Return of the Blossoming Blade

Marilee returned after a very fruitful journey, one that she was pleased with the result. There was still much to do and returning back to Hoshigakure no Sato was the first step to help her sister out. She knew she wanted to return in time for her daughter's Genin Exam as well. There was so much to work towards now that she was reclaiming her heritage and growth. Back in the queue to return to the village, Marilee had left documentation for quick and easy return and access once it came time for her to return to the village. Hopefully in the time gone the paperwork was not lost in a scuffle of sorts with the changing of the guards. Thus she waited patiently for her turn in line to enter the village that was her home, knowing it would not be long before she ventured forth once more leaving the walls for a more permanent situation elsewhere. She was going to leave her daughter in her husband's hands and the village's. She was going to become a fine shinobi while she tried to help her sister do good in the world. One step at a time however is required.

WC: 200, TWC: 200

Meanwhile, at the same Heraldry Gate that divides the untamed wilderness beyond and the village sanctuary of Hoshigakure-no-Sato...


Today's Jurei's lucky day. Well, depending on who you ask between herself and the Bake-danuki, Ninjiro, that coils languidly around her neck. The little creature yawns widely, revealing rows of needle-sharp teeth as it stretches out like a cat before settling down again with its head resting on Jurei's shoulder. It's been a quiet day so far, with only nature's ambiance to fill the occasional subdued murmurs in front but Jurei knows better than to let her guard down. She keeps her eyes peeled for any signs of trouble, but so far, everything seems to be going smoothly. The queue to enter the village is moving steadily, and Jurei finds herself scanning each face that passes by, reviewing each person's appropriate documentation, and aiding them in their entry into Hoshigakure-no Sato if they require it.

As the line inches forward, Jurei notices a particular face approaching the gate which stands out from among the bunch. With jet-black long hair that cascades down to her waist contrasted by her snow-white visage, she dons a black gown outfit with red and white accents and unusual insignia she can barely make out though she reckons it's likely her clan's mark engraved on the article. The attire is then completed by the presence of her blade fastened securely at her right hip. Upon her approach, Jurei briefly looks at her familiar and gives him scritches on his ears to rouse the sleepy tanuki from its slumber.

‘Sorry to disturb your midday nap Ninji,’ her voice resonates with a faint echo in Ninjiro's mind. ‘But would you care to be my second pair of eyes and ears? Just for a little while, I'll ping you when you can go back to sleep OK?’

‘Hmph! Fine, but only because I'm such a nice guy,’ Ninjiro replies with a huff, though he secretly enjoys the attention. He perks up and scans the crowd with his beady black eyes, taking in every detail as Jurei continues to work her way through the line of people waiting to enter the village. He then peers at the approaching figure, taking in every detail as best he can. ‘She looks like trouble,’ he says after a moment, his tone laced with suspicion. ‘I don't like her.’

Jurei stifles a laugh at Ninjiro's words. ‘Ninji, c'mon, can you at least be serious about this? She can't be the only one you look at and call it a day.’ She only receives a disembodied, disgruntled response from the Bake-danuki telepathically as he lowers his head to eye level with her. No sooner does the ravenette come forward for processing. Jurei greets her with a warm smile and bobs her head in her direction. “Greetings, welcome to Hoshigakure-no-Sato,” she begins with a polite yet formal tone. “I trust your journey here has treated you well. May I ask what business brings you to the village, today?”

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Related Stats:

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WC: 500
TWC: 500

Marilee looked at the fashionable woman before her. She had an energy before her that reminded her of her little sister and it was when the greeting occurred that Marilee's brow furrowed at the response a bit. It had appeared with the change of shift that notes were passed along. This was more frustrating for her than an issue of Hoshigakure's process. The needs of the village were not one that would be simply adjusted just for her. She let out a low exhale before making a rather straightforward remark, "I live here." It was likely one that was not a common occurrence of a response at the gate of a village where one was attempting to reenter but the look on Marilee's face was one of perplexing thoughts as she assumed her documents would have been on the top of the stack for 'returning' individuals but she was not privy fully to the process at the gate.

Her face remained even and relatively unemotional as she moved her hands in a motion indicating a thought had been realized. Her left hand moved up open palm upward and her right landed on it bunched into a gripped hand, her thumb on top. "I believe I left my reentry documents prefilled out." She explained further before her eyes drifted to Ninjiro. If a look could be described as shooting daggers, Marilee's resting face was close as she acknowledged the creature but did not vocally indicate such but she did lock eyes with the creature for a moment before returning to Jurei for processing. "I believe a Shokku-san was on duty that day." She added in to help the woman figure out where the documents may have wandered off to. She seemed to be in her own little world of procedure in comparison to the average individual. Her stature leads to a mature aura radiating from the elder Blossom sister with her face being likely one of the flattest expressions Jurei had seen in a while. It was not that she lacked emotion, but rather her expressions were dampened in comparison to most others.

Her gear was nothing major as it appeared she had packed lightly for her travels as no visible equipment was present to inspect upon her time at the gate. Should the documents be found, it would indicate as well that she would be claiming upon reentry to Hoshigakure no Sato no additional items than what she had on her exit list. If the documents were not found, it would likely turn into an interesting time for the duo who stood opposing each other at the gates. It was not often that Marilee stood eye to eye with someone considering she was one of the tallest in the family so it was nice not to crane her neck to speak with others for once. Her own daughter was still growing and hopefully would take after her as well in the height department unlike the rest of the Blossom Family.

WC: 500, TWC: 700

"Oh," Jurei whispers. She notes the slight frown on her countenance and her posture relaxes shortly after. Normally she would interpret the transitional gestures as exasperation, but her body language suggests otherwise. She seems to be more concerned than anything else. When the woman motions with both hands and moves her thumb along her digits, she explains further that she has already prefilled her re-entry documents before exiting. "I see." Jurei nods until the swordswoman's eyes shift to meet Ninjiro's, Jurei also shifts her gaze at the bake-danuki before she re-centers her focus toward the woman.

"Oh please, don't mind him," She appends, ruffling his head to relieve the unnerving tension that looms. Ninjiro grumbles under his breath but allows himself to be petted nonetheless. "He's normally like this only because he worries about me. I promise he means well. He's just... protective." Jurei pauses momentarily to think about what she said. She receives no further pings from Ninjiro outside of the natural commotion. She then shakes her head and continues. "I'm sorry about that. I'll see if I can find your documents somewhere around here. Please wait a moment."

She bows slightly before turning around and reaching for a clipboard hanging from a nail hammered into the wall behind her. The name 'Shokku Joro' does ring a familiar bell for her, however, that's about as far as she knows about the fellow besides his otherwise casual appearance. She flips through the pages of names and dates until she finds a familiar profile that matches the woman's description with the date of her departure and expected arrival. She scans the list of items she brought when she left the village and compares it with what she has on her person now. "Everything seems to be in order," She mutters to herself and flips the page over expecting the re-entry form to be attached to her documents. There's a brief pause in the Ryoinsatsu movements as she flips over to the next page to find nothing that reveals the form she needs to let Marilee back into the village.

'Ninji?'

'That's me.'

'I can't seem to find Blossom-san's re-entry forms. I think someone during the interim of Joro's shift miscatalogued them somewhere else. Can you help me find them real quick?'

She gestures the clipboard to the front page of Marilee's documentation for the raccoon dog to scrutinize. Ninjiro leans forward to get a better look at the documents before nodding his head. He then hops off Jurei's shoulder, onto the counter, and finally, on the ground before he trots over to the door leading into the back room where all the filing cabinets are kept. He looks up at Jurei with a nod before disappearing past the door.

Jurei turns back to Marilee with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry about that, Blossom-san. It seems like someone misplaced your re-entry form during the interim of Shokku-san's shift. Somehow," she mutters the last word under her breath with a hint of second-hand chagrin. "But, Ninji should be able to find it quickly though." She assures her with a small bow of her head. Thankfully, it doesn't take long for Ninjiro to find the re-entry files as he reappears from beyond the doorway with a manila folder in his mouth. He trots over to Jurei and hops onto the counter again before dropping the folder next to the clipboard.

'That was quick.' Jurei picks up the folder and flips it open to find Marilee's re-entry form.

'Yeah, some lout left it in the wrong drawer. Was in the "M" section instead of "B".' Ninjiro grumbles as he hops back onto Jurei's shoulder. 'I swear if I ever get my paws on that guy...' He trails off with a low growl before shaking his head. 'Anyway, you got what you need?'

'Yep! Thanks a heap, Ninji.'

Jurei pulls out the re-entry form from the folder. She skims through it briefly before she looks up to meet Marilee's gaze once more. "I apologize for the inconvenience. All that's left is for me to fill out the necessary spaces to validate your re-entry and your signature, and then you'll be good to go." She says with a slight bow of her head. She then sets the folder aside before grabbing a pen from the cup holder next to the register. She fills out the empty spaces on the form with Marilee's information from her previous documentation when she exited from the village gates.

Meanwhile, Ninjiro resumes his staring contest with Marilee, albeit, with lessened intensity. He tilts his head slightly to the side as he scrutinizes her features with a curious glint in his eyes. His tail wags slowly behind him as he studies her closely. After a moment, he leans forward and sniffs at her hair before recoiling back with a sneeze. He shakes his head wildly before rubbing his nose with his paw. 'She smells like flowers.' He comments offhandedly to Jurei through their telepathic link.

Jurei glances over at Ninjiro briefly before turning her attention back to the form in front of her. She finishes and signs her name at the bottom of the page before she then slides the form over to Marilee with a smile. "All right. All that's left is for you to sign here, Blossom-san." Jurei points to the signature line with her pen before she gestures for Marilee to take the item. "And I hope you don't mind me asking but, would you happen to know someone named Blossom Marabelle? Or Blossom Akagane? I noticed your crest looked familiar when you came up."

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WC: 935
TWC: 1,435

It appeared to Marilee that Jurei mirrored similar tendencies to Marabelle when she was younger. She took note of this and gave a soft smile though it almost seemed dissonant to her general presence but was genuine nonetheless. Hearing that the intent of the younger kunoichi was to verify that they do exist, Marilee took it in stride as Marilee took the comment to chime in. "I don't mind. I understand protecting loved ones." She said with a degree of firmness that would easily be understood by the young woman before her that as a mother she can empathize Ninji's reservation. Her gaze turned to the Tanuki before giving it the same smile she gave Jurei.

With their focus elsewhere now, Marilee took in the gates before her as she understood the venture she had planned out with her sister at the helm. Being one of the elder daughters of the Blossoms from Bean Jam, the older Blossom mentally took the scenery outside as she understood that the time she was going to spend away from her family would be an undetermined amount of time. There was no dedicated scope to what was asked of her but that did not change her demeanor or stature as she stood there waiting like a statue for the Kunoichi's return. The equipment she had on her was secure and the notes were accounted for to her recollection so the hope was that just finding the paperwork was sufficient to proceed.

Jurei chimed back about the likelihood of misplacement which brought a sigh from Marilee's form as she adjusted to redistribute her weight. Hearing that Ninji was on the job to track down the misplaced document there seemed to be an understanding nod from the older kunoichi. Sometimes things get shifted around and Marilee understood that before she could come up with words to help ease the guardwoman's tenure at the gate, Ninji returned with the missing document. Jurei was quick to continue through the process which was to Marilee's liking as orderly conduct was appreciated. Hearing all that was needed was Jurei's verification and then signature, Marilee gave a light nod biding her time to conduct her portion of the process.

Ninji's reaction upon his return was to focus on her once more which brought her attention to the tiny creature. As he moved closer to inspect her, Marilee's body refused to tense as the creature approached her closer before he sneezed. Seeing that Jurei was done, Marilee's smile widened at the sneeze before picking up the pin, her eyes locked on the paper as she answered Jurei's questions. "My imōto and musume." She responded without missing a beat as she finalized the document before returning the pen to its place and sliding the paper back to Jurei. "Presuming you've encountered both, Marabelle is the youngest of our family. Akagane is my only daughter." She appended to her initial comment.

She turned her gaze from the document to Jurei to see the reaction of the Kunoichi before her. She was acutely aware that her sister was roughly the same age as the kunoichi before her but that did not change her approach or opinion of her but rather curious about how the odds of one of Hoshigakure's finest ended up encountering the trio of them on different occasions. She was aware that Marabelle had ventured into the village briefly and went about her way relatively quickly and her daughter Akagane was in the academy so the likelihood was that she met Akagane first but without further explanation, Marilee waited with uncertainty and curiosity.

WC: 600, TWC: 1,300

Jurei's slightly taken aback by the near-instant response she received from the senior Blossom, although that soon subsides now that she's aware of the relation the three of them share. Elder sister of Marabelle and mother of Akagane. "Really?" She asks rhetorically. "A rather small world we live in, then. I imagine it must've been nice to see your family again, alive and well." She pauses briefly, in momentary thought of her most recent encounter with the wandering medic. Noticing Marilee sliding the document back toward her, she slides her digits along the side to then curl, and lift up the paper as she double-checks the forms for any blank fields.

"She has a big heart... Marabelle, I mean. I don't think I've ever seen someone so eager to help others before." She says with a smile. "And Akagane... we did a couple of missions together with another, Heiibishi I believe, not too long ago. I don't know her all that well, but I know she has a lot going for her." Then a thought comes to her. "That reminds, has she told of you the birthday picnic I'll be hosting at the Water Gardens? I believe your daughter should have the details about it from the note slip I gave her. You're free to come along, too, if you'd like." She then nods to herself and finally stows Marilee's forms away—this time to prevent further delays—in another pile opposite to another. "And you're now free to go, now. Thank you for your patience and welcome back home." Jurei bobs her head and waves to the swordswoman.

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WC: 269
TWC: 1,704

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Requesting approval for the following claim(s):

Reserving WC Claims for later.

Jurei Ryoinsatsu wrote:

[EXIT THREAD]

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Requesting approval for the following claim(s):

Reserving WC Claims for later.

Approved of exit

Requesting approval for the following claims:

Investing 1,704 TWC into the following Jutsu:

► Improving Ninja Art: Capital Expenditure from A-Rank → S-Rank [Clanned Slotless] [310/1,875] → (1,875/1,875) [Prog' Here] [139 TWC Left]
► Improving Fire Release: Blistering Web from C-Rank → B-Rank (139/375) [0 TWC Left]

Jurei Ryoinsatsu wrote:Requesting approval for the following claims:

Investing 1,704 TWC into the following Jutsu:

► Improving Ninja Art: Capital Expenditure from A-Rank → S-Rank [Clanned Slotless] [310/1,875] → (1,875/1,875) [Prog' Here] [139 TWC Left]
► Improving Fire Release: Blistering Web from C-Rank → B-Rank (139/375) [0 TWC Left]

Approved

With the revelation taking Jurei off her own beat for a moment, Marilee's posturing never changed as she gave a light nod in affirmation to the words of the kunoichi. "Alive and well indeed. 4th out of 14 does pose some concerns from time to time when viewing the growth of each other." She said casually as she waited with attentive ears to the words Jurei began to weave together. Marilee could tell she thought well of her family from the interactions she has held with her family. It was a small world indeed that one may walk across multiple Blossoms considering how far and wide the small clan has become. Being within the Land of Haven, Marilee herself was a foreigner who ended up marrying into the village by chance more than anything else. Still honing her body and blade as a martial art over joining the shinobi corps was the option she chose, Marilee took pride in hearing that her family made impressions on others.

The extended invitation from Jurei proved to be one that caught even the aged worn woman off guard. Her eyebrow raised at the notion of the invitation that Akagane had received. She had departed from the village some time ago and had not spoken with her daughter yet, so the news that she was invited to a celebration was new to her. Though it was uncertain of what part of the sentence truly caught the vagabond's attention, it was clear that Marilee was intrigued by the idea of attending as she was certain the population in attendance would likely be of a significantly younger crowd. Yet, the idea of chaperoning her child was something she was more keen to do as she was soon to depart fully from the village for an indeterminate amount of time. Taking in the concept, Marilee's eyebrow lowered before she provided Jurei with a small smile before speaking once more, "I would enjoy seeing the friends my daughter has made."

It was simple words in concept yet one that would prove to weigh heavy on the older woman. Seeing the people she would be leaving her daughter in the care of was something that she kept to her own thoughts rather than indicate such concerns. Her face remained steady through the conversation, what little emotion found its way to the surface of her face was shown in minimal movements. With all the paperwork done and accounted for now, Jurei gave her the affirmative that she was good to proceed and re-enter the village that had been her home for the better half of the last decade and a half. There was always more to worry about and learn about within the streets yet there was a few small tasks that Marilee needed to accomplish prior to leaving Hoshigakure No Sato for the task her sister gave her.

Marilee gave a light bow as she took her steps back into the village proper before taking note of the affairs that she needed to attend to within the village. She needed to procure a merchant's blessing to get materials to the intended destination, she now was invited to a birthday party that she would happily attend, and then she would need to find other wayward souls or kindred spirits to join her on her journey. Her blade although new had a degree of rust upon it's edge and she needed what extra hands she could recruit should they be of the right minds to venture forth with the ideas being presented. As much as she felt that Jurei likely would have been on Marabelle's list to extend an invitation to the venture she was making, Marilee recognized the unorthodox approach of trying to incorporate proper shinobis rather than integrating the village itself into the network being proposed.

Until those were complete, Marilee once again stepped on Hoshigakure's streets, now with some rust shaken off, looking to make the moves to help support her sister. Making moves to show that the Blossoming Blade truly has returned to the lands of Naito and Ninji. As she walked into the village, a light smirk etched itself onto her face, excitement radiating inside her.

[Exit]

WC: 700, TWC: 2,000

WC Claims: 2,000 wrote:2,000 WC To Memorize Jurei Ryoinsatsu's chakra signature

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2,000 WC for Dual Growth Rate for 20 AP, New Total Bonus AP 150 + 20 = 170/1,000

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2,000 WC Towards Total Concentration Breathing 2,000 / 3,000 (25% Max Stat Reduction - A-Rank Achieved)

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0 WC Remaining