[attr="class","bolo-body] Tsukiya couldn't help but laugh at Kyoufu's expression. He supposed that her statement wasn't technically incorrect. But there was just something about that shade of red that alerted anyone of shinobi heritage to what it all meant. It also painted a really nice target that enemy ninja could see easily in the battlefield. [break][break] "It's nice to make your acquaintance Uzumaki-san," the Hyūga responded with a smile, "I hope Kyoufu-san hasn't gotten you into any trouble... yet." [break][break] He chuckled to himself as he took another drag out of his cigarette. He closed his eyes for a brief second, relishing in the feeling of the smoke filling up his lungs. He then threw the cigarette on the ground with a deep exhale that didn't look too different from the jutsu Mist ninja knew how to use. Eying his Senju team mate with an inquisitive look, his foot rose to crush the deathstick under the weight of his sandal. [break][break] "Well," he started, as he tried to pop open a container of gum. His focus wasn't really on the other two at the moment, as Tsukiya was far more concerned about trying to pry open a stupid lid. "I specialize in my clan's taijutsu. Although I still do remember the academy kata, and a smattering of a few techniques I picked up during scuffles." [break][break] An annoyed look crossed Tsukiya's face as he decided to pry the top open with the help of a little chakra. It snapped open with an audible pop. He casually threw in two pieces of gum into his mouth. Ooh—minty! [break][break] "Want some?"
[attr="class","bolo-body] Tsukiya rolled his eyes. These were all things he already knew. Survival training key in graduating a ninja academy. He went on missions that solely relied of his ability to survive in the wilderness. He adapted when the circumstances called for it; wasn't that something he already displayed? He wasn't going to be goaded into feeling shame for what he knew was the correct course of action for any ninja. What was he going to do? Bargain for the scroll? That was tantamount to treason for any village. The Hyūga teen, as much as he chastised his own clan for their own stubbornness, displayed a very similar trait. [break][break] "First of all, why the hell would I change to an offensive tactic when the very mission objective depended on avoiding detection?! Also, need I remind you, there is quite a clear line between our abilities." [break] Tsukiya raised his hands in the air in surrender, as if giving up on the jounin's instructions. Interestingly enough, he still held a firm grip on the scroll. [break][break] "I am a genin, taichou." he spat out, seemingly disgusted at himself, "You can tell me about my options all you want, but no one is more keenly aware of my limits than myself. Two engagements from your ninken informed me that I made the correct decisions. Chakra exhaustion is not a pleasant way to die, believe me. That form of incapacitation is what my clan trains for." [break][break] The Hyūga nodded to himself, as if confirming his thoughts. His insubordinate actions weren't all too common an occurrence for the young shinobi. Tsukiya felt his shoulders slump in both mental and physical fatigue. [break][break] "Thanks for the training exercise Inuzuka-taichou," he sighed, not particularly content with how the affair ended, "Regardless of our disagreements, I suppose I did learn something..." [break][break] He wasn't going to voice out that the lesson he learned was that not all jounin were promoted based on their intelligence. No, that was definitely a quick way to die. He was always wary of authority, but today's training session felt like it galvanized his already critical and questioning mind. His taijutsu didn't feel all too lacking today as well, considering he was going up against a jounin. [break][break] Pale lavender eyes broke away from the feral gaze of Makoto. He side-eyed the other Hyūga with a watchful look that expressed his disdain. The small cut on his throat pulsed softly with the rhythm of his heart. No, he wasn't going to forget his clansman's stunt any time soon. [break][break] "Best cousin ever..." he whispered to himself.
[attr="class","bolo-body] Tsukiya couldn't help but smile as Kyoufu spoke. She was someone he considered very important. His sentiments echoed the Senju's own. She was a reminder of simpler days—a time of less hate and anger. His soft expression would not go unnoticed with the pair, even if his pleasant visage was ruined by the cigarette stuck between his lips. [break][break] He took another drag, and lowered the cigarette to his chest. He inspected the red-head with a look of mild curiosity. That red hair... there was no mistaking it. The tell-tale sign of a certain clan that hailed from the Land of Whirlpools. Kyoufu's new companion might not associate as one of them, but certainly their heritage was as clear as day for any ninja that was educated in shinobi clans. [break][break] "Are you an Uzumaki, per chance?" he said, with a thoughtful expression, "The red hair is quite hard to miss."
[attr="class","bolo-body] "Ow..." mumbled the Hyūga, his free hand rubbing his head. [break][break] He listened to the jounin commander's speech with an exasperated expression. What a completely unrealistic approach to the shinobi lifestyle. Tsukiya wasn't about to throw away his life on a suicide mission, that was just stupid—not to mention utterly insane. He had more brains than that. Regardless, such an optimistic approach, he felt, would lead to his actual death. [break][break] This kind of approach was no motivation to the young Hyūga. He was aware of his shortcomings, for being keenly aware of one's limits was key to one's survival. Did she think of him a coward after all that? How quaint, when her first command, after all, was to run. [break][break] "Taichou," he said with a sigh, "if I ever find myself in a situation like that, the first option will always be to run. Or hide? Call for backup even, anything to avoid an actual conflict where my side didn't have the numbers advantage. Playing the hero gets yourself killed, but if I'm forced to fight, like we did earlier, then I would obviously fight with the intention of living." [break][break] Tsukiya shrugged, feeling the fatigue from the battle slowly draining away. [break][break] "But to chastise a ninja for successfully completing a mission, despite what they had to give up for it..." [break][break] Tsukiya shook his head. [break][break] "Now that's just tasteless."
[attr="class","bolo-body] Tsukiya scoffed, turning to his friend with a dismissive expression. [break][break] "Haha ue," he spat, "Is an archaic term for 'mother'. I suppose when the habit is beat into you for so long, you just kinda roll with it for the rest of your life." [break][break] He took another long drag from his cigarette, the Hyūga's expression softening as a feeling of relaxation spread from his body. Ah, endorphins; you never did let anyone down. [break][break] "Q-quit?" he said, so surprised he coughed out fumes, "Ni-san, that's not going to happen. Either I become a missing-nin and have the entire weight of the Kiri shinobi force on my ass, or—and this is the less appealing option—die because of my own incompetence in the field." [break][break] Tsukiya shrugged. [break][break] "Not very good options, yeah?"
[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."
[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.
[attr="class","bolo-body] Mornings. The dreadful enemy. Tsukiya knew he wasn't late, but he had a nagging feeling he was going to be the last one to arrive. He yawned as he walked to the training ground. Training sessions were always a mixed bag. There were days where he felt like it lead to fruitful gains, but there were also days where he just felt like a punching bag to his superiors. Hopefully, today was more of the former than the latter. [break][break] He was supposed to be training with his fellow genin and squad-mate, Kyoufu Senju today. An old friend from the academy who had recently returned to his life. It was pleasant being around her, he decided. She reminded him of simpler days. He enjoyed measuring their progress from the young ninja children they once were. [break][break] He reached into one of his jacket pockets, revealing a pack of cigarettes. Popping one of the death-sticks in between his lips, Tsukiya couldn't help but feel a sense of overwhelming relief as he took his first drag of the day. [break][break] As he reached the clearing, he couldn't help but wonder why there were two figures waiting there. He was under the impression that he and the Senju were training alone today. Odd. [break][break] "Yo."
[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.
[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."
[attr="class","bolo-body] The Hyūga boy groaned pathetically on the ground. The entire concept concept of movement seemed painful to him. Not his worst beating, but definitely up there in the top ten. Nothing was broken, as far as Tsukiya could tell. [break][break] He watched the food pill sail through the air. His back on the ground, he reached out to catch the capsule. A small yelp of effort escaped from Tsukiya as his arm extended forward to seize the pill. His gaze was totally unfocused, very uncharacteristic of any Hyūga. He stared at the sky, and contemplated how the training session turned out. He could hear Makoto chastising him in the background. She hinted their deaths, but that really didn't even matter to Tsukiya. He grinned darkly at his own thoughts. In a battlefield, there was very little a genin could do to survive a jounin's assault. He trained with the jounin captain of his squad, he knew the fundamental difference in the power gap between most genin and most jounin. [break][break] Chucking the pill in his mouth, Tsukiya could feel a bit of energy return to him. It didn't make much of a difference. Only enough to help him stand without assistance. [break][break] "Shinobi die all the time, Inuzuka-taichou." he answered as he slowly got to his feet, "Death is one of the costs all shinobi readily accept to complete their mission." [break][break] Tsukiya was still panting heavily. He paused at almost each word he delivered. [break][break] One of his hands reached behind him to grab something from his ninja pouch. In his hand was the very scroll he was meant to keep away from the dogs. Unfurled, but it definitely had some wear and tear. The fact that it was wet from both dog slobber and pond water did not help its condition. [break][break] His pained expression broke into a look of triumph as he held the scroll up for the Inuzuka to see.
[attr="class","bolo-body] The past few hours were spent socializing, smoking, drinking, joking, and more smoking. Bunch of degenerates. Days off were hard to come by these days and so Tsukiya welcomed the brief respite. Although, he didn't think he could afford more days like this if he didn't want to slip back into his old lazy self. [break][break] Interacting with the others came quite naturally to the young Hyūga. He was was pretty known in the gambling circuit after all. Not that he could ever play, but his appearance at many high-stakes games endeared him to some of the patrons and staff at Kisaeng House. He was good with numbers, and his eyes nullified most advantages cheaters had; no one had invented something as esoteric as Kādojutsu, thankfully. It helped that he could scrap with the boys and girls too. [break][break] He entered the empty room after a brief conversation he found himself involved in. They had argued that a .5 house edge was too low for gambling halls, and Tsukiya argued that it didn't matter on the long run since the vajrakīlaya had more money than they knew what to do with. Ryō was a finite resource, and most players didn't have the same financial cushion as their organization did. An edge was still an edge, and given the right amount of time, the vajrakīlaya always won. [break][break] "I hate stupid people," he said wearily, taking a long drag from his cigarette, "I should know better than to argue gambling mathematics with thugs..." [break][break] He sat beside his room mate with a sigh. He brought out what looked to be a steel pocket watch from his pouch. Upon closer inspection, it was hollow on the inside with no clock face or mechanisms what-so-ever. He popped it open, and tapped his cigarette on it, flicking the ash neatly inside the container. [break][break] Eyes rose as his friend decided to speak-up. He turned his head to meet Nichiren's gaze, unsurprised that the Kaguya was already facing him. [break][break] "I didn't want to become a ninja," he said after a moment, "I just didn't have much of a choice in that matter. Haha ue didn't really bring up any other options. It was just kinda expected for a Hyūga, I guess?"
[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]
[attr="class","bolo-body] He nodded, and turned on his heel, ready to guide Kyoufu to the seedy district that housed the Kisaeng House. He wondered what the Senju would make of it all? Was she even aware that she was now involved with Kirigakure's underworld? She seemed a tad bit too innocent for that. He was sure that whatever reaction she was going to have was going to be entertaining. It wasn't like the young Hyūga would let anyone harm the Senju anyway. [break][break] "How's your mom? Still well?" [break][break] All his thoughts came to a screeching halt. Of course she didn't know. He hadn't been in contact with Kyoufu Senju for eight years. His childish complaints about his training was all she probably knew about his feelings on Hashina Hyūga. He supposed that she did put up quite a reasonable front in front of the other children back then. The retired shinobi population probably knew the older Hyūga better. You didn't work in T&I based on your cheery disposition after all. It was only later on in Tsukiya's life that he internalized what it all meant. He knew that she couldn't even fathom how deep his resentment ran. [break][break] "She's fine." came the terse reply, turning his head slightly to meet her gaze. [break][break] And if she bothered to look, she would find cold bitterness within them. [break][break] "Come on, we're wasting daylight Kyoufu-san." he replied, his tone suddenly as bright as it once was. [break][break] He didn't bother waiting for a reply as he started to walk deeper into the Village Hidden in the Mist.
[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]
