Ashi shrugged a bit. "My mother sets high standards for me...." She idly leaned on the edge, poking at a small drop of water while gently biting her lower lip.

Akai took that moment to stand herself back up and walk over to the waters edge near Ashi. The dog gave a tilt of her head before leaning the front of her body down and placing her face in Ashi's. A moment's pause and then... yup, licked, right up the side of Ashi's face. Akai then laid down, placing her head right up against Ashi's.

Ashi chuckled a bit and smiled. "Well, at least you're happy with me Akai." Ashi then turned her gaze to the other Kenta, an eyebrow raising as she gave another shrug. "I consider him my family, that's all that matters to me. Though, my mom did try and explain it all to me once... right before Akai came running through the house dripping with mud...I think she gave up after that."

Kenta stared at the other male, head tilting for a moment before allowing a canine-like shaking of his head; aiming to clear some water dribbling from his bangs. "I was referring to Ashi's mother, not you." His tone was lighter then before, having perked up with his cousin present.

"I think we are... 3rd cousins? Something like that. I memorized the clan genealogy when I was younger; but my memory isn't perfect." Shrugging, he clicked his tongue against the top of his mouth a special way, adding a soft musical whistle to call Akai over. He had the urge to pet the large canine, missing his own partner for a moment. "As to your question Sarutobi-san; all Inuzuka in a pack, obviously. However, most relations are via marriage, or else fairly distant. My clan doesn't practice inbreeding, not with the human's anyway. Some of the dog are 2nd or 3rd generations inbred, but that's common when you selectively breed any animal."

The Kage leaned back against the lip of the bath, cracking his shoulders and spine easily, "How else do you think someone with my coloration could appear in the clan? Nearly everyone else is dark brunette with black or green eyes. Blonde and gold? Nah, never would have happened if the clan intermarried." He was quite proud of his odd hair and eyes; his mother's blonde and father's golden eyes. Made his different, extremely so in a village like Konoha that was all dark hair and eyes. Yet it made him blend in; the high levels of tourism made sure he could crowd blend in most areas; and all the shinobi knew of him, if not personally, then his image.

Kenta took in what they both had said. 3rd Cousins the Kage said. Interesting to say the least. His family had been away most of his life so he grew up independently most of his life. A cold shiver ran up his spine at a slightly disturbing thought. Shaking his head, he closed his eyes and sighed rather loudly; well, louder than normal sighs.

"So Kage. Where is your partner? Your dog, I mean." He asked, raising an eyebrow.
Before, only his head was showing, he had shuffled his body upwards, his back rubbing against the surface of the bath that he was soaking in. There was a slight squeaking noise as he moved though and it stung a little but he had endured worse. He was now visible enough, his chest and up was now visible. His hands and toes were starting to become pruny and he found slightly amusing.

Ashi nodded her head a bit in agreement, vaguely remembering her mother saying that moments before Akai making a mess of the place. She leaned herself back and relaxed against the edge on her arms, finding the position the most comfortable at the moment.

Akai meanwhile stood herself back up, giving Ashi another lick on the face before she moved her way over to the Kage. Akai happily laid herself down within reach on her side, looking at him in a very expectant manner. "Pet me" was written all over Akais' face.

Ashi took to poking at a drop of water again since Akai had moved while biting her lower lip as she always did when in deep thought. Though she was still paying attention to the conversation going on, her mind was wandering a bit to her mothers most recent spout of anger over her actions the week prior. She quickly gave herself a mental shake, almost at once putting it out of her thoughts again. 'Mothers can be such a pain...', she thought to herself.

He reached out to pet the canine the moment she was in reach, soft smile growing as he worked over her ears and head. "Yuki is occupied. She helps to train the new pups, since she has experience with larger litters." Understatement; Yuki's first litter had been huge, with 12 pups. Her second had been slightly smaller; but that didn't mean much when she was breeding with a dog as large as Michizuka's dog Aki. Those pups where already gigantic, and not a one of either litter was over 2 years old. Still growing, with plenty of time to get even larger.

"You alright Ashi? Seem more spaced then normal.~"

Shaking his head violently, the water from the baths water flying and scattering around him, he got up, wrapping his towel around his waist. He scratched his head and frowned at them slightly for no reason what so ever. His usual look; initiated.
"Kage...what is your chakra nature? I figured one is water but...what is your other one. Everyone has at least two right?" He asked, scratching his head as he questioned the Kage. He wasn't used to this much social interaction seeing as though he was rather anit-social.

Kenta stared at the dog that was at the Kage, the fur looked so soft and fluffy with a mirror shine to it. He was fighting so hard, the urge of petting a dog. It looked so nice and soft and just everything!

Ashi paused in poking at the droplets of water and forced herself to stop biting her lower lip. She turned her form back around so she could actually face her cousin. She smile a bit as she watched Akai close her eyes, and saw the pleased expression she wore.

Akai was just overly enjoying herself as she sprawled herself out even more and gave herself over to the petting completely. Akai was in pure heaven for the moment.

Ashi moved her gaze from Akai to Kenta and then back to her cousin. 'Hmm.. to bring it up or not...', she thought to herself as she listened to Kenta ask his questions. 'Eh, what the hell.. everyone probably heard my mothers recent rant anyway...', she mentally added before taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly. Had she any less self control she would've squirmed a bit, but thankfully she was stone still. "I take it you haven't heard what my mothers latest rant included after what I pulled last week?" A slight tilt of her head went along with the question as her gaze rested on her cousin. Ah yes, her mother's latest rant... she wanted Ashi out, off on her own and out of her hair so she didn't have to be bothered with her nonsense. She had figured he would've heard about it by now, it had seemed that almost everyone else had.

Akai at that point lifted her head and whined softly, staring at Ashi.

"Wind. Water and wind, Sarutobi." He wasn't really paying attention, focused on the simple joy he gathered from petting Akai. He loved playing with the clan's dogs, the ones that would accept him anyway. Akai being one of them meant she was a favorite of his. Head turning when he realized that Ashi was speaking, "Say what now? I heard some of it, but I was a little busy working on paperwork when I was being "filled in"."

Kenta frowned at the Kage. He knew that the Kage was "pre-occupied" with the dog. Oh well though. The sun was beginning to set as the sky was become an orangey purple. It was nice and somewhat soothing. Kenta's golden glistened in the light of it all, letting a small grin grow on his face.

Turning to Ashi, still slightly focused on the sun set, he bowed his head.
"Sorry if I have seemed ignorant towards you today. Was not my intention in the slightest and, again, I apologize." He said as he bent back up, staring at Ashi as he finished his sentences.

Ashi went back to biting her lower lip a bit, sighing once more. "She wants me out...", she said bluntly before biting her lip again. "I guess what happened last week was the final straw for her... she thinks I'm uncontrollable." That of course was the down played version of the arguement, but she didn't feel the need to bring it all up.

Akai whined again, laying her head down and covering her eyes with her paws, obviously reacting to Ashi's own emotions at the moment..

Ashi then turned her attention to Kenta, an eyebrow raising. "S'alright... I'm not exactly the most social person either." She gave a half of a smile, which was all but usual for her most of the time before she stretched out into an even more comfortable position.

"You know I have a spare room if you don't mind helping babysit my kids. And the puppies that I'm raising." He finished his petting of the canine, retracting his arm and pushing deeper into the bath. He dropped below the water slicking his hair back some and rising the cake of minerals and such off his skin for a moment. Didn't take much to lift him out of the warmth, using his water chakra to force himself to rise to the surface, where he remained sitting; enjoying the light steam effect of the water. Yay for swim trunks, he didn't have to worry about flashing his cousin or the Sarutobi.

"Alright... fun as thiis has been... I need to get back to work. Eventually. Sarutobi-san, so long as you're gone before I am, I won't report you being here... so you may wish to rinse quickly and take off. I plan to enjoy my shower however, so you do have a few minutes. Think it over Cousin; I'm fairly sure the girls would enjoy seeing you more."

He didn't even bother with goodbyes; simply rising to his feet before disappearing in a flash of the pure speed he was famous for.

-exit-

Kenta bowed at the Kage and Ashi before the Kage had time to leave. Looking at Ashi,, Kenta smiled slightly. It seemed somewhat awkward for him to show this emotion and it probably looked just as bad.
"I'll be leaving now Ashi-san. It has been a pleasure metting both you and your canine partner. Till next time." He said in a rather rushed tone, almost as if he had practiced it all out in his head. Turning around towards the baths exit, he rushed through the doors, dropping the towel when he was out of sight; grabbing his clothes from the ceiling where he had stored them.
After he had gotten changed into his clothes he ran as fast as he could out of the baths and vanishing out of sight down the dark alley ways just next the baths.

~Exit Thread~

Akai perked up instantly at Kenta's offer, tongue hanging out of her mouth and her tail beginning to wag so fast and hard it made a soft drumming sound on the ground beneath her. Obviously she was all for this plan.

Ashi stopped biting her lip, her face becoming a mixture of mild shock and joy. She'd figured he'd come up with a solutation, but hadn't been expecting such a wonderful one. A few chores for a room and some babysitting? No problem! "That would be awesome!", she all but shouted, knowing that even in her cousin's quick leaving he probably heard her, if not he'd know her answer when she showed up at his door! She broke into a full grin, a rare sight indeed, which only caused her appearance to take on a more feral appearance. Obviously she more then accepted his offer. "I'll go pack my stuff!" She looked towards the other Kenta, waved and smiled fully "It was nice to meet you, too!" She didn't wait another moment, just launched herself right out of the water and after pausing only long enough to ring out her top and the hem of her shorts she grabbed her mostly dried over-shirt, threw it on ontop of the wet stuff and whistled to Akai. "Come on, Akai! Lets go pack!"

Grin still in place the pair took off the same way they'd come, right up and out. Being careful to route the way she was going to go she then took off free running her way back to what had been home, running along walls and the like, until she reached her destination and began packing... something that would take all of 10 minutes with the speed in which her excitement had her and Akai moving.

-Exit.-