Trickling stream

Ayaka needs to calm herself down, so when Ann goes back to the Blossom house for something secretive, she goes to one of the far away lakes.

It’s nicely situated in the far side of the village, in the middle of the forest, and very large.

Ayaka likes this one the most. There’s always a tint of sea salt in it, the running current of the great sea. 

Ayaka has always loved the sea.

Once she steps on it, it’s a miraculous feeling, as if the whole world is visible with just her chakra sense. The sea pulls her toward it, but the pull is so faint it's something enjoyable.

Dancing on this lake is the best.

Water walking has become something of a non issue to Ayaka, mostly due to the fact that she didn’t have any problem with it to begin with, and also because she has been training up her chakra control.

Say what you will about Spider, but she can be a fantastic tutor-when she decides to actually teach.

The problem, however, is not the water walking itself. It’s the fact that when she’s waterwalking, she can’t exactly… sense. Chakra sensing, to be accurate.

Shisui has just finished a mission, and he is tired. The forest has always been calmer than other places.

There’s no judgement, no eyes on him. Not in the forest.

There’s a small clearing in there, with a beautiful lake that he visits at times. The fish is abundant, and he would just… stay there for a night or so. 

His aunt doesn’t question it, anyway.

And-oh. It’s already occupied.

There’s a red haired girl water walking-no. Dancing.

Even through the foliage, through the distance, Shisui can see she’s beautiful. Small, though.

A little too small to be water walking. But there’s always a genius somewhere, he thinks.

Red strands flowing atop the water, and quick nimble steps that let her twirl and twirl and twirl.

And then she looks toward his direction and drops.

Shisui’s heart drops with her, and he runs quickly to the lakeside. 

A little genius shouldn’t die so young-not from something as simple as drowning from unsupervised water walking.

Ayaka feels eyes on her- a little too late.

It was between a twirl and another, and she didn’t hesitate to drop down.

The rush is heady, god. Ayaka loves the ocean, and even if this is a pale comparison to what she is sure is awaiting her, it is nice enough.

She has gotten practice in dealing with the rush of energy-god. Clara had liked the ocean, but Ayaka loves it. 

But it wouldn’t do for her to hide for long, no. It would look too suspicious.

Ayaka pushes herself up, paddling and breaking out of the water-only to meet one of the prettiest shades of black she has ever seen.

Like onyx, but not really. The boy has pretty eyes-like a fox, with eyeliner-sharpness and long lashes. Ayaka personally thinks that if he ever stares, lovingly, at someone, they would swoon. Not her, of course. But he is attractive.

Also far too young for someone over thirty mentally.

“Helu. Why were you looking at me swimming?” Ayaka asks, faking confusion and innocence. The nee-san back at the Blossom house assured her it is very convincing. It even worked on Anka, though not for long. It should work on one of her relatives.

Uchiha has such a distinct taste to their chakra. It’s a burning, ashy tint to whatever else they have. In this case, it’s swirling wind, with hint of smoke as an ember burns inside. 

Beautiful.

“I-swimming?”

The boy asks, confused.

“Yeah? I was swimming.” Ayaka tilts her head, keeping up the ruse.

“Weren’t you waterwalking?”

“What’s that?”

“It-never mind.” The boy sighs, shaking his head. He mumbles something under his breath that she is pretty sure goes along the line of “I must be imagining it” or something. “Why are you so deep in the forest?” He asks.

This one is quite cautious. But he knows how to fake it very well. Ayaka wouldn’t have noticed if not for the fact that he’s so close and his chakra is not as well masked as it can be. No doubt he’s a bit tired.

“It’s quiet. And the lake is very nice.” Ayaka says with an oblivious smile that has Ann looking at her all exasperatedly, so she’s quite sure it’s good to go.

“Oh.” The boy says, looking a little lost.

Honestly, Uchiha is the epitome of awkwardness. They don’t seem to catch up on social cues that quickly, or, well, emotional cues. Anka was not an exception.

“Ah, did you want to swim too? Sorry if I’m hogging the lake then.” She cracks a sheepish smile, putting her hand on her nape for good measure. “Don’t worry, I’ll be off. It’s about time I go home.”

“Oh- it’s fine.” The boy hurries to reassure. “I was just-passing by. Really.”

“Okay.” Ayaka drawls, hauling herself out of the water, wringing out her clothes. “I have to go though. Nice meeting you.”

“Oh- nice to meet you too?” He says, a little unsure.

Honestly, the boy’s cute. Ayaka makes a grin and waves as she jogs back out of the forest.

As she walks away, she can sense his chakra signature somewhere behind. Oops. May have gotten him a little too curious.

And a little further in front…

“Yo, nee-sama.” Ayaka grins lazily, bounding over to the figure leaning against the tree on the tree line. “Waiting for me?”

Ann raises an eyebrow, tossing a fluffy towel over. “You did not tell me you would be so… drenched.”

Patting down her hair, Ayaka walks with Ann as they return to the village. “I went for a swim.”

“Ah.”

As Ayaka keeps up the small talks, with Ann occasionally chiming in and making answering noises, the boy’s signature follows them for a while longer, before he turns toward the direction that she is pretty sure is the Uchiha clan land. But eh. Ayaka has always been bad at direction.

“An Uchiha?” Ann asks once they get somewhere with few people, none paying attention to two kids.

“He saw me dancing, I think.” Ayaka scratches her cheek, a nervous tick of hers. “Too absorbed to notice him.”

“You’ll need to improve that then. Did he?” Ann says nonchalantly. She has always been calm. Maybe she has some sort of contingency if Ayaka can’t hide well enough.

“I feigned ignorance, so dunno. Might be.”

“Do not know, or don’t know, Imouto.”

“Potato, tomato. Does it matter?”

“In certain companies, yes.”

“But not with you.”

“… ha. No, I suppose not.”

Spider has always been… peculiar. But Ayaka cannot object that her lessons are effective.

Water. Just. Water.

“How in the nine hell do you do that?” Ayaka asks with wide eyes as she makes a flower-she distantly recognizes it as a camellia-out of water.

“Language, Hana.” Ann admonishes, watching with fascination as well.

“Today we learn chakra manipulation. You will need it.” Spider says, ignoring Ayaka’s proclamation. 

That sounds… ominous.

“Just- how?” Ayaka is flabbergasted, mouth hanging agape and twitching her hands. “It’s-huh?”

Spider turns to stare at Ayaka-and she’s pretty sure that’s how you tell if she’s looking. If her mask is turned toward you, then that means she’s paying attention. Not that she’s not any other time. 

Ayaka swears, that girl has too keen senses. 

“It is simply chakra manipulation.” Spider reassures, though that does not look like ‘simply’ anything.

“It is not anything advanced, but once you can confidently go through a set of exercises, you would be able to do whatever you wish with the element of water.” Spider says mildly, though that hint of confidence shines through. 

Alrighty. If she’s so ascertained.

“We will start with a sphere. Now, sphere is a form water naturally follows- think droplets of rains and morning dew. Surface tension will assist you in your endeavor.”

There’s a small bowl of water in front of each of them, and Ayaka is still kneeling. 

She’s quite alright with sitting seiza, but Ann has moved to sitting on the bed with Spider. It’s-why?

Ayaka keeps the question down when Spider begins to demonstrate properly.

“Thread your chakra into the water, and let it melt into the element. Do not flood the bowl with everything you have. Create a current, so to speak, then match it with what the water already has. Water is a slippery thing, soft and always moving, without any sharp edges and roughness to cling to. Do not try to press it. It will take time.”

It takes her barely a second to lift a perfectly round sphere into the air. And- the chakra inside. 

Spider’s chakra is something clean, breathtakingly fresh, yet so bland. There’s a hint of moisture, something Ayaka can’t quite name. She doesn’t hate it, she decides.

It doesn’t seem complex, the way Spider lets her chakra melt into the water. There’s a thin layer of it outside, and there’s some inside keeping it stable.

Something like scaffolding-an intricate structure that comes natural to her.

“Now, this effect can be just as easily achieved by creating a shell and letting the water inside. But I find it rather uneconomic, chakra wise. This is much more stable, and there is no need for a constant drain of chakra to keep up that mold. Water will flow with you. Both of you are of aqua, it will not begrudge you such simple things.”

Of aqua-of water, Ayaka connects. She knows some common Latin. So this world uses it too?

Spider makes it sound like the water is sentient. Maybe it is. Maybe not.

But Ayaka has always been liked by the water.

“Stabilize it however you please. It is a method unique to you. Copy mine if you so desire, but know it will not work as well as what your chakra wishes to be.”

True, because Spider’s has something resembling a crystalline made up pattern, all sharp edges and asymmetrical angles. Even in as soft a shape as a sphere, she manages to show her quirks.

Ayaka attempts, at first, to copy Spider. It’s hard-there’s a million tiny little constructs within, and her chakra doesn’t quite adapt to it. 

But it works, if a little wobbly.

Ann is still trying to pick it up-it seems she wants to make it her own on the first try.

“It is not as comfortable as can be, but you succeed.” Spider comments dully, then with a flick of her chakra, Ayaka’s water sphere breaks, splashing her with some. Even through the mask, she can feel the cold chakra embedded inside the water. “Now try again.”

Ah. So it’s not exactly okay for her to copy. Figure.

Ayaka figuratively pulls up her sleeves and tries again.

She failed for the uptenth time that day.