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[i]Mid day // Land of Lightning[/i][/right]

They had been travelling for a few days at this point. With the terrain getting rougher the deeper they headed into the country, they had to take it slow. Koharu was walking alongside Hachiro, his small, chubby hand in hers. He was a brat but she'd miss him. He reminded Koharu of her sister, even moreso with his neverending questions. The boy was a bit more attatched to Kazuhiko but liked walking with Koharu because if her shorter strides. He didn't have to work so hard to keep up with her. The little boy asked about her ice and why her hands were always cold. Koharu wasn't used to talking about it. Her clan never needed to and villagers generally didn't ask. As a result she'd been awkward, hastily explaining that she had a kekkei genkai, although it wasn't anything fancy. 

It was odd to see the panic on her face as she tried to explain that it wasn't something cool like those that her teammates had. Koharu was usually a calm girl who was far too serious for her twelve years. Hachiro hadn't understood half of what she'd said but he'd stopped her with small hands on her cheeks. He'd told her to take a deep breath. Hachiro was still a little shit but he was a good boy who did genuinely cone to like all of the genin. Although he was a little afraid of Natsuko after he'd put a worm down the back of her shirt. 

They'd arrived at the Diamyo's estate by noon. Hachiro took off upon seeing his father, leaving Koharu's hand empty. The little boy embraced his father's legs and started crying. That little scene left Koharu's heart aching. She'd been a toddler when her father died but she still remembered him. She did have his hair after all. His had been a stark white and shaggy, falling along his forehead and shoulders. His eyes had been gray, not unlike the green-gray of her own and he'd had thick white lashes and a single mole right below his left eye. Still, knowing that he was never coming back weighed heavily upon her at times. He wouldn't have allowed his daughter to be raised by her uncle nor would he have allowed her to become so cold. Sure she'd opened up a little bit on this mission, teasing her teammates lightly and laughing more than they'd ever heard, but she still had a long ways to go before she was anywhere as near as outgoing as she'd been at four.

A hand on her shoulder startled her and she looked at Minoru. He was giving her a worried look and he pointed to the ground where ice had formed. [color=8882be]"Sorry Minoru-sensei."[/color] She said sheepishly. Strong emotions often wreaked havoc on her ice, letting it grow on its own. 

[Color=gray]"Don't worry. We'll be staying here tonight before heading out in the morning. For now, while our rooms are arranged we'll go do some trainin."[/color] Minoru told his genin. 

Koharu nodded, dropping her anxious expression for a more serious one. It was easier to have that serious scowl rather than show how she really felt.

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Sometimes he really worried about his genin. Especially Koharu and Kazuhiko. They acted more like adults than the kids they were and he knew it wasn't healthy. They said their goodbyes to Hachiro and recived the voucher for their payment. Minoru tucked it into his kunai pouch and motioned for the genin to follow him. He noticed that Koharu walked with her head down and at the very back of their group. He wouldn't push for answers. She'd give them in time if he was patient enough. 

They headed into the forest, taking the road before sharply veering off to climb along side a path cut into the cliffs. Minoru was aware that the path was frightening, but he'd heard about this place from the guards and he wanted his genin to see it. He stopped at the top of the path where it leveled out a little. Koharu was pressed against the cliff face, fi ng ers digging into the stone behind her. He never would have guessed the ever calm girl had been afraid of heights. Actually, come to think of it, she'd done okay with climbing trees or jumping from the branches. Eventually she moved when she realized that her team was far ahead of her. He smiled when she did catch up. He pat her on the head, ruffling her pale hair as she hastily tried to slap away his hand.

[Color=gray]"We're almost there, kids. I heard the views are worth it."[/color]


[@Typical]