[attr="class","bolo-body] "Hm?" he said, perking up as she spoke up. [break][break] The Hyūga laughed at her comment. Some of the villagers turned to their direction with expressions ranging from amusement to confusion. He stopped in the mid-stride, placing a hand a top the Senju's head. [break][break] "Geez Kyoufu-san," he reprimanded as he leaned over her, "You're worrying about nothing! How is hanging out with an old friend a waste of time?" [break][break] There was clear indication of mirth in Tsukiya's eyes. While he considered the Senju's change in attitude quite perplexing, their reuniting, as far as the Hyūga was considered, was something to be celebrated. [break][break]
And she did want to have fun and hang out with him, although she felt a bit conflicted in their choice of activity... as a matter of fact, as of yet she didn't know what their choice of activity was. She definitely didn't want to spend time doing laundry when she could be doing something more constructive... but she also wondered if where he was taking her would be constructive to her growth as a shinobi, particularly proving her worth to Tengfei.[break][break]
As Kyoufu trailed along, she noticed occasional glances of people gazing toward her and Tsukiya as they made their way through the village. Kyoufu's cheeks tinged red at the mere thought of people noticing she existed after all of this time in darkness. What's more, she knew she had the freedom to talk to any of them should she decide to. It was almost overwhelming. And now with Tsukiya's hand on her head, suddenly there were even more onlookers.[break][break]
"Thank you, Tsukiya-kun. I'm not worried though," she answered, quite unsure if she was expressing genuine feelings. She reached up, playfully grabbing the wrist of his hand placed upon her scalp. "Do I have something in my hair?"
[attr="class","bolo-body] The playful nature of the Senju threw Tsukiya another curveball. Today, his old friend had acted distant, warm, timid, and skittish, all in the span of the last hour. It felt like interacting with both an eight and eighty year old person. [break][break] Nevertheless, the smile never left Tsukiya's face. He let his thoughts swirl around his head as he continued the conversation. [break][break] "Does my hand count?" he teased. [break][break] From the corner of his eye, Tsukiya spotted a rough looking man. Unkempt hair lay behind the man's receding hairline. His face was framed ruggedly by the shadow of a beard. The eye-patch on his eye only further cemented the brutish appearance. The man was dressed in a bright blue happi with his mid-riff exposed. Despite the man's appearance, his expression immediately changed to one of fear when Hyūga eyes met his the man's gaze. [break][break] "Excuse me for a second, Kyoufu-san." [break][break] By then, Tsukiya's demeanor had completely changed to something darker. The Hyūga removed his hand from Kyoufu's head, and walked to the rugged man with a purposeful gait. [break][break] A few words were exchanged, nothing that the Senju would be able to hear. There hands were animated, with Tsukiya seemingly counting with his fingers. The man raised his hands above his head, palms clasped together as if begging the young Hyūga for forgiveness. An audible tsk came from Tsukiya as he turned away. His lips parted to speak as soon as he arrived at the Senju's side. [break][break] "Sorry about that," he apologized, gently nudging her to follow him towards their initial destination, "that person has something that should belong to Fei-zǒng. I just needed to know when I could pick it up."
Being around Tsukiya again after all this time brought a certain warmth to Kyoufu's heart. While she hadn't thought of him much during her time in captivity, she now realized that she missed him more than she had ever known and having him here was a part of what made her feel like she was back home... especially since she would never see her parents again. She was so glad right now that Tengfei had brought her back to the Hidden Mist Village, even if she was an incompetent kunoichi who was probably going to die on her first mission.[break][break]
He removed his head from her scalp and as he began to walk away, her eyes trailed him. She didn't follow, given that he essentially asked her to remain in place, however she did watch the pursuing altercation... his discussion with this gruff-looking man. Kyoufu had never expected to see such a commanding side of Tsukiya before. And she never would have expected a man nearly twice his size looking like he was praying for forgiveness right in front of him.[break][break]
When Tsukiya was finished and explained himself, the blonde was left with more questions than answers.[break][break]
"You're being so cryptic, Tsukiya-kun," she said. "What was it?"
[attr="class","bolo-body] "I don't know what Fei-zǒng has told you," he replied, scratching his cheek, "So I guess it'd be best to just show you." [break][break] If Kyoufu decided to look around now, she would find herself lost in a district she would have never visited as a child. Bright signs and red lanterns adorned the streets as people from different walks of life interacted with each other. Some were loud, some were quiet--but there was an equal sense of merriment and danger in the air. The atmosphere was smokey and a low mist that extended to the ends of the streets. The distinct smell of alcohol and cigarettes lay heavy in the air. The Hyūga seemed to be comfortable enough walking in this part of town, which seemed a little off given his polite disposition and cultured upbringing. [break][break] "So!" he began, "Fei-zǒng pretty much owns this part of town. But we're not staying here, our destination is a little further in." [break][break] As they walked around in the seedy district, one couldn't help but wonder why the young Hyūga barely felt any tension. It was as if being in his vicinity allowed the Senju to exist in a protective bubble. His nonchalant nature about where they were was only more evident in how he interacted with the women in short kimonos that greeted them as they walked. Various calls of "Tsu-chan! Kiya-kun!" were met with sheepish smiles and small waves. There were men in what looked like military gear that called to him, claiming that they were going to finally get one over "the house" and were going to take Tsukiya down. The youth could only laugh at those people and responded with various jokes like "that's what you said last time!" [break][break] Kyoufu Senju wasn't the only person that changed within the last eight years, that much was certain.
Walking through this district with Tsukiya was strange to say the least. For someone who hadn't lived much of a life since she was eight years old, this type of atmosphere was confusing, if nothing else. The girls in short kimonos and the men in military gear really didn't click to her for what it actually may have been. To her it was just strange and she didn't quite know what to make of it. [break][break]
What was most confusing of all was how this area was in such a thick mist, exclusively... as though it was being cast by an actual jutsu of some sort to protect it.[break][break]
"It seems you have a lot of friends here," Kyoufu said... inching a bit closer to Tsukiya as she noticed she was getting some strange looks from certain people, mostly men... this was until she decided to take Tsukiya's arm. All of this didn't quite make her feel like she belonged here, but she was happy that Tsukiya had brought her nonetheless. She wanted to see what his life was like... and now that they would be a part of the same team on account of Tengfei, she was looking forward to uncovering the mysteries of this world.[break][break]
"Is this a good place for me to make friends too?" she asked sheepishly. As a matter of fact, she wavering quite a bit on whether she needed more friends in the first place.
[attr="class","bolo-body] "They're more of acquaintances, Kyo-chan." he said frowning, unaware of his subconscious replacing the honorifics he had been using, "They're not friends like you and me. I don't think I'd like to be their friend anyway, and neither should you." [break][break] As they walked through the district, the grimy feeling slowly began to dissipate. The roads seemed to transition from dirt pathways to brick. The streets were well lit too, and the shops seemed to be emit a feeling of luxury more than anything else. Tsukiya gently placed a hand on the Senju's shoulder to signal her to stop. Turning to the side, their eyes would gaze upon what looked like to be a small ornate palace. [break][break] "This is where I work!" he began, "We play different kinds of games here. Mostly card games, like the ones we used to play as kids." [break][break] He chuckled at that thought. While they did play card games, the stakes were a lot lower back then. Pride didn't really buy you anything but a beating in this kind of establishment.
If Tsukiya didn't want to be friends with them... well, she didn't care much to be friends with them either. Even though this area seemed so foreign to her, it seemed Tsukiya fit right in. It wasn't long before they made it to the place that he seemed most familiar with... his work? [break][break]
"You mean you play card games for a living?" she asked in amazement. To Kyoufu such a job was unfathomable. It sounded like all of Tsukiya's jobs might have come true. She'd never really thought about it before, but it made her wonder if his Byaugan could actually decipher what was on cards. It was X-ray vision... but could X-ray vision read cards?[break][break]
Kyoufu released her grip of his arm.[break][break]
"So did you bring me here so that we could play cards then?" she asked him curiously. "I was never good at cards.." it was the honest and humble truth. To her memory, the main reason she had played was because Tsukiya had been so enthusiastic about it... and the only way she could ever stand a chance at beating him was if he let her.[break][break]
[attr="class","bolo-body] "Hmm, well, yeah—I guess I do," he said after a moment of thought, "people spend a lot of money here, and the job certainly pays quite decently. Not to mention the tips!" [break][break] Well, being a card dealer essentially meant you played against everyone right? Well, it certainly felt that way sometimes whenever Blackjack or Three Card Poker was on the table. Most of the time, he felt like he was fascilitating more than playing. [break][break] Her question and subsequent admition led to a short bout of laughter from the Hyūga boy. He certainly remembered what playing card games with Kyoufu was like. [break][break] "Nah, I just wanted to show you where I work Kyoufu-san," Tsukiya said brightly, "we're going somewhere else." [break][break] He beckoned her to follow as he walked even further in, to the center of the entire district. The more they proceeded to the center of the district, the more luxurious things started looking. Gone were dark alleys, rough looking characters, and short kimonos. They were replaced by brightly lit stores that seemed to sell equally shiny objects. There were restaurants that dotted the vicinity, all selling different forms of high-end cuisine imported from different corners of the elemental nations. [break][break] They arrived at their final destination. A three-story building that looked like a mini-daimyō's palace. It exhibited a certain level of opulence and splendor that one couldn't help but feel insignificant in comparison. The air was light around the palace though, even as an motley crew of guards roamed the perimeter. There was laughter and joy in the background; a spirit of levity. [break][break] "This is Kisaeng House. This is where I wanted to take you."
