Private/Closed Naruto AU: Roleplay

[SageNeb]

Raiku saw as Furijia came over and was thankful as she probably knew where a Hyuga supervisor was but then the “child” snapped his head towards Senji which caused him to flinch for a second. Then as it started levitating Raiku activated his Sharingan. Most of his body was covered by the cloak which had a strange glow, but the most notable things were the strange chakra areas in Bobo’s head. When it gave its loud “Bo” screech Raiku quickly reached for a scroll and unsealed it, revealing a blade and clothes which dropped on the Uchiha’s shoulder. Raiku pointed the blade at Bobo, who obviously was not a regular child as he had previously thought.

Is he someone from the Sound?

Raiku waited for someone to make a move against this disturbance in the festival.

 

[OmnipotentOnion]

Being in direct range from the sudden screech from the child, Senji winced in pain as the scream pierced his ears, stumbling back and brandishing his daisho blades.

"What the hell..?"

As he was recovering from the point blank screech fired into his right ear, he got into as battle-ready of a stance as he could muster in his startled state and looked around, checking if there were any enforcers or organizers of the festival who could help quiet down the scene. Luckily, the ringing in his ears began to subside after a few seconds, and he shook away any lingering stupor from the sudden ordeal and fully focused on the maybe-child.

"Alright, I don't know why you felt the need to just do that all of a sudden.. but really? Why was it right at me?" Now that the shock of what had occurred was gone, needless to say, Senji was now quite annoyed at the kid.

 

[kyuukestu]

Furījia

"Wha—"

The Hyūga heiress stumbled backward, despite the cumbersome dress she was wearing, she retreated rather swiftly. The psychedelic light show displayed through her Byakugan was heavily distorted by whatever was embed into the child —no, that things— clothing. He was peppered with some many different chakra signatures and his chakra network so against the norm that Furījia began to wonder if that thing was even human.

She instinctively reached for her spear, only to remember it was still being repaired. She noticed that Raiku had already gotten battle-ready. The Uchiha were responsible for security after all, so it was only expected. Protect the civilians first, and await back-up. She leveled her hands, taking the default stance for the Gentle Fist.

Furījia knew it would only be a matter of seconds before someone arrived, so they'd only need to hold the fort. She wasn't wrong, as the citizens had broken into a small fluster. After all, they had just been assaulted by Orochimaru, and these were rather...tense times. They immediately began to retreat from the area, like a seething tide of people. Of course, the sudden movement of such a large crowd, as well as the rippling chaos as children began to cry and the faint of heart screamed, attracted the attention of about...anyone within several hundred meters.

A dark shadow zigzagged across the roofs, and light a feather the Hyūga Matriarch herself descended upon the scene. Her gaze was set like steel, and her significantly more developed eyes were trained on the disturbance. Bobo was an unfamiliar face in the leaf, and his recent action had immediately put her on alert.

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

The sudden noise caused a bit of chaos and people to run, stare, hide, gasp, amongst many other actions. The hyuga sprung to high alert, looking directly at the small boy. Senji, appeared wordlessly baffled and transforming into annoyance.

“Alright, I don't know why you felt the need to just do that all of a sudden.. but really? Why was it right at me?"

Bobo continue to look directly at him. After a couple seconds, a perfect toothy grin began to stretch across his face. This grin seemed way too cartoony to be real, about five ‘teeth’ stretching perfectly from top to bottom and seamlessly together with the rest of the teeth. After this smile, his expression reverted to normal and he did a backflip into the air, landing on the ground.

“Bobo!”

After his short but simple words, ‘Bobo’ began to put his hands up appearing to press against an invisible wall. Moving his hands several times across this apparent flat Invisible object, he place a hand above it, making the curvature of an invisible object. He was...miming...

 

[sSoul]

Taiyo
The FBS master stared at the outfit that Shiho had prepared for him. The outfit was a rather simple one: a red shirt that could be accompanied with an obtional black jacket that sported green accents. The pants were also rather unremarkable: black in color with a green stripe travelling along the side of each pant leg. In addtion to this, there was also an idential hat to kiro's that he could wear. Overall, Taiyo was rather content with whar Shiho had provided, though the last part of the letter did confuse him a bit.

"Sounds good Kiro, I'll try on mine too," With that, he began to look for the nearest maid to direct him to a dressing room.
Tsuki
As she woke up in her room of the Yuki manor, the girl thought back to her conversation with Kai last night.

~~~~~~~~~~~Yesterday~~~~~~~~~~~

The young Yuki-nin gave a weak smile to Kai as she took his invitation to sit down and talk about what was on her mind.

"If its ok with you Kai, I'll try to keep this brief," Her tone of voice was a little somber, a cleae indication that she didn't like talking about this topic, "Around this time when I was four years old...my parents left for a mission. They said they'd be back soon but they weren't," Her voice craked as she said the last sentence. Regardless, she had to move onwards

"Without them around to teach me, I practically had no way of making friends, instead I opted to take notes about people. When I would try to open up to anyone about all the info I know about them, they would just call me weird and told me to go away," Tsuki was trying to force a smile, but all that came out were a few tears, "I guess those years must've taught me something, considering I'm still taking notes like a student studying for a test..."" From there, her tone shifted to a bitter snd resentful one.

"I never even got a letter, nothing to tell me that they were doing fine or even if they were alive. I'm pretty sure they didnt even go on a mission, they probably just left to leave me behind! THEY PROBABLY DIDN'T EVEN WANT ME AS THEIR DAUGHTER!" That last bit of hysteria in Tsuki's voice was the breaking point as she finally let out her sobs, wanting to curl up into a ball and cry in the corner like she did in her youth.

I'm sorry Kai...I couldn't even keep it brief for you. You didn't need to hear all that...

 

[Godjacob]

"I'll take that reaction that you wish for a chance to speak?" Hisao said to the young Oto-nin, and she had no issues with that as she figured she made her point as she released the seal and allowed Zaku a chance to speak since he seemed so eager to get his own piece in.

Hisao had demonstrated one of a few ways they had to keep him in line, the questioned remained what would his reaction to it be and where they'd go from there.

----------
"Well I wouldn't say that. Actually we are....rather average, though payments from my missions do help with the occasional luxury from time to time. But I nor are my parents made of money." Sakura explained sheepishly to Kou as she tried to correct his assumption that she was this super wealthy figure to him.

Sakura noticed the rat as she eyed the grapes in the bush it collected. Sakura figured or assumed it wanted it to eat the grapes? She had no way to know given she lacked Kou's experience to know its cues but she assumed it would be worth a taste if nothing else to have avoided the issues of a rat eyeing her the rest of the day. So she pulled a berry off, sniffed it once just for inspection's sake as she slowly took a bite once she figured it was safe.

----------
As Tayuya followed Zino and they moved to the main festival area as it seemed they caught the tail end of what seemed to be some sort of cooking competition; the dishes on display seemed quite impresses as Tayuya noted a few familiar faces seemed to be among the competitors.

Huh, wouldn't have taken these guys as cooking enthusiasts.

Zino himself had been about to comment on the matter, but his words and Tayuya's thoughts had been interrupted by what seemed to be this unearthly shriek which caused both to cover their ears momentarily.

"W-what on Earth!?" Zino called out as Tayuya cursed in the air, before a figure dashed between them towards the sounds of that racket as a young Akimichi arrived onto the scene.

And the seen seemed something out of a horror movie, as this cloaked yet grotesque figure that seemed to be floating in the air before he dropped down to do a mime routine, though while this had been a shock the young man quickly shook off the confusion as he approached.

"Hey, whatever or whoever you are. Listen up cause I am only gonna say this once! I was enjoying a nice and quality competition among the most tasty looking meals, and your little shouting fest interrupted my enjoyment. So if you'd be so kind as to drop this sixth sense stuff and quietly move away so I can return to the entertainment I would appreciate it. If not, I will paste you into the ground, which I will also appreciate. The choice is yours." The young Akimichi, Akihiko, replied to this mysterious figure.

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

Kai began to process Tsuki’s words, including her volatile outburst. It wasn’t an easy subject, and it was deeply set in the core of her being. He rubbed his chin, pondering in the silence for the perfect word combination. He nodded to himself and looked into her eyes.

“Tsuki, as ninja we risk our lives every day in our task. We know what we signed up for. You, me, and both of our parents knew this too. A Yuki ninja would never abandon the cause. In fact, they would rather die than see that happen. As hard as it is to accept and believe it, your parents had died on their mission. There is no other way to explain that.”

Kai then realized how dark his speech was, and that this could have just worsened her feelings. He couldn’t just end it right there, could he? He tightened his fist, standing up and holding it out to her.

“But since they could not teach you, I will take it upon myself to teach you what being in a healthy friendship truly is. I, Kai Soda Yuki, pledge myself as your friend!”

He said this pretty loudly, proclaiming his friendship with her. Reality set in to what he just did as a sweat drop ran down his sides.

“That is if you want to...?”



........

“Huh? Really? Wow I didn’t know ninja’s get payed so much. Imma be a ninja to ya know. Boss is gonna teach me-“

He caught himself. Zaku. He had been focused I. Filling his tkmach and sleeping in a comfort bed rather than what he claw her to do. He felt a pit in his stomach, a tinge if guilt whellling up.

“...How is he?”

The rat seemed mostly satisfied, looking for Sakura to swallow. It appeared it had trust issues in comparison to Kou’s more open nature. Sort of like a protective brother.



......



As zaku’s retraining seal lifted, he coughed, the airwaves ceasing. He stretched his jaw to get all the muscles working properly again.

“Geez, whats with the women of this village huh?” He complained...possibly. “Yeah I get what your talking about lady, now when am I getting out of your pleasure chamber?”

 

[Nukas]

Amari was about to respond to Furījia, who she had just yesterday become acquainted with, so she wouldn't have to deal with the creepy child who was just... staring at her when the child seemed to start levitating and lighting up in a weird way. She quickly got out the only shuriken she had on hand at the moment, her gift to Sagisō. She held three of the shuriken she had custom-crafted, each with five-pointed ends to resemble a star. She was ready to strike at the child when she heard someone coming at great speed and was almost there in an instant. Immediately she recognized her as Sagisō's aunt and the current Hyuga head. When she appeared The small child started making weird gestures as if he were trying to put his hands on invisible objects.

She didn't let her guard down, but she was rather confused by what had just taken place. "This is why I hate kids, and... mimes. Does anybody know what the heck just happened?"

 

[Retro Master]

Once Kiro and Taiyo had both changed into their new outfits and met back up, they had received word the cooking competition had already started. After having caught up with him after he had changed, Susei had come along with Taiyo. Without a second thought, they made their way towards the area where the event was being held. This was the first time that Kiro had been allowed to wander through the rest of the Leaf village. Of course, there were likely some Hyūga still watching him from a distance. Probably a little less due to the Hyūga being spread thin since they were the hosts of the festival.

Most villagers seemed to be gathering towards the village center, where the competition was being held. However, it seemed something more intriguing had caught their attention. They could hear the concerned and panicked voices of the Leaf civilians as they had made a circle around what seemed to be a little bright boy who had been floating. A baby in a woman’s arms soon began crying while other children stayed closed to their parents as they tried to leave the area. At the corner of his eyes, Kiro saw a familiar shadow also blitz towards the scene.

“Strange. I wonder what’s up with that kid over there?”

Kiro muttered to Taiyo as they got closer to the front of the crowd. Once he got close enough, he could see a group consisting of Raiku, Furījia, Amari, and some other Leaf shinobi he hadn’t recalled seeing before. They were all on guard as the fat one seemed to step up and call on the child to stand down. Being a prisoner, he wasn’t really in the position to do anything. Not that he cared much anyways. For him, this was just some entertainment and it probably wasn’t even the main event.

 

[SageNeb]

Suddenly as Bobo started miming a large orange dragon made out of flame appeared in the sky. The dragon moved around in a flashy fashion doing twirls and the like before heading down and dropping onto Bobo, snapping its jaws before exploding into fireworks.

Raiku was in awe by the performance that he didn’t notice a small flame on his clothing for a second before quickly patting it out. A blur was seen before behind Bobo a familiar person was seen.

“Well, well, I hope you learned not to be too rowdy during the festival. Don’t want to disturb the village after all. The Hyuga are trying to liven them up and it’d be rude to put a damp on the mood, don’t you think?”

Raiku smiled slightly at his mentor’s remark. Of course such a brilliant display of Fire-style would be caused by one of the greatest Uchiha ever in his mind, Shisui of the Body Flicker.

 

[DarkHydraT]

"You got the incense?"

"Yup, and got some momen tofu. I cleaned the grave before I left for the Land of Water, so it should be in good condition."

"Hm, well done. He will be happy to hear that."

The Utamara family was on their way to the village cemetery, Mori carrying some incense and an offering and Iwao carrying a candle. It was a tradition to visit Ichirou's grave during birthdays or celebrations, and Christmas was no exception. Ichirou used to adore momen tofu and his little nephew, so it would only be fitting to have Mori offer the tofu. When they arrived at the cemetery, the grave they were looking for was not that hard to find. It was the grave on the left side of the war monument that carried names that Iwao once knew personally. He'd pay his respects once they paid respects to his older brother.

Here lies Utamara Ichirou​

A talented Chunin, praised volunteer
and loved sibling who was taken before his time.
​

'Taken before his time', or so the gravestone said. Iwao didn't believe in that, no one was taken at a certain time. If you paid attention and didn't do dumb stuff, you'd life longer. Not to mention it was a cruel belief, what if someone died on the operating table because 'it was their time'. The chief surgeon would still feel responsible for it, and they might even be responsible for it. Was someone's time dependant on an infection or stray kunai? What if said infection or kunai was not there at that exact moment? Did their time still run out and did they die on the spot? The sentence might soften the pain a bit, but he saw too many young men and women die to believe in it. The cerebral haemorrhage that struck his brother came unexpected and took his life two days after it happened. The hospital couldn't do much for him, although they tried their best.

Mori set down the incense in two small vases and lit it, placing the tofu in between them. Iwao placed the candle in front of the picture of Ichirou, his 29 year old face never aging. The older man's hand began to scratch at his neck as Kasumi comforted him, she knew that these moments were hard for him and she'd be lying if she didn't miss the infectious laugh and the way her brother-in-law acted around children. Mori on the other hand wasn't nearly as shaken as his parents, simply because he didn't remember Ichirou that well. He was 2 when his uncle died, with pictures and stories of his parents being all the memories he had of him.

After staying at the grave for a couple of moments, Iwao turned towards the war monument and let his finger trace several names engraved in the large rock. Names of allies of whom only their memory returned home after the war were engraved in the rock, as a way to give names to the statistics. Tragic, really. The rock was huge and had thousands of names engraved on it, and every name used to be a living, breathing human with a family and goals of their own. "Let's go, before it gets too much." His voice was shaky, and his family knew exactly what he meant. Leaving the cemetery behind them, Kasumi stood in front of her husband and rose her right index finger.

"Follow my finger with your eyes and think about what is going through your mind, but don't move your head." She ordered as her finger went to the left and to the right. She pulled her arm back so that her finger was right next to her cheek before stretching her arm so that her finger almost touched the nose of her husband. This sequence repeated for a while as Iwao visibly began to calm down. "Better?"

"Better." Iwao let out a sigh of relief since his wife noticed some signs of his trauma flaring up again. "I'm okay now, shall we get the gifts? We spent the whole night on them and I am not exactly looking forward to seeing all that work go to waste." He smiled shakily as he beckoned his family to go with him, thanking his lucky stars for having married Kasumi.

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

Steam left through the bathroom window as Taji left the bathroom with a pair of clean clothes and her mind lost in the clouds that gave the village its name. What she saw yesterday could get her arrested, there was a reason to keep the sealing process of the Tailed Beast a secret after all. But why that girl? She didn't like fighting according to Kenji and Aisha and wanted to be a medical ninja, why did the Raikage choose her as the host? Wasn't she supposed to aid in fights and wars? What possible advantage did choosing that girl bring the Raikage? If she had to choose a different host, Kenji would make more sense. He wasn't exactly important to the village like the Valkyries or sir Darui, yet he could his own in a fight. And what about parental consent? Did her parents know about this? Was she just picked from the streets and told that she was going to be the next Jinchuriki? It just didn't make sense!

Hiding her slew of questions behind an icy façade, she grabbed her kunai pack and went outside. Her parents were busy working at this hour, so they would not stop her. She didn't know why she went outside or where she was going, she just wanted to walk as her mind tried to crack the reasoning behind the actions she saw yesterday. She didn't know Rika at all aside from her name and she didn't really care about her, but this was an issue that went beyond personal relations. This was a matter that concerned the whole village, and she wanted to share her thoughts with someone who knew what the ninja business was like. That didn't leave her with many options though, her parents were civilians, sir Darui should not know about them knowing and she had no clue as to where Aisha or Kenji lived. But no ninja would give up that easily, so she decided to ask around until she found Kenji's house. Maybe she'd check for a place of her own in the meantime, and with those goals in mind she set off.

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

The jounin and chunnin in the surrounding area lead the crowd in a round of applause. Claps had broken through the silence as they had believed bobo’s Entire screeching thing was but an act.

As the fireworks cleared, bobo seemed to have been lying down, dead with a single flower across his chest. But as the crowd clapped, he jumped up with a front flip, landing on his feet. He gave several bows, taking advantage of this attention.

As the fire dragon show had dissipated, the crowd had gotten back to the way it was, the situation diffused.

 

[kyuukestu]

Hinagiku

She'd noticed Shisui's approach long before he'd actually arrived, and as he prepared his scene, Hina decided to play her hand. When the fire dragon had exploded into the crowd, she'd fired off a bullet of water. The dragon and bullet collided and the flashy explosion occurred, another explosion of steam washed over the crowd. After their applause, the crowd seemed to pause slightly, as if confused. But eventually, they dispersed. Anyone with a dojutsu would, of course, notice the distortions in the crowd's chakra network...genjutsu.

"Shisui...you should keep an eye on this...thing. Its appearance is...unsettling. I'll talk to the other Clan Heads about changing our defensive formation."

Thinking briefly, she decided it would be best to involve the Uchiha, Aburame, Yamanaka, and Inuzuka Clans. However, that would come later, for now...

"You kids should stay alert, enjoy the festival, but maintain military readiness."

As the tension dropped, Furīsu, Hina's summon descended onto her arm. Clearly, it had been summoned to assist with the genjutsu. With her bit said, Hina vanished, moving away with the body-flicker and the crowd seemed to act as if the incident had never happened.

 

[Grand Master Koop]

Shura had not taken his eyes off his cooking for even one moment even with the sudden happenings involving Bobo. He had his full focus on his dish. Wiping up in two small pans were the two sauces Shura had prepared, one had a golden brown colour whole the other had a fruity purple colour. Putting the two sauces into their respective dipping bowl, Shura moved back to the main part of his dish. Shura raised the bowl that had been covering his fried venison as well as keeping it heated. The moment he did this, all the trapped aroma from the fried meat escaped into the air all at once, filling the area with a rich fried fragrance. It is uncertain whether Shura planned this to bring the attention back to the event or if it’s just a byproduct of his action he didn’t intend, but the end result would be the same.

Shura set the meat on a platter then expertly cut it into multiple thinner segments. He put the sauces on the side of the plate and added a single mint leaf for decoration at the edge of the tray. His dish was now ready to be served.

 

[OmnipotentOnion]

As the entire ordeal was concluded, disguised as a vibrant performance and nothing more, Senji sighed with relief, sheathing his blades and looking around.

"That was unexpected, to say the least; the important thing is that we didn't cause too big of a scene, which is good."

Senji was grateful to the jounin for intervening and resolving the situation; had anyone taken a more hostile approach, things would have gone south rather quickly, and to the Leaf-nin's relief, the ordeal had been calmed in the best way possible.

"Well, now that that whole thing is over," he started, turning to glance at the others in the group he had been walking alongside. "Where should we go? Looks like the cooking competition's more or less finished."

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

Bobo, after it had played off as a performance of some kind, had garnered a bit of attention. A flashy firework dragon isn’t shaken off so easily. Bobo eyed senji briefly, it’s deep stare seemed to infer that their business wasn’t quite done. After several seconds it snapped back to the crowd. It looked toward a small girl in the crowd, approaching her.

She had a pink flower in her hair, which Bobo gestured to with his index finger. She didn’t know quite what he meant. He held out an open palm, which she then put it together. She took the flower from her hair, placing it in his hand. He took it pinching it within two fingers, showing it to the whole crowd. After he did so, he took out a small handkerchief from his sleeve, traping it over the flower. He waved his hand in front of it, before taking off the handkerchief, revealing the flower had disappeared.

This got many claps from the crowd, although the little girls seemed both enthralled and worried her flower wouldn’t come back. Bobo noticed this instantly, waving a finger in front of her. He reached behind her ear and snapped his fingers. In a quick movement, he revealed the flower right in front of her and to the crowd. They ooo’d and ahh’d, the girl excitingly grabbing the flower and putting it in her hair.

It looked like all Bobo wanted to do was entertain...or so it would seem

 

[sSoul]

Taiyo
Taiyo's little sister initally seemed to be confused and scared by the child-like figure, causing him to think about dealing with the source of Susei's discomfort. Howevver, a professional was already there to take care of things, much to both of the Akugami siblings' relief. But while Susei was just relieved, Taiyo was also impressed as he believed he had seen a use of Fire Style from the orange dragon. Also noticing Raiku and Furījia with some other people he had yet to meet.

However, after what seemed like the beginnings of some demonic possession, the weird..."child" proceeded to do some magic tricks. While Taiyo was mildly amused, Susei was enthralled by his performance. Afterwards, the cooking contest resumed as normal with one thought in the firey genin's mind.

What...just...happened..?

Tsuki (Yesterday)
The girl's crying fit was cut short when Kai stood up to add some input on all that she had told him. In truth, Tsuki was thankful that she could listen to the Yuki prince's words, sinply because she had grown tired of lamenting her situation.

“Tsuki, as ninja we risk our lives every day in our task. We know what we signed up for. You, me, and both of our parents knew this too. A Yuki ninja would never abandon the cause. In fact, they would rather die than see that happen. As hard as it is to accept and believe it, your parents had died on their mission. There is no other way to explain that.”

Hearing this inspired two emotions: sorrow and relief. The former was induced because Kai was right: she knew how the Yuki worked, there was no way that her parents would've stopped fighting unless it had been because they had met an unfourtunate end. However, a small part of Tsuki wanted them to be alive as that would allow a reunion of sorts to possibly take place. At the same time, she also felt a wave of relief wash over her fears of being abandoned by the people who were supposed to protect and care for her.

“But since they could not teach you, I will take it upon myself to teach you what being in a healthy friendship truly is. I, Kai Soda Yuki, pledge myself as your friend!”

Just like that? Is making friends really that easy?

Of course like Kai mentioned, she did have a choice in the matter. But in her eyes, it would be a foolish move to spend all those years friendless just to refuse rhe opportunity at having a genuine companion.

"Kai, I would love nothing more..." Tsuki stood up with a smile and mirrored the pose that the Yuki prince did towards her, "Seeing as you pledge your friendship to me, then I, Tsuki of the noble Yuki Clan pledge my friendship in kind!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~Today~~~~~~~~~~~~

After a fond recollection of the events of the day prior, the young Yuki decided to get ready for the day, inspired by her newfound confidant.

 

[kyuukestu]

Sagisō

The slight disturbance in the crowd had attracted Sagisō's attention, her curiosity getting the best of her. She had already finished cooking and preparing her dishes —which now rested in platters— and was already looking for further entertainment. Her eyes perked up, imagining a brawl had broken out, but they fell again when she noticed Bobo and the Jonin. Being more familiar with the people involved, she was able to read the tensity in their expressions and conclude that the performance had more to it than met the eye.

While the clown-child continued onward to pull magic tricks, Sagisō turned her attention to the surrounding crowd, easily picking out a few other familiar faces such as Amari, Furījia, Raiku, and Taiyo.

She'd been scanning the crowd from her slightly elevated position on the stage and was identifying them by hairstyles and the general shapes of her head Amari had been the most difficult to spot as the girl barely came up to shoulder height next to the others. It was as she was scanning in such a matter that she immediately noticed something next to Taiyo. Brightly colored and following the festival style, was a cute little green cap perched upon a head of black hair. It was probably some pitiful idiot who'd probably been duped by his wife or forced into public humiliation due to a lost bet. Who in their right might would ever do something as disgraceful as—wait...that was Kiro...

"Pffffft!!"

 

[Retro Master]

‘So that’s Shisui of the Body Flicker I presume.’

Unfortunately, the entertainment had been cut short by the arrival of the well known Uchiha. He had put on a children’s show as a way to calm the crowd. It seemed to work as even Raiku appeared to be too distracted to notice a small flame which landed on his shoulder. With a quiet snicker, Kiro watched as the oblivious Uchiha attempted to get the flame off.

As the performance neared its end, some chūnin and jonin appeared to applaud as the child went along with the show by playing dead. Of course, it wouldn’t be right without the host appearing at the finale. Hinagiku put on the finishing touches with a bullet of water. The clash of fire and water created showy explosion of steam over the crowd. Within moments, the crowd began to disperse as if nothing had happened. The sharingan wasn’t even required for him to understand the slickness of the Hyūga Head.

Smelling the savory aroma emanating from the direction of the cooking competition, it seemed that food was almost done. Kiro knew Sagisō had done well to prepare for the competition due to spending some time with her the day before. As for Shura, well, Shiho seemed confident in him. In any case, Kiro was no judge. He just wanted to try some good food.

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

Tsuki, has begun getting ready for her day when a noise came from her window. Ice shards were flung at the window, bouncing off, appearing to get her attention. It didn’t take a master detective to figure out it was Kai, throwing small bits of ice at the window to get her attention.

“Hey! Tsuki!” Kai exclaimed. “Are you up??”

 

[SageNeb]

Raiku heard from some people in the crowd they could go up and try some of the food prepare as samples so he did so. After he finished trying them out he concluded that Sagiso's food was better. At the end of the day it came down to the meat as both of their spices and textures were very good. He then cleaned himself up and went back to his small group of acquaintances.

"The food is pretty good. I wonder when the next part of the festival is going to start," Raiku said to Furijia, Senji and Amari. Raiku noticed more familiar people in the background and gave a quiet snicker at Kiro's green hat but didn't say anything to draw their attention.

 

[Nukas]

Amari looked at the crowd that thought that the entire thing had been some kind of street performance. The small demon was now doing tricks that were continuing to entertain the crowd, but Amari wanted to stay far away from that... thing after his little performance. She noticed Raiku had just left without saying a word, but she quickly realized this was because the competition had concluded and he went to go try the food. He came back commenting on how the food was.

"I would also like to go try the food, if you would excuse me." She walked over to where Sagisō and who she believed to be Shura if her memory served her correctly. Sagisō's dish was nice roasted venison with a yellow glaze over it whilst Shura's was a less flattering Fried venison with an assortment of dipping sauces. She did have to admit that the scent of the fried venison was intoxicating, but she would let her taste buds decide the true victor. First, she had a bite of her sister's meat. The flavors blended together beautifully, the nice feel of the venison matched with the sweet and tangy toppings of the jam and honey. The potatoes also helped bring the whole dish together. "Yizhen your dish was divine, as expected. You really should cook more often." Then Amari thought it only polite to try her competitor's dish as well.

 

[OmnipotentOnion]

Curious to see how the meals made by both competitors during the cooking match would taste, Senji also followed Amari to the competition area. From what he could deduce, the dish made by Sagisō used venison as the main ingredient, along with potatoes and different sweetening agents like honey and jam to enhance the flavor of the meat, while Shura's involved a fried venison dish. Gratefully accepting a plate from both competitors, he took a bite from both, and his eyes lit up. They were both quite delicious, but after tasting them, Senji came to the conclusion that Sagisō's dish would be the victor in the competition. The fried meat made by Shura was indeed good, but the flavor just fell short to the more complete taste of the roasted venison. "These are both really good; major props to you both," Senji remarked to Sagisō and Shura.

 

[Mystic Zander]

“What do we have here? Roasted venison, eh? Don’t mind if I do.” A familiar voice boasted to Sagiso, taking a sample plate to try for himself.
The boy in question was a tall, lean individual, who had slicked-back grey strands of hair that had been neatly combed into place, giving full view of his inviting bright blue eyes.
He was adorned in a solid black silk suit that was partially buttoned, with it’s sleeves rolled up to the elbows. Underneath the long v-neck collar resided a tight fitting violet suit shirt, providing the only splash of color to the whole outfit.

“The texture is similar to my Mother’s slow-roasted pork. Its impressive you achieved such perfect tenderness. Although I typically prefer foods with lighter flavors. This is a bit too succulent for my pallet. It is still rather impressive.” The boy gave ‘Chef Sagiso’ An honest breakdown of his thoughts on the meal, before walking across the way to Shura’s stand.

He slipped a plate of fried venison off the table, lightly working it with his fork, before taking a small bite out of the strongly scented meat.

“As with Sagiso’s, your food is just a bit too strong for my liking. The flavors are great, and the crisp exterior is a nice change, but the meat was a tad tougher, and as I said, the flavors were too intense for me. Thank you for the food.” With that, the boy stepped away, glancing back once more at Sagiso as he waded into the crowd.

“I want my rematch...” He muttered, just barely in earshot now.
Katsuo seemed quite strange today...

 

[Retro Master]

Seeing as others went to go get a sample, Kiro went to do the same. He chose to grab a plate from Shura’s side first. While he did so, there was a guy who just left that had caught his attention. Putting a piece of the fried venison into his mouth with a fork, Kiro glanced subtly once more at the grey haired boy who had walked away into the crowd. Then Kiro looked over at Sagisō on the other side of the area before taking the fork out of his mouth as if he had a sudden realization.

‘Katsuo was it?’

Kiro had seen that same face way back in the exams before his match with Hashima. The guy had introduced himself to both Sagisō and him. Plus if he remembered correctly, that had been the opponent Sagisō had forfeited against. Of course, he hadn’t seen the battle but clearly it had been a good one. As he finished chewing on the venison, Kiro shared a look of slight intrigue with the cook himself.

“Things just got interesting real quick Shura...”

With a pause and a quick look at the trash can, Kiro randomly chose one of the dipping sauces that was available.

“Don’t know if I could say the same about this food yet though.“

Stepping aside to give others a chance to try the samples, Kiro attempted to try fried venison with the sauce. The meat itself wasn’t bad. It looked nicely fried and had a good crispiness. However, the flavor itself struck him as odd. Particularly the bitterness to it and the sauce didn’t necessarily help. However, that didn’t mean Shura had lost yet. After Kiro attempted to finish the fried venison, he’d head over to Sagisō next. He might’ve just saved the potential best course for last.

 

[sSoul]

Taiyo
Seeing that other people could evaluate either Sagisō's or Shura's dish, the Akugami siblings thought it best to do the same. With this in mind, the siblings made their way over to the latter's first since it was closer. Once both siblings had taken their sample of the fried venison, they turned their attention to the dipping sauces. There were two of likely differing flavors, necessitating that a choice be made between the two.

"So Susei, which sauce do you want to dip your sample in?" Taiyo asked his little sister this question so he could select the sauce that she didn't choose. Such is the burden of an older sibling.

"That one," Susei pointed to the sweet sauce, even though she had no idea that it was sweet at the time.This statement was soon remidied as the little girl tasted the sauce-dipped meat.

"Yummy!"

Sadly, Taiyo was unable to experience the same pleasure that Susei did. As soon as he bit into the meat now contaminated by the bitter sauce, his gag reflex kicked in.

"Eugh!" Even though the leaf-nin was repulsed by what he had just ingested, he still ate it all as to not appear rude to Shura.

"Sorry, I should've curbed my reaction," Embarrassed, Taiyo grabbed his sister and went over to try Sagiso's dish.

I think maybe if I had chosen the sweet sauce then I would've liked it more.

Well Susei liked it, maybe Im onto something...

 

[kyuukestu]

Furījia

Her first official outing had turned into...whatever this was...

An ill omen...Regardless, as everyone else seemed to put the incident behind her, Furījia did the same. Their attention seemed to be occupied by the results of the cooking competition and the sample dishes which had been put on display. Trotting over to the stage, Furījia observed the two dishes and then decided to start with Shura's. She picked up a fork, inverting it slightly as she pressed down onto the tender meat. It's hard, crispy exterior held briefly before the fork crunched through its skin and sunk right in. She shore off the slab of meat with a knife; lifting the thin slice over to the first dipping sauce that'd been provided for her. She dabbed carefully, just wetting the flour-based skin which greedily soaked up the dipping sauce, tinting the tender meat a vague brown.

'Juicy.' She deduced. Furījia carried the meat to her eager lips, the tender pink skin already moist with anticipation. In the meat went, her teeth tearing through it with a satisfying crunch. The fried venison fell on her tongue; the greasy, moist, succulent, goodness she'd expected woefully betraying her as her tastebuds were instead introduced to a coffee-like bitterness.

Furījia's face immediately twisted with disgust, she hated bitter food! Almost on instinct, she prepared to spit it out. However, a quick reminder of her job kept the meat firmly on her tongue. Since she was supposed to be representing the clan she would, of course, need to be unbiased. Flattening her expression, she reluctantly chewed the meat and swallowed. The smile on her face was strained, but it was a smile nonetheless. She looked to the second sauce Shura had prepared, her stomach already churning from the expected repulsive taste.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. 'Do it for the Clan...'

Her hand moved somewhat shakily over to the second purple sauce, dipping a new slab of meat into the surprisingly thick mixture that would be better described as a jam. Once again, the meat voraciously absorbed what it could from the sauce and Furījia —wanting to get this done with as soon as possible— quickly slipped the cut into her mouth. The disgusting, putrid bitterness she'd expected...was nowhere to be tasted! The sweetness of the berry jam was a pleasant surprise, washing over her tongue as it scrubbed her tastebuds clean of the earlier sauces bitterness.

Chewing with gusto, the girl savored the sugary meat for as long as she could, almost reluctant to swallow. When she'd finally gulped the dish down, a satisfied smile hung on her lips. She brought a napkin to her mouth, gracefully patting away all the grease or crumbs that could've been left on her lips.

"Shura-nii —*cough*— I meant, Contestant Shura. It was a well-created dish, and um...I really liked it, but maybe you could do without the brown sauce. yes?"

Giving her own thoughts on the dish, she moved over to her sister's table hoping for a similar, if not better, experience.

 

[Grand Master Koop]

Standing behind the counter where samples of his dish were being handed out, Shura looked over at the crowd of people. From what he has noticed, less than desirable reactions are popping up from his dish, specifically in relation to his bitter brown sauce. "Hmm, maybe I should have done something or just announced what the intended order to eat this dish is." He mumbled to himself. That was when a man dressed in way too formal clothes showed up and sampled both dishes, though he didn't use either of the sauce from his dish. He also noticed him mention Sagiso by name. "Someone you know?" He asked casually.

With a couple more look of repulsion as well as Kiro's look after trying the brown sauce while skipping the other one and Furijia's comment, Shura thought he should speak up. "Alright, its clear I should have said something earlier or at least done something to make this apparent. To get the full effect of this dish you're supposed to eat it with the bitter sauce first then follow up with the sweet berry sauce. That way the experience of this second sauce would be enhanced." He explained.

 

[Godjacob]

Azumi had not been foreign to Reaver's condition as she none the less pored the vile of medication down his throat now that he had opened his mouth. He seemed to twitch a bit as he revealed his facial features, both she presumed out of his own blown pride for his state and the alignments themselves. Irregardless Azumi finished what she needed to do as she capped the bottle and placed it inside her supply bag.

"The medicen should work to down the pain and help stabilize you. Though naturally you will need proper examination & treatment from a medical-nin once we return to Ame." Azumi explained before she had turned to Baiyan who also seemed up. How long she had been awake Azumi had no way to know but that mattered not as she turned to the blind kunoichi.

"Do you believe he can make the journey home? Based on what you have heard." Azumi asked, as she considered her options. If Reaver had the strength to move they'd hurry the pace to get to Ame. If Reaver required some assistance to move their, she'd make a clone to help carry him there, if he had been in critical condition then she'd have to consider moving to the next town to rest & recover. Maybe she'd try to find a medic to treat him if her own supply kit proved inefficient.

One thing that had not been on the table was to abandon him. In spite of her personal feelings & Reaver's history, so long as he remained true to this cause and to Ame

----------
"If you encounter the same issues with more than one woman, the issue lies with you more so than them~" Hisao said with a teasing tone before she moved to answer his pressing question.

"Well, first and foremost, we'll have to consider that you are not a danger to the populace before we can consider leeway here. You did manage to injure a nurse who helped save your life not a day ago. So for now it is a wait and see basis run to see if you can manage to be a good boy for a bit before any "luxuries" are provided." Hisao explained to the Oto-nin as his actions, even if one ignored the reported war crime of the hospital massacre during the invasion, made his situation a touch different than the other Oto-nin under the "care" of the Hyuga.

----------
"Well, that is the thing I...am not so sure to be blunt. After the hospital scene where the nurse got injured I presume a decision on what will be done with him will be made once he's been put in a place where he can't injure others or himself..." Sakura admitted with a shrug, as she had not spoken to her sensei about this. Not that she had been sure her sensei would reveal such information to her in any event.

Knock knock knock.

The sounds of a door being knocked broke Sakura's concentration as it seemed someone was at the door. Sakura moved downstairs as she excused herself from Kou to go check out the peephole, as she saw a familiar blonde on the other side as she opened up and Ino came to hug her friend and vice versa.

"Hey Sakura. Just came to check in case you had not already gone to the festival yet. Say is that kid uh....Koo? Here?" Ino asked.

"Kou. And yeah he is upstairs. I presume this is because of your offer the other day?" Sakura asked as Ino had given a nod in kind. "You owe me by the way, but I wanted to go to the festival anyway so figured this killed two birds with one stone."

----------
With the situation seemingly cleared, Akihiko had no reason to pursue fighting the odd performer as he reserved his energy for what had been the more urgent priority.

Those sweet, sweet samples!

Akihiko moved to get a piece of each one from all the contenders as he'd take full advantage of this and began to wolf down enjoying himself. In truth he had no way to know which dish was the best, from his experienced taste he figured each one had their own strengths and weaknesses that reflected into the meals. Clearly he needed a series of seconds from the samples if he had any chance to offer a fair fan critique.

Once the noise had faded, Zino and Tayuya arrived on the seen and saw the "street performer" who had caused a stir that seemed to be performing tricks. Tayuya naturally was a bit puzzled as Zino pretended to brush his hair while he subtly activated the Byakugan as with his hand that covered half his face Tayuya would in theory have had just missed noticing the odd veins that only covered one half his face as he scanned the performer. Only to frown a bit.

What....I can't get a clear reading on him. What is this?

 

[kyuukestu]

Baiyan

"I'm no doctor but...I do happen to know one."

Assessing the situation, the Nadeshiko kunoichi estimated that if team Azumi was heading towards Amegakure now, it would be easy to charter a path that crossed trajectory with the northern-bound group of Nadeshiko coming from the Land of Rivers. She knew that a medical kunoichi belonged to that group and at the very least, she would be able to stabilize Reaver for the rest of the journey.

After relaying the details to Azumi, the sword star awaited a decision.

Furījia

Looking at Sagisō's dish, the meat was roasted as opposed to fried and it had what appeared to be a gold glaze covering it. Once again, the Hyūga heiress prepared her fork. She pushed the eating utensil into the roasted meat, watching as the glaze parted like soft butter and the meat easily gave way to the force of the fork. It's very tender. She noted how pliant the meat was, containing only the firmness characteristic of game meat. She sliced off a piece with her knife, and the fragrance of the roast really began to show.

Due to the earlier animal fats Sagisō had inserted into her meat, most of the flavor and fragrance was sealed inside the meat itself, with the golden glaze also acting as a preservant that perfectly contained all the dish's richness. Now that the meat had been sliced open, the fragrance of roasted chicken and pork, which had been slumbering deep within the meat, was fully released.

Furījia lifted the thin-cut to her mouth, the tantalizing smell tickling her tastebuds. Without a moment's hesitation, she bit off a mouthful. As the warm, tender meat hit her tongue, the honey-bee-based glaze immediately began to melt on her palette. Even before touching the meat itself, her tongue bathed in the sweetness of honey.

She chewed slowly, savoring the rich flavor of the venison, much more flavorful than she'd expected, as the earlier sweetness of the glaze was balanced out by the rich-succulence of the meat and the zesty tang of citrus. The flavor seemed neverending, no matter how much she chewed and chewed, there always seemed to be just a bit more flavor left in the meat. Although there were no sauces to accompany Sagisō's dish, that was alright, as it seemed to have all the flavor it needed contained within.

Pleased with the unexpected sweetness of the dish, Furījia quickly polished off the rest of her dish, taking particular delight in the juniper jam that gave the meal an extra note of sweetness. That being said, the girl had left her potatoes completely untouched...after all, she really didn't like vegetables and potatoes were no exception to that.

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

“Ith not like I’m-“

Reaver caught himself speaking without his mask in a lisp. So he snatched the mask back up from the ground, attaching it. The orange fluid rushed back as Reaver snarled deeply.

“IM NOT DEAD, YOU FOOLS!”

Reaver’s despite trembling, stood up, his rise slow but steady. He balled his fists and pounded one on his chest.

“I need no doctor! No one knows my condition as I! I need to arrive back in the village of the rain! I’LL HAVE NO DOCTOR LAY A CLAW ON-“

He was interrupted by a coughing fit, wavering for a few seconds. After it resolved he made a low groan, glaring back two his two allies so his point was clear.



.....


Zaku rolled his eyes. “Or your all just whackjobs that throw yourselves at the closest man In sight by attackin’ ‘em.”

Zaku was getting tired of this interaction, nor was he thrilled with the idea of being a prisoner. He arched a brow, clicking something of importance. He looked to her, his finger pointing up.

“You know, you seem to be well versed in this. Couldn’t help but notice someone on our last mission around these parts was missing. So tell me...”

He glared at his captor with an air of confidence. He had a smile despite this glare, as if he was proud of himself for figuring it out.

“Where’s Tayuya?”



.........


As Sakura explained Zaku’s probable situation to the young boy, Kou felt a growing feeling of worry crawl along his back. He knew this feeling. One that he felt many times on the streets. The feeling that something was not going to happen. Like getting food for the day or help.

“Wha...why would they-“

As there was a knock on the door, Sakura excuses herself, leaving Kou with his thoughts. The last thing he had seen from Zaku was him being forcefully subdued on a bed...they could be doing horrible experiments on him and we would have no idea that they would be doing that. His nerves began to act up, his brother noticed this and put a hand on his knee.

“I don’t know Skree...” Kou spoke somberly. “That’s just it. I don’t know...”

 

[Nukas]

Amari was growing more uncomfortable as more people wanted to try the dishes on display, so she decided to try Shura's dish and get away from the competition. The Hyuga boy had just announced how you were intended to eat the dish, which was poor planning on his part as you should not have to explain to someone how to enjoy the dish properly, it should be immediately apparent from the presentation. Still, she decided to try the dish as intended.

She dipped the fragrant fried venison first into the bitter brown sauce. While the taste was not awful, it did not have that same delectable and savory taste of the roast venison she had just a moment before. The bitterness of the sauce was very apparent, and while the flavors were not an awful blend, it simply was not the most appetizing for the palate. She then dipped the venison into the purple" sauce" that was really more of a berry jam. The taste did not disappoint. The sweetness paired with the fried flavor she absolutely loved in meat made an explosion of flavor in Amari's mouth, which really stood out after the bitterness of the first sauce, which was most likely what he had intended. The dish might have been even more appealing to Amari's palate then Sagisō's overall, but she tried not to let that show.

"Shura, was it? Your dish was ok, I wouldn't really say it was anything special though."

 

[kyuukestu]

Sagisō

"Maybe I will Shaqing, Maybe I will..."

Her pride could be measured from the curve of her lips, her contentment heard in the pleased purring of her voice.

Spoiler: Bleep

For a brief moment, she glanced over at Kiro; remembering yesterday's conversation, she smiled faintly. Despite certain issues that would await her, the return to Nadeshiko wasn't something she could avoid forever. In fact, avoiding it was distinctly against her own philosophy. She realized that now.

"I'll be heading back home, to Nadeshiko, after this."

She spoke softly, mostly for Amari's ears. However, while the girl had been focused on the conversation with her sister and oddly familiar voice had made its way onto the stage. The Nadeshiko kunoichi reacted immediately, almost excitedly, as Katsuo revealed himself. For several moments he was the only person, nay, the only thing, that captured her interest. It was only after he began disappearing into the crowd, his last line lingering in her ear, that she finally came to.

"...yeah."

She responded to Shura quietly. With a quick flick of her wrist, one of her wrist warmers appeared within her hand from within her storage seals. In particular, it was the wrist warmer decorated with the thistle of hydrangeas. She rolled her shoulder a bit, sending the wrist warmer flying in Katsuo's direction, adding a soft line of dialogue.

"This...is yours now...don't regret it when you lose..."

She stood for a moment and then nodded to herself, satisfied with her choice. She had one more such choice to make, and her eyes briefly flickered over to the Uchiha in the crowd...perhaps. The Orchid held much more meaning than the Hydrangea, a much deeper meaning, a more complex meaning...it would not be so easily gifted. Though...these were thoughts for another day.

 

[Retro Master]

‘So it’s supposed to taste like shit first to make something average taste better?’

Those were his thoughts on the plan Shura revealed to him. After trying the berry jam for the fried venison, Kiro had to admit it made a slight difference. It paired better with the meat than the bitter sauce at least and helped him finish the rest of the sample. Once Kiro was done, he blotted his lips with a napkin to clear them of any possible stains before walking over to the other competitor.

The short girl was wearing some sort of red sleeveless dress that barely made it down to her knees. A red shawl covered her shoulders with some white fluff on the edges. Like himself, Sagisō also had a few white cotton balls hanging off the front. There was also a downed hood on the back that left her inky black hair uncovered. From her legs down were red and white striped stockings that covered for the noticeable lack of pants. Not that Sagisō needed pants anyways. Other than the over abundance of red, she looked interesting to say the least.

“Hey. Nice clothes.”

Along with a brief moment of eye contact, Kiro gave a casual greeting to Sagisō and a short comment on her choice of clothing as he arrived at the stand. His focus, of course, had been diverted to the other exquisite looking meal. On the plate was a mouthwatering piece of roasted venison with potatoes on the side. Looking closely at the meat, there appeared to be some sort of glaze coating it. He grabbed an unused utensil and prepared to see what the substance was all about. Though Kiro was a bit skeptical, he still had high hopes. His expectations shouldn’t be too hard to meet considering the last meal.

“Just came over from Shura and didn’t really have the best experience. Unless you’re into very bitter stuff, don’t take the brown sauce if you try his dish. Makes me wonder if he ever tried it with his food before. Have you even eaten anything yet?”

Kiro questioned with a tinge of curiosity in his voice as he easily cut into the tender piece of honeyed venison, freeing a savory, nectarous aroma from its entrapment in the meat. He could taste the luscious flavor just through the overflowing scent alone. One could only imagine how it tasted. Luckily, he had the opportunity to find out.

 

[kyuukestu]

Sagisō

"Oh? You like it?"

With a delicate movement, Sagisō brushed a few strands of hair out of her face and behind her ear. It seemed to be a thoughtless movement, but in truth, she was just showing off the delicately carved candy cane earrings she was wearing...just in case the Uchiha had missed them. Smiling with a sweetness that rivaled the honey-glazed dish she'd prepared, she then answered Kiro's follow-up question.

"No, I actually skipped breakfast. There was something I needed to pick up in town. I suppose I'll grab a bite right now."

Putting her words in action, Sagisō sashayed over to Shura's station, carefully observing the layout of the dish he'd prepared. She took a whiff of the fried venison, as well as the sauces, forming a few judgments before she'd even tasted the meal. Very lightly, she furrowed her brow.

"Cocoa beans?"

The distinct sense of Cocoa warted from the dish of brown sauce. The furrow on Sagisō's brow became deeper. She wasn't sure what type of cocoa beans Shura had used, as they could've ranged from tasteless and slightly chocolatey, to extremely bitter. Either way...

"I'll pass on this sauce, I don't like chocolate."

Skipping over the brown sauce, Sagisō went straight to the berried garnish Shura had mixed which had a rather jammy consistency. She scooped up a little of the jam, slathering it lightly over a piece of fried venison. Then, without skipping a beat, she unhurriedly consumed her share of food. She finished off by re-equipping her red gloves, which she'd removed to keep them clean and grease-free.

"Don't you think the beans would've been better crushed and then mixed into the flour? I think it would've worked out better, and at the same time would've retained the crunchiness of the fried exterior."'

It went without saying that if one soaked the fried venison in a sauce that was too liquid, the fried skin would absorb the sauce, loosing its crunchy texture in the process. However, with Sagisō's suggestion, the cocoa beans could've been added straight to the fried venison itself, creating somewhat of a fried, chocolatey, skin... 'Ewww.'

Her own distaste for chocolate aside, it was perhaps an idea worth looking into.

 

[sSoul]

Tsuki
The girl couldnt help but chuckle at seeing Kai throw ice shards at her window. Initially, she had assumed that it wouldn't be in character for the Yuki prince to be doing these things, but it seems that she was mistaken. She opened her window to give Kai a response for his troubles.

"I'll be down shortly~" After she closed her window, she descended down the staircase at a rate faster than she usually did. In no time, she was at ground level to greet the resident ice thrower.

"So, what will we do today?"
Taiyo
The Akugami siblings seemed to be on course for Sagiso's dish, but instead, they diverted and ended up as neutral bystanders.

"Big Bro, don't you wanna try the other meal?

Susei tugged at her brother's sleeve in order to get his attention, an effort that was rewarded by his response.

"Initially maybe...but after Furījia had eevaluated her meal way better than I ever could, I feel like it'd just be a waste of time,"

Taiyo sounded thoughtful as he mused his reasoning to the little girl. This prompted Susei to think on her own before announcing to her brother something.

"I'm gonna vote for the first meal!"

Ok...I believe my life would've been unaffected if she hadn't told me that.

Well you know nine year olds, they say whatever comes to thier mind.

After shrugging, Taiyo decided that he wouldn't place a vote if there even was an option for the festival. This was simply because he wasnt going to try Sagiso's meal, plus his appetite was gently murdered by improperly eating Shura's dish.

 

[Retro Master]

All it took was one bite for Kiro to be completely enamored of the roasted venison. First, his tongue was hit with a tang of honey so sweet that it could compete with the captivating smile Sagisō briefly had on display. However, there was no time to even relish that particular taste as it was soon overtaken by the piquancy of the meat. It was tender, juicy, and the delectable flavor seemed to be everlasting. No matter how much he chewed, the meat continued to remain just as scrumptious.

As Kiro continued to eat, he had also taken note of the candy cane earrings that were no longer hidden by her hair. They matched almost perfectly with the clothes Sagisō wore. However, instead of complimenting her selection once more, he just let his short, attentive gaze towards the earrings speak for itself.

After Sagisō answered his question, he watched as she sashayed over to Shura’s to try his dish. Looking at the Heavenly Skillful Star from behind, Kiro almost choked on his food as he finally got a better view of some new features she seemed to have grown overnight. Kiro found it hard to believe he hadn’t noticed the change sooner as she had subtly revealed it to him just a moment ago.

‘When did those get so large?’

He was referring to her pointy ears of course. It was slightly amusing to see her waddle around with those oversized ears. Fortunately, Kiro was able to suppress his mirth to just a barely visible grin. They were more like elf ears, which Kiro wouldn’t be surprised if that’s what she was going for. Once he finished the last piece of venison on his plate, Kiro chose to question her on it.

“So are those ears real or fake, Sagisō? Also your roasted venison was pretty good and I think I’m gonna take another piece...”

Though the question might’ve been worded a bit bluntly, his tone was one of genuine interest as he spoke up enough for her to hear. That last part also ended up being gradually lowered into a mumble as Kiro just reached for another plate without much hesitation. There really wasn’t anyone stopping him from doing so and he doubted Sagisō would have a problem. If she did, well, Kiro was certain he’d be able to convince her. In any case, Kiro prepared to dig into the second venison while awaiting her response.

 

[Nukas]

Amari listened as her sister had said she was coming home after the festival. Amari had no reason to stay in Konoha after her sister left, so she thought she would follow suit. She wondered why sagiso had said it in a low voice to where only she had heard and thought it best to not respond to loudly "I was actually thinking of heading home myself, so I might just join you on your way back. Konoha was fun, but the crowds are far too big for my liking."

Amari was going to say more, but was caught off guard by Sagiso flinging her wrist warmer to a passing nin with a soft message that Amari was perplexed by. She didn't know exactly what had happened between the two, but it was clear that she had some interest in the boy. Amari decided it was time for her to leave to clear her head a bit. Besides Sagiso was now engaged in conversation with Kiro so she thought it best to leave her be. Amari pushed her way back over to Raiku who seemed to have been waiting on her and Senji to finish. "Ok I'm done with this place. Too many people are coming to try the food now. Anything interesting to see in Konoha while I'm here? I think we have a little bit of time before the next event of the festival."

 

[Grand Master Koop]

Shura had been idling around behid her dish minding his own buisness until he saw Sagiso had stepped up to try his food. He noticed that the girl identified what was the main ingredient of his brown sauce. "Indeed, cocoa beans match quite well with venison. I made it into a sauce to highlight this fact. Cocoa beans are also used to make chocolate so that a bonus." She explained in a neutral voice.

Shura's demeanor seems to have suddenly change as he froze after hearing Sagiso express her opinion about chocolate. "Did I hear her correctly right now?" This thought ran through his head before he decided to speak up. "You don't like chocolate? Did I hear that correctly The creamy, thick, enticing aroma that serves to deliver the silky texture of this molten candy, like the stars of the milky way swirling in a harmony of flavor, a balance of sweet and bitter, entranced and captured within this vessel we call chocolate. You say you don't like this magnificent candy?" Despite his voice still sounding calm, there was a clear fiery tone to it now as Shura seemed way too into the topic.

Shaking his head, Shura ran a hand through his hair as he sighed. "I really don't understand how some people think." He said quietly before looking back towards Sagiso. Hearing Sagiso's suggestion, the Hyuga runned his chin and pondered the idea for a moment. "Thta's not a bad idea, I could make use of that." He mumbled.

Looking back up towards Sagiso, Shura was now able to easily notice her earings now that her hair was out of the way. He wasn't one who tipically wore accessories but he has been told he was good at reconizing and appreciating them. "Nice earings."

 

[Godjacob]

Tayuya saw that the food competition had reached its last stages, so she knew based on that panflet that the odd Hyuga next to her had obtained that the concert had been next. Tayuya sighed in defeat as she made her way over to the concert stage so she resigned herself to her fate.

Never did anything but a private solo or melody of death. This will be interesting, shitty but...interesting.

Zino in turn had shut off his Byakugan and thankfully Tayuya never questioned him covering half his face as he decided to go and try out one of the sampled snacks. He moved over by Shura's booth as the Hyuga-Uchiha hybrid moved by where the servings had been as he glanced at the chef himself.

"So, got any samples left?" Zino asked Shura.

In turn, another familiar figured entered the seen. Takato had decided to pay the festival a visit, as he figured his dad would likely have scolded him if he had skipped out on it. Though he had not come along as he carried his newfound kitten Mittens in hand as the letter for his festive "gift" had additionally clarified it was an outdoor cat so some fresh air had been suggested.

Though his focus had mostly been on casual glances around as he kept the kitten in hand, the cooking competition drew his eye or rather who had been involved with it as he walked by Sagiso's booth.

"So....when did you become a chef?" Takato asked in deadpan as Mittens eyed Sagiso and let out a lone meow.

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It had not been long before Sakura and Ino made their way up the stairs as the entered Kou's room. Ino had been naturally...squeamish, around rodents like Kou's "brother" which caused her eyes to dart to it before she shook her head and focused on the kid himself.

"So...still desire to go to that festival?"

----------
"Hard to say, the other Oto guest had not been placed under my care and rumor word changes so often it is hard to say where she might be." Hisao said with a casual shrug as she had a light smirk on her face. Seemed that info about the Oto Kunoichi proved to be impossible to press out of her, but that mattered not for now as she let out a whistle and moments later a swarm of figures entered the room.

The figures in question had been two other kunoichi of the Inuzuka, the Jonin Tsume and her daughter the Chunin Hana. Both had been accompanied by their various ninja dog companions as Tsume had a somewhat serious expression on her face while Hana seemed to be a bit more jovial as she flashed a cheeky smirk to the Oto prisoner as she stroked the back of her fluffy but deadly partner.

"Well, I need to head off. Have some important matters to get to and running a bit late. Keep an eye on him, make sure he he feels right at home and of course if he causes any trouble handle it with whatever transgression you deem reasonable." Hisao said, as it seemed she had confidence that these two had whatever it means to keep Zaku in line in case he tried another chaotic stunt. Had they been given access to the same seal?

Whatever it had been, Hisao left with her own companion as the two Inuzuka women glanced Zaku's way as their ninja dogs eyed him curiously as Tsume seemed in thought over something.

"Well, we are having some food made in the dining hall. Interested?"

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It had not taken long for other clan heads to "accept" Hina's invitation as before long the Aburame, Akimichi, Nara & Yamanaka heads had made their arrives to the area.

"Apologies for the day Lady Hyuga. I can't speak for everyone but I had some uh...arrangements to cover." Inoichi said as the curious barrier "bust" seemed to have been a red flag. Though caution remained the wisest policy in case anything else happened as the clan heads all had taken their seats.

"Seems Lady Inuzuka is absent." Masa said though her tone had been usual monotone though it seemed as soon as she had said that something had been heard scaling the walls.

With a leap, Hisako and her wolf companion landed by the group as she waved to everyone present. "Sup. Gotta say you sure pick a secluded area for a get together. Shy type?" Hisao said with a tease though she had likely known or suspected the reasons Hina had for this being the dining & observation area among the clan heads as she moved to take her seat.