[attr="class","bolo-body] Tsukiya had decided. Otogakure was the worst hidden village. Point number one: everything was underground. It was cold, damp, and dark. It made his eyes itchy. Point number two: no fish skewers. POINT NUMBER THREE: NO FISH SKEWERS. [break][break] "This sucks," the Hyūga complained, rubbing his eyes, "I shouldn't have let my platoon drag me here. . ." [break][break] He was currently alone as he sat uncomfortably in one of the restaurants in Oto. Looked like there weren't many customers around too. The reason for his current predicament was entirely on one of his fellow genin. Getting beaten that badly by some foreign chūnin? Fei-zǒng was on his way to speak to the Hokage about that. [break][break] He picked at his meal, his eyes noting the sorry state of the food. He had a bite already. Gamey meat. Ugh, a solider pill would have been better. [break][break] Still though. This was as close as he had ever gotten to his ancestral homeland of Konoha. He could already hear his mother's voice in his head, screaming bloody vengeance on the Empire and the Hidden Sound for usurping the title of Hokage. Whatever. He couldn't care less.
A brief intermission in her schedule left her wandering Otogakure once more, with little to do. Never was she one for tourism, as it was always a matter of getting to a place, doing her job, and getting home. So, this free time of waiting for something to happen was strange to say the least. Especially with the drastically different environment - underground and dry - she was having quite the time adjusting…[break][break]
And to this day, picking a place to eat was still definitely not her strong suit. She’d been waffling over the decision for far too long, considering radioing Daichi about it, before the embarrassment over the idea had her simply enter the first place she saw that smelt of warm food.[break][break]
Was this the kind of place you just sat yourself? Did she need to wait for a host to guide her to a seat? The confusion left her awkwardly standing there for a moment, unaware of her presence close to a boy slightly older than herself picking at his food. Should she ask him?[break][break]
The shame of this whole debacle left her silent, though. Despite her silence, the Hyuga boy may find it hard to miss a pair of familiar white eyes desperately glancing his way, as well as literally anyone else’s way, in search of an answer to this rather embarrassing conundrum.
[attr="class","bolo-body] A wise sage once wrote that the eyes were the windows to one's soul. Tsukiya didn't really believe in spiritual bullshit like that. To Tsukiya, The Rikudō Sennin was just something shinobi mothers told their children to explain how chakra worked. It wasn't like 2 year olds could understand the meta-physical concepts of space-time jutsu. The answer to how it was all possible was "The Rikudō Sennin". His mother had explained once to him that the Hyūga descended from the moon. There bloodline was directly blessed by the Sage of the Six Paths. That's why their eyes looked the way they did. That's why the Hyūga were--blah blah blah. Right--and you could catch wind with a net. Shinobi on the moon? Hilarious. [break][break] Tsukiya wondered if he should've responded at all. Those eyes though. . . They were the same as his. They were unmistakably a Hyūga. [break][break] Yuck. [break][break] Of all the gin joints in the world, right? Regardless, he wasn't going to outright ignore her here. Now THAT was just rude. So Tsukiya pointed behind her, clearly trying to make eye contact with the person behind her. He looked back at the girl as if to direct her gaze. See, a host was usually situated behind the front desk anyway. In most tacky restaurants, like the one they were in, that was how it usually worked. She should have known that. [break][break] Except this time there was no front desk. There was no host. And that wasn't how this restaurant worked. [break][break] "Just kidding Hyūga-san," he said chuckling to himself, "you just sit down wherever you like."
In the midst of her thinking, it hadn’t really dawned on her at first the sort of eyes she had made contact with. A pair much like her own, lost briefly in her thoughts as she looked for maybe a seat, or a host? However, those eyes caught her attention again when he began to move. He pointed, and Aiko turned slightly to look in the way he was motioning towards. [break][break]
However, there was no one there and it confused her a step further. Was there supposed to be something there? She swept some of her hair back from her face, turning just as he began to chuckle and confess to a joke. A joke that left her a tick embarrassed, judging by the faint pink to her cheeks as she turned around. However, she was also relieved by the fact she wasn’t going to have to interact with someone else after standing there like a fool.[break][break]
Finally, it would seem her predicament took a back seat, and she could really get a good look at the person who had helped her. Eyes like her own, making her brow quirk in brief recognition. Her face had maintained a sense of neutrality - despite her previous ‘help me’ gaze, so the quirk clearly broke a normally unmoving expression. It seemed the moment she made proper eye contact with him, a little switch of recognition flicked on in her head.[break][break]
“Oh, uh, thank you” she replied, moving from the entryway a step as if to go claim her own table. A sense of curiosity had her stop again though, lingering beside the young man’s table. “. . . My apologies, I wasn’t aware of a Hyuga family being in Otogakure, or are you from another country?” she inquired, staying standing so as to move along promptly if he clearly had no interest in talking to her. [break][break]
Normally she was one to not bother a stranger, but this was a matter she couldn’t ignore.
[attr="class","bolo-body] Tsukiya blinked twice. Recognition flashed quickly in his eyes. She was one of those Hyūgas wasn't she? He could tell by the way she stood and spoke. She was trained--probably beaten until she learned to walk and talk the way she did; the way they did. He knew exactly what that kind of life was about. He hated it. The teen couldn't even shake some of the habits his mother had instilled in him, which included the way he spoke. [break][break] Tsukiya shook his head, both to answer her question and to clear his head of some rather irritating memories. [break][break] "I haven't seen anyone that resembles a Hyūga here," he said, as he stood, gesturing for the girl to take a seat, "which is quite surprising to be honest, because any Hyūga worth their Byakugan would kill for the tea here." [break][break] He had a pained expression on his face as he over-exaggerated the confusion and hurt that such a revelation would bring. Cracking jokes at the expense of his twice-damned prideful clan always seemed to brighten his day. [break][break] "It's as you guessed Hyūga-san," he said, as he broke character, "I was raised in Kiri, but as you can tell, my family isn't originally from there."
Ah, so he wasn’t local. Aiko nodded at the answer, considering leaving it there, until he motioned for her to sit. The invitation was met with hesitation at first, but she moved closer as he spoke. His joke baffling her, his demeanor leaving her with more questions to ask as she came to a stop beside the empty chair across from him. [break][break]
“I see, that makes more sense” she softly noted, the map of the world passing through her mind. When it became clear he was truly inviting her to sit with him, she gave a proper grateful bow of her head and sat. “Sorry if I’m interrupting your meal, by the way. I can leave you be, it’s just I haven't had a chance to meet Hyūga members not from Ame, before” she explained, seated upright, proper posture and all.[break][break]
“My name is Aiko, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” Voice soft, as if to not disrupt the atmosphere, gaze direct to show he had her attention, and all signs of a young lady raised to be poised at all times. It wasn’t hard to miss he was right in her upbringing, trained to be just as they all once were. Representatives of the Hyuga family, a clan now scattered across the world as many of them were.
[attr="class","bolo-body] "Ah, but I should be thanking you," he corrected as he took his seat, "You have saved this Hyūga from dying of boredom. The pleasure is all mine." [break][break] He looked at his plate as he sunk into his chair. He lost his appetite instantly. What the hell was taking Fei-zǒng so long anyway? Twenty minutes tops, he had said. It had been two hours. Regardless, this was a pretty welcome reprieve for the male Hyūga, even if he was interacting with a foreign shinobi. [break][break] "I can't say I've met anyone from Amegakure either," he continued, "this is quite the serendipitous encounter, don't you think Aiko-san?" [break][break] Tsukiya smiled softly as he relaxed deeper into his seat. His shoulders slumped as he rested his head on his right hand. His gaze didn't waver at the attention she was giving him. His eyes were almost squinting, as if somebody had told him a joke he was dying to tell somebody else but couldn't. Their stances couldn't be more different, yet conveyed the same exact thing.
To see someone so similar, yet different, was a little jarring to say the least. The way he spoke had hints of something she recognized, but his demeanor was far more relaxed. The nonchalance of his tone was something contrasting to the formality her father expected at all times. As the man across from her openly displayed his amusement, there was only the glimmer of her budding curiosity in her eyes. [break][break]
“Yes. The odds were very slim, but I often find the world is much smaller than I originally thought” she replied, entertaining his quip with one of her own. A brief slip caught her attention. “I don’t think I caught your name, Hyuga-san.” As she waited for it, Aiko debated where to start with the many thoughts buzzing in her mind.[break][break]
What kind of family did other Hyugas create, now that the main house was long gone? she wondered. Or did they live in the shadows of a construct long since dead like her? It felt rude to ask such things of a stranger, though.[break][break]
“I assume you are here in Otogakure response to the Hokage’s request, as well?” Her head turned then, looking towards the menu board to get an idea of what to order when the time came to do so. Some of the local cuisines left her puzzled, but luckily it seemed rice was forever a national dish she could reliably count on.
[attr="class","bolo-body] Tsukiya quirked a brow upwards. She had caught that huh? He was impressed, the look in his eyes made no secret about it. He found that as a shinobi, it was best to keep a low profile. Referring to people by their name often during the beginning of an acquaintanceship lead to better memory association. The connection between person and name would form, and information would then travel from their short-term memory to their long-term memory at a faster and much smoother rate. In this business, Tsukiya made it a point to be forgotten. A shinobi that operated in the shadows was far more dangerous than a shinobi that operated publicly after all. [break][break] "Tsukiya Hyūga at your service Aiko-san," he said as he straightened himself out. The hand he had leaned on pointed to the unfinished meal he had pushed aside. "And I don't recommend the rabbit. . ." he advised, in a near whisper. [break][break] He observed the curiosity in his distant cousin's eyes. She had questions, that much he could tell. Questions that she refused to voice for some reason or the other. Why would a stranger engage with another stranger if it wasn't for curiosity in the first place? The Hyūga male saw no reason for the other to hold back. [break][break] "You assume correctly," he continued, "but I'm here to serve as back-up for my platoon more than anything else, really. I don't really care for Hokage at all, or this village. Haha ue would have my tongue for that. She despises Otogakure and everything in it. She'd prefer it if I died trying to burn this whole village down." [break][break] He sighed at the thought of his hateful mother. Some people just needed to learn how to let things go. [break][break] "I can tell that you're curious, you know?" prodded the teen, "just ask away, Aiko-san. It might be the last time you and I get to interact in such a friendly manner." [break][break] The life of a shinobi wasn't adverse to kin slaying after all.
It was a relief he didn’t try and hide his name longer than that. His initial avoidance of saying it was undoubtedly fair reason, of course, but she had no interest in politicizing this conversation. Hiding names, being on edge and secretive beyond reason, was an exhausting adventure. Her focus wasn’t on anything beyond two people, with potential similarities, talking to each other. It was a well and good, when he maintained his casual airs. A recommendation noted, Aiko returned his advice with a nod and mental slashing out of the rabbit offerings on the menu. It did look rather awful on his plate. [break][break]
At least there was tea to rely on, and a conversation to make the meal far less awkward than she originally anticipated... Even if his openness about disliking the Hokage - in the middle of said kage’s village - was a little alarming. Aiko decided to let that piece be, and move along.[break][break]
However, before she could get into the rhythm of a conversation, her curiosity wasn’t as hidden as she thought. Perhaps it was the familiarity of family that made her easier to read than usual... Either way, her mouth didn’t immediately run away at his prodding, but rather her mind was the first to react. Deep contemplation tumbled back and forth, before she let out a long held sigh.[break][break]
“It may be a bit personal, so I wouldn’t expect you to answer such things” she began, tilting her head slightly to the side as she considered her words carefully. “But, there are not many in my village who understand… The Hyuga clan’s idea of family, and the dynamics that come with it. While there are remnants of other clans within my village, I fear I have yet to see one that has… Clung to traditions in the way the Hyuga have. I wondered if perhaps, it is a common way of thinking for the other Hyuga families. If others are desperately trying to recreate what this family once had in Konohagakure, if that makes any sense?”
[attr="class","bolo-body] Tsukiya laughed. Every word she spoke seemed to resonate with his own story. He shrugged his shoulders, smile still plastered on his face. [break][break] "It makes perfect sense to me," he began with a distant look in his eyes, "While I can only speak for my family, I know of a few other Hyūga in my village whose experiences don't vary too differently from mine." [break][break] The young Hyūga paused to think of how to properly elaborate his thoughts. This was a conversation, Tsukiya decided, that required some sort of calming of drink. With a contemplative look on his face, Tsukiya held his plam in front his chest, silently asking his distant cousin to wait. He turned to his side, slightly away from Aiko to call the attention of a server. The Hyūga asked them if they would kindly serve the pair some tea while the lady thought about what to order. [break][break] "Haha ue was from the Main Family," he continued, going back to his more relaxed demeanor, "I don't really know much about my ojiisan or my obāsan. From what I gathered, they were council members back in Konohagakure? No one of any real splendor. Haha ue prided herself in bein—" [break][break] He turned to address the sudden interruption. Oh, the tea had finally arrived. "Thanks!" [break][break] "Where was I?" he asked himself, head turning slightly to the side, eyes unfocused. Jogging his memory, Tsukiya kept his hands busy with the cup of matcha. He held it in his right hand, while he placed the base on the palm of his left. As Tsukiya rotated the cup clock-wise three times, one couldn't help wonder if a traditionalist like Aiko would find humor in Tsukiya's contrasting behavior. "Ah, right. Yes, well, to answer your question, haha ue clung to Hyūga tradition like ink on sealing scrolls. I trust you know what that's like?" [break][break] Despite the levity in his tone, Tsukiya gave her a look that conveyed a deeper understanding of what it was like to truly be part of the Hyūga clan. [break][break] "I studied the jūken as soon as I could walk. She constantly pushed me, you know? Broke my body and spirit so my Byakugan would open before I even stepped foot in the academy. I remember her constantly saying that a Hyūga was 'insert adjective here', and a Hyūga should always 'insert verb here with a smattering of thinly veiled references to Hi no Kuni'. . ." [break][break] Chuckling to himself, he took a sip of his tea. Slurping just the right amount to convey his appreciation for the drink. [break][break] "I fucking hate it." he finished, the tone of the conversation suddenly dropping in temperature.
It was a tale she knew well the moment it began. From the Main Family influence, to the pride of the Hyuga being deep in a parent’s blood. The interruption of acquiring tea only got a small nod of acknowledgment as her focus was more on the relatable story of another member of her family. There was bitter comfort in knowing it hadn’t only been her, but a sourness in the back of her mouth, at knowing that as well. As he went on, her emotions recoiled into themselves, expression becoming blank as she let it all sink in - focusing intently on him. [break][break]
The jarring drop in his tone was met with the closure of her eyes, as if to keep her composure. She took a deep breath, before leaning forward to pick up her own serving of tea. Quiet lingered in the air, before slowly her eyes opened and a bitter defeated smile appeared with it. It took only a few seconds for the Chunin to suddenly appear exhausted.[break][break]
“Ah, it really is a small world” she breathed, voice drier than the soft polite tone from before. “My parents are the same. Descendants of the main branch, frustrated by the loss of Hi no Kuni, Konohagakure, the power and wealth... As far as I can remember, everything they’ve asked of me, or told me to do, has been because of that. Beat me into the mold if I resist, beat my sister when I began to endure those punishments… My sister and I must reclaim our honor or something in that vein.” The bitterness cracked its way through as she kept her tone level.[break][break]
“I’d much rather burn it all down” she admitted, before taking her own long slurp of tea. Her eyes caught something on the menu, and like a switch, a hint of a false polite smile came back to her face as she turned to a passing waiter to make her order. Than it flicked off again, the tired look settling on Tsukiya. “Unfortunately, I’m stuck playing my part for the family as it is, now. But, you seem to be much freer than myself.”
[attr="class","bolo-body] Tsukiya listened intently to his distant cousin. Their tales seemingly ran quite parallel to one another. It sounded all too familiar; he could picture it in his mind. Although he did not know how Amegakure looked like during winter, nor did he know if she trained on heartwood or tatami mats as a child, he was intimately familiar with the sight of disappointed Hyūga eyes staring back. They were the same eyes that stared right back across both Hyūgas at this very moment. [break][break] He hummed in empathy each time her words reflected his own. Her voice grew colder and colder as she spoke about their shared history. [break][break] Burn it all down. [break][break] Tsukiya liked the sound of that. There were just somethings those bitter old fools didn’t understand. He didn’t bother fighting the grin on his face. [break][break] ”Careful cousin,” he cautioned, ”your mask is slipping.” [break][break] He took another long sip of his tea. Nearly empty, he noted. A shame. The Land of Tea was aptly named. [break][break] ”I’m as free as you are,” Tsukiya continued, ”it’s all a matter of perspective, Aiko-san. Our traditions, at the end of the day, exist only to please a few dead men and their children. . .” [break][break]
