Thread: Taifa

Her blindness comes from an event that she suffered through at the age of three, before her mind began to put down permanent memories. What it was no one knows.

One day her mother, Aiko Ijara, after working in her garden, went to the market to sell what she had harvested. It was an average day that was a little on the warmer side with a little bit of cloud coverage. Her goods sold quickly, being well thought of among those buying food. However, when she was nearly done, a helper from her home ran to her, frantically trying to convey a message.

When Aiko heard Taifa's name, she knew immediately that something was very wrong. Dropping her baskets, she dashed back to the house to see her little girl held in the careful arms of another female helper, screaming for her mother in a desperate voice and trying her hardest to escape. Aiko ran to her and embraced the girl, comforting her. "I'm here," she started.

"Where?" Taifa replied. Aiko looked into Taifa's eyes, only to see nothing returned.

When Jen, her father, returned they called a physician who concluded that she was indeed now blind, though he was unsure of the reason. Physically her eyes were healthy, but he could offer no explanation, instead referring them to a school where the blind would be instructed. Taifa went to this school for three years, learning how to perform the most basic actions one must learn in life, but she was not content and constantly wept, wishing that she could be just like everyone else.

One day she overheard some adults speaking about life. One of them was discussing parts of his life and she listened as he said, "There is a reason for everything and our uniqueness is what causes life to progress. If we all possessed the same traits, life would be dull and stagnant."

She had to ask her parents what most of that meant, and when they described it to her, her simple mind perceived the whole of it. With that revelation she was given a new lease on life, a purpose and goal towards which to work.

At the age of six she requested that she be permitted to join the Kashato and start working towards something that was uniquely her own. Her two older brothers had already been enrolled in schools of their own and her parents knew that she was feeling left behind. Reluctant and unsure of what would happen if they asked, they eventually decided to give it a try and went to enroll her in the program. The Kashato looked at her and despite her blind eyes and small frame, they saw a liveliness and determination and drive that could not be ignored.

They spoke with Taifa and her family at some length, wanting to be sure that they understood fully what would be done and what would be required of her. They eventually accepted her, choosing to assign her to a full Kashato who would best teach her what she would need to know, rather than having her work under a Nizhja as all other initiates did.

His name was Kashato Onnato and he was a poet. He wielded words the way the ninjas used shuriken, the way a healer applied a salve, the way a child played. This being the case, he knew just how to approach the six year-old and how to speak to her in a manner that she could understand. He was keen on improving her vocabulary so that she would be able to improve upon her understanding of how to be a ninja and what it mean to be a ninja.

He took her on walks through the forest, always describing what could be seen in excruciating detail. He taught her to listen to the wind and to hear what it would bring her, be it the sound of voices or of the creatures that resided among the trees, or the leaves as they fell onto the stream. With him she learned to develop a mental concept of her environment apart from seeing it. Over time she could track the smell of a roast turkey from 300 yards away if the breeze was right. She could identify people by standing downwind and using her nose. She came to also diffentiate people by the sound of their breathing and their footsteps.

Her fingers became familiar with a myriad of materials and she learned to tie ropes into numerous types of knots and patterns, and to set traps based on how she perceived her surroundings.

Kashato Onnato also began to teach her the history of the Kashato and found that she had a ready mind for his stories. He spoke of the philosophies of the ninja way and of the true essence and spirit of such warriors.

Taifa was his for four years. She became very precious to him and he treated her as a young lady, one not quite a daughter, as she was. He pushed her to excell, but found that he did not often need to motivate her to do something. He also became an occasional visitor to the Ijara home and his presence was not unwelcome.

Taifa was very fond of her Kashato, seeing him as the brother she would not find in her kin. He protected her from the worse aspects of life, but did not by any means shelter her.

It was a difficult parting for both of them when Onnato could no longer be her teacher. She was at the point where she could hold her own against the other initiates and learn more thoroughly the basics that she had been taught, primarily the control and use of chakra. He had not taught her much about this life energy, preferring instead to allow her to have a base from which to work with the other students. Now it was her turn to think and discover her own unique abilities.

She only spent six months in the academy, progressing quickly in all but a few things that she learned. She had difficulty with learning about substitution and illusion jutsu which required being able to see what was going on, but she was above all the others when they practiced survival skills as well as taijutsu (hand-to-hand combat). She learned of the clone jutsu, but her instructors chose not to try and teacher it to her given that she had no sense of what she looked like. However, being exposed to it, she began to learn to tell the difference between a mere clone and her real opponent, the same with illusions.

Her graduation exam took four minutes, administered orally, of course. She was so well versed in all that she had learned, having reviewed everything with their Nizhja, Shava, or occasionally with Onnato when he had time. Her practical went just as smoothly, though they had to ask her to perform different jutsu than the other initiates. The proctors were quite impressed to see that despite her blindness, she could still perform a replacement jutsu.

After she graduated from the academy, she was treated to a special visit by Kashato Onnato, who stayed for dinner. Even though she had received her Leaf Village headband, she did not want to wear it, feeling that it could impede her senses, disturbing her perception. Onnato, instead, gave to her a gift: a staff that was about as tall as she was and about 3/4 inch thick. On it, he explained, were four black stripes, each one a virtue of the Kashato: love, honor, strength, and perserverance. The very top was of metal and bore the insignia of the Leaf Village, making it similar to the headband in that respect.

Taifa loved it, thanking Kashato Onnato until he asked her to stop. Her parents were also open in sharing their gratitude for all that he had done. "It has been my honor," he replied, "to instruct Taifa and also learn from her. I'm sure that we'll see great things from her in the future." He also offered Taifa any assistance she may need in the future if it was reasonable.

However, he also knew that now that she was a Zinga she would be working with another full Kashato and it was not proper to give too much attention to someone else's students. He promised, also, that he would introduce her to her Kashato the next day when she would be put on a squad with two others. Taifa gratefully accepted the offer, knowing that Onnato could describe her new teacher adequately with sufficient detail.

And he was as good as his word. The next day he arrived at her house, finding her carrying her headband in one hand and the walking stick in her other, a grin on her face. The two of them walked back to the academy, Onnato's hand resting gently on her shoulder to guide her, knowing full well that she'd walked this path a hundred times on her own. He spent the time giving a description of her Kashato, whose name was Anko Mitarashi, and answering most of her questions about what she could hope to expect. He didn't tell her everything, though, knowing that it wasn't his place to reveal certain details.

He led her to one of the classrooms where she would meet up with the other students in her class, and then waited outside of the door after he said farewell. She was the first one there and when she entered she took a seat, taking the time to relax and prepare herself for what was to come. As the others filed in the murmur of questions gradually rose, individuals wondering who would be on their squads, commenting on who they hoped and feared they would be with.

Even though they tried to keep their voices down, Taifa still heard her name mentioned. Some thought it would be interesting to be paired with her, but most shared the same sentiment, that while she was currently a model student, they didn't know if she would be able to keep up with the Zinga training that they would receive. They didn't think that she could truly make it through all of the missions on which they would go, wondering if she would only be a liability. She did not listen to them, though, nor did she react in a manner that would suggest that she was even listening.

I'll be posting more tomorrow. Later on, if you have suggestions on what Taifa could do, let me know. I really don't have any direction for this.

(OoC: Are you making this board wide?.. peaks BD's intrest. BD approves. Rawr.)

No, this is just my story, but if anyone has any ideas for it, I'm open! I really don't know where it's going or any cool adventures for her to go on. I do have an idea for her romance sequence, but she isn't old enough for that yet

Continuing on... (hmm, I smell popcorn!)

Page Four

One girl was nice enough to talk to Taifa, asking her how she was feeling at the time. Taifa smiled as she replied. "I'm excited to begin training at a new level and to meet my Kashato. I'm also curious as to what our first mission will entail."

"Same here," the girl replied. Judging by the acoustics of her voice, Taifa could tell that she was smiling, too. Then she asked quietly, "Taifa?"

"Yes?"

"Are you afraid of what's coming up?"

The blind girl could tell that that questions was also a statement about herself, so Taifa replied accordingly. "Yuka, there is no need to worry about what we will be doing. We've all become Zinga and have chosen to walk this path and to do what is necessary to fulfill our desire to become Kashato. We should expect challenges and trials to test and strengthen us, but we should not fear them. What will come will come and there is little that we can do about it now, so why worry?"

Yuka found comfort in Taifa's confident smile, envying her sureness. "Thanks, Taifa."

"You'll do fine, Yuka. Just trust your training and give your all. Then nobody can fault you for not trying."

The Nizhja instructor had been listening the whole time - as had more than a few of the students - and had to grin at Taifa's optimism. He made no comment on what she said, but rather dove right into the matter at hand.

"Good morning, class! Today you will be assigned to three-man squads and assigned to a Kashato to begin your training as a Zinga. When I call your names, the three of you will walk out of the room and meet your new instructors in the hallway. Squad 1..."

He then proceeded to list off names and gradually the room began to empty. Some students groaned or cheered when they heard who they were partnered with and who would be teaching them. It wasn't until the end that the Nizhja called out, "Squad 8: Koba Annu, Sonotto Gurea, and Taifa Ijara, assigned to Kashato Anko. Please exit the class... and good luck!"

"Thank you, sir," Taifa replied as she rose and gathered her belongings. The other two were a bit slower, no doubt slightly disappointed that she was on their squad, and she waited patiently for them by the door.

They walked out. By the air displaced when she opened the door, Taifa could tell that Anko was standing nearby. She bowed respectfullly. "I am Taifa Ijara."

She heard the other two follow suit and then a woman's voice said sharply, "My name is Anko Mitarashi. Follow me."

Taifa gave Onnago a small wave as she walked past him, both smiling. Onnato had remained entirely silent and she was still aware of his presence. Good luck, Taifa, he thought, proud of all that she had become.