Whispers of the Beast, SNAKE TAG! (will TRY to get to pre-Tues)

The sky was overcast and dark, seeming to be loosing its grip on the rain that filled its blue expanse. The wooden wagon creaked and bounced along the earthen road as it wound between green rice fields. Every so often, a farmer could be seen tending to his crop or a group of children playing. Despite these rare occurrences, however, the area was mostly desolate. The wagon had long since removed Raxona from the comfortable forests surrounding Konoha; and though they were still in the Land of Fire, the topography had changed drastically. In the distance, the misty shadow of a mountain could be seen, offering the only relief from the normal view of fields.

The wagon was old a tattered. The wood has no longer a tan or brown color, but had stained grey showing that the cart had been in use for some time. It wasn’t very large. Just a simple wagon that would normally be used to carry supplies, now being used for the transport of shinobi. A pile of hay had been strewn in the back of the open cart, making for a place to sit or lay down to rest. It was drawn by only a single black horse and driven by an elderly man wearing ragged clothes.

Raxona was wearing attire that was fairly new to him on this occasion. A pair of black hakama pants and a white t-shirt were covered by a long and ragged grey cloak that covered his arms and reached down to his knees. It was loose and concealing, but also waterproof and very warm. A string looped around Raxona’s neck held a large straw shade hanging on his back, ready to be dawned at the slightest drop of rain.

The world was soundless and grey except for the occasional crack of rolling thunder. It was very calming to see the world this way. A myriad of grays and blues that seemed to act like a blanket for a tired mind, and Raxona’s mind was indeed tired. In fact, he had only been out of the hospital for two days when he found the scroll detailing a very promising looking jutsu in his cave. The scroll had told of the jutsu’s origin and the family line that had invented it, but gave no means as to how to learn the technique, so Raxona deemed the art worthy to travel and hunt down the family to learn.

Come to find out, the family lived in the Land of the Rain, where the jutsu originated; but traveling to foreign lands alone would be dangerous for a half-recovered Genin, and so Raxona opted to request the company of one of his newfound teammates on the journey. Though the decision was hard, Raxona had asked one of the team members named Nodoka, who seemed to be as quiet as Raxona himself was. This was actually the reason Raxona had asked the green-skinned shinobi. Raxona wouldn’t bear a trip where he was constantly being bothered by someone talkative or excitable.

Raxona looked up to his teammate. “All seems to be going fine except for that it looks like rain.” He said calmly as he reached back over his shoulders an lifted the shade, placing it on his head. He drew the string tight to his chin and tipped it down, closing his eyes and relaxing. “We should cross the border soon enough.” Raxona talked in an almost tired manner to his accomplice.

Name: Koujou Nodoka
Rank: Genin
Level: 2
Desired Rewards: LP

~Rain Country...Sounds appealing enough~

That had been Nodoka’s first thought when he had been approached by his fellow team member. He had actually felt slightly honored, as well as curious, as to why a ninja easily five years older than he had requested his help. The mystery had been solved later after he had looked into some information on his fellow Shinobi. The man, Raxona, was the quiet sort, much like himself.

The mood in their small traveling vehicle was a sorry one, to say the least. Yet somehow it worked for both Genin admirably. To Nodoka, it offered the quiet peace that he adored more than anything else. For Raxona it undoubtedly made words heavy, and nearly unspeakable. Both were alike in the manner that speech was not entirely welcome to their ears.

Even so, conversation was not something that was to be shot down. Nodoka shifted slightly at the words of his companion. The young boy was leaning over the edge of the wagon, throat pressed against the wood. His gaze had been focused on the ground, but had risen to the other in the wagon. A small nod was all that was issued before he looked to the ground once again.

“Rain is good,” the boy would mutter quietly. Indeed, for him it was as if life itself was falling from the sky. Though it could have easily been a breeze of wind to the average person, Nodoka’s head vines rustled anxiously. For one such as he, the very water that fell from the sky was absorbed into his body and used to keep his very being alive. The plant that was tied directly to all his functions needed to be kept happy, or it would choke the male’s heart, and end him.

He felt no need to comment on Raxona’s second proclamation. It wasn’t much of a big deal that they were going into the foreign country. At least, it wasn’t as important as the rain that threatened to fall. The latter was welcome, and it made Nodoka think of the future, as well as the name of the place they sought. If it rained on a daily basis in this land, then perhaps Nodoka would move there later in life. Rain brought quiet, which Nodoka did hunger for at all times.

“What are we looking for again?” Once more would the boy’s eyes travel to glance upon the other. The exchange of details had been rather vague. It was a mild curiosity that Nodoka held. He was only a boy, and things still did catch his attention. He didn’t think in the same manner as most of the other Shinobi his rank. In due time he would change, but for now he was still just a strange young boy.

“Rain is good.” It was a simple reply. Raxona smiled from under the brim of his shade. Nodoka was exactly the kind of shinobi Raxona preferred to travel with. He was quiet, but comments didn’t fall on deaf ears it seemed. The tired shinobi sat on the back of the wagon with his legs hanging over the edge, dangling a foot or so above the soil. Raxona leaned back and propped himself up with his hands, looking towards the dreary sky.

“What are we looking for again?” The question came. Raxona paused a moment, realizing that he hadn’t ever fully disclosed what they were doing traveling to this other land. He pondered a moment how to reply. For a second, Raxona wondered if the child would react angrily to the information that they were looking for a member of a family that may or may not teach them something useful.

Raxona reached down deep into his grey cloak and pulled out a scroll. The scroll was old and tattered, and the paper showed yellow in stark contract to the bland colors that surrounded them. “We are looking for the group of people responsible for this.” Raxona said as he calmly passed the scroll to Nodoka. “I track the family down, but whether or not they will help us remains to be seen.” The genin explained truthfully.

The cart bounced along further. Thunder began to become more and more frequent and pulses of powerful electricity illuminated portions of clouds. Raxona tipped his head back down so that his shade shielded his entire face. The first drop came, making a soft “tap” on the top of the straw covering. It acted as a catalyst for more as after a short pause there was a symphony of the water droplets against Raxona’s shade.

The genin once again smiled peacefully as he watched the world in reverse, facing backward in the cart. The rain blurred and obscured the surroundings, also making a mist around ground level. Raxona inhaled, taking in the wonderful smells of the rain and the wet straw and the smell of fresh mud. The elderly man who was driving the wagon pulled a hood up over his head and continued on.

I wonder if this is a sign of what our journey ahead will be like? I don’t mind rain. In fact, I prefer it. Rain cleanses and gives a new start. Rain purifies. Raxona mused to himself while they rolled down the road, getting nearer and nearer to the Land of the Rain. This would be the first time Raxona had ever gone out of country. It didn’t bother him, but it was a notable fact.

Without realizing it, Raxona began to hum to himself in a very low tone. It was inaudible through all the rain, but the tune and the calm smile that had taken up residence on the face of the genin perhaps signified that this journey would be a lot easier to manage. Raxona closed his eyes and listened as the soft sounds of the song mixed with the pattering of the rain.

Emerald hues watched the older male carefully as he responded to the younger male’s question. An arm extended, and a hand grasped the offered scroll firmly, yet gently. It then retracted as Nodoka pulled the paper closer for inspection. Raxona’s words invaded his ears, but were registered calmly as eyes scanned over the parchment. It told of a powerful technique that obviously was not of the Leaf village.

His first thought after reading it was a very strange and random one. It dealt with the technique that much was true. But thinking such a thing would not have been thought as “normal” for a Shinobi. It once again pointed to the childish way in which Nodoka functioned, even amidst the leaps and bounds his maturity level sat.

“Would it have to be Lions?” Nodoka turned innocently to Raxona and seemed to peer at him with quivering pupils. It was as if he was pleading for a different sort of animal. True, it may not have been up to the older Genin to make such a choice, but Nodoka wasn’t thinking about that. Instead, he had images of Panda-shaped chakra flowing forth from nothingness.

The boy was momentarily distracted as he watched a small patter upon Raxona’s drawn shade. His thought process was quick enough that he was able to roll up the scroll and return it to its owner before rain consumed it. The question was still up in the air as Nodoka spread his arms and looked up to the sky. Another strange trait, that the boy would welcome such an unpleasant happening of nature.

Though it would be seen why as time went by. The drops that gathered upon his green flesh could be seen simply shrinking and disappearing altogether. The same happened with the droplets on his head vines as well. The vines that coursed through his muscles, and even his veins, were absorbing the cool liquid rapidly. Nodoka felt the pleased shuffling of the plant underneath his skin, and in turn was quite happy.

It took only moments for his thoughts to turn back to the scroll once more. He blinked slightly, wondering how he could have simply forgotten the matter at hand, but decided to write it off. A hand came to his face and he gently licked a line of rain from his hand before turning back to Raxona once again. His face was still as innocent as ever, even with the strange looking green flesh, eyes, and head vines.

“So....Would the technique have to be Lions?”

Raxona’s mind was in a absolute fog as he stared off into the falling waters. His arms were folded inside of his cloak, clutching the scroll absentmindedly. The rain vibrated pleasantly on his hat, soothing him. Something so simple bringing so much pleasure to such a complex person was something odd, but inexplicable to the Genin.

The silence was broken with a simple and earnest question. “So… would the technique have to be lions?” Raxona paused as the young eyes probed him for answers. It took the shinobi a moment to “put two and two together” and figure out what Nodoka was getting at, but once it had clicked, Raxona smiled pleasantly back over his shoulder at his oddly tinted teammate.

“Well, I don’t know for sure,” Raxona said, tilting his head a little. He saw a slight shimmer of disappointment in the eyes of the younger boy. “But considering the nature of the technique and the way the beasts seem to be formed, I would think that their bodies are dependant on your flow of chakra and true personality.” Raxona smiled. Maybe that was a bit complex for a kid… I should have just told him he could make whatever he wanted.

Time passed by as the wagon rolled along. The rough dirt road began to become more and more bumpy as the wagon drew closer to its destination. The elderly man leaned back and waved his arm, getting Raxona’s attention. Raxona glanced up with a melancholy look. “We are nearing the border, my friend. I can only take you that far. I have to get back home.” The driver said in a gruff voice.

Raxona nodded to acknowledge the information and began to gather himself up. He slid the large scroll that he had been holding in his hands into his equipment pack and buried his hands down into his pockets. The wagon rolled to a stop and Raxona hopped nimbly down from the back, planting his feet into the soft dirt. He walked around to the front of the wagon and handed the elderly man the amount of money that had agreed on.

With a nod of thanks to the man as he turned and rode away, Raxona changed his mindset to the task at hand. He glanced over at Nodoka. “It isn’t that far, but we will have to go the rest of the way on foot.” He informed his teammate. Readjusting his hat, Raxona headed along the dirt path. There was no marker to indicate the change of nations, so Raxona wondered how the elderly man knew, but decided that he must have traveled these roads enough to know every thing about the region even if a back road like this didn’t give distinct indication.

The farther along the path that one walked, the more diverse the region became. Plants and shrubs littered the rims of the roadway, and in the distance trees could be seen. The rain kept coming, however; meaning that even the new flora was masked in a grey haze. The soft path made is slightly more strenuous to walk and Raxona pleaded that the path wouldn’t be very long before they reached the village where the family supposedly lived.

Raxona glanced over at his companion, Nodoka. He wrinkled his eyebrows a moment. Why does this kid enjoy the rain so much? Raxona wasn’t sure as to the specifics of the clan Nodoka originated from. In fact, these last few moments had been the only times he had ever talked. Just because they were on the same team, didn’t mean that they were close. Raxona wasn’t particularly close to anyone on his team yet, but Nodoka was in the lead as most likable so far. He wasn’t nearly as annoying as that Kaguya kid who was always babbling about “living up to his family heritage.”

Nodoka waited quietly as Raxona pondered his query. Inside, he was all abuzz as to if he could have a Panda-like beast, but outside nothing reflected such action. When the answer came, indeed he was slightly disappointed. If it truly reflected on what was inside of him, then he probably wasn’t able to choose. He understood it well enough though, and gave Raxona a nod.

“Mm...Alright...I understand. Thank you.” ~Nn....Six...~ Nodoka counted the number of words he had used in that short span of time. The number made Nodoka grimace ever so slightly. He didn’t like using more than five words unless he was asking a question. Even then, more than five words was pushing it a bit. For some reason it just etched at his nerves and irritated him until his thoughts trailed off to something else.

That wouldn’t take too long as the man who was driving the wagon notified Raxona that they were near the end of their journey in the vehicle. Nodoka was only slightly disappointed. It had been his first wagon ride ever, and had actually been rather enjoyable for the youth. He would give a sad sigh as they finally stopped and he was forced to exit. He followed Raxona’s example of hopping down from the back, feeling his sandal sink slowly into the mud.

He looked down at the mud and blinked at it slightly before leaning down and swiping at it. It would look amusing to most as he lifted his hand close to his face and basically glared at the dirt. His eyes had crossed to stare at the stuff clinging to his sandals, as if challenging it. But he lost interest soon and flicked his hand towards the ground. The mud came off completely, not even a small remnant sticking to his hand.

He bounced to the front of the wagon, for fear of being left behind. He watched Raxona pay the man and then begin to walk off. Nodoka thought for a second before pulling out some Ryou as well. Then he handed it to the man with a smile. The man blinked at him in confusion and Nodoka offered only a simple statement.

“It was fun!” His face lit up to a big grin before he turned about and followed after the elder Shinobi. He caught up easily and slowed himself into a walk, regaining his quiet demeanor. His thoughts drifted off to summoning Pandas once again. The very idea of it brought a small smile to his face, but that was it. Perhaps it would have been larger if Nodoka’s face actually shifted emotions more often.

The road that they walked was a lonely one. It was muddy and barren until they reached the forests. Inside, the humidity seemed to skyrocket as raindrops bounced between leaves and still found their way to Raxona’s shade, pattering loudly. The flora was lush and would probably be rather vibrant in normal sunlight. There were flowers and large palms everywhere, framed out by exotic trees and vines. The whole place was like a small rainforest.

Coming around a bend in the road, Raxona sighted the town. It was down in a valley, but was surrounded by abnormally large trees who’s canopies made a dome-like roof for the city. It was awe-inspiring. A wondrous work of nature’s grandeur. Raxona paused a moment to gape at the intricately woven dome of vines and limbs that formed a protective layer over the city. Very little rain fell through the canopy, but the leaves were thin, allowing what sunlight there was to pass through and give the village a healthy green glow.

The town itself was average sized. Not nearly as large as Konoha, but this wasn’t a ninja village. There were probably thirty houses and a dozen shops lining the main street. In the middle of the street was a large fountain with a tree growing around it. Water was spurting up out of its top and gently running down it’s umbrella-like canopy to fall back into the fountain’s basin. Farms of all sorts of foods seemed to be set up at the edge of the town. Raxona’s mouth hung open at it all.

I can believe that such an exotic jutsu originated here… Raxona mentally noted as he nodded to Nodoka and headed farther down the road. He could only imagine what the plant-like genin was thinking as the entered the city, walking down the streets. It was quite a busy village, to be so small. Families and people were running back and forth, buying, selling, and bartering. One shop in particular was run by an elderly lady selling herbal remedies.

Now, as much as Raxona appreciated the majesty of the town, he was more anxious to get on with his research, and so, he approached the elderly lady calmly and politely. “Mam.” Raxona said calmly trying to get her attention.

She looked up and smiled. “You here to buy something?” Grinning she held out a bottle of green-ish fluid. “It’s cheap.” The lady was obviously rather eccentric by her attire, but who knew? Perhaps everyone in the Land of Rain dressed that way.

“No, mam.” Raxona said with a sheepish smile. “We are looking for someone” The shinobi motioned towards his partner. “We need to know if someone by the name of ’Seishou’ lives in this village. We need to contact them and ask them a question or two.” Raxona said earnestly.

The woman eyed him. “From the Land of Fire?” She said with an old and shaky voice. She seemed to be looking Raxona over for any sign of danger. She smiled again. “Why, yes, they do live here, my boy. I will tell you the way to their house.” The lady looked over at Nodoka. “Family?” She asked.

Raxona turned at looked down at the boy. Family? Me and him? Do we even freaking look anything alike? I mean, I don’t have poison ivy dreadlocks growing out of the back of my head, do I? She must be senile… Raxona turned back and smiled. “Uh, no, mam.” He said trying to keep a straight face. After attaining the directions, he changed coarse as headed towards the house of Seishou. With any luck, this journey would pay off after all.

Nodoka quietly wandered beside Raxona, thinking mostly about random things. Pandas, the way the rain felt, and more about Pandas. He was distracted as they entered the forest though. The wildlife was exceedingly different than what he was used to in Konoha. There were many different shapes and sizes, as well as a barrage of colors. He could not help but marvel at it all.

As they walked through the forest, Nodoka would ocassionally stop by an interesting looking plant. He would reach out and stroke the petals or tendrils lightly, getting a feel for the plant. Then he would quickly run and catch back up with Raxona. Each time he would offer a quick "I'm sorry," and would return to walking normally. But eventually he would once again stop to examine a new plant.

Once they had come around the bend and the city came into view, Nodoka stopped along with Raxona. Just like the elder Genin, his mouth would open slightly as his head tilted back to look up. The concept of such a structure had never even occurred to the boy. Immediately he began to imagine his parents' reaction to such an idea. Their house would look rather interesting with something like that...


Raxona's nod went unnoticed by Nodoka, though he noticed the sounds of movement. His gaze lowered to find Raxona on his way again. The boy took a quick stride to come to the other's side, and then paced himself with the older Genin. Once he was sure he could keep up his thoughts roamed upon the many types of trees that could grow like that. He was hoping for one that grew more green than anything else, even though his mother would undoubtedly ask for a tree that grew pink flowers! Uck!


Nodoka stopped at the shop alongside Raxona, staring blankly for a moment. Then he focused his gaze on the old woman, since she was going to be giving them information. It was really hard to concentrate with the idea of the tree canopy over his house. It was such a spectacular idea! But the reason they were even here was important too...

“We need to know if someone by the name of ’Seishou’ lives in this village. We need to contact them and ask them a question or two.” Nodoka's head tilted slightly as he cast a glance up at Raxona. The name was oddly familiar, and Nodoka felt like he should have known the name. A very small frown came to Nodoka's mouth as he tried to think of the name.

“Family?” Nodoka's eyes widened, as did his mouth. That was exactly who it was! It was his grandmother on his father's side! The mental realization felt like a ton of bricks, which kept him from answering as Raxona denied any sort of family tie. He waited patiently until after Raxona had gotten directions and then began to head there. Nodoka nibbled lightly on his lip as he remained idle for a moment.

"She's my Grandma. Thank you!" Nodoka smiled brightly and then took off down the road to catch up with Raxona. It almost seemed like he was going to stop to talk to every old person they came across on the journey. The woman merely looked on after the odd child for a moment. Then she began to laugh heartily and leaned back in her chair.

As he walked on, following the directions he had been given to the house, Raxona looked back to check on Nodoka. He was trotting along, trying to catch up. Smiling and slowing his pace a little, Raxona allowed the green skinned Genin to catch up with him. Cute kid. Probably just talking to people randomly again. Raxona thought to himself.

“Enjoying yourself?” Came the simple words. Raxona asked not scornfully, but merrily. He had seen how much Nodoka had enjoyed the rain and his similar look of awe at the canopy of plants over the city. It was like standing in a massive globe made of vegetation. It would be something Raxona never forgot, without question.

It didn’t take them long to get to the house. It did however take Raxona a moment to once again scrape his jaw from the floor. It was beautiful. It was two stories tall, and it seemed to have tall ceilings to add upon that. The house was equipped with a large porch across the front with a balcony attached upon the top of that. Pillars ran from the floor to the ceiling of each.

There was a very thick hedge around the front and a terrace covered with flowering vines going up either side of the house. A garden surrounded the right side of the house, full of flowers of all sorts and varieties. Raxona just looked at it. The house was immaculate and the flowers were some of the largest and most vibrant he had ever seen, even amidst the gloomy atmosphere. What’s more, the strong and sweet fragrance of flowers was so overpowering around the abode, that Raxona actually had to turn away to get a bit of fresh air for a moment.

“Ok, well this is it.” Raxona told Nodoka absentmindedly as he walked up to the door and held his hand out to knock.

Nodoka almost ran into Raxona on his way to catch up, but quickly spun out of the way. He skidded to a halt when he went shooting past the older Genin and even hopped once to stop himself. He then waited for Raxona to walk up to him before turning and walking along. Nodoka had a small bounce in his step as he walked. He was enjoying this city and it's natural feel.

"Mhmm. This place is awesome." Nodoka smiled brightly and then continued looking about the city. Some of the buildings seemed to be made out of plants rather than normal stone or wood. Nodoka wouldn't have thought of anything like that either. He had a few ideas to relay to his parents when they got back to Konoha.

Nodoka took a moment to examine the house they stopped at. The pillars had vines growing up them, not unlike pillars at his own house. The hedge was something he hadn't seen before, and it intrigued him. Then there was the garden that was off to the side. It even made his home garden look meek. There was a barrage of colors, and scents that he had never smelled before.

Nodoka's head tilted slightly at all the variety of the garden, and continued to watch it as they walked onto the porch. As Raxona spoke, his attention returned to their mission. He looked up at the door in time to see it suddenly yank open before Raxono could even touch it. There stood a thin woman who was taller, but looked somewhat similar to Nodoka. She had the same color skin, eyes, and even had vines growing from her head.

"NODOKA!" she cried out as she swept past Raxona and scopped the small boy into her arms. Nodoka's eyes buldged as he was suddenly picked up the woman whom he didn't really recognize. Thankfully he knew who she was, and so he didn't try to attack her, though it was still weird. After a moment he attempted to struggle out of her grasp, though she wouldn't let go.

"Gra....Grand.....ma....Ugh..." After he squeaked out, the woman set him down. She beamed down at him and kept her hands on his shoulders. Despite the fact he had just called her Grandma, it was noticeable that she was obviously quite a beauty. She looked barely any older than Raxona, and had a body to match. She could easily make a man's hormones rage. Thankfully for Nodoka, he was a little too young, and so he was less embarrassed than he could have been.

"Nodoka, I haven't seen you since you were a little sprout! My how you've grown. And who is this handsome young man you're brought with you." She turned to Raxona and Nodoka merely shrugged behind her back. He was just as confused as Raxona undoubtedly was. Even though it was his grandmother, he didn't really know her.

Raxona’s expression went blank as his hand passed through air. A green “swoosh” flew past the confused genin, rustling his clothes and hair by the wind. Raxona didn’t even move, just stood there with his hand hovering stupidly over the area where the door used to be.

At the scream of his partners name, Raxona slowly turned, still confused and expressionless, to see Nodoka basically having the life squeezed out of him by a girl that was, a Koujou? She was a Koujou too? Raxona didn’t realize that the clan even stretched beyond Konoha. Nodoka was the first Koujou Raxona had ever seen, so he had assumed the clan must not be that large.

Staring blankly at Nodoka, arching an eyebrow and waiting for answers, Raxona raised his hand. It felt a lot like when he was back in school and was forced to raise his hand for any questions. “Uhm… Nodoka…?” Raxona mumbled quietly. Wait… did he just call her his grandma?

It was at about this time that the green woman turned and looked at Raxona. ”Handsome young man”?… Who the hell is this? The Genin’s expression never changed, staring blankly ahead at the woman. Grandmother? This girl hardly looked older than Raxona! What is wrong with these people?… His eye twitched. Finally, the confused Genin responded, seeing that Nodoka could provide no answers.

“My name is Raxona.” He said simply, still eyeballing the woman and trying to figure her out. “Grandmother” my ass… My grandmother had kids young, and my mom had me when she was seventeen, and by the time I was eight, my grandma already looked wrinkly and old. There is no way this woman is more than eighteen. He stared at the woman, as if he kept scowling at her curiously for long enough the answers might come.

“How do… How do you two?” Raxona was about to ask how to two knew each other, but it was obvious that it was through family ties. Expression still unchanging, Raxona scratched his head. “How are you two related?…” Raxona tried. Yeah, that’s a good enough question. Being almost certain that Seishou wasn’t Nodoka’s actual grandmother, it seemed like an appropriate question.

Seishou was all smiles as she moved away from Nodoka and basically wrapped herself around Raxona. Her arms hugged the poor Genin and even one of her legs lifted slightly. She giggled merrily into Raxona’s ear as she invaded her personal space. Nodoka blushed and gained a blank look on his face, as if he didn’t know what to think of the scene in front of him. He had thought his parents were embarrassing.

“Mmmm...Such a handsome devil...I wonder how you taste....” she purred into Raxona’s ear. That could have meant a number of things, and it sure as hell freaked Nodoka out. His eyes widened again and he twitched oddly. Needless to say her next action scared Nodoka even more. Seishou’s tongue extended from her mouth and slowly licked up Raxona’s cheek.

“GRANDMA!” Nodoka shouted as he leaped forward and took a hold of the woman’s waist. She immediately retracted her tongue and turned back to the smaller Genin. Her eyes closed and her mouth turned into a smile. Gently she began to rub Nodoka’s head vines and giggled. Undoubtedly Nodoka had saved Raxona from possible embarrassment, or even being eaten.

“Nodoka, you’re such a large boy now! How has Sobou been growing these past ten years?” Nodoka seemed to be in a trance as she stroked his head vines. His eyes got all glazy as if he was in a dream. He even began to drool slightly as he stood there. This reaction seemed to please Seishou, for she kept on stroking Nodoka’s head.

“Nn. Sobou has grown quite well inside this compost heap. He is unpleased with the habitat in which he must take root.” The voice seemed to come from nowhere. After a moment a vine with a bud at the end of it snaked out from Nodoka’s clothing. Seishou giggled at it and poked it once. It responded by opening and trying to bite her with a mouth of teeth.

“I’m glad that you’ve grown up Sobou. You’re just as rude as we predicted you would be.” Her taunting made the mouth open and hiss at her. It obviously didn’t take well to insults. Two other vines came out and crossed themselves as the bud turned away.

“Sobou is unpleased with the old lady’s words. Sobou thinks that the old one should leave him alone now. Sobou is going to rest now.” With that all three vines retracted and disappeared back inside of Nodoka’s clothing. Attention might have turned to Nodoka’s face, which was quite a comical sight. The boy had realized that something had come out of his body and had been talking. His jaw had dropped and eyes had rolled back into his head.

“Sigh, such a silly little plant we planted in you Nodoka. Oh well. He will be a strong one, there’s no doubt. Come on now! No more standing around out here! Let’s go inside and I’ll make you both some herbal tea.” Seishou picked up Nodoka in her arms, obviously a very strong woman for her age. She carried the poor boy with no effort at all. She gave Raxona a big wink as she passed him and even shook her ass at him as she walked down the hall.

Raxona stared on blankly, still awaiting his answer on the subject of family relation. To his surprise, the Koujou turned and smiled at him and began to advance. Raxona’s first instinct was to defend himself. First thing they taught you in Ninja Academy was not to trust creepy green chicks… Or was it never to hide shuriken in your pants? Either way, the sequence in which the rules were learned was unimportant.

Despite his plans, however, the Genin found himself immobilized by shock and discomfort as the young woman embraced him. Raxona’s face turned a far darker shade of red than Seishou’s was green, and merely stared on blankly over the woman’s shoulder, begging for some sort of clue from Nodoka that this was some sort of Koujou custom.

The woman then leaned in, whispering in Raxona’s ear. The air escaping her lips tickled Raxona’s neck and caused him stomach to leap. This was possibly the most uncomfortable the teenager had been in his entire life. “Mmmm...Such a handsome devil...I wonder how you taste....” Raxona gulped, trying desperately to figure out what the hell was going on in this mixed up world where he was being molested by plant-people.

A jolt shot up Raxona’s spine and his muscles contracted, causing him to shiver as he felt a warm tongue swipe across his cheek. The Genin was so far from his comfort zone now that he wasn’t even breathing, just staring ahead with his jaw slightly slacked and his face so red that you could stop cars with it.

“Grandma!” Nodoka’s innocent voice filled the air, acting as the key to unlock Raxona from Seishou’s grasp. The Genin still didn’t move however. He just stood there with his mouth open a little and his arms slightly raised, looking all around for proof that this was a dream or a disturbing fantasy.

Raxona managed to force himself to turn his view towards his teammate. Seishou stroked those odd vines coming out of his head merrily. In the back of his shocked mind, Raxona wondered if all of Nodoka’s relatives acted like this. The woman whispered something to Nodoka, and he looked like he was going to sleep. Just as Raxona was about to get up his nerve to question to woman, a small voice was heard and a flower sprouted and wiggled out from under Nodoka’s collar.

Raxona’s face went back to a blank and stunned one as he watched the plant nip at Seishou’s finger and begin to talk. Nope, the teenage Genin wasn’t even going to try to understand from now on. This was definitly the most uncomfortable he had been in his entire life. He couldn’t really tell what the plant was saying, mostly due to his almost paralyzing state of shock. The only words he caught were “Old Lady.” That made Raxona wonder if this woman really was Nodoka’s Grandmother. He kept calling her that and it sure as hell wouldn’t be the weirdest thing Raxona had seen today!

After the plant writhed back down and disappeared, Seishou gingerly picked Nodoka up in her arms, demonstrating a level of strength that made Raxona even more uncomfortable. She walked past Raxona into the house, turning toward him and smiling while giving him a large wink. Raxona’s eyes widened and a wave of electricity flew up his body. The Genin’s jaw hung down and his eye twitched as the green tinted woman who was god only knows how old walked into the house, seductively moving her hips.

Oh, hell… This is going to be a long journey… Were the only thoughts to enter Raxona’s head as he slowly followed the two Koujou into the house, his expression the same as ever.

((For reference on Raxona’s expression: ))

Things seemed to calm down a bit as Seishou left Raxona alone for a while to make tea. Still she bounced around the kitchen, displaying her exuberant amount of energy. She even managed to go as far as singing while she moved about. Nodoka merely sat in a seat for a while, recovering from his own shock. Raxona wasn’t the only one surprised by this trip.

Every now and then Seishou would sweep by the table and hug on Nodoka, stroking his head vines gently. Each time she did he would get that glazed look in his eyes and drool from the corner of his mouth. Then the woman would wink at Raxona and bounce away to mess with the tea some more. Every time she bounded away Sobou would suddenly appear and stick out a small green vine as if it were a tongue.

It didn’t take long for the tea to be done, and Seishou set it out on the table. She poured cups for all three of them and warned them about it being hot. Sobou popped out and commented with an “Of course it’s hot woman. You just burned my siblings over a fire you cruel old hag”. This didn’t seem to faze the woman since she merely smiled and stirred her tea.

“So what is it that brings you two here to Rain country? Don’t tell me that old Konoha finally couldn’t control the fire anymore.” She laughed at her own little joke, uncaring if the Genin laughed or not. Nodoka cutely poked at his cup, retracting his finger and getting a little sad look on his face. He then pouted as he stared at the cup and waited for it to cool. A small amount of snickering could be heard from the confines of his shirt.

Raxona sat at the table in a chair across from Nodoka. He just politely sat with his arms folded, and watched in a trance-like manner while Seishou would prance around and prepare tea, return to the table, scratch Nodoka’s head, and bound off. Raxona also watched each time as the plant popped out of the Koujou’s shirt and stuck his tongue out at the older woman. He watched all of this in silence, with a blank and emotionless look on his face.

If I live through this… I am never traveling again… Ever, ever again… I don’t care how amazing the jutsu looks, this is just plain weird… His thoughts were calm, almost ambient as he watched Seishou make a round once more and the plant pop out of Nodoka in order to taunt the female Koujou. “Odd” and “out of place” didn’t even touch how Raxona felt right now.

Occasionally the woman would wink at Raxona as well. Though physically Raxona was now keeping his cool, the Genin couldn’t be made any more uncomfortable by the suggestive glances. He would gulp when the woman wasn’t looking. Everything Raxona did was precise and planned out, devoid of emotions one way or the other. If he kept acting safe, he just might survive.

Seishou eventually brought the tea, warning that it was hot. Raxona took his cup and sipped at it, too distracted by the fact that the plant was insulting his hostess to notice that the scalding fluid was burning out his tonsils. He just kept up a dull smile, watching the scene unfold like an interesting television show.

“So what is it that brings you two here to Rain country? Don’t tell me that old Konoha finally couldn’t control the fire anymore.” The question came with the normal upbeat and merry tone that the Koujou carried. For the longest time, Raxona didn’t reply. He just looked back and forth from Nodoka to Seishou, making sure that he talked exactly when it was appropriate.

“We actually came just to find you.” Raxona said quietly. “We came to ask about a technique you, or someone in your family history, developed.”