While it was still sunny outside, as it always tended to be around Sunagakure no Sato, Seiryū rapidly blinked, trying to re-adjust to the bright light outside. Satisfied from his meal earlier, a meal that he had with an unexpected companion, though given the lunch hour rush, he should have initially assumed that he would not be eating alone. The Dragon’s Tongue surely provided for a great meal, yet where Seiryū was concerned was that at lunch time, whenever civilians took their lunch break was a time to avoid the curry house altogether. Perhaps, one day, Seiryū would find a different place to eat at lunch time, one that wouldn’t be as crowded or congested as the Dragon’s Tongue was today. The moment that he had stepped out of the establishment, he took in a deep breath of air. It was nice to be able to breathe in and not have to be in a tightly enclosed area. The air was certainly fresher out here compared to inside the building.

Stretching his arms, mainly rolling his left shoulder due to a slight tingling sensation that was currently felt near his shoulder blade, Seiryū glanced about, seemingly looking for something. There were two things that he needed to finish off the day, even if there certainly were a number of hours before the sun would set and grace the other half of the planet. First off, his eyes immediately scanned about, searching for the nearest bar. Of course, Seiryū knew a few, though they weren’t in the direct vicinity. He immediately ruled out the shady bars in the Sand Dunes, ones he had been to on off days, as they tended to attract more unwanted attention than Seiryū usually sought out. He had been lucky to an extent, after his stay at the orphanage, knowing that no one would take him elsewhere; the Sand Dunes would be his temporary home during his stay in the orphanage. Upon his graduation from the ninja academy and sometime after, Seiryū had been able to move out of the Sand Dunes entirely, renting out an apartment in a rather economically friendly area that was not as bad as the Dunes.

The second thing he was waiting on was his newly acquired acquaintance, if one could call it that. Elsewise, he would just call the person a ‘person whom he just met, that likely has a blood relation to him, yet still not considered family or on a level of friendship’. Perhaps there were a few other words he could include to describe the fellow, yet he could not care. To a degree, Seiryū enjoyed his company, from what he had seen thus far. That, and having drinks bought for him today easily made the transition a bit smoother. For the past eleven years he had been an Imada, and things would stay that way.

Shaking his head, both to get the thought out of mind and to get the slight pain in his neck out, Seiryū turned to see if his companion had followed him out of the building. “Since you’re buying, I’ll let you choose the bar we’re going to.” There was a slight grin on his face as he spoke, the wheels in his mind churning. “Don’t tell me you’ve never had a drink before.” There was a look of shock on Seiryū’s face, though it was entirely false as if he was attempting to prove his words to be true. Though, he didn’t believe his words one bit.

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Akarui smiled as he exited the restaurant, walking with Seiryu through the street of Sunagakure. If there was one thing he loved about his homeland it was the warmth of the sun on his skin. Sandstorms and sunburns were their own challenges, of course, but there was little else that compared to laying out in a clam stretch of sand or a hammock and relaxing. Of course, the one thing which really helped put Akarui in this lethargic mood was the incredible feeling of being completely full. There was something about being completely satisfied which put Akarui in the best of moods. That, combined with the weather, enraptured the red haired shinobi and relieved all his stresses and inhibitions.

It was with this state of mind that Akarui made his way aimlessly through the village; the idea of going to a bar was simply a vague end goal which he really did not consider all too important at the moment. Making his way along with Seiryu, he whistled a tune to himself, hands in the pockets of his capris, jovial in his contentedness. Really, Akarui sometimes wondered whether he enjoyed being content or in ecstasy more. They were certainly difficult to compare analytically speaking, but if he had to choose between a relaxing time or an exhilarating one, he presumed it would be a difficult choice. The red head then looked to Seiryu, his companion for the evening. Ceasing his whistling, he offered a quiet smile. It was not every day that friends were made over lunch, so he was almost delighted at the prospect of going on another outing.

The unidentifiable something Akarui thought he had noticed earlier was all but forgotten at this point; a relic of a bygone era that, while only happening less than an hour ago, felt like ancient history at the moment. It had come and gone so quickly even when it was recent, and had been replaced by nice conversation and good food, that Akarui was not even interested in the topic even when it came back to the forefront of his thoughts while he smiled to his lunch and drinking companion. Perhaps it was simply the strange situation they had found themselves in, but now it did not matter. There was drinking to be done.

Almost as if on cue, Seiryu began to tease Akarui about the drinking establishment they were to patronize.

"Never had a drink before? You shame me, Seiryu. Come on, I'll show you my favorite, most expensive place." Akarui grinned slyly, putting extra emphasis on the word expensive. Truly, the place he had in mind was not all too expensive. Perhaps half a dozen ryo more altogether than the cheap places Akarui now avoided. No, but the fancy aesthetic of the drinking house was sure to trick his new friend that it was indeed the most expensive bar in all of Sunagakure. Without another word, Akarui started to jog down the streets of the village, down towards the fancier part of the settlement.

After some time, the two would come upon a traditional looking building which would seem almost like a mountain shrine but for its thick sandstone walls and wooden shutters. Even from this point, as the window shutters were open, the two would be able to see the inner workings of the establishment. The restaurant consisted of several hallways lined with paper-walled and doored rooms, each housing a single table with either two or four cushions surrounding them. Waiters in kimonos and hakama walked the hallways bearing smiles as well as hot, chilled and room temperature sake, though some also carried wine and beer. Just then the windows were shut and the two young shinobi's views were obstructed.

"Welcome," Akarui turned to Seiryu with a wide grin, hands resting behind his head. "To the Umi Sake House!"

644

Following after his companion, as he couldn’t exactly call the person a friend just yet, Seiryū wondered what exact location they would be going to today. Seiryū’s choices were his own, yet he wanted to see what appealed to Akarui that he couldn’t read off of him. There was the odd chance that Akarui could easily be disguising his actions to act in a different way, yet Seiryū seemed to doubt that, even a little bit. There seemed to be little to no trace of keeping certain aspects down, from his regard. As his footsteps almost fell in line with Akarui’s, only slight behind should the red-headed male decide to turn on the spot or come to complete stop, allowing Seiryū to easily follow after him or simply slow down and stop. After all, it was Akarui’s choice of locale, so there was no point in Seiryū leading them anywhere.

Just walking outside right now felt like a blessing when compared to the suffocating and crowded environment provided from the Dragon’s Tongue. His legs felt free to move about, even though he would be trailing after his impromptu lunch buddy. Just the sensation of not having to be seated in a crowded environment was enough to keep Seiryū upbeat for the time being. As they walked, Seiryū heard the whistling coming from his companion mixing in with the noises provided from the rest of the citizens who retook to the streets, going on about their day, though the whistling was relatively short lived, yet the noises continued to come and go from the hundreds among the streets of Sunagakure no Sato.

His eyes glanced around with curiosity, trying to figure out where they would be going based on their location. Perhaps he had visited the place that Akarui was leading them towards, or perhaps it would be a place he never really visited. As the red-head stated that he’d be taking them to an expensive bar, Seiryū automatically assumed it would be a place he never visited before, or had on the off chance. In all likelihood, it would be the former rather than the latter. It wasn’t that Seiryū was frugal with his spending, but instead his current living conditions and income provided him with only so much spare money to spend elsewhere, and drinking wasn’t the only thing he spent his ryo on.

From the outside, just glancing at the building holding the bar that Akarui had led them to, Seiryū questioned why they would be going to such a place initially, though realizing it was all Akarui’s decision, Seiryū decided to let it be. From visual appearances alone, the ‘Umi Sake House’ definitely was above the places Seiryū would visit on his own, even if he could afford such a place nothing would change that for him. The place surely didn’t look like a bar, though it definitely would supply alcohol to its patrons, or else they wouldn’t come here. In fact, just from glancing around the place, Seiryū could tell that it appeared to be a rather expensive sake house. With nothing else but a raised eyebrow, Seiryū would follow Akarui in to the Umi Sake House.

As they entered the establishment, the inside went along with the exterior of the building, keeping the atmosphere presented by both the exact same. The place oozed of class, or at least attempted to, yet the thing that gave it away would be the people exiting the place happened to be relatively young, so it couldn’t be one of those truly luxurious places the rich frequented. Feeling just a bit out of place, Seiryū would slightly trail behind Akarui as the hostess would lead them to a small room down the hallway. The room was a bit small, though it was made for two individuals. Just from a look alone, Seiryū knew this wasn’t the type of place he would often come to. He enjoyed venturing out to full bars, where the positioning and atmosphere allowed people to mingle with one another, even with complete strangers. Though this was unquestionably something he wasn’t used to, he supposed it wouldn’t hurt to give it shot. Taking a seat on one of the two cushions around the table, Seiryū would wait for Akarui to join him.

Once they were both seated, he would nod towards Akarui before speaking. “Since you’re paying, why not order the first round for both of us?

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Akarui breathed deeply and noticeably as he entered the restaurant with his companion. The red haired shinobi  savored the sweet smell of the honeyed sake as well as the all-permeating scent of alcohol which danced throughout the establishment. It was nothing close to the kind of feeling one might get when walking into a secluded whiskey cupboard. No, it was a lighter scent, a more jovial feeling. Friendly but still classy. That was what Akarui relished about the Umi Sake House; it struck just the right balance between high quality and class and accessibility. These days it seemed to Akarui that traditional places drinking manners and styles were rarely taught and even more rarely practiced. As such, he made it something of a personal mission to drink traditionally whenever he could. And really, what better thing was their to share with a new acquaintance than a traditional evening of sake?

These were the thoughts which filled Akarui's mind as he and Seiryu were led to their table by the hostess. She was pretty, but not too pretty. Really her most striking feature was the kimono that she wore rather than any of her physical attributes. The garment was made up of several bright colors, all of which shone radiantly in the light of the sake house. Akarui smiled faintly as he observed the nature of the hostess. He felt it matched the feel of the establishment quite well. Class and prestige was more important the the base pleasures of the human body. It really was quite the apt comparison to the act of drinking fine alcohol. With a slight frown he looked to Seiryu as they neared their room. He could only hope his drinking companion felt similarly about drinking. If he had been planning on getting drunk, perhaps Akarui would need to apologize.

As they reached the sliding paper doors of their booth, Akarui removed his shoes and left them outside them outside. Inside, Akarui found Seiryu had already taken his seat on one of the floral pattern cushions on either side of the austerely decorated but finely varnished wooden table. Offering a friendly smile, he too soon slid into his seat opposite Seiryu, giving him a nod before turning to the hostess, who politely described the night's specials, though Akarui himself payed little mind to them. He knew already exactly what he would be ordering.

“Since you’re paying, why not order the first round for both of us?

Really there was no combination of words Seiryu could have said at that very moment which would have given the red head a more conflicted set of feelings. With a chuckle he turned back to Seiryu, offering him an approving nod.

"Fair enough, but if you don't like what I order you'll have to get your substitute on your own." With a friendly wink he turned back to the hostess, placing a hand on his chin and looking thoughtfully over her shoulder into the restaurant. Of course, he had already decided on what he desired, but he felt that the dignity of the sake house deserved at least the imitation of sincere contemplation, especially considering the lengthy list of house specials the hostess had already recited, and Akarui himself already forgotten. After what he felt was a sufficient amount of time, he gave his answer. "Let me see here... how about one of your sweeter bottles of your nigorizake? Chilled of course." The hostess smiled and nodded first to Akarui and then to Seiryu before backing towards the sliding paper doors. She muttered something about the order being ready in five minutes before gently sliding the doors and enclosing Akarui and Seiryu in the near empty room.

"So, you are a shinobi, are you not, Seiryu?" Akarui tilted his head curiously at the white haired young man who sat across from him, resting his hands on his knees before him. This time he would not make the mistake of too long or too awkward a silence.

670 + 644 = 1314

A single eyebrow barely rose as Akarui had simply implied that he would need to be prepared to order a substitute if the drink he ordered was not to his tastes. While not entirely too particular with his drinks, Seiryū would drink it regardless, as common courtesy would simply dictate him to do so. He wasn’t raised to display high-society mannerisms, nor did he expect himself to do such, as such things weren’t expected of him from anyone. To anyone except possibly three people in this entire world, he was just a blank name, someone who could easily be replaced by another, yet it was that which kept him going to be his own person. His eyes simply travelled between Akarui and the hostess as they spoke in their respective turns. His mind had already forgotten the list of house specials that the hostess listed, as the list had begun to grow far too long for Seiryū to fully listen to the list.

His eyes travelled around the room, his feet only clad in the socks from having removed his shoes prior to entering the room. The mere notion of having to do such, without really entering his home or someone else’s, was foreign to Seiryū. While had had sake prior to this occasion, being in such a formal setting was rather different than what he was used to. His past experiences at other sake houses involved sitting upon chairs, never really having been one for the upper-class establishment due to varying restrictions that were both personal and things completely out of his control. As such, he mainly let Akarui take the lead, so he wouldn’t act unseemly or out of conduct for what was expected in a place such as this. Besides, this was likely one of Akarui’s favourite establishments, and thus it wouldn’t do to cause a ruckus in such a place and ultimately ruin the experience for the individual who frequented this sake house.

He kept himself quiet, idly wandering about anything that came to mind, though nothing of much importance for the few moments he had once the hostess had left. It skipped his mind as to what Akarui had ordered as far as drinks, sake most likely, since his mind had wandered elsewhere. When he heard his name spoken, Seiryū instantly woke himself from his inner stupor, looking blankly at what the question was. He doubted his name was solely said due to the tile of the head from the red-haired fellow sitting across from him. Thinking for a few seconds, trying to recall if he heard any words, aside from his name, Seiryū sat there slightly stumped for a bit. Then, as if a part of his brain and ears were working without his full awareness, he could recall the three other words, ‘shinobi, are you,’ yet the rest was completely forgotten to the white-haired shinobi.

The answer to the question at hand was definitely very simple for him to answer, though he actually hadn’t done much in terms of progressing as a shinobi of the village. With his hands lazily falling in to his lap, and slightly readjusting his legs, Seiryū look forward at Akarui, though his gaze travelled behind him to the wall, not sure what to exactly make of the question. There wasn’t much to answer in this question, so he simply spoke. “Of course, I am a shinobi. Not the best or most active one, as I’m merely a genin. But in due time, that’ll all change. After all, a person as extraordinary as me can’t be that bad at this shinobi thing, eh?” There was a slight twinkle in his eye as he spoke up, particularly about being on his way there. Given his personality, Seiryū had more confidence within himself than he would’ve had he been stuck with the Kōga’s in their compound. The freedom he had gave him room to become his own person, not just a mould. Simply looking back at Akarui, he would reiterate the same question, though more as a statement than an actual question, “As a Kōga, I assume you’re also a shinobi.” He left it open for Akarui to respond to, knowing that if his companion wished to add more, he would, or the topic could easily stray away.

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Akarui continued to smirk as Seiryu returned to reality and responded to his query. At first it was encouraging to realize that Seiryu too had been a genin for quite some time. It almost seemed to validate to Akarui his inability to achieve chuunin rank. Perhaps if Seiryu was also having such a difficult time convincing his superiors that he should be promoted, then he himself was not so far behind. However, this burst of fresh air was soon cut off as Seiryu went on to praise his own abilities. A slight frown crossed his face for but a moment before he was forced to go straight into a lighthearted only half-deserved laugh. In all honesty he did not know whether Seiryu was joking or not, but the talk did make him uncomfortable on an existential level. Overconfidence was not really Akarui's thing. In many ways his entire mindset was based on how unskilled he was. It was both his inner turmoil and what drove him to become stronger, to bring pride to his family and meet the expectations of his parents in particular. Seiryu, on the other hand, seemed to deal with things from the entirely opposite perspective. Then again, how different could they be? They were both still genin after all.

Sooner than he expected his thoughts were put on the spotlight as Seiryu made a leading statement. In truth it should not have been all too debatable a statement. The Kōga were a warrior clan after all. Akarui looked down on his folded hands which rested on the table, a sad smile crossing his face. "Yes, the clan produces many skilled shinobi, and I was trained in the ways of war for many years. That does not make me a shinobi yet, though. One day I'll be skilled enough to call myself a true shinobi, but until that day it will just be a job." Akarui chuckled softly to himself before looking up to Seiryu with a grin, eyes closed. It felt good to talk about these things with someone else. It was not something he did often with his parents or siblings or anyone in the clan really. He wanted to appear strong and without emotional weakness to them. But this felt like a much needed release of burden to the red haired young man.

A few moments later the waitress and two serving boys appeared. She opened the paper door to reveal that one of the boy's held a small tin bucket filled to the brim with ice, and a thin sake bottle poked its top from the chilling container. The other held two lacquered wooden boxes for the traditional drinking procedures. Akarui smiled at the three, offering a slow downwards nod which almost seemed like a bow. One of the lacquered boxes was placed before Seiryu and Akarui both, and the bucket chilling the sake was placed between them, closer to the door. The two serving boys bowed before exiting the room, but the hostess remained, moving to remove the bottle from the ice. For a few moments she shook the bottle to homogenize it before uncapping it and moving towards Seiryu. A milky, sweet smelling alcohol poured gently into Seriyu's box all the way to the brim, until a dome of water tension lined the top of the container. She looked to Seiryu with the kind of obviously fake but heartwarming smile that only someone in the services industry can give before moving over to Akarui and doing the same for his box.

"Thank you very much." Akarui said with a slight smirk, bowing his head as she replaced the bottle into the ice bucket, the remaining liquid sloshing at the bottom of the bottle. She then bowed towards the center of the table before backing out of the room, gently sliding the paper door closed once more and leaving Akarui and Seiryu to their alcohol. Akarui now lifted his box slowly and gently, eyes closed as the box and sake both approached his lips. While none of the liquid spilled, an obvious slurping noise emanated from Akarui as he drank from the tension on top of the box. After a few moments he lowered his drink, looking back to Seiryu with a contented smile. "Well, if you are indeed a shinobi, we should spar at some point; see how well we can apply our skills."

739 + 1314 = 2053

Seiryū had watched Akarui’s expression shift as he spoke about him being a genin, though one that changed immediately once Seiryū’s confidence in himself took over when talking about the things he could possibly do; if he ever committed enough time to being a shinobi. Never one to doubt himself, though knowing that he wouldn’t achieve all he sought out to do, Seiryū knew that once he dedicated himself to accomplishing something, it would be achieved in the future no matter how far away it would be. His expectations were set by himself and were only for himself, as he had no one he needed to impress or satisfy by achieving a certain goal or not. There were both positives and negatives when it came to only having to satisfy his own ego and wellbeing, instead of constantly being surrounded by others. The frown marring Akarui’s face had definitely spelt something relating to how the red-head felt, though the exact reason why a bit difficult to foretell.

He listened to Akarui ramble about the clan, not really caring too much about the inner workings of the clan, or about how many skilled shinobi they produced. For Seiryū, anything that glorified that clan went in his head and was directly rerouted out. Seiryū just watched him blankly, only offering a slight turn of the lips that would form the slightest of smiles. He felt no need to comment on the things at hand, knowing that his opinion of Akarui’s clan was already altered from Seiryū’s own past with them. Instead, he only offered a single nod as Akarui had finished speaking.

It wasn’t long after Akarui speaking that their waitress appeared alongside two young serving boys. With the sliding door slid open, one of the boys walked in, the one hold the tin bucket filled with ice and the bottle of sake that rested half within the ice and half out of it. Seiryū blankly watched as one the wooden boxes were placed infront of him, not really caring too much about the procedures involved in such a process. All he truly wanted was to simply drink, yet that seemed no longer an option; though perhaps it would arise later on in the day, or at least the day after. His gaze travelled to the box as the waitress began to pour the Sake for him, and then going to pour sake for Akarui as well.

As the waitress exited the room, the moment Seiryū looked back up, he noticed Akarui taking a drink of sake from his respective box. The moment Akarui lowered his drink back to the table and offered words of a spar, Seiryū solely raised his right eyebrow with a mischievous gleam in his eyes. “Perhaps. Though, you’d best be prepared if we do spar anytime.”

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