Raika's Home [Open]

[Raika Tatsu]

Home of the Storm Dragon

The home of Tatsu Hebiarashi. It is a medium-sized houseon the outskirts of the Kumogakure Residential District, next to some woods. Here, he lives with his maternal aunt and her husband, Amaya and Rairyu Makkuro. They are shinobi of the Hidden Cloud as well, masters of several fighting styles and ninjutsu styles. Amaya is a Jounin who enjoys doing missions for the village, while Rairyu is a Chuunin, more laid back and even lazy at times, who helps teach at the academy, but he loves to accompany his wife on missions, mostly to make sure she remains safe. It took them many years to be able to afford their humble, yet nicely-sized home, and they wish to raise a family within its walls some day. The house has a small clearing behind it that leads into the woods, a perfect area for training techniques and staying in shape, as well as a good sparring area, which the couple uses many times, mostly as their way of keeping their affection and love strong, as well as their physical bodies.

When Raika decided to come back to Kumogakure to resume his shinobi life, the couple gladly welcomed the young ninja into their home, and they have been taking care of him since. The couple respect Raika's privacy and the way he likes to be alone, as well as his quiet demeanor, though they are slowly making him break out of his shell. They own scrolls of the Tokagekuran and Kazeraikou (from Raika's father) which they gave to Raika to train and learn the techniques of his own clansmen. Amaya-san herself is a Taijutsu Master, while her husband Draco is a Ninjutsu Master, and they are always willing to share their knowledge as strict, but kind, teachers.

[Raika Tatsu]

Raika walked into his home, tired from training. As he came in, his aunt--who was cooking supper--noticed the young shinobi as he came in.

"Hey, Tatsu, I've almost got dinner ready, and you should love it, it's your favorite: shrimp with steak!" Amaya smiled as she addressed Raika, who himself smiled in excitement. Nera, who was on Raika's shoulder, hissed fondly, and began to slither onto the floor. He had free reign within the house, as thankfully Tatsu's aunt and uncle were not afraid of the serpent. "Thank you, Amaya-sama, you have no idea how I've missed that meal. I'm going up to change, I'll be back in a bit," said Raika, as he walked up the stairs to his room.

Later, during the meal, Amaya asked how the party that Raika had attended earlier in the week had gone, since she had not had a chance to ask before. "It was great, I met several shinobi, much stronger than me, one even younger than me. The host was Marii Kazeraikou, one of the strongest Kazeraikou, from what I've heard. She was really kind, and even asked if I wanted to join her team, which I was more than happy to say 'yes' to. She said she would come by in a few days to talk with you, oba-san. One of the Chuunins I met, named Okuda-san, wishes to spar with me, since I know some Buredono Kenseijin techniques. I'll hopefully learn a lot from that spar if we have it. Still, I need to work on my taijutsu, it's rather lacking at the moment."

With that, Amaya and Rairyu, who listened as Raika spoke, gave each other a knowing glance. Then, Rairyu spoke. "Well, Tatsu, if you'd like, we're always available to teach you what we know. Amaya here is well versed in taijutsu, and I am sure she'd be happy to be your mentor."

"Really? That would be great!" He smiled as he said this, but hid his excitement, as he usually did. "Yes, I think it would be great to train you, and as I know you already have a list of styles you wish to learn about, I think I'll start with the unarmed style you want to master, as it will be the one I can actually teach you myself: Capoeira. It uses a lot of leg work, which could help a lot when using weapons in your hands." Amaya smiled. It had been a long time since she had had a student, but she was ready for the challenge. It would be a great way to bond with Raika as well.

Raika knew this too, and smiled. Maybe one day he would grow to really love the couple, not just as aunt and uncle. Still, the life of the shinobi was hard, and his personality had been shaped by his earlier tragedies. Still, he didn't want to dwell on such things forever, and he sought to change, at least a little. "Sounds great, Amaya-sama. I have to go to the Raikage Tower first, but afterwards we can get straight to training." This was going to be interesting.

[Raika Tatsu]

Raika returned home with his new Buredono Kenseijin master, Mai Miyazaki. His uncle and aunt were home, and after Tatsu explained what happened during the Chuunin Exams and while coming home, the two laughed a little. They were far from disappointed, and thought the coincidence of meeting the master was quite amusing. Amaya readied the guest room for Mai, and then made dinner. Now Raika would be able to learn more of his favorite katana style.

[Raika Tatsu]

Raika was back home, finally back in his village, finally back with his family. Lots of things had likely happened since he had left, and he couldn't wait to catch up with everyone. His aunt and uncle were ecstatic to see him again, learn of his trials and the exams. They also showed him a number of gifts and items he had received during the holidays, a bountiful number of useful weapons and gadgets, as well as other things.

One such gift was a vial of bittermourn, a special liquid that would keep Raika from aging normally. A useful present indeed, one that Tatsu drank immediately, since his birthday just passed. Another amazing present was a Kyuushi, a sword of legend that Tatsu had been searching for. His aunt knew of some techniques he could learn from it and for it, so soon he would have to work on that. There were many other things here as well that he would have to take the time to organize and sort, including a large Rideback, an interesting addition that he wasn't sure he'd keep, though it could come in handy for traveling, if he could learn how to use it properly. Time to get to work.

[[Used Vial of Bittermourn from Advent Calendar Event]]

[Marii K. Kazeraikou]

[Enter]

'Hm. This should be interesting' thought the female as she approached the house with one of the ANBU guards. Marii wasn't too keen on being guarded all the time, but it was to be expected.
The duo then saw the house where Raika was living with his foster parents. "They should be home now" muttered the young woman before she knocked on the door.

[Raika Tatsu]

Rairyu heard the knock on the door first, considering he was the only one inside. Tatsu and Amaya were both in the backyard doing some casual taijutsu meditation exercises. As he stood up from his workdesk, he yelled outside though the open screen door. "Guys, we have company!" He walked up to the door and opened it.

"Hello, how may I help you?"

He didn't recognize either of the pair at the door, even though he probably should have at least recognized Marii. At this point Tatsu and Amaya, his aunt, walked inside. They both grabbed a glass of water before heading towards the front door. At that point, after Marii had a moment to introduce herself to Rairyu, Tatsu saw his raven-haired mentor at the door. "Marii-sama! Hey!" Tatsu seemed almost uncharacteristically excited. Perhaps it had to do with the contents of the letter he had read earlier after seeing the new Raikage. Or perhaps he was just excited to see her. After being gone for so long, Tatsu was still getting used to seeing familiar faces.

Amaya smiled as she looked "Ah, so this is Marii-sama. We've heard so much about you. Please, come in."

Rairyu smiled as well, opening the door wider. "Yes, please, come in."

[Marii K. Kazeraikou]

((OOC: Since I have NO IDEA of how Rairyu and Amaya look like, I'll just make something up. PM me if you have any objections so I can edit my post! By the way...Marii has light brown hair ))

It did not take long until a man opened up the door. He appeared to be in his early forties with a slender frame. 'Definitely not a Kazeraikou' concluded the female when she saw his short dark blonde hair and light brown eyes.
"Hello, how may I help you?" inquired Rairyu. She cleared her throat a little while the guy next to her seized up the other shinobi.

"My name is Marii Kazeraikou. I'm the leader of the team Raika-kun is on. Pleased to meet you" greeted Marii before she gave him a polite bow.
"Marii-sama! Hey!" greeted the younger male with more enthusiasm in his voice than normal.

"Ah, so this is Marii-sama. We've heard so much about you. Please, come in." greeted Amaya.
The young woman noticed that she had shoulder-length black hair as well as olive-coloured skin. Her eyes however were deep yellow, which contrasted with her dark colours.

"Yes, please come in" told the man as he stepped aside. "Thank you" replied the Raikage with a polite voice. 'Looks like they're suitable parents at least' thought the female.
She noticed that the house was clean with no smell of either alcohol, drugs or cigarettes. Both of them appeared to be in good physical health with a mental hygiene to match.

They went into the living room where they would discuss the matters. The brunette tucked her black kimono underneath her as she sat down. Her body guard sat down right next to her without making much noise.
"I am here to discuss the future Raika-kun may have. He is 18 now, meaning that he has certain privileges" started the young woman.

"First up on the list is the shinobi jobs available. Raika-kun has a good chance to advance to Chuunin if he is able to prove his skills. A Chuunin who does not have a family - yet - should in theory make enough money to live comfortably. I'm sure you know this since you are shinobis yourselves" continued Marii. She already knew that Rairyu and Amaya were at least Chuunin level shinobis thanks to their shinobi profiles.

"But I highly advise you to study something that can give you a profession or a job that is not shinobi related. That can get very useful on undercover missions, give you an extra income as well as an extra option. I think you two made a good decision about sending him to the non-shinobi school by the way" complimented the Raikage with a sincere smile.
She felt very grateful towards the duo that had decided to raise Raika as their own son. But perhaps that was not a very hard decision for them given that they were his aunt and uncle.

[Raika Tatsu]

[[ooc: My bad about the hair. lol. And don't worry, I didn't really come up with a lot of appearance parameters for the duo, so I'll take it. Also, I will be referencing acting and disguising skills here, which I am working on training through flashbacks. Just fyi.]]

Everyone made their way into the living room, sitting down after Marii sat. The current Raikage spared no time in getting to the point, much to the gratitude of the three.

"I am here to discuss the future Raika-kun may have. He is 18 now, meaning that he has certain privileges. First up on the list is the shinobi jobs available. Raika-kun has a good chance to advance to Chuunin if he is able to prove his skills. A Chuunin who does not have a family - yet - should in theory make enough money to live comfortably. I'm sure you know this since you are shinobis yourselves." At this point Marii directed the conversation at Raika personally, and thus he listened intently. "But I highly advise you to study something that can give you a profession or a job that is not shinobi related. That can get very useful on undercover missions, give you an extra income as well as an extra option. I think you two made a good decision about sending him to the non-shinobi school by the way."

Amaya, with another smile, bowed her head. "Thank you for the compliment, we thought it best that Raika had a good basic education. We knew we could teach him anything he might need shinobi-wise here, though he learned much in the Tokagekuran homeland. Still, you've been thinking about a lot of these things lately, haven't you, Tatsu?"

Raika turned to his aunt and then began speaking, turning to Marii as he did. The enthusiasm of before was now replaced mostly by the seriousness that usually was reflected in Raika's words. "Yes, I have. I have spoken with my aunt and uncle about moving out soon and what I may want to do when not on shinobi business. To that end, I have also been pondering about what avenue to take concerning a possible profession. I have a bit of a fascination with botany and animals, as well as alchemy, so I've considered becoming a herbalist or an animalist. However, I have an open mind and am looking into other avenues I might be able to take. As for undercover work, I am working on freshening up my acting skills and disguising abilities, which can help a great deal." The young shinobi seemed to be really thinking about what his future could hold, but he knew he was a shinobi first and foremost. That made his decision-making that much harder.

[Marii K. Kazeraikou]

((OOC: Phew...glad you didn't mind my descriptions. I thought perhaps Amaya would be a Tokagekuran member since Raika's mother was one))

"Thank you for the compliment, we thought it best that Raika had a good basic education. We knew we could teach him anything he might need shinobi-wise here, though he learned much in the Tokagekuran homeland. Still, you've been thinking about a lot of these things lately, haven't you, Tatsu?" inquired the woman.
The younger female glanced towards the male in question with a curious look in her eyes. He had not mentioned this to her in the past.

'But we've never really gotten to discuss those things either' remembered Marii. The only topics they used to talk about usually involved missions or the Chuunin exams. She noticed that Raika had a more serious expression in his eyes.
'I wonder how they turned red. His maternal aunt as well as the Sakurai guy I worked with have yellow or orange eyes' pondered the young woman.

"Yes, I have. I have spoken with my aunt and uncle about moving out soon and what I may want to do when not on shinobi business. To that end, I have also been pondering about what avenue to take concerning a possible profession.
I have a bit of a fascination with botany and animals, as well as alchemy, so I've considered becoming a herbalist or an animalist. However, I have an open mind and am looking into other avenues I might be able to take. As for undercover work, I am working on freshening up my acting skills and disguising abilities, which can help a great deal." explained the young man.

She could not help but to smile when he told her about his ambitions in the herbalist or animalist profession. "We DO definintely need more animalists as well as herbalists in Kumogakure no Sato. Both of these professions play a huge role in several areas.
Lifestock, cooking, pharmacy, agriculture as well as biology are just some of them. A good herbalist or animalist can earn quite a lot of money if they major in the mountain or forest region for example" replied the Raikage.

Her ice blue eyes were gnistering with enthusiasm as she spoke. Both of these professions often got bypassed in large villages such as Kumogakure. But smaller villages took advantage of knowledge in these areas to improve their economy or living standards.
The female knew that her efforts alone over the years had earned her enough money to attend school during her Jounin years. But the question was...which path would the male shinobi take?

[Raika Tatsu]

"We DO definitely need more animalists as well as herbalists in Kumogakure no Sato. Both of these professions play a huge role in several areas.

Lifestock, cooking, pharmacy, agriculture as well as biology are just some of them. A good herbalist or animalist can earn quite a lot of money if they major in the mountain or forest region for example."

Rairyu spoke up after a second of thought, "We were wondering the value of pursuing either path as a secondary profession. It is good to hear that these skills can not only be very helpful but also profitable with the right work and experience." Amaya nodded, both in agreement as well as in relief.

Then, Tatsu responded, "Well, I have become rather well-versed in the fauna that live within the forest regions from when I took up the search for a serpent companion, so I guess I'm already part way to becoming an animalist. It is something I've wondered about pursuing, much more than herbalism, though I do not know enough of the profession to truly make up my mind. Still, researching animals and working towards the possibly using that information for their benefit as well as ours has interested me for a while."

After a moment, Amaya decided to chime in. "Marii-sama, you mentioned something about Raika becoming chuunin if he proved himself. He told us what happened during the chuunin exams he attended, and a little of what you two discussed, but he wasn't too clear. What exactly will he be needing to do to prove himself? I ask only out of curiosity, if you can divulge that information of course. I know how the process works, and I see how anxious Raika is to prove himself worthy." Amaya's words were sincere, and a sense of maternal worry could be gleaned from the words coming from her lips. After all, Rairyu and Amaya were elated to have Raika back after two years of zero contact, thus they weren't in a big hurry to have him back out in danger again. However, they were shinobi first, so such worries were part of life. Still, it always helped to be as informed as possible.

[Marii K. Kazeraikou]

"We were wondering the value of pursuing either path as a secondary profession. It is good to hear that these skills can not only be very helpful but also profitable with the right work and experience." told Rairyu. It appeared he was relieved to hear that such a profession earn quite a bit of money.
'Looks like they are quite realistic about the shinobi profession. It's not given that everyone gets to Jounin' thought the female.

"Well, I have become rather well-versed in the fauna that live within the forest regions from when I took up the search for a serpent companion, so I guess I'm already part way to becoming an animalist. It is something I've wondered about pursuing, much more than herbalism, though I do not know enough of the profession to truly make up my mind.
Still, researching animals and working towards the possibly using that information for their benefit as well as ours has interested me for a while." admitted the male. 'Sounds like he have given this some thought. I bet his membership with the Tokagekuran can come in handy if he's an animalist too' thought Marii.

"Marii-sama, you mentioned something about Raika becoming Chuunin if he proved himself. He told us what happened during the Chuunin exams he attended, and a little of what you two discussed, but he wasn't too clear. What exactly will he be needing to do to prove himself? I ask only out of curiosity, if you can divulge that information of course. I know how the process works, and I see how anxious Raika is to prove himself worthy." inquired Amaya with a worried look at her face.

The younger woman cleared her throat while she tried to figure out a way to tell this. "I have watched the tape and read the report from the exams. It's clear to me that Raika-kun has the knowledge as well as the jutsu skills required for a Chuunin.
But what I would like to see is his ability to lead a team or at least two other Genins. A Chuunin has to lead missions plus that they may be sent on missions with a higher rank" started the Raikage.

"It's not uncommon for Chuunins to lead one or two Genins on a "C"-ranked mission or take "B"-ranked missions at their own. This require a decent amount of leadership skills plus knowledge.
What I would like to do is to send Raika-kun on a couple of missions to prove his capability. I won't send him on anything life-threatening or give him the most misbehaving Genins as teammates. I don't want to fail him unless I have to" assured the female with a wry smile on her face.

[Raika Tatsu]

[[ooc: Sorry for the shortness, busy for 4th of July and the weekend, and I didn't want to keep you waiting too long]]

"It's not uncommon for Chuunins to lead one or two Genins on a "C"-ranked mission or take "B"-ranked missions at their own. This require a decent amount of leadership skills plus knowledge.
What I would like to do is to send Raika-kun on a couple of missions to prove his capability. I won't send him on anything life-threatening or give him the most misbehaving Genins as teammates. I don't want to fail him unless I have to."

As soon as Marii finished speaking, Rairyu and Amaya glanced at each other and nodded. Amaya was the first to speak.

"That is completely understandable. Leadership is an important quality in a chuunin, so I agree that it would be a good idea to see how Raika acts in that kind of situation. Marii-sama, do you have any idea of what kind of mission you want to send him on? If that information isn't classified, of course."

"Small interjection: Marii-sama, would either you or the ANBU at your side like anything to drink? I just realized I've been a horrible host." Rairyu's question made Raika smirk a little, just due to how funny it was. If Marii answered Rairyu positively, Raika's uncle would get up and get whatever drink they wanted and then bring it to them.

[Marii K. Kazeraikou]

"That is completely understandable. Leadership is an important quality in a Chuunin, so I agree that it would be a good idea to see how Raika acts in that kind of situation.
Marii-sama, do you have any idea of what kind of mission you want to send him on? If that information isn't classified, of course." replied the older woman. "I'm afraid that information is considered classified Amaya-san" told the female.

"Small interjection: Marii-sama, would either you or the ANBU at your side like anything to drink? I just realized I've been a horrible host." said the man.
"I would like some green tea please. What about you?" inquired Marii while looking at the falcon-masked shinobi.

"Green tea sounds great for me too" replied the female. The young woman then returned towards the guy opposite to her again. "Have you thought about what kind of regions you would like to specialize in? I would recommend you to take a look at the exams at our hospital" advised the Raikage. She shifted her position a little while the masked woman scratched her black hair.

[Raika Tatsu]

"I'm afraid that information is considered classified Amaya-san," replied Marii.

Amaya nodded as she responded, "No problem, I figured that would be the case."

Rairyu went and poured the tea for both of their guests, while Marii kept talking to Raika.

"Have you thought about what kind of regions you would like to specialize in? I would recommend you to take a look at the exams at our hospital."

Raika thought for a second--his eyes moving to the ground and staying there for a moment prior to placing his attention back on his mentor--before he responded to the Raikage's question. "Well, like I said, I already have grasp of forest region animals, so specializing in the mountain region would likely be very useful considering where our village is located. Apart from that, I would like to learn about the animals in other regions as well, including jungle regions. I think that I am leaning towards becoming an animalist, though herbalism definitely isn't out of the question for the future. On that note, what other technical skills do you think would be useful, Marii-sama, both as a shinobi and perhaps as an animalist? There are many ninjutsu and taijutsu I need to work on, but I don't want to neglect the technical skills that can complement those jutsu in missions and otherwise."

By this point, Rairyu returned with the two cups of hot tea, handing them to the ANBU and the Raikage, before returning to his seat. "I hope you like it, it's some of our best." Rairyu smiled as he returned to paying attention to the conversation at hand.

[Marii K. Kazeraikou]

"Well, like I said, I already have grasp of forest region animals. So specializing in the mountain region would likely be very useful considering where our village is located. Apart from that, I would like to learn about the animals in other regions as well, including jungle regions. I think that I am leaning towards becoming an animalist, though herbalism definitely isn't out of the question for the future" responded the male. The female nodded as she listened to him.

"On that note, what other technical skills do you think would be useful Marii-sama? Both as a shinobi and perhaps as an animalist? There are many ninjutsu and taijutsu I need to work on, but I don't want to neglect the technical skills that can complement those jutsu in missions and otherwise." inquired Raika.
Marii knit her brows in thought while the older man returned with two cups of hot tea. "I hope you like it, it's some of our best" informed Rairyu.

"Why thank you Rairyu-san! I'm sure we'll like it" replied the young woman with a bright smile. The shinobi on her right gave the male a respectful bow before she adjusted her mask a little.
The ANBU started to sip her tea through the mouth hole on the mask while the Raikage tried to come up with an answer. 'What kind of technical skills could be useful for an animalist or an herbalist?' thought the female.

She had learned a number of skills during her seven years at the knowledge center as well as the years at the Enrai university. The brunette then recalled a skill that she had learned during her years at the knowledge center.
"I would definitely recommend alchemy, cooking plus identifying poisons. Anatomy as well as animal lore could be quite handy too. Those skills will make it easier for you during battles or when you are making medicines or poisons" recommended the young woman.

[Raika Tatsu]

"I would definitely recommend alchemy, cooking plus identifying poisons. Anatomy as well as animal lore could be quite handy too. Those skills will make it easier for you during battles or when you are making medicines or poisons," replied Marii, causing Raika to nod.

"I'll definitely look into those. I also need to work on my Kazeraikou jutsu training, as well as my taijutsu. I'm even looking for a unarmed style of taijutsu I might be able to use, considering the times I was left weaponless in the last couple of years. It would be handy." Raika took a swallow of his water as his aunt then came up with a question of her own.

"Marii-sama, do you have any information on the Gale Empire, perchance? Things have been relatively quiet these last couple of years and they don't seem to be causing much stir from what I can gather, and I was wondering if anything had changed? Of course, if it is classified, I will drop the matter."

Raika's eyes opened and went from his aunt to the Raikage. What little information Tatsu possessed he had not shared with his guardians. He wasn't particularly sure how Marii would answer, but he was pretty sure she would keep things pretty close to the chest. From the letter she had given him, very few people knew what was going on.

[Marii K. Kazeraikou]

((OOC: I think we'll stop there so we can start our missions now))

"I'll definitely look into those. I also need to work on my Kazeraikou jutsu training, as well as my taijutsu. I'm even looking for a unarmed style of taijutsu I might be able to use, considering the times I was left weaponless in the last couple of years. It would be handy." replied the male. 'I hope he'll be able to complete all of this' thought the female as she drank some of her tea.

'Not bad at all. Rairyu wasn't lying when he said it was their best' concluded Marii. She had let the masked shinobi taste first in case of poison.
"Marii-sama, do you have any information on the Gale Empire, perchance? Things have been relatively quiet these last couple of years and they don't seem to be causing much stir from what I can gather, and I was wondering if anything had changed? Of course, if it is classified, I will drop the matter." inquired the older woman.

She noticed that Raika looked at them with wide eyes. 'So he read the letter then. I doubt a calm person like him would react like that if they did not know it' thought the young woman.
She put her cup down and took a deep breath. How would she answer a question like that?

The Raikage had not informed the public, so there was no wonder why they were curious. "I really don't know how to answer that question really. So I'm afraid I can't say anything Amaya-san. I apologize since you have a good reason to be curious" replied the female. She had an apologetic smile at her face.

Her ANBU then looked at her for a couple moments. She gave her a short nod in reply. The duo then stood up after they had drunken their tea.
"I'm afraid I have to go now. But it was nice to meet both of you and thank you for the delicious tea Rairyu-san" told the brunette.

The masked shinobi simply gave them a bow to show her respect. "I see you at the tower later on Raika-kun. Have a nice day" said the young woman.
She then followed the ANBU out of the house after saying good bye. It was time to act.


[Exit Marii and ANBU]

[Raika Tatsu]

"I really don't know how to answer that question really. So I'm afraid I can't say anything Amaya-san. I apologize since you have a good reason to be curious." Marii's apologetic demeanor was easily evident, it even made Raika nearly smile. Still, he kept calm and composed, showing no other signs of excitement.

Amaya nodded her head, her eyes full of comprehension as she replied, "I understand, there is a lot of things that are better left to others. I just hope they cease to be a threat soon, as I doubt that is the case already."

After a moment, Marii stood up, no doubt having finished saying what needed to be said and thus ready to leave. "I'm afraid I have to go now. But it was nice to meet both of you and thank you for the delicious tea Rairyu-san."

Raika and his aunt and uncle all stood as well. The masked ANBU gave the family a bow to show her respect, to which the family returned the gesture. "I'll see you at the tower later on Raika-kun. Have a nice day."

Tatsu nodded. "I'll see you later, Marii-sama." Rairyu followed the duo to the door and opened it for them, before closing it behind them. "Well, looks like you've got a busy time ahead of you, Tatsu. Your time for relaxation seems to be at an end." A smile came across Rairyu's face as he said these words.

"Just try to not disappear for so long again, ok? We love you, so we worry." Amaya hugged Raika, a smile on her face as well, her eyes watering up.

"Don't worry, I will do my best to not put you guys--or myself--through that again." Tatsu hugged her back, then went upstairs to his room. He had a lot of preparation to work on.