Private/Closed Naruto AU: Roleplay

[Retro Master]

“Damn it, I think I’m still hungover from last night.”

The tired voice came from Kotetsu as he tried to keep pace with his partner, Izumo. They both carried a stack of folders with them as they made their way to the village gates. Like a normal day, the duo would spend most of their time sitting in the booth by the entrance, checking all who entered or exited the village. Unfortunately, this meant they had to be up and out very early in the morning. A requirement that Kotetsu seemed to have forgotten last night.

“I was the one who warned you all not to drink too much sake, moron!”

The brown-haired shinobi raised his voice, seemingly annoyed at his friend’s complaints. Being the more responsible one of the duo, Izumo had been careful not to go too overboard with the drinks or ladies. They had been given this duty of guarding the front gate directly from the fifth Hokage herself. Though Kotetsu would say they were just her errand-boys now, Izumo believed this was the best job one could get as a shinobi and he wasn’t willing to lose it.

“But still, you could’ve taken them off my hands.”

A sigh escaped the lips of Izumo, somewhat unsure of what exactly his partner was referring too. If Kotetsu was referring to the pile in his hands, then he would have to wait just a bit longer as they were almost there. However, it appeared that they weren’t the first ones there.

“Hold up Kotetsu. Look.”

Izumo paused his footsteps as he made a gesture with his head, leading his partner to look forwards. Near the gates, there were a group of three kids fooling around with each other. Upon closer inspection, they were able to recognize them somewhat. They remembered two of them as the strange girls who had returned from a mission with Lady Hinagiku and Kakashi a few days ago. The boy, on the other hand, looked like the one who had come with a family the day before yesterday. With a rather lax tone, Kotetsu spoke up first and questioned their intent.

“Hey, it’s pretty early for you kids to be out here by the gates. Mind telling us where you’re going?”

With a rather lax tone, Kotetsu spoke up first and questioned their intent. Neither of them seemed to remember getting any notices of this group’s departure. After all, shinobi couldn’t just leave their village without any prior warning, unless they were ready to gain the title of a missing ninja. An exception being they were ninja from another village.

After the invasion of the Sound, it was even more imperative that continued to be aware of who entered or exited the village. Izumo hoped these teens weren’t the troublesome type and would be able to understand that much. In any case, should there be no issues, a simple explanation would be all that was necessary for them to be on their way.

 

[kyuukestu]

The Byakugan was still active and with the need to focus on Katsuo removed, the approach of two shinobi had naturally drawn Sagisō's attention. She blinked and her dojutsu receded long before the two were within range to notice. As the duo approached, Sagisō sized them up restraining a scowl.

"We happen to be leaving the village, is there an issue?"

She raised her head as if challenging the duo but her real goal was exposing the nadeshiko headband that hung below her neck.

------------------------------

Furījia’s tear-ducts moistened, her distress once more revealing itself in its preferred modus operandi. Suddenly, she froze, joints going rigid. She could feel something faint; it was faintly warm and faintly wet, and it came from her mother and anointed the crown of her head.

Was her mother…also crying?

The tightened grip around her waist and the subtle cracks of the voice beside her ear confirmed it.

“I-I’m sorry, we were both wrong this time…”

Whatever had been said next was lost on Furījia.

Wrong...? No, it couldn’t be wrong. Her mother was never wrong. It was a ridulous notion to even consider. When was the last time her mother had ever been wrong? She could remember...none. In her foureen year’s experience she’d never experienced her mother being...wrong. Her mother had been nothing less than perfect for as long as she could remember. Honestly, the girl found herself grasping at straws.

Her view of the world had always been based on simple, irrefuetable, immutable, intractible, truths. The sun rose each morning, the stars graced the night sky, and her mother was the epitome of perfection. These were not beliefs, but fundamental laws that governed how the world worked. They simply were.

Reality had been flipped on its head. That her mother was fallible and human—as opposed to some strange being of unerring working to which she could never hope to match—was perhaps the greatest shock of all.

 

[Mystic Zander]

Katsuo turned to the guards with a perplexed look, as if he couldn’t understand the issue. This was a facade however, as he knew his mother would certainly be informed if things went south.

“Damn it. Sagiso’s gonna draw them in and cause suspicion.” Acting quickly, Katsuo stepped forward, presenting his Stone Village and Leaf village headbands with a small smirk.

“My mother lives here, my father lives over in the Stone Village. Ive traveled between the villages since the...separation.” The cloudy haired boy lingered on this point for a moment, building an unnecessary tension for added effect.

“If you have any concerns, you can go speak with my mother. Ichiko Ikeda.” The boy’s grin sprung into a toothy smile as he finished, waiting to see how the two guards would handle all this information.

 

[kyuukestu]

The air was laden with emotion, a fog of sorrow and somber that stretched invisibly, but palpably, for several feet, partitioning off a section of the world the belonged only to two. Heavy as it might have been, the atmosphere cleaved with a sigh as Hinagiku spoke up.

“You shouldn’t have had to go through all that. You should’ve talked to me…No, I should’ve been there for you. I won’t mince my words, I have a duty to my family, all of them…but that doesn’t change things between us. I’m still your mother.”

The Hyūga head had taken but a moment to compose herself. Her words were slow; her breath was warm; her tone was soft and deliberate, echoing the sensation of her embrace.

Furījia remained quiet and thoughtful. Her mother's words didn't perturb her; they were no surprise. The Clan came first. That was something she’d learned growing up; it stemmed from tribalism, deep-rooted customs that stretched back much further than she—or anyone else—could remember.

“I’m not so feeble that I can’t juggle a few diplomatic crises and my daughter.”

Her mother’s haughty words and a haughtier tone brought a barley concealed chuckle to the girl’s lips. Although her mood had lightened, she still felt quite shaken by the entire ordeal. A thousand thoughts came and went competing for her attention and yet never pressing on her mind enough to be spoken. While she sunk into her mother’s bosom, the girl let her mind wander, and her heart reconcile.

Hinagiku said nothing further, she knew to leave well-enough alone. Instead, she hugged her daughter tighter and began to hum.

 

[sSoul]

Taiyo
It was back to business as usual for the FBS master, so that meant finding a good location to train. Of course, Taiyo always intended on going to the Hyūga Manor for his training needs which meant that he could skip out on that step of the process. It didn't take him long to get ready, but before he could head out for the day, his mother stopped him.

"Where are you going?" Kinrenai looked into her son with a mild hint of concern in her voice.

"Oh, I'm just going out to train. I was planning on going to the Hyūga Manor to do so, is there a problem with that?" The Leaf-nin's tone made his confusion apparent, while also alluding to the concern that his mother's question had brought him.

"You seem to be visiting that Manor a lot as of late, haven't you?" Mrs. Akugami allowed her tone to shift into that of gentle scolding as she slowly unveiled what she was getting at.

"I...guess I have," The FBS master searched his mind and sure enough, it confirmed what his mother had brought up, "But why do you bring it up?"

"I'm just saying that it couldn't hurt to look elsewhere to train," The single mother had to consider her words carefully to avoid making her son upset or frustrated unessesarily.

"Your right, it couldn't hurt," Taiyo nodded as he turned to leave, "I'll be back by the end of the day. See you later mom! I love you!"

Kinrenai smiled as she watched her son leave the house, feeling satisfied with her persuasion efforts.

 

[Godjacob]

It had been a long, and frankly frustrating journey, but Azumi's perseverance shinned as she managed to get her team and Reaver to the edge of the Land of Waterfalls where this alleged ally of Baiyan's was supposed to meet them. Azumi had been tired and adjudicated, the rain having not helped but in spite of it all she had been determined to see her end to this arrangement for the sake of a fellow Ame-nin.

As they advanced in the rain, Azumi having worked to keep Reaver dry under her umbrella, the sounds of footsteps were heard just along the foliage outside the local town. Azumi naturally moved to the defensive position, but Baiyan's outstretched hand stopped her as even without a view of the figure she assured her this was the ally in question...

Woosh!
​

As Azumi swung her umbrella in the hall of the local motel she and her team were led to, she had been glad to took Baiyan's word. Granted, she had more comfort if say Reaver was taken to a hospital but she had been assured the treatment would work well here all the same. Azumi only had outsider info on the way of the Nadeshiko so she'd have to take their word for it.

And since Reaver had them stuck in place, Azumi figured she could get some warm up training in as she swung her reinforced umbrella around just outside the door to the room they had been lent for their stay here. And working in the hall meant she had to be mindful of the space and it served in a sense to add an obstacle to an otherwise routine weapon's practice that should sharpen her skills if she found herself in a relative confined space.

----------
"Don't you dare go to that academy ceremony! I told you before you won't be a ninja, not under this roof!"

"Then I'll find my own roof, if I am old enough for the Academy I am old enough for my own place!"

"You are 9!"

A young boy stood his ground at the doorway as he glared with intensity as a pair of older figures. A woman with an apron and what seemed to be a cap that seemed to have an cartoon elk on it, and the other who seemed to be an older man who seemed to have a more customary attire; as if he had been a councilman or a presumed one. One who had a more grizzled expression as he folded his arms facing the young boy who stood defiantly even as he seemed to be pressured by the pair present. He had on a little backpack with what seemed to be the top of an old issue of Icha Icha Paradise sticking up along with a pair of wrists tapped up with white athletic tape and a fire in his eyes that seemed to only be further fueled by this discussion which had quickly spun to a verbal war of words.

"Listen to your mother, the path of a ninja is not one to take lightly. Give it another year and maybe we can discuss..."

"Another year!? I already am way behind, by the time you let me go I'll be that creepy guy with an aftershave in the back. I am ready, I know I can do this!"

Seemed there had been a disagreement between the child and his parents, one that had been built up over years as this argument seemed to have been a repeat occurrence. Though the kid's pleads seemed stronger, more vocal and filled with venom as he seemed set on this path. He would get to the academy, he would be a ninja...a great ninja to boot! He needed this chance to prove himself, to show the danger was worth it to...

Knock, knock, knock!
​

Kenji had been snapped from his slumber as he heard the sounds of knocking on his door. Kenji glanced over to an old clock and winced as he seemed to have overslept. Kenji sighed, this had been common in recent weeks though he hopefully that had been just because of some passing bug and nothing that had needed to be dwelled over. Irregardless he had been mildly suprised Aisha's companions had not woken him up as he got up and after a quick change to fresh clothing answered the door and found Aisha grinning as the girl had her companions with her and several bags she held effortlessly behind her back which caused him to raise an eyebrow.

"Going camping or something?" Kenji asked as Aisha smirked slightly which already had Kenji nerved though he had no idea why.

"Oh you could say that. The Chunin Exams are coming and I have a plan to help you fully find your inner wolf. So first we are gonna stop by Taji's and see if she wants to tag along, and then we have a date with the mountains~" Aisha smirked as Kenji sighed, this seemed destined to end rather poorly but the pair had set off towards Taji's place.

----------
As Kou continued to sleep on, Sakura had been half tempted to let him get his rest. After all she had no need for him to get up ASAP apart from decent progression in his day, but then again fresh food had been prepared for him so as the pink haired kunoichi thought it over and decided to approach this in a way that mirrored her sensei's own tactics at times.

"Well, if you want to sleep then by all means sweet dreams. Guess that just means all that nice, yummy food is ours to have." Sakura said, somewhat slyly as she made sure she had spoken up loud enough for Kou to hear and the door cracked open enough to let the scent of the fresh breakfast drift into the room.

-----​

"And I've never seen someone with such obvious desperation for a woman's attention as you have. I'll be sure to list dehydration under possible symptoms." Hana replied back before she went to inspect the wound, naturally the first thing to check for was possibly infection given that a rat had bitten onto it so she passed a deep visual evaluation before she applied a light cream to it then began to work medical magic as her hands shinned green to treat the wound.

"Oh we've been looking at reinventions for some time. You let us deal with that and you just keep still." Hana advised, just as one of her wolves went to the Clan Head's office as if to rely word about what happened. The sooner this was accounted for and acted upon, the better as Hana worked to heal up the minor wound.

----------
A young girl sat underneath a tree, a bandage across her cheek and a hood covering her head as she seemed to be tinkering with what appeared to be a humanoid Raven puppet. It seemed she was just in the open training area of the academy, and likewise had made herself scarce from the rest of the class which if the young girl's expression had been any indication had not bothered her in the least.

Though at least one figure seemed to pay her mind, an older women who seemed to wear a traditional Suna light-brown ninja vest and some black pants as she seemed to have short green hair with dark black eyes. Though in spite of the color, they seemed warm as the woman crouched before the young puppet enthusiast as her shadow caused the girl to glance up at her.

"Uh...c-can I help you...sensei?" The young girl asked which caused the women to lightly smile.

"I see that you are busy, I normally wouldn't disturb during a break period. But I could not help but notice you seemed reluctant to speak during introductions. I would hate to see any student make a bad impression on their first day so I was checking to see if there is anything on your mind that may trouble you. I am all ears Madoka." The woman asked, though the young puppet user sighed as she insisted it was not a big deal and she just felt she had nothing to say.

The women nodded at this, and seemed ready to leave but turned. Asking one question which stuck with the young girl far longer than she could have ever expected it to.

"Well regardless, I do hope you learn to open up a bit more. Maybe someday you can share why you want to be a ninja, I am sure your story would touch somebody."

And yet, Madoka had not been sure she even had a story yet...

The kunoichi moved through the desert, being guided along by Yasu as the pair made their way closer towards the Suna/Iwa border. Madoka had managed to sway Yasu to provide an escort so she could observe the border in spite of the latter's rightful confusion and caution about the decision. In truth Madoka herself had not been entirely sure why she had been so dead set on this trip, what she hoped to gain from it or what she had expected to do upon arrival.

Still, she knew she had to do this. She had to see the border, she had to get a picture of what it was like at the epicenter of this harsh divide between the nations. Madoka had long wondered what she desired to be as a ninja, what her goal was or what she wanted out of this path. But perhaps that more than anything had made her driven to keep moving forward, to find that answer. To find what she wanted out of her ninja path...to find the same conviction that fueled others.

Tomiko especially, and even Yasu to a degree. Both had clear goals of what they wanted to do, while Madoka felt she had been stuck at the starting line. Still unable to answer that question asked of her on the first day at the academy, but perhaps this was her chance to gain greater insight and maybe find what she wanted out of this path. Regardless of what would come of this, she pressed forward towards the border all the same.

----------

"I'll begin this by saying congratulations on your three for graduating the academy. You have earned that much for having taken the first true step along your ninja way."
​

In what seemed to be an open area by the village gate, three younger ninja sat across an older woman who seemed to have long raven hair and an Iwa headband across her forehead as she sat crossed leg on a rock in front of them. She wore a dark green vest with a brown sleeveless top cut above her belly button as she also had worn long if not baggy dark green pants with brown styling to it. The woman's golden eyes stared with an intensity towards the trio. One familiar face spoke up sheepishly though with some attempt to be friendly.

"H-hey there. I presume you are our Sensei?" A younger Tomiko asked, as her clothing and general appearance had been about the same though her gauntlets seemed to have more shine to them and she had a cut above her nose covered with tape and seemed to have her clothing tattered and a baby tooth missing as it had been knocked loose. As she asked this the pair of boys beside her, one a young man with a strong if not "heavy" build with short brown hair and what seemed to be a pair of goggles he wore. And on the other side, a more slender man who seemed to have a medium black hair and a perceptual scowl on his face along with what seemed to be some sort of guitar case. Both seemed to glance the woman's way as Tomiko asked the question as the latter nodded back.

"Indeed I am. And to start I think some simple introductions are in order. What are your names, and what are your aspirations? To give you a template, my name is Momo Setsuko. Though you will refer to me as Setsuko Sensei unless specified otherwise. My aspirations are merely to perform my duty for our village to the best of my ability and perhaps open up a tea shop once my career comes to and end in a peaceful manner. In any event since you seem to be in a good mood we'll begin with you." Setsuko said, as she shifted her focus to the ninja with a scowl who sighed before he sat up to speak.

"Takeshi. Seiji Takeshi. And as far as aspirations...to live up to my father's example." Seiji said, though what that was the younger Tomiko had no way to know as Setsuko nodded before she turned to the other boy as he knew he seemed selected to speak up next.

"Eiji Nobyuki at your service. My goals are simply to become the top medical ninja around, and maybe to catch the eye of a lovely maiden along the way." Eiji said, as he seemed to be a natural flirt or at least desired to be as Setsuko nodded and turned to Tomiko who in turn had proudly grinned ear to ear more than eager to have gotten her turn.

"My name is Tomiko Usagi! And someday I am gonna stand tall as the Tsuchikage!" Tomiko said with pride, and after a pause snickers filled the air from both Seiji and Eiji which quickly caught Tomiko's irritation.

"What's so funny!?" Tomiko spat.

"The fact you are still going on about this nonsense, you barley pass the academy and suddenly think that "yeah I can be the top ninja around here", give me a break." Seiji said with a shake of the head.

"Face facts, you are the class clown who got by off luck and pity. The day you even are in consideration for the most sacred title is the day pigs fly." Eiji said as Tomiko growled at both of them.

"I'll show you, I'll show you both! I will be Tsuchikage and if either of you guys want a taste of what I am all about we can settle this here and...!"

"Enough! It is quite clear tempers are high, though like it or not you are teammates. So I think to begin our first day together, we should work on a bit of an exercise to help with team unity. A way to bring out that energy in a positive competitive spirit." Setsuko suggested, as her commanding tone had snapped the verbal jar as all three newfound Genin eyes had been locked with her own as naturally her "solution" left them all curious.

"What is that sensei?" Tomiko asked, and Setsuko's rather cold expression broke for the first time. Broke into a small smile.

"Man, and to think I used to be scared of that look."

Tomiko sat at the top of the junkyard within the slums of Iwagakure, in the most literal sense as she had found the largest stack of discarded items and climbed to the top of it as she sat crossed legged on what seemed to be an old door as she gazed upon the early morning sun. She had a smile on her face, excitement building over what she had on the plans for today; plans that involved gathering her gang in their usual hideout as she had kept the specifics a bit to herself.

After all, what was the fun in spelling it all out so formally?

Sure enough, her rag tag team made it to the junkyard as Tomiko grinned, sliding down the large pile till she stood before them all as naturally they had all been confused why she called for a meeting here. Though some had been more vocal about this fact than others...

"So what is the deal? It'd better be cool, I hate getting up this early." Hoshi complained as Jirou rolled her eyes though Tomiko had an amused chuckle at this.

"Oh do I ever, I was thinking we could explore far beyond what we've done before! I say we take a stroll past even the main city, and out of the village! I got a spot I've been wanting to show you guys and figured a grand tour is in order, what do you guys say!?" Tomiko asked, and this got the intrigue of most of the kids. The main city already seemed like another world to most of them, but exploring beyond the village gates? That had been too much for most to pass up, though the oldest Ren could not help but raise an eyebrow at this little field trip of Tomiko's design.

"I see, and yet why do I get the impression that you have more on the mind than just "a tour" Tomiko?" Ren asked as Tomiko had an earnest grin on her face as she jumped ahead of the group and glanced behind to them.

"Oh it's innocent believe me, but if you want to know more then I say we go!" Tomiko called out, and she led her enthusitic band of misfits from the slumps as they aimed to head to the village gate.

 

[Retro Master]

After doing some tests with the storage seals he got yesterday, Kiro came to the conclusion that they were quite beneficial to have. He should’ve made it a priority to get them much sooner. There was no use in being bothered by it now as he was more interested in finding someone else. Of course, he wasn’t too interested in going out of his way to ask for something. Especially some type of assistance. So, while the prisoner wasn’t actively seeking out the Hyūga Head, he had left the training grounds and was now passing by the main residence. It was there that Kiro heard a soft, alluring tune nearby. Since the humming appeared to come from the general direction Kiro was heading in, he allowed this melody to lure him in.

Kiro found what he was looking for on this path, but it wasn’t as he expected. Sitting on the bench was a daughter wrapped tightly in the arms of her mother. This was a level of fondness he never actually expected to see from the Hyūga Head. At least, not in the open like this. The affectionate, perhaps vulnerable, display wasn’t a playful pinch on the nose like before. It was clearly something more. He already knew the position Lady Hinagiku had towards family, but this image that was now burnt into his eyes only reaffirmed the statement. Her family came first.

He couldn’t tell if they were just comforting each other or working on their goodbyes. Not that he cared much. Though Kiro preferred to believe such sentimental values were dangerous, he respected the woman enough to know how important they were to her. Besides, she was leaving today and probably wanted to spend this remaining time with her daughter and he didn’t exactly feel like watching this. Even though there was something he desired, it would probably be better for him to simply walk the other way.

The little boy winced as his cheeks had been gently taken between forefinger and thumb for a quick second. He blinked once, then twice, as his black eyes looked up with a mixture of protest and confusion on his face. Was this some form of affection or had he gotten in trouble for something? All he had spoken about was one person. His eyes gazed up at the blue-violet of his mother before he lowered his head and spoke with a soft voice.

“I know you said father won’t be coming home for a while, but I really miss him. I hope he’s okay.”

A somber expression appeared on her face for only a moment. He was still clearly down about his father not showing up for his birthday the day before. She wanted so badly to keep this child in good spirits. Truth be told, the man had never been away for more than a few months ever since she revealed the unexpected news. It was strange. That was why she put on a cheerful expression and spoke in a calming tone.

“Don’t worry, if I know anything about him, he’s probably having a fun time wherever he is. Next time you see him, he’ll probably have a lot of stories to share with you.”

By fun, he could be with some other women for all she knew. However, she wasn’t exactly about to tell her young son that. It could give him the wrong ideas. Though she didn’t mind her child looking up to his father, the man was a bad influence when it came to certain things. Of course, the vagueness of her response didn’t deter the boy’s mouth from opening in excitement.

“You really think so?! There’s a lot of things I want to tell him too! Like my birthday. I’m not mad he got me nothing since I don’t ever get the right amount of gifts anyways. There was only one thing I really wanted him to do. Oh! There is something easy he can do for me to forgive him!”

It was adorable to see how the boy always got so bubbly at just the thought of seeing his father again. Though they were black, his eyes still brightened with happiness. They were pure and untainted by any other color. She wished it could stay that way. Both of them wanted that for this child even though the blood that ran through his veins was cursed with a cold temptation. That’s right. This precious little boy of hers was special. He could be free. If those words were true, then even it was just her, she’d love him for both of them and then some. Even now, he had the most endearing look on his face yet managed to not be satisfied at the same time. She couldn’t help but pull her little boy into her arms.

“Oh my. You really are such a spoiled child...”

There was a light giggle that escaped his mother as she ran a hand through his hair and playfully ruffled it as she held him closely. His lack of resistance had given him away. Being in this position left Kiro with a feeling he couldn’t quite put into words. He felt relieved with the arms wrapped around him. Content with staying in this moment for as long as possible. Even a little smile grew on his face as he remained engulfed in the hug. It was like an indescribable warmth.

‘But that’s fine.’

Taking a few steps forward, the prisoner ended up making the decision to walk up to them and just state what he was there for. At the very least, Lady Hinagiku would know he wanted to speak with her. Softly running a hand through his hair as he stood before them, Kiro greeted the Hyūga duo.

“Hey, good morning. Excuse me for interrupting, but there is something I wanted to discuss with you, Lady Hinagiku. However, you seem busy so it can wait.”

With that said, Kiro nodded at the two before he prepared to walk away. There wasn’t any need for him to overstay his welcome.

 

[DarkHydraT]

It was quiet in the Utamara household, with the two parents sitting on the couch with a cup of tea waiting for their son to wake up. Judging by the rhythmic breathing from the bedroom, that would still take a while. The peace and quiet was a nice change of pace for both of the jonin who were used to always being on edge, especially Iwao. His age always found a way to seep into his bones whenever he was at peace lately, much sooner than he hoped. Letting out a sigh, he put his tea on the table. "Kasumi, do you think that it might be time for me to retire? I mean, I'm 40 years old. Not many ninja are still in active business after that, the only ones I can think of are the Kages and the Sannin. My prime has long passed and I don't want my slower reflexes to be my end. Not now when I'm finally connecting with Mori again." As the veteran looked down, his wife took a sip of her tea and set it down next to Iwao's before answering.

"If you really think that it would be the best idea to ensure a future that will last, then go through with it. I don't exactly want to miss you from my life, and we don't really need a double income with how well missions pay." Kasumi gave her two cents before Iwao pulled her into a sidehug. As she returned the hug, both adults missed the lack of breathing and the pair of eyes that looked at them from Mori's bedroom. It would seem that he wasn't as fast asleep as it seemed, since the only child smiled as he got dressed in silence. After he got dressed, the young Utamara opened his door and greeted his parents.

"Good morning everyone? How's everyone doing?" Mori asked with almost a suspicious amount of glee in his voice, something both parents caught up on but decided to ignore.

"Good morning Mori, I trust you slept well? If you brush your teeth, I'll prepare breakfast. And you better be brushing for two whole minutes, hygiene is important." Kasumi greeted her son and met his good temper with a smile.

"Yeah yeah, don't worry mom. I know how to take care of myself."

"Skipped class, relies on Military Rations pills due to bad chakra control, probably got up to something illegal during your truancy. Yeah, I see where you're coming from. Now move along Morning Breath, I'm starving." Iwao quipped as Mori stuck out his tongue in retaliation before going to the bathroom.

------------------

Spoiler: TW: Slight homophobia relevant to story

Spoiler: Second TW for accidental clicks

"Did you have fun yesterday? I hope you trained after you came home, the Chunin Exams are coming up after all."

The sudden piercing of the silence surrounding the kitchen table caught Taji off guard, but she would be safe as long as she said what her father wanted to hear. "I did, and after that we trained for the exams. They also want to participate in the Chunin Exams, father."

"Really? Are they a capable lot?" Daichi asked, not looking up from his newspaper.

"Kenji and Aisha can hold their own, I met them on my last mission and they know how to fight." Taji jumped to their defense, no way was she going to let her father's relentless criticism ruin her view of her friends.

The atmosphere shifted as Daichi put his newspaper down and interlocked his fingers. Taji gulped, did she say something wrong? Adjusting his glasses, her father spoke up. "Is this Kenji wealthy or from Kumo heritage?"

Something snapped inside of Taji, did her father really just ask that question? "What's this all about? He isn't cattle you buy from a farmer, he is a human being! Besides, money or heritage doesn't make a good ninja. Skill and dedication does." She had never spoken back to her father before, but she was not going to let this slide. Was her friend nothing more than a way to acquire status in her father's eyes?

"We know that dear, but we just want to make sure if he is right for you. After all, the Kuramoto bloodline has a certain distinction for being one of the first families to reside in Kumo. It would be a shame to let it go to waste on a freeloader." Sachiko Kuramoto tried to get her daughter to calm down, but every word was rubbing her the wrong way. Like a cat getting stroked backwards, Taji became more annoyed before lashing out.

"Freeloader? Right for me? Do you hear the words coming out of your mouth right now? You haven't even met him and you are already playing matchmaker! I don't even like him romantically!"

"Taji, watch your tongue! That's no way to speak to your mother." Daichi reprimanded her as his wife was aghast at her daughter's outburst. "It is not like you have any other male friends, we're making due with what we have."

Taji slammed her hands on the kitchen table as she stood up, spilling her tea in the progress but was far too angry to give it any thought. "Making due?! Do I get a say in any of this? Are you seriously trying to control my love life for me? I am fifteen years old, I don't even want a relationship with someone, let alone Kenji. He is a friend of mine, nothing more. Whilst we're at it, I don't even like boys to begin with!"

.....

The heaviest silence Taji could imagine fell over the household, and it wasn't too far-fetched to assume someone just died give the wide eyes of Sachiko and the face of Daichi who looked like he had an arrow shot at his abdomen that splintered right before hitting its target. Seconds that felt like minutes passed until the silence was broken by Taji's father, and Taji wished that those words were not real. "I have no daughter. Go."

Tears threatened to spill from her eyes as she heard her father cast her out without any remorse whatsoever. She tried to stay tough, but the tears were getting too much and Taji ran outside, away from her old home as fast as she could. Catching a glimpse of her mother crying and her father trying to comfort her in combination with the cold winds caused her to cry. She ran, not knowing where she went, not caring that she left footprints in the snow, only knowing that she was no longer welcome back home and that her tears and aching heart kept the cold away in her less than adequate clothes for this weather.

After running for who knows how long, Taji slowed down. If she had a clear mind, she might be able to figure out where she was, but not now. She saw no familiar faces, but she saw happy families left and right and it made her feel miserable. Why did she lash out? This all could've been prevented if she just held her tongue, yet here she was. Sweaty, hungry, alone and heartbroken. She couldn't take it anymore, her whole life had been torn away from her in a single sentence and she would never get it back. Dragging her feet across the ground, she slumped against a wall in an alley and cried. She cried about her own mistakes, she cried about her family's rejection of herself and she cried because she was lonely in a dark, cold alleyway wearing clothes that were not suited for the snow.

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

"Well, if you want to sleep then by all means sweet dreams. Guess that just means all that nice, yummy food is ours to have." Sakura Slyly said to the sleeping boy.

“Mhmm...wha...wait a second...”

Groggily, Kou’s stomach forced him up, rubbing his eyes. His hazy view got clearer as he caught the pink tint of Sakura’s hair.

“I’m up...see? W-where’s all the food?”



.........




“Pffft...I’m out of your league missy. Don’t talk about dehydration when your thirsty as hell.”

Zaku found amusement in toying with this woman, at least it made this prison sentence go by faster...and ignoring the pain of the rat bite. He winced slightly as the cream was put on, tensing up his hand. While this went on for a few seconds, Zaku’s mind began to wander...was Kou alright? He’s a streetwise kid, he can take care of himself. Unless he’s been ruled as a Sound ninja collaborator...then he’d be in a whole mess of trouble. I left him high and dry, I need to get out of here. Today.

“Say, I know you are so obsessed with me and all, so you should know where the little brat went right?” Zaku half joked, hiding his concern with condescending humor.



...........



“DON’T TOUCH ME!”

Reaver jerked away from the hand of the mysterious stranger that was tending to his wounds. After he had been brought to this Woman’s care, he had done nothing but fight. His persistence of his stubbornness would make the Buddha impatient.

The mysterious woman was clad in a garment of pure white laced with purple trimmings, the latter of which complimented the flower-pin which held her hair in a loose bun. She didn’t seem to hold any affiliation to a village or clan...just who was she?

“You don’t know what you are doing...” Reaver hissed, attempting to calm his withdrawal symptoms. “I need the Nectar of war, nothing else. I need back to the rain village!”

 

[Retro Master]

“Since you appear to be leaving the village without any prior warning, we can’t just let you walk out without getting some information first. As unlikely as it sounds, you could be a prisoner trying to escape for all we know. It would be more troublesome if you were a Leaf shinobi. As you two should know, shinobi who just leave their village without any warning are usually declared a missing ninja. So, if you just tell us where you’re all going that would be a good start.”

Seeing as Sagisō was the first to notice them, the duo’s attention had gone directly to her and Kotetsu had taken the initiative to respond. Though the girl tried to hide her attitude, the look she gave it away. However, it also revealed to them the headband around her neck. After giving it a subtle glance, they found the symbol to be unrecognizable. The silent girl also had the same headband on her right arm, confirming the two girls were from the same place. Curious, Izumo questioned them a little further.

"So you are heading back to your village I’m assuming. Mind if I ask what village that is?”

After leaving her with that question, they turned to the boy in their group who had spoken up. The duo of headbands he presented them had been unexpected. It wasn’t everyday they saw a shinobi holding headbands from multiple villages. Especially ones that were rivals. The items did help confirm the point about his parents being separated and one living in the Stone village. However, what really caught their attention was when he revealed who his mother was.

“That Ichiko Ikeda?! Katsuo?”

It was like a light bulb went off in the head of Kotetsu when he heard the name of the elite jonin. Without skipping a beat, he revealed his realization in a more lowered voice.

“Wait, Izumo, we’ve seen these two before. During the last Chūnin exams. He was in the match which ended up in a draw against that Sound kid. That girl is the one who forfeited.”

Now that Izumo thought about it, he did remember being interested when they learnt Katsuo was her child. The boy certainly had some memorable fights. On the other hand, he was certain the girl was a Hyūga during her battle. The Hyūga were well known for the protection of their bloodline, so it was hard to believe this one was part of another village. The fight itself had a disappointing outcome but definitely not the worst they would end up seeing. Still, Izumo found himself to be a bit skeptical about Katsuo and ended up further questioning him as well.

“So they’ve been letting you just travel back and forth to the Stone by yourself?”

Though the flames of the third great ninja war had long since died down, that didn’t mean all had been forgiven. With the knowledge of the eight tails being in the Stone’s possession now, it was clear that they were even more of a threat now. This thought caused Izumo to let out a sigh as he figured the higher ups would like to know that Katsuo probably had some vital intelligence.

“Listen. By all accounts, we should stop you from leaving until you’ve gotten permission. In fact, Lady Tsunade will probably have our heads when we report this to her. However, since you’re also a shinobi from the Stone, we can’t really stop you either. So, we’ll turn a blind eye for now. Just don’t try to leave without any warning next time, alright?”

Kotetsu nodded in agreement with his partner as he didn't really have any issues with the decision either.

 

[kyuukestu]

"The poor child, he's suffered so much..."

The second-generation Efficacious Star, An Suwen, was a woman of experience. Despite her little renown, her medical skills were nothing to scoff at, they had been put to the test almost every day for the past two decades. Through triumphs & regrets she had been the one to patch up sister after sister; she had pulled some from the brink of death but yet the lifeblood of others had slipped, like the fine sands of an hourglass, through her fingers. Needless to say, Reaver's situation was nowhere near as dire. However, after preliminary treatment, Suwen found the child quiet fraught with an endearing quality, one which allowed him to masterfully devise his matted shocks of black hair, all-too waifish figure, and bratty temerity into a pitty-inducing form.

The boy had revealed their group as belonging to Amegakure and with the leader of their group no more than 13, Suwen suspected he himself could be no more than 9 or 10. Such young shinobi made sense given Amegakure's situation in recent years; the Shinobi war has been particularly devastating to them. Suwen watched the boy thrash with a hostile and deceptive liveliness wholly unbefitting his poor health. His condition was thought-provoking; a guestimated insight into the state of Amegakure. The duo of Rain shinobi had been introduced by Baiyan who herself had met them by Sagisō's recommendation. The most obvious guess would be that the duo had met Sagisō at the last Chūnin Exams, and if that were the case it meant the duo was exceptional amongst Amegakure's younger generation. If even their créme de la créme was reliant on performance-boosting drugs, did she dare assume such practice was common-place? Had they, Amegakure, begun drugging their children to bolster their war potential?

Suwen emerged from her thoughtfulness and focused on Reaver; she knew no accurate conclusion could be drawn through mere conjecture and tangential evidence.

"He's like a kicked puppy" She mused and turned to call a few helpers. She estimated she would need Fire, Yin, Water, and Wind natures to complete her treatment. As Yin Release was already in her possession, she would need three helpers of the other natures. Her recruitment was completed with a trip to the door and a call that rang down the Inn's halls. In mere moment three more women entered the room.

"I'm going to put him under so he doesn't hurt himself."

Suwen raised her hands and revealed her Star Weapon, a dual-set of needles called the Child-Mother Linked-Hearts Needles, which, despite their thinness, gleamed vividly with starlight from the four stars that twinkled and sparkled along the surface of each needle. The Mother's set of needles flashed, a single needle appeared in-front of each of Suwen's helpers while the Efficacious star herself approached Reaver with the Child's set. As she approached her patient the Nadeshiko kunoichi began to funnel their chakra into the Mother's Needles which hummed in response, their glow brightening as they 'fed' a thin line of chakra towards the Child's Needles as a mother would feed her child.

« Nadeshiko Style: Yellow Rank — Spiritual Aura Distribution »

Swiftly, she active her technique and she scattered her needles. She borrowed from the natures and chakra pools of sister's, laying a powerful, soporific genjutsu.

"Sleep well child~"

---------------

"Later might be all too late, I don't plan to stick around the village much longer. Vacation doesn't work if I stick around the office."

The Uchiha was undoubtedly an unexpected, but not wholly unwelcome, surprise. Hinagiku could tell Furījia appreciated the distraction from her thoughts as the girl squirmed, almost embarrassedly, to focus on Kiro. With her daughter in mind, Hinagiku actually welcomed this conversation with Kiro. It would, without doubt, be an excellent teaching moment.

"Then...what did you wish to ask about?"

---------------

Sagisō rolled her eyes at the guards and their bombastic lip service.

"I actually do mind." Her words were accentuated with crossed arms, however, seemingly deciding that the confrontation wasn't worth it, Sagisō dropped her arms and shook her head. Where she was going was none of their business really.

"You don't recognize this headband?" Her Nadeshiko headband jingled as she gave it a bump.

"Recheck your archives; it was probably just an ID Ten T error," she opined.

In any case, she had no plans to wait for them to check. With the guards distracted by Katsuo, Sagisō grabbed Amari's arm and then in the curtest voice she could manage, excused them.

"We've got a long journey ahead of us, so we'll be leaving."

She turned to leave after those words and dragged Amari along.

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

“A MERE CHILD!?!” Reaver growled through his deep mask. “YOU LIFE IS FORFEIT! YOU WILL ALL PERISH BENEATH MY-“

“Sleep well child~”

He had been drowning out their words with his, so he didn’t know what she was referring to. Though he did feel a sudden...warmth encompass him. His limbs began to get harder and harder to move, as if some kind of weight was being placed on them. His vision blurred and his ears rang. Moments ago he was yelling death threats, now he drifted sound asleep.

 

[Retro Master]

“For some reason, I can’t really picture you on an actual vacation.”

Kiro had figured her leave was more among the lines of a business trip rather than some vacation time. His response had been nothing more than a casual remark that expressed the slight disbelief he felt. She seemed much more lax than he originally thought. Not that it bothered him in the slightest. It was just difficult to imagine the Hyūga Head chilling under the sun on a beach somewhere with some shades and a drink in hand. Knowing her, the beverage would probably be some of that tea she was always drinking. He’d have to ask her about the tea one of these days.

“Anyways, this is actually about what I saw during the exhibition match between you and that Uchiha.”

His expression darkened for only a moment as he uttered the last word. Of course, Kiro still hadn’t forgotten the humiliation he had endured due to that same man. The match between the two clan heads had made it clear why he failed that day. Unlike him, the Hyūga Head was able to keep pace and trade blows with the Uchiha. Kiro needed to see how she had that type of power and hadn’t even realized he had been using those eyes to do so until after the fight.

“Your movements. The way you utilized your muscles. I saw everything with the sharingan and it’s clear that they require something other than raw strength to achieve. So, how exactly did you do it?”

 

[kyuukestu]

“For some reason, I can’t really picture you on an actual vacation."

It was a sentiment of disbelief expressed with such casual nonchalance that Furījia had to stifle the beginnings of a giggle; lest her cheeks once more met their pinching punishment for her impudence. Whatever mirth the Uchiha’s commentary had was short-lived, however. The more she agreed with the statement, the more troubled she became. She felt a withering sense of unease, not unlike, but instead uncomfortable and uncanny to chilling, creeping xenophobia.

If her mother's earlier admission of wrongdoing had been the first step, then this had been the dreaded and inevitable—or perhaps dreadfully inevitable—second. The second step toward the edge. What edge? The edge of the abyss, of course. It was an abyss of unfathomable darkness and frightful murkiness, impenetrable even to her own remarkable visual prowess; an abyss whose treacherous depths were filled with the unknown.

Intuitively, Furījia knew that at the bottom of this chasm lay the truth she sought, for the abyss was, by nature of its very existence, a manifestation of falsehood. Just as she metaphorically stood upon the gorge's rim, held at length from the truth at its depths by rocky outcroppings and a vast, seemingly immutable distance, so too did she—in a way both figurative and literal—stand, held at length by a facade of winsome, political veneer and seemingly immutable distance, behind which was the real Hinagiku. In much simpler terms, that past 20 minutes had given her more insight than the last 10 years, and it was only now, two steps to the edge, that Furījia realized her mother had a life beyond that of her capacity as the head of the Hyūga Clan. One which she had never seen, and couldn't even begin to fathom.

The hum of her mother's voice pulled the girl from her lucid nightmares, "Hmmm..."

"Then why don't I have Furījia show you how to really utilize essence, spirit, and vitality?"

The retreat into her thoughts had left Furījia a fish out of water, an outlier to the conversation which had passed without her knowledge. Ushered on by her mother, however, she had a rough grasp of what she was supposed to do. As she slipped out of her mother's embrace and once more—or maybe it was for the first time—stood on her own two feet, she looked back.

Looking into the abyss, she could see its reflection in her mother's eyes, cheerfully smiling at her. Looking back to Hinagiku, Furījia wondered who it was she was staring at right now, her mother, or the Head of the Hyūga Clan? And yet as much as this newly realized multifariousness disturbed her, it did not occupy the forefront of her mind. In its stead, was a simpler, more personal question. Why did she not know the difference between the two?

And if it was that even she, in spite of her role as a daughter, could make no clear distinction, then who was it that she had been idolizing all this time?

Once more her intuition whispered; telling her to take a running leap, to take reckless dive, to take a plunge; a plunge of faith.

With what was almost oodles of confidence she stepped forward and into the unknown. A budding resolve underlaid her actions, which now appeared distinct and purposeful. She eyed Kiro with an intensity which could only be called scrutinous, and had, in her ardour, revealed her Byakugan.

------

"Why."

Hinagiku blinked, briefly failing to register the wholly unexpected retort from her daughter. Fortunately, she had no time—or need—to suspend her disbelief as her daughter willfully repeated again.

"Why? Why are we helping him? I don't understand."

When was the last time Furījia had talked back to her? When was the last time anyone in the Hyūga Clan had talked back to her?

The Hyūga Head—no, Hinagiku, paused. There was momentary silence as she inspected her daughter's back which suddenly appeared ever so slightly straighter than before. Although her shoulders were small, yet unfit for any burdens, and Hinagiku could discern the subdued nervousness in the girl's quivering form, she still smiled, recognizing, and all-to-happy to enable, a transition from codependency to simple dependence.

Effecting a brilliant smile, Hinagiku responded.

"Those who are coerced by force will inevitably become our enemies and those who succumb to reason become our allies (1). However, the question remains. Where do we find allies?"

She left the question hanging in the air, letting it stir the ambient thoughts which surely filled the minds of these impressionable children. However, rather than leave them to find the solution to her question, she answered it herself.

"Among our enemies, where else~? (2)"

Pre-emptive of any questions that might follow, Hinagiku immediately thereafter injected an additional statement.

"A great minister once said: 'We have no eternal allies and no perpetual enemies. Our interests are eternal and perpetual and those interests it is our duty to follow (3).' However, apply judgment and discretion in all things, for the fickle at heart will find themselves in equally fickle standing. It is not without reason that integrity and honour are held as core and desirable attributes."

Two fingers raised as if to highlight and illustrate the two desirable attributes, and they waved pedantically as Hinagiku pressed on.

"An additional ally will always be better than an additional enemy, and so it is always in your interest to make friends, not foes. If, by whatever means, the former becomes impossible—"

Her brusque paused was highlighted by a flicker of phantom-like motion as Hinagiku all-but-teleported from her seat to the Uchiha's side. Her hand laying, with what appeared affection, into the softness of his hair.

"—then upon this, one has to remark that men ought either to be well-treated or crushed, because they can avenge themselves of lighter injuries, of more serious ones they cannot; therefore the injury that is to be done to a man ought to be of such a kind that one does not stand in fear of revenge (4)."

Like her words, her demeanour became suffused with unflinching ruthlessness; but as quickly as it came, it vanished. Effecting a refreshing smile, Hinagiku concluded.

"Now then, let's give the boy what he asked for. It's no skin off our backs."

------

With her mother's...demonstration concluded, Furījia opted to mull over those words later and instead focused her mind on Kiro. Given she was unsure of the depth to which the Mist educated its shinobi, the heiress started to explain in layman's terms as she recalled her own lessons on the topic.

"Umm...the secret to our movements is in the creation of chakra. Chakra is created when physical energy and spiritual energy are kneaded together in the correct ratios, and most shinobi only train their chakra. The Hyūga are different. We practice Internal Martial Arts, umm...its called Neijia and focused on controlling Physical Energy or Vitality, also called Qi, Spiritual Energy or Mind, also called Shen, and Chakra or Essence, also called Jing. We call the whole thing Neijing. So we train to control all of the body's energies, not just our chakra. Movement isn't only affected by musculature tension, but also conscious coordination and relaxed leverage. Altogether it's a soft style of training, which is why our Hiden is called the Gentle Fist."

It could be a complex topic for a newcomer to breach, and so Furījia paused, her fingers rising to support her chin, while she ensured the Uchiha was keeping up.

"Are you still following my explanation?"

References

(1) Alexandre Dumas
(2) Joe Abercrombie
(3) Henry John Temple Palmerston
(4) Niccolo Machiavelli

 

[Godjacob]

Azumi continued to practice her swings outside the door to the room Reaver her been treated at, but she soon heard the latter begin to stir which caused her to sigh in irritation. Azumi had warned this Efficacious Star that Reaver was a bit of a temperamental personality and he'd likely see medical aid as "weakness" but had been assured by Baiyan that her "sister" was more than capable of dealing with it. Given Azumi had no knowledge of An Suwen she'd simply trust her ability and leave it at that.

Still, Azumi could not help but be irritated by Reaver's conduct. She'd make a point to apologize on his behalf to Suwen if for nothing else but to try and patch up Amegakure's reputation in her eyes. For now though she'd work off this annoyance with meditation as she placed her heavy umbrella behind her back and moved to the railing as she'd stand on one foot upon it and had her hands in a relaxed basic hand sign as she'd wait till permission had been allotted before she'd enter the room. For now it had been time to control her breathing...

----------
Aisha and Kenji had moved with a casual pace across the streets of Kumogakure, as the former had Sky & Luna by her side as they looked to find Taji's address and the latter seemed to be saddled with several bags as all of them had been given to him to carry during this much to the lightning specialist's irritation.

"Okay....two questions. First, did you stuff these little camp bags of yours with bricks? Second...why am I carrying all of them?" Kenji said as Aisha flashed a toothy smirk his way.

"First I packed what one might need to survive the elements. You are a city boy so naturally the open nature might be a bit daunting with no supplies, second consider this the first step of your training. You brought me here because you wanted to get stronger in part right? Well this will help build your muscles. I'd suggest doing squats on occasion with the bags, help work those legs of yours." Aisha said as Kenji's eyebrow twitched in irritation.

Yeah, sure "training" that's the reason...

Aisha soon spotted Taji's place with Luna and Sky already having wagged their tails at the destination as she and Kenji walked up and Aisha knocked on the door as they waited for an answer to see if Taji had been home or not.

----------
Madoka eventually arrived to what seemed to be some sort of outpost, one that hung right by the border between Sunagakure and Iwagakure. Madoka presumed this was set up due to historic "skirmishes" between the two nations that had thankfully to this point never escalated beyond that. Madoka glanced back Yasu's way as she had given her friend an appreciative nod.

It had been a long trip, but it seemed that their venture reached its destination. Still...

"This...is this the outpost?" Madoka asked, as she had a guess it was but given Yasu was the one who had made trips her and not her she wanted clarification from her guide.

----------
Sakura could not but help but smile as she was pleased with herself though she had been quick to answer Kou's question.

"Oh it's right downstairs. Nice and fresh, I am sure you'll find something you like." Sakura said as she outlined in the vaguest sense what and where the food could be found.

-----​

"Our job is to keep an eye on you while you are at stay with us, as far as your rumored fanboy I am not so certain what has become of him. If I had to guess given our people generally are easy on civilian kids he's likely been placed in care by this point least till it is best decided where he should stay with. But I can't pretend I know much about this kid..." Hana said with a shrug, as she worked to tend to the wound itself as her green hand shined over it.

"Warning, this part may sting so...bite that tongue if need be. Would be the best use of it to this point anyway."

-----
This place isn't so bad when the nosy ones are away...
​

Tayuya sighed as she relaxed in the bath house within the compound, having finally gotten a chance to relax without Kiro, Sagiso or anyone annoying to have constantly gotten awkward when she had to bath before this collective within the compound. Now though she seemed to get some isolation for a change, and it allowed her to soak up the water in kind and really...

"So, you guys got any soap? Seem to be out on the guys side."

Tayuya was flustered and nearly tipped over as she glanced and saw Zino, who stood with a towel around his waist as he non-chilantly asked if Tayuya had any spare soap as the later scowled and covered herself up even in the water.

"H-hey you fucking perv ever heard of knocking!? That fucking divider isn't just decoration!" Tayuya cursed as Zino blinked though his expression had been left unchanged.

"So...got any spare...?"

Woosh!

Tayuya chucked a bar of soap right between Zino's eyes as the discrete hybrid caught it easily enough as he nodded at her. "Thanks."

"Whatever just piss off! I don't need you to get a special look, especially with those perverted eyes of yours." Tayuya muttered as Zino turned, prepared to leave though he paused and glanced back at Tayuya.

"So, heard Sagiso and others are leaving. Gonna go see them off?" Zino asked curiously as Tayuya glanced to the side to avoid eye contact as she scuffed at that.

"She already said her goodbyes. Not like I give a damn what she does or whatever they do." Tayuya replied as Zino's expressionless gaze seemed to register this comment.

"Well, it probably will be the last time you see her for a long while. So I'd use this chance to get any last words in, don't want to linger on regret." Zino advised, before he walked off to the male side of the bath house as Tayuya sat in the water and seemed deep in thought.

-----​

Along the main streets of Konoha, a trio of figures seemed to eager advance towards the village gates. Or rather to have been more accurate the blonde in front eagerly dragged the pair of men behind her by their collars towards the gates.

Ino seemed to have a drive to her step, as she had gotten her teammates Takato and Akihiko and desired to take them training with her; for her lackluster performance against Sakura in the recent local tournament made her realize how far behind her friend & rival she had gotten.

She had been proud, but knew she needed to catch up to not lag behind. And for that she needed help, so who better than her companions?

"Did you have to wake me up for this? I don't think training or cat sitting is how I wanted to spend my day."

"Meow."

"I already fed you don't start."

"Yeah Ino, I was gonna get a piece of that sale at Ichiraku Ramen's and go propose to my beloved Sakura. You are hindering my path of love!"

Ino sighed as naturally, her teammates had not been the most active to this adventure. It took a bit of force and persuasion to get them this far, but it seemed a kunoichi's work was never done.

"Look, you can get your ramen and rejections anytime Aki. And you I think your companion would enjoy some fresh air for a change. But let's focus! None of us are Chunin and the next exams are coming up, this is our chance to get ahead and I am not gonna linger behind nor will I let my team linger. So let's try and get some good training in okay?" Ino asked as both sighed in defeat, once she had gotten going there had been little to dissuade her as they made it to the gates.

They saw the usual pair of guards, though another figure caught their interest. The figure from the previous Chunin Exams who made it to the semi-finals against that Oto-nin. Katsuo. What had he been doing here?

Oddly, it seemed that Akihiko had been the most curious, as his mood took a sudden 180 as the Akimichi approached Katsuo with Takato, who held his kitten Mittens in hand, and Ino behind.

"Oi! You are that strong guy from the Stone yes? Or are you of another nation, you seem to have a rep for being a bit of a traveler from what I've heard." Akihiko said as he hoped to catch his attention, though for what reason Ino could not have guessed.

​

----------
"Wow, the city is so big!"

Naomi's wonder had been a bit infectious, granted this was not the first time she had been to Iwagakure's main districts. They had arrived here when Tomiko first graduated from the academy and their parents worked some savings so they could indulge in a meal from a more "high class" establishment. Though she had been maybe a bit young to remember that in great detail...or lost to the dazzling lights of the main village.

Irregardless, the caravan from the slums pressed on with earnest energy. Well minus Ren, who seemed a bit more cautious though this had been counter balanced by the eager smirk and almost prideful spring to her step Tomiko had as she led the pack across the main streets towards the Shinobi District as they continued on their venture towards the main gate.

Though as they had made their way, Ren glanced to the side and noticed one house that seemed to catch his interest more so than the others had. When he had met Mori he had told them a bit about their place, in that there was this white whetstone in front of it which seemed to match the house they currently walked past. And Ren had not been the only one who noticed, as his sister who Ren told of this saw it and her eyes widened.

"B-bro, is that...is that Mori's house!?" Namoi said, as she held Ren's hand with one hand while she clung to Mr. Snugglebottom with the other as this comment caused Tomiko and the party to stop.

"Mori's? You guys know his place?" Tomiko asked as Ren explained their story which only made Tomiko huff a bit. "Oh sure, I invite him for bread and a good time together and nothing, but for you guys he gives you his address." Tomiko mused, though in a light hearted way as she clearly had not taken offense to it.

"Hey, why don't we ask if Mori wants to come on this? If that is his place." Hoshi suggested as Tomiko turned to him and shook her head.

"Look Mori probably has his own schedule to fill. I am not gonna pester him daily for whatever I have on the mind. For now it's best we keep moving..." Tomiko had began to say, before the twins Miu and Mio walked up to the door and had rung the doorbell before she could even finish her sentence. Naturally, a sigh escaped her lips moments after.

"...or we can just ring the doorbell and see what happens I guess."

 

[sSoul]

Taiyo
After a moderate period of time, the Fire-nin had worked up enough of a sweat to truly begin his training. While he adhered to his mother's advice by stretching in the Third Training Court, Taiyo knew that the place where he'd most likely find opponents worth their salt was the Hyūga Manor. While he knew the way to get to the manor, the journey was painfully dreadful without anyone to talk to besides yourself.

So, who do I expect to find at the manor.

Chances are, the usual people will be there, like Kiro, Furijia, that crazy chick.

At last, he had arrived at the manor, so he found himself needing to state the reason for his arrival. Thankfully, no one made a big deal out of someone looking to use their training facilities, so Taiyo was able to enter without much of a fuss.

This is the second time I was able to enter without causing some sort of commotion. I'm proud of myself.

Then again, the last time I entered without making a big deal about my entrance, something else would go wrong inside. Let's just hope I don't have to destroy Furijia's clothes again...

Of course, there was a problem: Taiyo forgot where the training grounds of the mansion were located. This set the Leaf-nin into a minor panic since it would likely take a while to find the place he was looking for. However, Lady Luck seemed to be smiling on Taiyo, for nearby was none other than Hinagiku Hyūga, the owner of the location. Naturally, she would know it the best out of anyone, but it seemed like she was having an important conversation with her daughter and the Hyūga's prisoner. Nonetheless, he approached the woman, resigned to simply wait for his turn to speak, or until a maid decided to attend to him, whichever one came first.

You'd think that someone like Mrs. Hina would choose a more private place to talk with her daughter.

To be fair, this is essentially her house, I'm more of the ones out of place here.

Hasn't stopped me before...

 

[kyuukestu]

With the training situation apparently in good hands, her daughter's, Hinagiku allowed her attention to drift. Almost immediately she noticed Taiyo's entry into the area. She remembered the boy from the last mission but he hadn't done much to elicit her interest; from what she recalled he'd been the one to defeat their captured sound prisoner. However, just as the prisoner had been, those thoughts had been thrown into a corner as a more important matter presented itself.

By word of a maid, Hinagiku was informed of a certain child of hers who had been found skulking around the wrong side of the bathhouse.

"What gall..." Hinagiku's temples throbbed in response to the temeritous action and she dismissed the maid with the assurance she would personally handle the infraction. She wasted no time. Her body lightened; and, the energies of her body propelled her forward like a leaf thrown by a storm. Her rage was likewise tempestuous and it was on full display as she reached the bathhouse, shattering the doors into little more than sawdust.

"Ziiinnoooooo..." She hissed the offending boy's name, seething all the more at his relaxed disposition. "If you're vigorous enough to be checking out our guest then you must have been slacking on your training. Let me assess your progress."

 

[Godjacob]

H-holy shit...

For a rare change, Tayuya was caught speechless. Zino had returned to his side of the bathhouse beyond the divider as the doors to the bathhouse exploded and in its wake stood an ever infuriated Hina whose killing intent had almost been suffocating which was a far cry from her usual demeanor.

Zino of course stood, his eyes widened and blinking. Granted, for the rules and customs here he knew what he did risked an infraction from the Hyuga. Though he had not expected Hina to respond herself; nor so quickly and so aggressively. Still though with his borrowed bottle in hand and resting in the water Zino thought over Hina's words as he tried to avoid a twist of the tongue. With a moment to clear his throat, he glanced the way of the Hyuga Head as he gave his answer to her question.

"Well, for one thing, i-it would have been avoided if soap had been resupplied on this side of it..." Zino said, as he took a moment to finish with the soap on his hair before he'd continue on. "But if you wish for an evaluation than as you wish..." Zino said, as he knew it had been wise not to challenge her on something like this as he prepared for whatever she had in mind.

 

[kyuukestu]

Hinagiku narrowed her eyes and threw her chin over her shoulder, gesturing through the gaping hole of what had once been the bathhouse doors, through which the hustle and bustle of maids and butlers could still be seen. It was a clear hole in the wall and a hole in Zino's logic. Any one of those workers would have been able to resupply the soap if he'd asked them. So then, how did he find himself inside the female's section of the bath?

Evidently, she wasn't buying into his reasoning.

"A man has two reasons for doing anything: a good reason and the real reason."

That he'd even tried to hoodwink her showed that the boy's had developed an excess of confidence since the last time she'd seen him, but seeing that he was still willing to accept punishment, he hadn't gotten too brazen. Confidence was excellent, but it needed to be tempered by diligence.

"You've yet to go through your Senbon Sparring ritual, right? Excellent, I'll be your partner. I expect to see you in front of the main residence in 10 minutes."

Sparring with her would be punishment enough, while the time limit would ensure Zino didn't have time to stick around and make their guest any more uncomfortable. Satisfied with her judgment, Hinagiku turned and departed, returning to the field where Kiro, Furijia, and Taiyo awaited.

 

[Godjacob]

Just as one has two ways they take an answer, as the truthful answer or presume it a lie.


Zino had kept his mouth closed during Hina's talk, as he already had gotten the sense that she had not believed his excuse for crossing over which had been reasonable from her POV. Regardless of what answer he had given, he knew there was only one way this went and that had been what Hina deemed appropriate.

Which in this case seemed to be Senbon Sparring ritual. Oh fun.

Zino nodded as she gave her expected arrival time, so he'd need to get ready with haste. He sighed in annoyance as she left, but quickly worked to wash the soap out as he got up and prepared to go dry and change. Tayuya observed the entire scene, or what she could given the divider as she sat in the water in thought before something compelled her to speak.

"Say, I don't know much beyond perverse desire, but I do know one of the Hyuga here wouldn't be dumb enough to risk making a violation over one of their customary dos and do nots over a bar of soap. So what was your real reason for coming over to speak to me?" Tayuya asked from her side of it, she lacked the ability to see past the divider so she had no way to know what his body language said. There was a delay and silence for a moment, before she heard Zino's voice speak up once more.

"I just needed to get cleaned. I wouldn't dwell on it, if anything you just think about what I asked you. I think that is the only thing out of this worth your thought..." Zino said, as he dried himself off and left to go change to meet Hina which left Tayuya alone as in spite of herself she had thought about his comments to her concerning Sagiso's soon to be departed group.

 

[sSoul]

Taiyo
Noticing the Hyūga head making her return after scolding one of her children, the FBS master decided to take this opportunity to ask the question he needed to ask.

"Hello, Mrs. Hinagiku," Taiyo bowed as he greeted his elder to show respect before he continued on to his question, "I wanted to come here to train since I know that there are a good number of strong shinobi here,I can't find the training grounds. If it's not too much trouble, could you give me directions or have one of your servants do it for you?"

Well this can't end poorly.

Eh, I wouldn't put it past me, I'd say there a good chance of something going horribly wrong.

 

[Retro Master]

He certainly hadn’t expected Furījia to be the one to break down the details for him. Neither had Furījia if her reaction meant anything. It appeared the Hyūga Head was going to use this as some type of lesson for her daughter. Of course, Kiro didn’t really mind as long as he got the power he wanted.

The answer to the simple questions of the daughter did him intrigue him slightly. Though, as he was in the process of analyzing her words, a single action was all it took for his head to lose the train of thought. Kiro hadn’t even seen her move. It was the oddly familiar feeling he felt over his hair which indicated to Kiro that she now stood beside him. The hand resting on his head left him unwillingly at ease as she spoke. Perhaps if Kiro was able to listen to her words at that moment, he’d be able to understand what she meant quite well.

Though Kiro had been tempted to accept the feeling, he rejected it. However, before he could remove the hand off his head himself, the Hyūga Head once again demonstrated her remarkable swiftness. That just left his hand in an awkward position. Fortunately, Kiro believed he was quite the exceptional actor and effortlessly played it off by nonchalantly running a hand through his hair.

“So Qi, Shen, and Jing are basically the three focuses of this Neijia. Overall, it’s all called Neijing and is a practice that relies more on body control than just chakra. In order for you to get that level of control, it requires soft-style training. That should be most of it I believe.”

The prisoner restated most of it to show that he had been listening to what she said. If he had been wrong, then it should give Furījia the opportunity to correct him. Other than that, she could continue. Not even a few moments later, the Hyūga Head made her return from wherever she had sped off to after speaking to one of those maids who could appear out of nowhere. Taiyo had shown up as well and now spoke to the Hyūga Head. He briefly wondered how so much could’ve happened in such a short amount of time but didn’t give it much more thought.

 

[kyuukestu]

"That's correct." Hinagiku set her arms into a fold. "If you want to train then you might as well stay here and learn."

Whereas the first portion of her statement was directed at Kiro, the second part had been meant for Taiyo. The sudden influx of people who'd sought her out for training was...surprising, but not unwelcomed. That her final task before departing would turn out be a lecture was an oddly amusing turn of events.

"The difference between internal training and external training can be summed up rather simply. Use what you have effectively before seeking out more of it. Would you like to see it in practice?"

 

[Retro Master]

“Show me.”

Kiro responded immediately after hearing her generous offer. The prisoner saw no reason to decline and was grateful he wouldn’t have to go through the extra trouble of figuring it out himself. After all, time was a valuable asset and Kiro preferred to spend it efficiently if he could.

 

[DarkHydraT]

"Don't forget to brush your hair! It looked like a mess yesterday."

"Nwo mahwm!" Mori spat into the bathroom sink to clear his mouth from the toothpaste and saliva. "I know how to take care of myself, and brushing hair isn't the hardest thing in the world." Returning to his dental hygene, he muttered something about nagging mothers and the difficulty of handling a hairbrush as Kasumi began to prepare breakfast. When the doorbell rang, Iwao got up from the couch.

"I'll get it." He waved dismissively as Kasumi was about to turn the stove off to open the door. When the veteran opened the door, he didn't expect much. In fact, he wasn't expecting anyone, certainly not a gaggle of kids from the slums. He had seen a lot in his fourty years of life, but nothing quite like this. "Uh, hi there. Is there something going on? If you're looking for Mori, he's brushing his teeth at the moment. I suppose you can wait inside until he's done or something." Iwao stepped aside, not quite sure how to act since he was confident that no one who wasn't a neighbor or close friend knew where he lived. How did these slum kids find them? Either they were a lot closer to Mori than he first thought or they just knocked on a random door to ask where they lived and were incredibly lucky. "Take a seat, or don't. They're ours after all." As soon as Iwao said that, he wished he didn't. It was such a dumb joke, and the laughter coming from the kitchen didn't help either.

--------------

A heavy silence hung in the air at the Kuramoto residence, broken only by the irregular breathing of Sachiko and the doorbell. Daichi got up, did Taji really have the guts to come back here? Opening the door, his eyes contained all the lightning that plagued the mountains throughout the years and it was aimed at a single girl, though not the one who was standing in front of him. "What do you want?" He asked with the bluntness of a knife that hadn't been sharpened for years. He had a faint idea why these kids were here, but he wanted to hear it from them before he made any assumptions. After all, he assumed all these years that Taji would marry a man and he was as wrong as he could be.

 

[kyuukestu]

"Then you'll have to spar with Furījia."

The best example was a practical example and what better way to illustration than personal experience? A simple spar would demonstrate, in full, how a soft style martial art utilized their conscious control and manipulation of their energy.

She turned to her daughter, who was already taking a stance.

"Push hands with him for a bit."

 

[sSoul]

Taiyo
Ironically, it seemed like the only person who wasn't involved in a fight was the one person who was looking for one. Regardless, Taiyo decided that he would wait his turn since it was apparent that Hinagiku was busy with Kiro first and foremost. Although he had no idea what was to be demonstrated, the FBS master thought it best to watch the sparring match anyway.

Well this is swell and all, but when am I getting my turn?

They say "patience is a virtue", so if we show some patience, we might get rewarded.

They also say "the squeaky wheel gets the grease", but whatever...

 

[Retro Master]

Kiro had expected some type of demonstration from Lady Hinagiku herself, but wasn’t all too surprised when she put her daughter on the job once more. Though facing the Hyūga Head would’ve been his preference, he supposed a spar with Furījia would still allow him to see the martial art demonstrated up close. This would probably be different than the fights he had with a certain relative of theirs. It was likely that girl did not share the same amount of experience with this form as the rest of her clan.

Thinking of Sagisō did remind him that he should be mindful with Furījia during this spar. Especially when one of the spectators was her mother. There was also Taiyo. He actually took a glance at Taiyo only to see him just standing around. Kiro wondered what was up with the boy. Unless the Akugami was content with doing absolutely nothing, then he was likely waiting for someone. That was when the sudden realization dawned upon him. Taiyo must’ve come here to see Furījia. There was no disputing it. He’d already known about their possible relationship, but the boy’s daily visits to the Hyūga clan had made it all the more clearer. Especially since the Hyūga Head didn’t seem to mind. In fact, she probably knew about their relationship and had accepted it.

With that in mind, Kiro realized he had put himself in between them. Rather, Lady Hinagiku had done so herself. Could it be she did not approve of them after all? No. Knowing her, this was likely some sort test for the boy. Perhaps she wanted to see how long he could last without giving in to his desire. A test of patience. He knew the importance of that trait quite well. There was a serious expression that grew on his face once he knew they should try to finish fast. The prisoner went into a stance of his own as he watched the Hyūga girl closely, with the intent to learn from her movements using the sharingan that had been reluctantly activated.

“Well, we don’t want to keep your boyfriend waiting too long, so come.”

 

[kyuukestu]

"Uwa...b-b-boyfriend!?"

Furījia hadn't expected such low and cheap blows from her Uchiha opponent before the match had even begun and her cheeks went scarlet, an indirect response to its effectiveness. Her form had been briefly compromised by her flustered reaction, but she quickly shaped up. While her embarrassment was still apparent on her cheeks, it no longer affected her stance. This wasn't because the girl possessed the great disciple needed to school her emotions, but rather that she'd abandoned the soft, free-flowing style of Baguazhang and picked up the aggressive, militaristic style of XingYiquan. For someone as under-the-influence of their emotions as Furījia, the XingYiquan or Form-Intention Fist allowed them to maximize the synergy between body and mind...or something like that. She didn't remember the exact reason her mother had chosen to teach her XingYiquan.

With the sparring match up-coming, there was but one more delay. Jogging up to the duo, specifically to Furījia, was a maid bearing a long box whose length was nearly a meter. The maid flipped the box open, revealing the multi-sectioned shaft of Furījia newly reforged spear and a pair of silver-white gloves. After it had been destroyed on her last mission, Furījia's spear had been undergoing repairs and improvements. The shaft itself had been broken into more segments, giving the spear, at maximum length, a whip-like appearance, with segments of the spear interconnected by chain-wiring. The shaft itself had also been fitted with a rough, abrasive surface which easily afforded its wielder more grip but conversely, would do quite a number on exposed flesh.

Slipping on her protective gloves, Furījia retrieved her spear, flashing it through the air while it contracted, segments drawn together until it appeared a standard spear of nearly 2 meters.

Now adequately armed, Furījia focused her attention on her opponent. He'd gotten in a cheap blow earlier, but she'd ensure it was the best one he got.

Furījia took hold of her spear with both hands and drove forward with a single thrust, which was seemingly linear and overflowed with unmistakable, embarrassment-fueled, aggression, and aimed at Kiro's torso. She favoured her foremost arm, using it to guide and drive the weapon forward while her supporting-arm only lightly stabilized the spear's path from its position closer to the butt.

 

[sSoul]

Taiyo
To be frank, the fiery shinobi was just as surprised at the Uchiha's remark as Furījia, though that didn't translate to his cheeks burning at heat rivaling his own fireballs. Instead, Taiyo just let out a strained, awkward chuckle before choosing to divert his focus elsewhere. Ironically, his attention turned to Furījia, or rather, her efforts in attacking Kiro. Clearly, she was going on the offensive, probably because she wanted to get back at Kiro for his remark, but the attack seemed to be sure to miss. From what the Leaf-nin could see, the Hyūga was just charging froward while bearing her spear, the most basic of attacks. Even though the attack seemed to be primed to fail, the FBS master watched the two combatants intently as he thought to himself.

I think I understand why Mom was concerned about me to overstaying my welcome...

 

[Godjacob]

At the eight minute mark since he was asked to come, Zino finally walked out onto the field as he noticed not just Hina present but various individuals; some of the clan, some not which only raised more questions as the hybrid Hyuga had an eyebrow raised at the prospects who seemed to be having a training period of their own.

From what he had gathered, it seemed some three-way spar was set up with Furījia as well as the other prisoner guest Kiro and a resident/guest in that flame ninja from the Chunin Exams. Not that he had known either of the non-Hyuga particularly well, and Zino would admit he had not been the most attentive to his Hyuga family as perhaps one expected. But irregardless he advanced over to the Hyuga Head with hands in pocket.

"Well, I am here. So I assume the training starts once this spar clears?" Zino asked, though really what she had on the mind no one really had capacity to predict so he just presumed to be prepared for anything. Even if his tone carried this resigned apathy about the whole thing.

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

Kou practically floated out of bed, drawn out by the scent and promise of food. Sniffing and walking forward like a zombie, he let his nose guide him down the stairs. His hand slid across the hand rails before he got to the bottom of the stairs, where his hazy vision began to clear up.

“Mmm...where’s the food?” He said, rubbing his eyes.


.......


Taken care of? That’s not gonna he enough lady, especially in enemy territory. These leaf losers probably dumped him in an orphanage if they even have those. Heck, might have even dumped him on the street! Doubt pinky would put up with that though. Maybe she got to him. What am I even thinkin’? It’s not gonna matter when I get out!

Zaku went over passive aggressive arguments in his head on how he could break out, weather I be blasting, out smarting, seducing, or even disguising himself. But all of these ideas didn’t seem to pan out. He was running low on confidence in his departure today...that’s when Hana snapped him out of his thoughts.

“Warning, this part may sting so...bite your tounge if need be. Would be the best use of it to this point anyway.”

He gave her a whimsical look. “Seriously? You think I can handle a little green glowing light? Listen tuts, if you don’t cut the craAAAAAAAAAHHH!! FUUU-

Zaku’s air holes blew out a high pitched sound waves, sounding almost like a steaming pot of tea. His other leg that was good tapped on the floor quick to put his mind off the pain. The crazy chick wasn’t kidding

 

[Retro Master]

‘A segmented spear?’

He knew right off the bat that it was no normal spear. Kiro hopped back to give himself some space and brought his hands over the seals he had. It would be in his best interest to control the distance between them. Then wait for the right moment to parry or redirect the weapon before quickly closing the gap between them. However, the problem with the last parts of this basic strategy was his opponent and her weapon were different. While he could attempt to grab the shaft, it’s rough exterior combined with her momentum would likely tear the skin off his hand. Even if Kiro were to get close without grabbing the weapon, he would probably be playing himself right into her hand.

He decided to play it safe and analyze more of this fighting style of hers first. Three weapons were quickly summoned using the storage seals on his wrists. Two shuriken in one hand and a kunai in the other. Kiro threw the shuriken directly at the girl, angling them so Furījia couldn’t simply move her upper body to the side without hitting the other unless she completely abandoned the assault or went on the defensive. Following that up, Kiro clutched the kunai with both hands and aimed to clash with the incoming spear. The tip of his kunai would meet with the tip of the spear to lock them in a brief stalemate.

 

[kyuukestu]

XingYiquan had a deceptively linear approach which was, in fact, not linear at all; contained within its movements were spirals so tight that they appeared linear. Those tight coils unwound as XingYiqaun spun out into loose and free-flowing Baguazhang. Furījia's hands exchanged positions—her supporting hand tightening and her forehand loosened—and years of honed spearplay came to play. Her rear-grip reeled the spear in while her fore-grip complemented the rotation of her body and brandished the spear-head across her body to deflect the shuriken. She carried the motion full-circle and brought the spear's butt to bear, intending to sweep his legs to capitalize on his body, which had been braced to receive an impact from her spear. However, her strike was cut short by her mother's voice.

"That's enough."

Furījia halted and pulled back her spear, while her mother continued to speak.

"You've seen enough, the rest will rely on your own diligence. There are no muscle movements for you to copy, you'll need to grow accustomed to controlling your body meticulously."

 

[Retro Master]

Deactivating his sharingan, Kiro agreed that he had gotten enough just from the short spar. Now it was just a matter of getting familiarized with controlling his body attentively. Doing so would certainly help him if he desired to sustain extreme movements similar to that of the Hyūga Head. He just had to determine if this was worth committing too.

“Well, if that’s all, I appreciate your time Lady Hinagiku. You’ve given me some things to consider.”

Kiro glanced up at the azure eyes of the Hyūga Head one more time before moving to pick up the shuriken and store then back into the seals along with the kunai. Then he planned to go directly to the training hall unless something else came up.

 

[sSoul]

Taiyo
The demonstration ended at about the speed it began, to the disappointment of the FBS master. However, this opened up the opportunity for Taiyo to finally get to where he's been trying to go throughout his time here: the training hall.

"Lady Hinagiku," The Leaf-nin cleared his throat, "not to be rude or anything, but I've always been more of a physical learner, so I really didn't get much out of that demonstration. However, I am willing to spar against Furījia myself to really learn the fighting style that was demonstrated previously," The FBS master made sure that his tone didn't express disrespect, for disrespect got no one anything but a harsh refusal and a degree of pain. There was only one problem that Taiyo saw with his statement: it presented the illusion that he was solely focused on pleasing his own desires, so he decided to add a supplementary statement to show the Hyūga Mistress that he could think of the desires of people beyond himself.

"Of course, if Furījia is unwilling, I'm willing to fight Kiro as well, but if need be, I can wait until someone who is willing to fight comes along. I really don't mind," Taiyo chuckled as he spoke the last part for no reason that he determine for himself.

 

[kyuukestu]

"Then it isn't my permission you're looking for, it's hers, no?"

Hinagiku gestured towards Furījia, thereby passing the task of dealing with Taiyo to her. The sudden, resurgent interest in her Clan's martial art was a pleasant surprise but, that these boys had come to her to learn it was a bit tiresome. While she would humor them this time, she much preferred they'd have gone to the training grounds where members of the Hyūga Clan freely taught baguazhang to those with a willingness to learn.

"And you'd be right, Zino. With this demonstration completed, it's your turn. Are you ready? Senbon sparring can be punishing."

--------------

"Yes." Yasu replied, "This is the outpost, one of the many that lie along the Wind-Earth border."

The feathered shinobi look at his companion worriedly. Even at this point in their journey, hundreds of miles from Sunagakure and on the cusp of hostile territory, he still hadn't the foggiest idea of why she wanted to do all this. Although he trusted her, that trust could hardly be expected to include walking blindly into a warzone.

"Are you finally ready to tell me why you've come out here?"

 

[sSoul]

Tsuki
The Yuki-nin sullenly walked back to the Yuki Manor, the sting of betrayal fresh in her mind. Though Tsuki tried to block it out, Seiun's words were echoing in her mind, and every sentence from the rouge-nin felt like a gunshot to the foot. Eventually, she made it to Hama's doorstep, but the Yuki-nin was stifled by a single question before she even knocked.

Do I really want to talk to Hama-sensei about this?

Given the older woman's previous eccentric behavior, it stood to reason that she wouldn't be very good at handling an emotionally vulnerable adolescent. Then again, her only other option was Kai, and she knew that she'd get an earful from him if she told him about what happened between her and the former Ame-nin. She briefly considered talking to Hyōryūgetsu, but she barely knew the Hozuki, and she had even less knowledge of her whereabouts. As such, Tsuki took a deep breath to compose herself, and knocked on her master's door.

"Hama-sensei...can we talk..?"
Seiun
Suprisingly, getting arrested was the best possible outcome for the rogue-nin. Now that he was no longer under Tsuki's ownership, Seiun could be free to conspire with B.O.S.E.C. Feeling good about himself, the rogue-nin decided to taunt the guards who were carrying him to his new jailcell.

"So, I bet that you feel real proud of yourselves right now," Seiun spoke with a sardonic tone, "I bet you two get off on this type of shit," Seiun adopted an extra-snarky tone as he said the deliberately cheesy line to ensure that he got under the guards' skin. Sure enough, it was working like a charm, evident by one of the guards clearly trying to hold in some expression of rage. However, fortune was smiling on the beleaguered Yuki guards, as the duo finally reached the cell from where they could dispose of their prisoner.

"Enjoy your cell, scum," One of guards said as he(almost literally) threw the rogue-nin in the dark, enclosed room.

"You should really listen to my co-worker you ingrate," The second guard added, "Because one way or another, this cell will likely be the last place you see," After the duo said their venom-steeped words to Seiun, they departed off to do other things, knowing that his cell would be moderated like all of the other cells.

"They really think that a cell like this can hold me, huh?" The former Ame-nin chuckled at the situation he found himself in, "Oh how little they truly know,"

B.O.S.E.C, your time has come, get me outta here. ​

 

[Godjacob]

"I-I am terrily sorry about this. Honestly I wasn't even aware Mori lived here, seemed that he shared his address with Naomi & Ren and then once the rest heard this they became insistent and..." Tomiko said, as she tried to explain the situation to Iwao though quickly she felt her wrists grabbed by the twins as Miu & Mio grinned ear to ear.

"Come on Tomiko, let's wait for Mori!" Miu smiled.

"Yeah we got permission, it's fine!" Mio added and without a chance to speak she was yanked inside as the rest of the group followed suit. Ren elected to stand with Tomiko as the others found available seats. Naturally the air felt awkward with so many people gathered in one room as Tomiko let out a dry tune of a whistle before she turned to the veteran Shinobi.

"So uh...how have you guys been?"

----------
Okay scary guy right at the door...never a good sign.

Kenji had that immediate thought when the door opened and rather than the expected Taji a figure with a rather intense if not blunt delivery greeted them as he asked what they wanted. Though in spite of this unexpected welcoming Aisha remained undaunted as the Inuzuka flashed a toothy smirk the man's way.

"Hey there, name is Aisha. These are my companions Luna & Sky...and this is Kenji. We are friends of Taji and came by to visit her." Aisha said, as she wondered how their nose trailed them here. Taji had to have been here or at least had been here for a while to collect the stronger scent. Either way she worked to see if Aisha was home, though Kenji himself noticed Luna & Sky subtly sniff the air which made him curious though he kept silent.

----------
Madoka stopped as she sensed this was coming, to be fair when asked prior she had given rather vague replies and given that Yasu had taken her this far in spite of that she owed him a true answer as the puppet user turned to face Yasu looking him in the eye before she sighed.

"Guess you can say to find purpose. I know how that sounds but just hear me out. I've been training to be a ninja for about as long as I can remember, really I forgot what life is like without this...and yet for the years I've put in I can't say what drives me or why really I wanted to do this to begin with. Either I've forgotten it, or just...never thought around to that. Compared to you, or especially Tomiko who have clear drive and goals for what you set out to be as ninja and I am just...empty, in that regard." Madoka said, as she turned to face the border post and scanned around it.

"I...I want that kind of drive, I need to find that kind of purpose. And maybe this can help me. Maybe going to an area of historic conflict and turmoil can give me a scope of what our people have fought for, a bit of history that you can't get just reading a scroll. And maybe just maybe help me find just what kind of ninja I want to be. I know it sounds stupid...but nothing else has worked for me, so maybe taking it to the ridiculous is key." Madoka said, before she turned back to face Yasu with a small smile.

"Thank you for bringing me here, I am forever grateful and will repay you in kind. You can go back to the village if you wish, I would not want to trouble you with this any longer than you had to." Madoka said to her Chunin Exams ally and well...in her mind, friend.

----------
"Rule one of working with a medical-nin, do not doubt the word of a medical-nin." Hana said, shaking her head with an amused grin though she had meant what she said though she expected just the type from the wanna be ladies man. But she kept it professional and kept her healing hands right on the minor wound as she aimed to close it up and thankfully it had not been a long process as soon enough she moved her hands away and passed one last inspection of it.

"Alright, we should be good. Just be sure to keep it easy on this leg for the rest of the day and the rest should take care of itself. And don't worry, I'll keep the whining bit private." Hana said somewhat cheeky as she informed Zaku he had been treated.

-----​

Sakura had to admit, seeing Kou will his tired body down the stairs purely for food was oddly amusing, but she directed his tired gaze to the dinning room where a fresh selection of plates with various breakfast items made. A modest meal of eggs, beacon, toast, waffles cereal and milk laid out.

And older women with dark green eyes & blonde hair, whose facial features resembled Sakura's somewhat, saw her daughter and the boy arrive as she passed a soft smile their way. "Oh good, I was worried he'd be asleep all day and I'd have to roll him out of bed. Well eat up, you two could use a good meal to start the day."

-----​

"Sure that's the part that excites you..." Zino replied, but with a shrug he advanced anyway as the time for his "training" had come as the Hybrid ninja moved to the presumed position and turned to face the elder Hyuga.

"So, pure reflexes or Kekkei Genkai?" Zino asked, curious what parameters he'd have been expected to follow with this little punishment masked as training though he seemed unbothered with it regardless of what she said.

 

[sSoul]

Taiyo
Taking a moment to consider the older woman's words, it became apparent to Taiyo that he was looking for Furījia's permission to spar, therefore removing Hinagiku out of the equation. Perhaps she brought this to his attention to focus on the other Hyūga, who she had summoned for reasons unknown and irrelevant to the fiery shinobi.

"Well Furījia, you wanna go a couple of rounds?" The Leaf-nin flashed a small grin at the heiress, hoping that turning on the charm would be his ticket to actually getting the fight he needed, "By the way, could you show me to the training court?"