Sayu: Hands Reaching Upwards
To be the shortest of a group was painful, to be the shortest of the group even for your age was even worse, and she had done a lot of stuff that had not helped to grow. For her age there were many she had worked with who had almost a full foot on her and it was beginning to driver her more then just a little angry.
She had been trying to get as much rest as possible to be as tall as he could grow but even after getting her vision and learning her craft, but it was a struggle because despite learning what was needed to be a great ninja. Many knew her as almost being the perfect ninja and some would even give her that due to her ability to be hidden, something to be difficult when one was seemingly cursed with a short stature. She had not even begun of thinking how to handle a boy friend because many who did not know of her thought she was still very much a child.
The bamboo could grow straight up and in a short time frame there was little that she could do except take the time to get as much rest as possible and when she could make sure she could not be found. Why did she want to be taller, someone would once asked her and there was almost a look of where to inform someone who had taken their height for granted. They could go and grab stuff off of all the tall shelves without little need for a footstool or climbing up on the counters to get a better footing.
It was something of a point of pride. However, as she was informed by a few of the older scrolls as she tried to research what was needed it was said how the tired often were not as big as the rested and with it along a few others backing that piece of knowledge she had found her way to get back to what she thought she had to be at.
She was as short as a child and her peers towered over here like the were growing in the bamboo forests and while they could not replicate her skill or technique or match power with her sword and vision she was always going to be the visage of a younger girl. When her particular abilities were needed she had found many a place to hide herself away as part of the foliage, as part of the decoration or even as part of the architecture so that no matter where she decided to rest she could do it without bother.
One particular day she decided as she waited at the grand shrine that her preferred spot on the beach would be the best to stay away from people and on this particular day looking out there was many more moving flashes of color leaving her to try and navigate around all of it without setting off the groups that most likely just try and attack her and make her more tired by the time she got hidden.
Looking out there was few clouds in the sky and while the rock towers were imposing it also meant that no one would try to make the climb just to stand on one of the narrow peaks and that meant as she tried to figure which side would be seen more she soon charted a path to get going.
From the shrine some of the greatest could be covered in the air and being so high up she had made her way to the top of the tree before heaving herself off and letting the winds carry her glider as far as it could. While it was easier to glide then walk it was still hard to keep ones body in the air. Looking around the hills and valleys there were many blotches of color representing the usual Fatui and sword swinging maniacs.
No one would even crane their head up and taking the long glide she thought maybe one mirror maiden had spotted her but either could not place what was flying or did not care enough to make the effort to attack the flying ninja girl. After the sight of the electro vortex was far enough behind her she could begin to see where her landing spot would be best.
From the highest point she stretched out ward taking a breath on the tall of column of rock soon climbing down to have the shade of the geography add for a little more cover in the sunny day. Walking to where she could get her feet under her it had been the first moment since the glide to see where everything stood.
She could not see any life form save for a couple of hydro slimes hopping down the beach avoiding anything more powerful then a basic breeze. Inazuma had been her home and while she had worked with some who could get her to Liyue or Mondstadt she did not even know if she wanted to go. There was still so much to do, but all of it had started with being taller. How could a child be found normally traversing the lands, it would seem so weird for someone so small to be an adventurer she thought to herself.
Plans had made themselves impossible because as she looked at the landscaped that seemed to stretch and fold upon itself to provide some of the most unique landscapes that had to exist in Teyvat. It was something of a nice point that she could go to sleep and wake up to find some of the best views around and that was a point of pride, despite not being able to say she had seen the landscapes in other lands.
She had gotten to her point and begun to bury herself in before using the works of her craft where she could be deemed hard to find. It was in honesty very difficult where she could make herself almost lost to all except who were not looking specifically for her. Closing her eyes she had found herself comfortable and begun to nap until she had to wake up again.
The sky was pocked with little white dots and the moon was dark with small smudges of color marking from the deep blue to give it little flickers of colors where the spectrum would be something as bright as a cloudy lavender teal to an almost inky indigo. Sitting on a boulder she would just take on the view as the waves would have some light from the sea flowers and the shadows of the fish would be seen with little shadows sometimes with a small fin coming out marking their existence only.
In tune with nature she could feel herself not growing. She was just as tall as she had always been but it was at least a nice enough night that she could maybe hunt some Onikabuto beetles and find some food for the clan. She would enjoy the times at night more then at day for many people did not even take care to be aware in the daytime. Night time meant people were often just focused on their own path and
outside of their own needs they would become a fool to tunnel vision.
Something had been eking in to her thought process and as she had begun the picking there had been opportunity served to her that not many had been able to get. A traveler had come and asked for her skill in his group, a group of what she thought were all dead ringers and warriors and spell casters from the old legends. Being just a ninja she thought she had nothing to add to the whole affair, but they came out and after working to remove the Sankoku decree still had wanted her to join them.
Her master had even informed her to take it saying that it would be a great chance to travel and learn from the lands abroad, but looking over at the Medoka swimming around the coral and the crabs trying to stay out of sight. She had been given time to think about joining or not, but the deadline for an answer was coming and to be honest part of her wanted it. Who wouldn't to be taken on a swashbuckling adventure like in the novels and do something for someone, for all to learn more, and become heroes on their merits. That meant she would be gone and with her elder at the age where they would step down there would be little chance it seemed to go back and converse when the got injured or if they got ill.
Family was going to be important to her, she would not be able to have those people in her life any more and while it was time in her life to make some kind of headway and the opportunity presenting itself. The question then was left as she saw a pair of crabs try to navigate around her was does she take it or not. Both sides had a lot to give her life as the exploration went on.
She could understand why as well, to find a sibling who was lost was important to a lot of people, she could understand it. If her sibling who had been her only family had been lost to the lands she could be doing the same thing, and from what she was being given there could be a lot she would be able to try.
Just to travel was something so rare that none of the ninjas of her clan had set foot outside the islands of Inazuma making it something of a cultural rarity. Her mind was shifting one way despite what it meant and she had to come to gripes with the emotion bubbling forth, for she knew there was a chance that when she came back for good that her elder would be no longer in the world of the living, and she had to wonder if it was worth it.
Her elder had already come to her in an effort to explain away her fears. They had known that there would be some apprehension, and she had tried to almost push the young woman towards to the tea house where there would be someone waiting for her answer, but mulling over the words she had to put her emotions away.
It was time to make a call no matter what and she really only had one choice on the board as she let out a sigh. A quick journey to the tea house where she found Thoma was waiting and while she had taken so long to walk on the dusty roads that had once been her home and while she can run from making decisions or rest from the need of dealing with such things she was not privy to eternity.
Walking through the door of the tea house and past the dog who was at the counter, she had to walk around the corner to where the man in question was happily chewing on some food from what looked like a hotpot. Her being there had caused him to stop chewing for a moment before putting the small plate down and swallowing, wiping away in case anything was remaining.
"I will join."
Thoma was nodding silently before beckoning her over to a seat where obviously some details had to be taken down. She was going to be part of the people who would go on to help the world and be a better ninja doing it.
