{ No Kill / Fukai or Invite Only }

Why is it so cloudy?

Why... oh why are there clouds everywhere?


Questions forever rumbled inside the brain of the mysterious individual as the gēnin walked the busy, yet casual, streets of the village to where his first destination would be, Kumogakure no Sato. When arriving to the village, the very prominent feeling of shelter was upon the man as the low chill of the 40° weather with the wind blowing at south at 9MPH. Yes, it was somewhat calm yet with a hint of chilly wind that the man was feeling, seeing as his striking, blue eyes had slowly moved upward to the sky, only to see clouds covering it. A simple toss of his hood to mask his appearance as he had felt little raindrops beginning to come down.

The village was peaceful now, a bit quiet but still lively in some areas. The man had began walking the Kumogakure streets. The individual was flat-footed, so his steps along with the other civilians, were being heard. Left foot and then right foot as the same repeated pattern continued as he walked. Although his hood had made the inside of his face look of complete darkness, he moved his head in different directions, taking on the view of the lifestyle of Kumogakure. As he had thought in his head before, the village was somewhat quiet now but still lively, for a little drizzle of rain would not stop these dedicated civilians into still continuing on with their lives. As he walked, he shifted his head as his view went to the left and spotted a district that many people were walking to. He might as well join the crowd.

The rain that was pouring was slight, but being in a cloudy village, that could possibly change soon, even though the only village that rained was Amegakure, let alone known as the Rain VIllage. The district had seemed much similar to an industrial part of district, but it gave the male more so a residential feeling, since most places were in walking distance from different civilian homes. The different buildings, whether small, medium, or large in size,  he had looked at were in good repair, some as if they were just made today. This has reminded the male of the district back in Konohagakure, seeing as though it was somewhere in the inner city of the country. Crime was somewhat short to none here in this district, seeing as though most of the civilians or shinboi (apparently), can defend themselves when crime was afoot, so this had gave the male a more sense of safety.

It was a really good day out for a small drizzle in the cloudy village, but the atmosphere sure did give off a cool and chilly feeling, probably because it was somewhat cold out. { Hmm what to do to past the time? } The genin was thinking to someone while walking. He was getting rather bored just walking around and doing nothing, but what can you tell to an introvert..? Nothing of that manner. He did however, hear a commotion going on in an alley to which he did walk past right now. He had stopped in his tracks and opened in an ear to the conversation.

---

{ WordCount: 545
Apologies for the short post }

In his boredom, Fukai had started to seek out the baked goods stall that he had encountered on his first day on Mt Ikkyu. He had devoured a delicious cream doughnut on that day, it was simply the best thing he had ever tasted. In this intermission between rounds of the exams, he had very little to do. He had been working out earlier this morning but he did not want to do any serious work as he did not want to fatigue his body to a point that would inhibit his performance. He had settled for this little treasure hunt but it did not look to be working out too well for him at the moment. The weather had closed in and lit the sky with clear mountain precipitation. He did not mind the rain, it was cool on his silver locks, running down his long tied back hair and dripping off and onto his back. The purple clan clothing that now clung to his body was still quite light, they were more like sheets than robes, the cheap material not able to absorb much liquid. He had tucked the red scarf down his top, the metal blades wrapped in the cloth. It was a high quality and hardy item but he still gave it a little more care than his other possessions. He would not have to worry about the wooden weapon that was strapped to his back as it was always kept in good condition with a fresh sanding and glazing every month.

He figured that the stall would probably have shut by now and he was about to go home an figure out what else to do when a small figure called out his name. A coated man was running with a laboured step up to meet him. Fukai Fantomusodo! He stood in front of the large young man and grabbed his attention, motioning that they should make for the eve of the alleyway for shelter. He led they way, taking off the jppd of his coat as he came to a standstill. He turned and made contact with Fukai with pleasant eyes. You look well, as you should. Keep up the good work. His light panting came to a halt. The genin looked up and down the man, he must have some business, this was not the place for some idle pleasantry. He was a man in his thirties, a slight build but he could see the incredible cardiovascular system that the man possessed. The large toned calves that protruded from the coat were no stranger to work. His face crinkled slightly as he leaned up to the taller man. An Iwagakure headband lined short cropped brown hair. Uh thanks..
Sata. The man filled in the gap as was customary. He definitely looked like a kind man, Fukai wondered what he wanted. The silence that followed was filled by the elder man as he realised that there was no conversation to be had. I have a note to give to your supervisor. Could you by any chance give me the direction to his accommodation, please?
You have business with old man Dukaru? He found this odd as usually ay message would be fine to be sent by bird or through a merchant but to send own messenger gave a certain peculiar smell. Well, how about you give it to me and I will pass it on? Mr Sata laughed it off.
Oh no, that is my job Fukai. Would you rob me the satisfaction of seeing my mission out to the end?

Fukai's head twisted as he measured the man from a different angle. He was not going to be palmed off that easily, he wanted to know what was in that note. At any other time, he would not have butted into business that was not meant for him but seeing as this expedition was supposedly based around him, there was a good chance that the message was about him too. The old Fukai would have let the man go on his way, but he had grown new resolve over his experiences in the land of lightning. A new strength of character and a determination to take control of his own future and not let it be decided by anyone else. Yes, I'm afraid that I will be taking that note. His chest rose up and his right hand slithered back to his staff in a challenge. His eyes hardened and locked on the the older man. Sata's face fell and then hardened as well. His tone lowered into a growl but he hesitated on the first word.
Get out of my face, boy. This is not for you. Fukai was about to start using force when the messenger's head snapped to the side, in the direction of the entrance to the alleyway. He rose to alert for a few seconds and the shifted his attention back to the genin. Fine. Just make sure this gets to him. Handing an envelope to Fukai, he hurried out of the gap between the two buildings and trudged off through the rain, glancing to his right and then he was gone. His slight silhouette bled out into the rain.

Fukai walked out after him, his mind still ticking away when he noticed a young man just outside and to the right. It looked like he had been listening in on his exchange. Did this kid have some relation to all this? Who are you? Fukai's piercing purple eyes turned on the smaller figure and abruptly asked that he identify himself. He then remembered that he still held the envelope, quickly stuffing it into his wet shirt. An unsafe place for a paper note, for sure.

[962]
ooc: all good on the word count

He had heard of such a commotion going on in the alley and had stopped for a quick second to open an ear, or rather being noisy in one's case. But what he didn't know was that when the gēnin had turned and had tried to walk back, he had seen a strange man darting off from the alley and into the rain, yet even more strange was that his striking blue eyes had a glance of the man as the man glanced to his right and continued running in the rain and potentially, out of sight. That was weird to him as he kept his head and eyes in that direction. His eyes were sharp as a hawk in a way, picking up almost every detail in his surroundings. He'd probably thought that most people in Kumogakure was like that, which was odd to him. { Weird... I wonder what he was running from, especially in this weather of a day... } His thoughts exactly as he slowly shrugged his shoulder and began to walk off, or at least that's what he thought was going to happen.

Strange man running from the alleyway. Apparently that's not weird at all...

{ Who are you? } His stepping had stopped after his left foot went first. He moved his left foot back into the standing position but slightly forward, giving off the stature that he was beginning to move when ready. He turned his head forward, only to see a different male at that, possibly walking from the same alleyway that the other individual had ran out of it. It had to be the case, since the man looked as if he was moving fast to be unseen. Now his full attention was on the other male that had just come from the alleyway. It was oblivious and obvious that the other male was taller then the gēnin was, seeing as though Jion himself was about five feet and ten inches and if it was an estimate with the other male, approximately six feet and two inches at the most, if not just a bit taller. What caught Jion's attention of the male's appearance was striking feature of his eyes, being that was a menacing color which was purple. The man had looked rather young to the gēnin, but looks could be deceiving in this world. Being that his eyes was sharp and this his intelligence level was high, he mainly kept his eyes half open, being as though he was somewhat lazy and sleepy all the time, and he was a bit socially awkward as well, any not many people would even hear him speak in a way.

And now another person coming from the same alleyway. No suspicions whatsoever...

{ Who are you? } Still that question had not left his mind or it had not been answered. It was just a simple question nonetheless. It was nothing too difficult, but his blue eyes had glanced at the little brown envelope that the tall male had been holding, and had stuffed into his wet shirt quickly so that Jion could not see. A perk from having good eyes is to pick up on certain details and actions that most cannot see that. "I'm just a wandering shinobi. Passing through villages and learning about their cultures." A more solid yet wasteful answer. { Let's try that again. } "Name's Jiongami. Kinda' new here in Kumogakure," The gēnin replied still to the question as his mind slightly remembered of the envelope, "And you might want to hide the envelope in a more safer place... You do not have any pockets?" He asked the man that was standing before him. It started to rain. He had almost forgot that the clouds had overlapped the sky and it had started to rain.

Looking at the man’s stature, his blue eyes could pinpoint the slightest details about the figure. From his chiseled, well-toned muscles (from the looks of him working out much), to his attire of a simple red scarf and the purple scars on his arms. The man’s eyes were that of purple, to which he had seen when he first stepped out of the alleyway. { His favorite color must be purple. } He was thinking to himself as he motioned his head upward and closed his eyes. He loved the rain, probably one of his favorite weather other than the sunny skies similar to Sunagakure. He waited for the man to answer, or at least respond to what he had to say.

---

{ WordCount: 768
Total: 1313 }

He was suspicious of the young man that stood in front of him, the stranger looked like he had been listening in on his conversation. Was this the case or was he just being his usual suspicious self? Looking up and down the figure, he seemed slightly different than most of the people in Kumo somehow but there was no obvious red flag about him. To react negatively to him was to accuse him of some part in this suspicious message and he would not do that without some sort of proof. His eyes were striking and drew Fukai's own eye. Fukai wanted to know what exactly he was doing here although he realised soon after speaking that he was probably not justified in demanding an answer. The kid seemed to comply with his question regardlessly.

Apparently, he was a ronin, a shinobi that did not belong to a village. His name was Jiongami and was newish to the cloud village. He also showed some interest in the envelope that Fukai had just stowed in his shirt. He did not feel comfortable talking about a message from his own home but acknowledged with an "oh" that it needed better care. He was very curious about what it happened to contain but he was not going to open it in public. He took the now damp folded paper and wrapped it in one end of his scarf and stuffed it down his front. He would then show courtesy of replying with his own name. Hello Jiongami, my name is Fukai and I am from the Hidden Rock. He raised a hand to start to extend it for an attempted handshake but then reconsidered it as he thought it may not be the most appropriate time. He transitioned the action into a head scratch, creating an awkward half circle. So uhh. Nice weather we're having. Fukai thought for a few seconds and realised that he did not have anywhere to go for the moment so he may as well invite the stranger to tag along if he chose to. The rain looks like it is going to get heavier, come lets find some shelter and warm food, my treat. If they stayed out too long in this weather, they would be risking a cold. Being ill was definitely something that he could not risk.

If the young man were to comply, Fukai would start to lead them to a noodle house that he had spotted on his way here. There was one main reason that he was interested in this boy: he had said that he was passing through villages and learning their cultures. Before he had left for Kumogakure, the land of stone had been the only place he had ever known. He had begun to yearn to see the world and to learn of what was out there and how it differed from his own life. After spending over a month in Kumo, his eyes had opened to the new experiences and cultures that existed. Here was someone who was younger than him that was free to roam the lands as he pleased and was also interested in learning about them. Fukai wanted to hear about his travels. So you're a wandering shinobi aye? I bet you've had some adventures. How about we trade stories until we arrive? Fukai took a furtive glance behind him. You start.

[571] /1533

The first thing that had caught the gēnin’s attention was the simple fact that the male and gotten the envelope from his previous location and had wrapped it with his scarf and placed down the same location, at least he had something to cover up the very important envelope to keep it from getting soaked and damp and potentially ruined. Now that was out the way, he was waiting for an introduction of some sort coming from the person that he had acknowledged a few minutes ago.

{ Hello Jiongami, my name is Fukai and I am from the Hidden Rock. }

So the person’s name was Fukai, and he was from Iwagakure no Sato, better known as the Hidden Stone village or the Village hidden by Rocks. He remembered a few months back that he had stopped in that village. It was said to be ruled by one of the best medics in the world… who people deemed to say that their Tsuchikage was apart of the Hyūga clan or something. There was just stories or assumptions leading to that in Konohagakure, although he did believe the medic part. He would have to go there one day and learn some Medical Ninjutsu techniques from this Tsuchikage, since they both share a knowledge and understanding of Medical Ninjutsu in a way. The person had seemed like a very nice shinobi although the gēnin should at least keep his guard up and ready at all times. It had seemed that he had almost made a friend, or at least an ally in a way. Wouldn’t hurt to have allies from different villages you could depend on at different times of need.

A small laughter had escaped Jiongami as the gesture had tickled his soul in a way. Then the laughter turned into a slight chuckle to which he wiped the raindrops off of his face and held out his hand in regards for an attempted handshake. There was nothing with greeting and meeting new people and gesturing for a handshake. It was a sign of respect and friendship in a way, or rather the beginning of a nice friendship, so the gēnin did not mind the awkward handshake. From what the individual had did, it made him a chuckle a bit. A small sigh escaped from his lips as he was done with his chuckling and waited for the man to greet him with that same handshake to which he turned into a head scratch. "It’s alright, honest. I know it probably wasn’t the right time, but sometimes not the right time is the best time for some situations. So I don’t mind." A small smile had crept upon the gēnin’s face as his eyes closed in the process. It was still hilarious to him at that moment so he was glad that he had enjoyed a good laughter while he could.

If the man had accepted the handshake, the gēnin would motioned his hand to go up and down at a medium pace and let go when the male had feel like letting go at anytime. He was not all for one to be uncomfortable. If the two let go, Jiongami would put his hands back in his pockets and listened to the man further.

{ So uhh. Nice weather we're having. }

He tilted his head to the site and had looked upward, seeing as though it was still raining. He had thought that the person was trying to make conversation in a way. Surely he was lacking, but it was good for a start as the gēnin had felt multiple raindrops hitting his entire face. He did love the rainy weather, but the Rain Village, Amegakure, was nowhere to be found at this point, so he would have to do with Kumogakure and Kirigakure. Either way, he still liked the feeling of raindrops falling on one’s naked face. “This is a nice weather today. Not really the weather I had expected from Kumogakure no Sato, but it is the Village hidden by Clouds, rather Hidden Cloud Village. Expect the unexpected they say.” He couldn’t blame the village for its strange weather condition today, and he did not get word that it was supposed to be raining today, but he guessed that today of all days would be the day that it had to rain. He had hoped that there was no funeral taking place in that manner. It was still good weather though honestly.

{ The rain looks like it is going to get heavier, come lets find some shelter and warm food, my treat. }

He did not want to risk getting a cold or feeling ill in a way, and plus the man did offer warm food at his leisure and treat, so why not. It was a good opportunity to learn about the man and hopefully of his background, and why his inner aura was the color purple or something like that. “Much obliged. Thank you Fukai. It is getting heavy out here, and warm food does sound nice right about now.” With that, he followed the man to what appeared to be a noodle house nearby. He had never seen the place when he got to Kumogakure which was strange in a way. Hearing his stomach growling, it probably was a good day to stop here for the day and eat. He hadn’t eaten anything ever since he started his travels from Konohagakure no Sato, so it was helpful in a way for him to get his nutrition up and running, and what better to start then to have noodles.

{ So you're a wandering shinobi aye? I bet you've had some adventures. How about we trade stories until we arrive? }

So he did remember saying that he was a wandering shinobi, or maybe the correct term for such would be a rōnin. But yes, he was a wandering shinobi. And adventures… did he really have adventures? He think he did. If he did, he wouldn’t mind trading tales of his adventures of being a wandering gēnin. Would be a nice start to spark up a conversation though. “Yes, I am a rōnin as people would call it in terms of a wandering shinobi. And I had some adventures and I wouldn’t mind trading tales until we arrive. Maybe my stomach would stop talking for me for the time being…”

He was getting quite irritated that his stomach was constantly growling over the simple fact that he was hungry and that he needed to eat. It was almost as if his stomach was talking to him in his language, and that was something he did not want to happen.

FEED ME!!! NOW!!!

Unfortunately that was exactly how it sounded like to him.

{ You start. }

So he wanted Jiongami to start. Alright then. Crossing his arms while walking and raising his right arm so that his hand could touch his chin and slowly rubbing his chin, he had to think of some adventures that occurred to him while on his travels as a rōnin. He had quite a few though, so he wouldn’t mind starting.

“Well if you must want to know, there was the one time where I was actually leaving Konohagakure no Sato, because that’s the village I am originally from. So I was walking down the path to the forest and I had heard a rustling sound in the bushes. It was sunny out, the skies was clear and the wind was soothing and calm, so one would have the impression that everything was going to be alright. A massive boar, Adult size, probably about 6.4 ft. and weighing at a massive 190 lbs., comes from the bushes and begins to charge at me. The only thing I could do at that point was dodge as I threw myself out of the way. As I looked back, the boar had come to charge again…”

He was still telling his story while walking to the noodle house. His stomach would growl on a few occasions, but not as much even though he was still hungry. He had told Fukai that he had jumped on the boar’s back and had tried to stab him with his Kunai several times, but to no avail did the beast ended up going down. He told him that he had jumped upward and out of the way and had thrown four senbon to which he embedded the senbon in Lightning Release chakra since Lightning Release was his natural affinity. The senbon had hit the boar as the Lightning Chakra had stunned the boar and paralyzed it for a limited, to which it gave Jiongami the opportunity to land the fatal strike, to which the fatal point was the belly of the beast. He then told him that he had grabbed his senbon and wiped them off and placed back on their pouch and stayed at the forest for the night and ate boar for dinner as he cooked it.

“I was thinking about heading to Sunagakure for my first destination, but I decided to come here instead. Maybe when we are done here, we can travel back to Iwagakure. I wouldn’t mind to place a meeting with your Tsuchikage and learn a few things from him.” He was interested in meeting this Akira person that he had been hearing about while in Konohagkure and hoping to learn a lot of things from this man. He had hoped that they were at the noodle house already since he was stomach was now growling more and more after he had finished his little story.

---

{ WordCount: 1628
Total: 2941 }

He seemed a strange figure, this Jiongami. It was not any sort of judgement, it couldn't be as he did not know the guy. It was more of the sort of first impression that people put too much weight on. The sort of impression that warped the view of the person until a large amount of time was spent to diffuse the feelings. Fukai managed to realise when he himself generated these feelings and actively sought to look for excuses to think otherwise. He personally had often felt the effects of small and unfounded prejudices over the years. His size often intimidated people, leading them to believe he was more dangerous or menacing or more unpleasant than others. This mean people distanced themselves or at least took longer to warm to him. It did not help that he had been completely introverted for many years, he gave no one any reason to reach out to him. When people see someone who is alone, they subject them to an identity of the outcast which only furthered their ostracisation. It was an unfortunate loop for the ones who were caught in it. Fukai had been, up until that day when he had met those two guys.. So that is why Fukai made the extra effort to make sure he was not a part of this problem, and tried to be the solution. A roaming ninja, one without a home, would surely not appreciate a cold shoulder from him. Because at the end of the day, we are all humans. Humans are social creatures and being a shinobi or not, we seek interaction on varying levels with others.

Jiongami seemed to find amusement in his awkwardness, giving a warm chuckle which made the situation a little less mechanical. He then put the effort in to validate Fukai's action with kind words, something that the Iwagakure genin could only admire. Infact, this warm glow of a person coupled with the unique personality reminded him of someone he had met back home. A young man by the name of Uchiha Izanami. He was a ronin as well, maybe the lack of village upbringing and conformity meant that people could grow and develop more naturally, the lack of the cookie cutter culture meant that these people were free to be whoever they wanted to be. Was this how all people would be without the current shinobi social structure? Was the art of the ninja and the consequences on people's lives really that detrimental? When Fukai gazed into those azure eyes, he saw an inhibitionless creature. One that knew itself and what it wanted. He could only hope to find the same for himself one day. Fukai took the man's hand with anewed confidence and couldn't help but let the corner of his mouth twitch in a smile.

His head tilted up when Fukai mentioned the rain. He joined in on the small talk in an appropriate manner. He had been in Kumo for a while now and had since adapted to the change in climate. The altitude was similar to Iwa so he didn't find the thin air as strange or debilitating as others did. While he was here as a guest and mostly out of work, he would not care too much about the weather. On a mission or out in the field, it was a different case. The environment had to be taken into account. Rain could change the situation greatly. It has the potential to obscure vision, sound and smell as well as erasing scents and footprints. But back in town, all rain could do was stop him from buying doughnuts. Jiongami agreed that heading to get something to eat would be a good idea. He started off int the direction and had asked for his new acquaintance to share a story with him. The purple eyed genin presumably asked for him to start, hoping that this would be okay as he was offering to pay for the meal.

They trudged through the rain as Jiongami told his story of the boar that attacked him as he was leaving his original village of Konoha. Fukai came up along side the male, giving cues that would show he was listening and enjoying his tale. He glanced over at the exciting parts and smiled. It was a thrilling story for sure. Apparently he could use raiton to create a stunning effect in his senbon. This sounded like his own fighting style with his static enhancement on his staff. Fukai laughed when he heard that the boar had ended up as dinner. Surely there can be no greater reward for defeating your enemy than a slow cooked pork belly. It reminds me of one of my missions in the past where I had been sent out to The Wild West to get rid of a boar who was destroying crops and running amok on a rural Iwagakurian farm. Looks like we both have swine slaying blood in our veins. Could this be one of the requirements for greatness?

Jiongami continued on to share what his future travel plans were. He suggested that they could return to Iwa together as he wanted to meet the Tsuchikage. Mentioning the leader of his village, Fukai's face lost it's smile. He looked forward and took a little leap over a newly made but expanding puddle. It wasn't that he did not dislike the Kage by any means, it was just that their lives did not have any overlap. Even though they lived in the same village and were part of the same force, he was at the top and Fukai was at the bottom. Kages rose and fell quite frequently in Iwa as is quite natural in a country with it's history but Fukai's life did not change much at all after each leader was replaced. He had received little help when he needed it most, he had never received much in the way of welfare through his tough times. He did not feel any animosity towards the position, it was the opposite: he did not care at all. He had never met someone that high on the ladder and he was sure that they had no reason to bother with the likes of him. In fact, these exams were the first time that he had been recognised by the Hidden Rock elders and that was because of his hard work and talent. Kages rose and fell but he struggled to eat. Why should he care?

His opinion was one that he knew many in the village also shared. Although he had noticed that there was a certain admiration for this particular Tsuchikage. But if his new friend wanted to travel with him, he would oblige. Sure, if you want to travel with us, you should come back with me and talk to my supervisor. After he spoke, he wished he had chosen a different word. A twenty year old experienced shinobi requiring a supervisor was kind of embarrassing. It wasn't his decision, the upper management assigned him a babysitter to make sure that a ruffian such as himself does not tarnish the reputation of their great village. He flicked off the water coating on his white hair and rubbed his face with the precipitation.

Fukai realised that it was his turn to tell a story but the noodle house had just come into view as they rounded the street corner. It could wait until they were inside. Ahh, here we are. Fukai strode ahead and opened the little wooden door for Jiongami. After he had passed through, the large genin would follow suit. The shop was a little small and dinky but there was a surprising amount of people in it. You could always tell how good a place was by how many locals visited the places, only tourists fell for the traps but locals are around long enough to know where the best eateries are. Now, I'm not sure how good this place is but everyone else seems to enjoy it. There were three old men slurping their soup bowls to their left and a young couple who were giggling a little too much in each other's company. A small sneaky old lady whipped past Fukai and waved her little notebook in front of his face from way down on the ground. The sneak attack made the young man do a little hop in surprise. Hello, I am your waiter. You can have either that table or that one. The old lady had a little more command in her voice than the usual customer service staff. She had pointed to the only two free tables in the shop, one was at the back and was a little removed from the rest of the store where they could surely have a private conversation, one was at the front by the window and surrounded by other groups at their respective tables. Fukai gestured to his acquaintance that he should decide with a hand wave.

[1518] /3051

{ Surely there can be no greater reward for defeating your enemy than a slow cooked pork belly. It reminds me of one of my missions in the past where I had been sent out to The Wild West to get rid of a boar who was destroying crops and running amok on a rural Iwagakurian farm. Looks like we both have swine slaying blood in our veins. }

So, in a way he had done the same feat nonetheless. His story was not really all of that ravishing to tell; rather it was just a simple survival story he told many times -- well not many times -- about how he survived against an adult-sized boar that was coming after him. It was really not that fascinating to say the least, but he did do a good job, and had gotten himself a much greater feast afterward. It was great to see that the two shinobi had at least something in common at that, seeing as though they would never really get around the awkwardness that was in the air, but that was just a few moments ago -- well minutes ago -- , so everything was alright now. Jiongami had saw a small on the person’s face when he was telling him of his tale and that he was slowly enjoying it while he walked with the man to the noodle house to grab a bite to eat. Still his stomach was growling and somewhat “talking” to the gēnin while walking.

FEEED MEEEEE!!!

MEEEE HUNGRYYY NOWWWWW!!!

Still the abnormal monster in his stomach sounded grouchy as usual, or maybe that was his mind trying to imitate the voices in his head while the stomach was just growling at him. Again, he smiled while the man was telling his tale. Suddenly, that smiled had turned into a frown, or rather sadness when he had mentioned the Tsuchikage and that he wanted to meet the Tsuchikage. Just by the look of the male’s face had given Jiongami the feeling of sadness in his face. { Did he not like his Tsuchikage? Was there such a disdain towards the Kage, the protector of one’s village? } The male had thought to himself, for he did not know there was such a sadness in regards to the kage of a village. Well he did become a Rōnin just so he could venture the world with no rules or regulations and no hesitations, which was good for him since he did not have to listen to anyone or everyone, but seeing this person sad because he mentioned the Tsuchikage had wanted the male to question his feelings while they were walking. Out of respect he did not question, but somewhat a feeling of comfort was upon him and he just wanted to make sure that his new friend/potential ally was alright with everything. “Is everything alright? I do apologize for mentioning the Tsuchikage. I didn’t know it would cause you to seem down.” It was the least he can do to at least give his new friend some comfort to say the least. At the end of his saying, he did feel as though the man had calmed down a bit as they walked, which was a good thing to him.

{ Sure, if you want to travel with us, you should come back with me and talk to my supervisor. }

A supervisor huh? Well if it means for him to travel to Iwagakure and see the world and the civilization that the Earth Release users do live in on a daily basis, then ask he shall. Although he wasn’t all for a chaperone, supervisor, at least, which was one of the perks of being a rōnin. You get decide where you want to go at your leisure without having to hear the Kage of your village constantly telling you that you need this person of this rank or that person. All so very stressful with the gēnin, and plus he wanted to leave his own life, so being a wandering ninja would tell the tale for him and his adventures. “I would like that. And tell your supervisor that I mean no harm when it comes to Iwagakure. I just wish to see the civilization and take mental notes while I’m there.” That was out of the question, now the one thing that was really on his mind was food, as usual.

{ Ahh, here we are. }

Finally they had arrived to the noodle house. Seeing as the man opened the door, Jiongami greeted Fukai before walked inside first, “Thank you.”  It was a relatively small noodle house, but overall packed and not too crowded. Definitely the type of noodle house to have a lot of business going on, seeing the multiple waiters and waitress going to different tables and asking for orders. He glanced over to the center and had noticed where the kitchen was located and seeing the different chefs preparing the food for the hungry customers. Smelling the aroma of the atmosphere was more soothing enough to put someone in a genjutsu of nothing but overlapping noodles and different spices that can have people to die for in a way. The scenery of the place was etiquette yet simple, giving off more of a welcoming home feeling while serving their customers the best noodles that Kumogakure no Sato has to offer. This was one of the reasons why Jiongami became a rōnin; to explore the different cultures that each village had to offer and take mental notes on such.

{ Now, I'm not sure how good this place is but everyone else seems to enjoy it.  }

His piercing light azure eyes had viewed the atmosphere around the two, and apparently Fukai was right about that. The judgment of this place was lacking in their eyes, but their stomachs will be the judges of this one. Everyone did seem to enjoy it though to say the least; with business going up as usual, one would think that this type of house would be the most successful noodle shop on the district, if this is not the only noodle shop in Kumogakure in that matter. Hearing multiple sounds of bowls being slurped and people coming in and out, this noodle house was getting massive business in his eyes. Now the question that his wandered in his mind was where was the individuals going to sit at?

{ Hello, I am your waiter. You can have either that table or that one. }

An unfamiliar voice was speaking to them as he had looked down as well and noticed the little old lady was waving her notebook at both him and Fukai. To his surprise, she gave Fukai a little jump scare which was funny to him, and it even made him jumped before he chuckled seeing as though he didn’t see her because she was so small. { When did she get here in such a hurry? } His thought exactly when in regards to the little lady. Where she mentioned the table was beyond him, but he believed that she was referring to the only two free tables in the house as of right now. One table was located in the back, far away from the crowd to where the two could talk more privately with little to no distraction. Seems like a good and quiet place to eat. The other table was at the front by the window, where the crowd of people sat around it. A little bit noisy, but nothing like a good scenery of other people and the outside world would do justice for the gēnin. Jiongami looked at Fukai as Fukai did some kind of gestured that he wanted Jiongami to decide with a hand wave.

{ Hmm…

Decisions; decisions; decisions… }

This was difficult indeed. But nothing like a bit of a good scenery with some people would kill the mood and it wouldn’t hurt. So he did a forward hand gesture and decided that they should seat at the table by the front window where the crowd was sitting at their respective tables and chit chatting. Jiongami had went forward ahead and through the crowd of tables and sat on the seat next to the window and had waited for Fukai to sit down with him. He was just more so hungry and thirsty rather than having a conversation, but having a conversation while eating was good too.

{ So this is the hospitality of Kumogakure no Sato. I think I might like it here a bit… }

---

{ WordCount: 1435
Total: 4376
Exit thread.
Stat trained ( Endurance ) D-0 - D-3
4376 - 1175 = 3201
Stat trained (Perception) E-0 - D-3
3201 - 1925 = 1276
Stat trained (Reaction Timing) E-0 - D-1
1276 - 1075 = 201 }

Fukai followed the young man over to the table by the window. It was the sort of casual encounter that the genin had come to enjoy so much. Meeting new and interesting people had somehow become part of ordinary life. He found this to be the true spice of life, people interested him greatly, the multi-dimensional beings with layered complexity were a pleasure to interact with. It was this potential in the meeting with Jiongami that he sought. And if he did end up coming to Iwagakure with him, then there was potential to gain another ally.

Upon reaching the table, Fukai flicked off a bit of water from his trousers before sitting down. The polished cane chairs would not be damaged from the water so they had nothing to worry about in that regard, the small frame was just enough to support his massive frame. The tables were made out of some sort of low quality wood but they had been well looked after. They showed their age, the furniture had seen it's fair share of life and had nicks and wear around the edges. Fukai's hands spread out on the wood and his fingers found the little notches. It felt like the surface of his weapon, the old oak bo staff..

~a few months ago~
It was a pitch black night, the reaping hour. Fukai had just been sent off on his first high priority mission. He would later figure out that this was mainly the basis for his selection in the chuunin exams. This was a highly dangerous task for a genin and one that he was surprised to receive. It was to dispatch camps of bandits around the Land of Stone. Maybe for a team of genin being monitored by a sensei it would have been alright, but Fukai was alone, just like he had always been, on this solo mission. He jogged at a forced march pace toward the area that had been marked out for him, when he approached, he noticed the slow glow of distant fires. His mind was clear and thoughtless, a void that only took action. His expression was blank and cold. He would follow his orders and do what was required of him.

Upon reaching the camp, Fukai ambushed and butchered the whole lot, sending his weapon that was charged with piercing raiton into their vitals. The old oak staff had a tool of war, a brutal instrument that got the job done.
___

Fukai did not wish to regress into the past while he was here on such pleasant circumstances. He had been here in the village hidden in the clouds for more than a month now and had not been put on any missions in this time. He had not been ordered to spill blood and had grown accustomed to the pleasant holiday in between rounds of the exams. Maybe this was the reason that he was a little shocked at his memory, he had somehow lost a little desensitivity. He then realised that this quiet month had not been all quiet, during the rounds of the exams, he had once again descended into that all to familiar battle haze. He had mercilessly beat an all but defenseless girl in the last round. He did not feel any sort of regret as he still found his actions more than justifiable but he was now aware of how well he had conditioned himself to the deadly side of the ninja arts.

An outburst of giggling from the family behind him awoke him from his thoughts and returned him to the present. They were in close proximity to the other guests and well in range to hear the conversations from each table. Although it was Fukai's first nature to hang back, it would not matter to much to be this close to others. They weren't going to be discussing secrets or any such things. He turned his attention back towards his guest and decided that maybe he should start being sociable. It still required a conscious effort to push himself into these social situations but he was getting better at them. So how-
Hello, are you ready to order, yes or no? The lady waitress that reappeared was so small in stature but still managed to steamroll him out of the conversation. This made Fukai feel a little awkward, usually his stature and build was enough to invoke at least a little respect from those around him but it seemed that the old girl had dealt with a fair share of shinobi in her time as was not one to pussy foot around. Uhh. Fukai was taken aback and this would leave a little gap if his acquaintance wished to order first. The Iwagakurian scrambled to open the menu that he had neglected on the table and quickly flicked through it. I'll.. just have the uh house special thanks. He gave an unconvincing smile to the little lady as she scribbled in a notepad while silently judging the large man. He was still taller than her while he was sitting down but the sheer atmosphere that she managed to exude made her seem like a ten foot giant.

As she bounced away, Fukai turned back to share his embarrassed grin with Jiongami. Well, I guess it is my turn to share a story. He figured that this may give a little to talk about while they wait. He pondered what exactly he could say to the young man, he probably shouldn't talk of any important mission.. Ooh I know. Have you seen the large island tortoise called Genbu? An animal the size of a mountain with forests and deserts and lakes on it's back. Would you like to hear of my little adventure? Fukai would look across the table and into the light blue eyes to see if the boy was indeed interested. The ronin had said that he was traveling to learn of new places and what adventurer could turn away a story of such a magical place?

[1032] /4083
~exit~