoped that Sigmund wasn't a part of what was going on right now. She knew this mystery man wanted him, but for what purpose? Why did he need him so badly? Just to kill? He wouldn't do that. He wouldn't kill just for sport, but then again...from the last time she saw him...maybe he would. Right now, though, finding him seemed to be of a low priority and it's not as if she could. They were suspended, which meant they were stuck here until Lord Sasuke said otherwise. "As for these new headbands, well, it may not be Konoha's but Konoha is within it somehow. It is a symbol of unity and I will be proud to wear it." She gave her friend a small smile before she felt her hand taken by Nanami. Despite the fact that she had hardly said a word to her or Shiroma since they parted from Sigmund, Nori knew that she needed these two. Nanami was still her friend and she was grateful to Shiroma for having stayed at their sides despite how difficult it had been. "I will have to see about the training part. There's actually something I really need to do first before I can even think of doing that, but I am definitely for it. We have to get stronger and I have a feeling that we will be here for some time, so we can no doubt get plenty of training in."
When the two of them got to the Lord's building, Nori made her way over to retrieve her new headband while Nanami went about doing what business she needed to do while she was here. She took off her old Konoha headband, looking down at it with a certain fondness in her eyes. Konoha. Her home. She then looked over to the new Land of Storms headband and lightly gripped onto it with her hand. She couldn't help but wonder if Sigmund would be proud to wear this headband, too, should he have been here. She tucked away the Konoha headband into the waistband of her pants and tied the new one to her bicep. She brought up her hand and lightly traced the outline of it with her fingertips. She let out a soft sigh, but it was as she was doing so that she heard the door open and her head lifted up to see an elder woman dressed in a soft blue kimono with her hair tied back into a loose bun. Despite the world falling apart around them, this woman still managed to look refined. It was as if what was happening on the outside world didn't touch her.
The woman walked slowly in her direction with her head slightly bowed and it was just as she was about to walk past her that Nori felt her body pulsate. Something seemed...familiar about her. The woman soon passed her and went straight to the front desk. "Excuse me, young lady. I am Yumi Ishikawa and I come from Kirigakure. I was brought here by my daughter, Aria Miyamoto, along with my two other children. I have been unable to contact her for some time, but I know she was working with Lord Sasuke on some very important work. I was just wondering if there were any updates on her whereabouts? I am worried about her," her voice was both soft and gentle yet held the concern that any mother would have when it came to their children. Nori knew that voice well enough as her mother spoke to her in that voice, too. But wait. Did she just say that she was from Kirigakure?
"I understand your concern, madam, but unfortunately, I am unable to give you that information. All intel on personnel working with Lord Sasuke is strictly confidential," the young brunette replied as she shuffled through the papers that she was reading through in her hands. "Is there anything else I can help you with?"
Nori could see the look in the woman's eyes as she let them fall down to look at the counter and it irritated her that this girl seemed to just be dismissing her feelings. "I mean no disrespect, ma'am, but aren't you being a little insensitive?" she said as she walked over to the elder woman, who in turn looked at her. "She just wants to know if her daughter is okay. Is that really so wrong to want to know considering the time we are going through right now? As you can see, there are a lot of people here who are looking for their loved ones. How is she any different?" She stopped at the woman's side.
The brunette looked up at Nori and stared at her before she gave Nori a small scowl. "As I told her before, I can't give her any information. It's confidential. What don't you understand about that?" she said. "Now I am busy with more important thi-" But before she could finish her sentence, Nori slammed her hand down on the counter in front of the girl and looked at her with a fierce gaze.
"What could be more important than reuniting a woman with her child? If this woman's daughter is working for Lord Sasuke, which I suspect she is as you can't or refuse to say anything about her, than I'm sure she is doing a helluva a lot more important work than you are sitting safely behind your little desk while she's out there saving lives. Considering what we are going through right now, at least give this woman a little comfort instead of just dismissing her or do you not have any respect towards your elders anymore? You should be ashamed of yourself," she said.
The girl behind the counter looked irked and she set her papers down on the counter. The people that were there turned their heads and looked at the spectacle that was going on. They started to whisper amongst themselves and it caused the brunette to look around at them. Her eyes settled back down to Nori before she pushed herself up from her seat. "I will be right with you. Just wait a moment," she said with a hint of redness that had rushed to her cheeks with anger. She walked around the corner of the desk and went over to Hime to speak with her about the situation.
"You remind me a lot of my Aria. Full of spirit," Yumi said, causing Nori to turn her head and look over at the elder woman. She had the brightest green eyes that she had ever seen. They held a certain sparkle to them when the sun hit them just right. "Thank you for stepping in, but you didn't have to, young lady. I understood she was busy. Just as a mother I tend to worry about my children a lot. Especially when they go off on such dangerous missions."
Nori gave Yumi a small smile and nodded. "I understand. Believe me. My mother is the same way. She always tends to worry when I am gone for long periods of time. She's a big worry wart," she said with a light laugh as she rubbed the back of her head.
"It's our job as mothers to worry, you know. You are our children. We just want you to be safe," Yumi's gentle voice replied as she turned towards Nori. Her eyes fell down to the pendant around Nori's neck and she blinked. Wait. That pendant. It looked so familiar. Her eyes slightly widened. But it couldn't be...could it? "That pendant..."
Nori blinked. "Pendant?" she said before she looked down at the pendant around her neck. "Oh, this. Yes. It is...something that was given to me by someone very important." She brought up a hand and wrapped it around the pendant.
Yumi brought up a hand and lightly placed it against her mouth. "Well, it...it is very beautiful," she said. "If you don't mind me asking, who gave it to you?"
Nori tilted her head up and looked into Yumi's eyes. "Oh, well, it is...very complicated, but she is very special to me. I guess you can say without her, I wouldn't be who I am today, so I am very grateful for her giving this to me. I feel...very empowered by her," she said with a fondness in her eyes that Yumi recognized all too well.
"Well, I am very glad it makes you feel such a way," she said and without thinking, she reached up a hand and placed it against Nori's cheek, causing the young girl's eyes to widen slightly and her heart to throb in her chest. "It suits you well."
This message was last edited by the player at 07:03, Sat 30 Dec 2017.