Darkness that was all he could see, though as he turned to lay upon his back, the ever shining light of the sun pressed down against his eyes, making the darkness turn in to a glowing orange light. The absent weight that he now usually carried upon his back was no longer there, as it would provide him with an uncomfortable time as he took a nap in the middle of the day. While his beige gourd was no longer on his back, he could still feel its presence just a few feet away, knowing that his sand was well within reach at a moment’s notice. Opening his eyes slowly, trying to readjust to the light of day, Haruo blinked several times, trying to get the sleep out of his eyes as he still lay upon his back. Stretching both arms above his head and his legs as far as they could go, Haruo wasn’t sure how much time had passed since he first lay down for a nap. For Haruo, this was just another day in Kumogakure no Sato, one where nothing was out of the ordinary. While he could identify as a shinobi, he never truly achieved the sense of being one, as he had been busy with his father, learning about the cloth trade. As it was, it was up to Haruo to take over his father’s business one day.

Waiting for another minute to pass by, Haruo slowly sat up, crossing his legs once he was upright. Having a slight pain in his neck due to the uncomfortable surface, Haruo rolled it slowly, making sure not to make any sudden movements for the time being. Without even really looking around, Haruo knew he was alone, for the area he had taken a nap produced no noise except Haruo’s own shuffling. Further out, he expected there to be more people. He had taken to a small park just a few minutes away from his house to take his nap. While he could have easily done as such at home, Haruo often preferred to do so outdoors, even if he could possibly be prone to being attacked. Of course, being in his home village, Haruo felt safe enough to do so regardless, knowing that no one of his village would attack him outright.

“What time is it?” He muttered quietly to himself as he simply glanced in the direction of the sun, trying to estimate the time by where it was positioned in the sky. The sun itself hadn’t moved much from when he took his nap, so he supposed only a few minutes had truly passed by, yet it felt longer to him. Standing back on to his feet, Haruo walked over to his gourd, simply lifting it by the straps. While the amount of sand he was carrying within his gourd would tough for someone else to pick up, the affinity he had with sand, along with chakra, allowed him to pick up the heavy object with ease. Of course, should anyone else try, it would be near impossible, unless Haruo helped ease the sand up as well.

Lazily, Haruo decided it was time to escape the shady corner which he had picked out for himself, one where he often came due to being in close range within his home. Navigating himself through the bushes on one side, as all four sides were covered, Haruo noticed that there were dozens of people here, young and old, milling about.

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Adzumi had been sitting and staring at the pages of her brother's medical journal for the past thirty minutes now, every letter a blur to her tear filled blue eyes, a slight breeze ruffling the pages and bringing her back to this moment in time. Snapping the journal closed with her right hand as she carefully wiped her tears away with her dainty fingers, making sure not to smudge her eye make-up in the process. Setting the book down she sighed heavily and leaned her head back far enough to let the brilliant sun shine down on her face, her hood falling back on her thin shoulders as she thought to herself for a moment. Today had been a rather hard day, it was just about noon and she had already been called on to collect her father from the local tavern, and of course pick up his tab in the process.

Dwelling on the negative was so unlike her though, and reading her brother's research didn't help her mood, so she had to do something rather than wallow in her own problems. She wouldn't want that. She slowly climbed up from the ground, feeling her muscles stretch as she stood on her tip toes and reached her arms above her head. Feeling slightly better already she dusted off her whit garments and walked back into her house, replacing the journal back on her shelf in her room and taking a moment to check on her father, who was snoring quietly in his room. Nodding in acceptance she headed for the door, grabbing an apple on the way, the moment she opened the door the sounds of the village greeted her and she revelled in the comfort it brought her.

She hated to think it but the further she got from her family home, the better she felt. Adzumi continued deeper into the village, greeting shop owners and fellow shinobi on the way. Readjusting her hood back on her head to protect her eyes from the bright sun rays she bit into her apple, enjoying the sweet taste as the juices ran down her mouth and she laughed quietly to herself at how much joy she felt over a silly apple. Unfortunately she was so distracted by the silly apple and her hood was a tad too low for her to see clearly that she bumped into another person, dropping her apple in the process.

Looking up sharply as her apple rolled off in the dirt path she was met with the sight of a boy about her age, with a rather large gourd on his back that she guessed had to be at least 80 pounds. He was a few inches taller than her, and with the gourd he was even taller but it was his bright red hair and green eyes that struck her most. A tad bit flustered she launched herself into a lengthy apology, "Oh goodness, I am really very sorry, I wasn't paying attention and the sun was really bright and my hood was just a little too low over my eyes and ... my apple..", she looked forlornly over in the direction of her apple. She returned her attention back to the boy and with classic Adzumi attention span, dropped her hip to the side and raised her arm from her elbow to point slightly at his gourd. "How do you even carry that..?"

He wasn’t exactly sure what occurred; only that he felt a force coming from his right, and before he knew it, he was temporarily knocked off his feet, almost falling over before regaining his balance before toppling over. Fortunately for Haruo, the weight he was carrying upon his back and the amount of time he spent with it, allowed Haruo get used to the center of gravity he needed to stay on his feet in most cases. Not having turned his head, he only noticed an apple flying past his view. The force that pushed against him wasn’t too hard, thus it likely wasn’t something, or someone, trying to attack him. Though, as it was a collision, Haruo figure it could easily be an accident which brought two people to collide.

Momentarily balancing on one leg, Haruo replanted himself, grabbing on to the closest thing with his right hand, which happened to fall upon a slim shoulder. After a moment of getting himself back on his feet properly, before he could apologize for not looking where he was walking, as it could likely be his fault for walking in to her, as much as it could be the opposite as well. Quickly withdrawing his hand, not wanting to touch someone else for his respect of others personal space, Haruo took a couple of steps back, setting a respectful distance between them. As he was just about to open his mouth to apologize, the opposite happened as the pink-haired girl before him rushed out an apology, explaining why it occurred. Of course, Haruo would likely take the fault as well, if he had gotten to apologizing first.

His clothes would be fine, though dirty from having lain down for roughly half an hour. Today, Haruo wore plain black boots and dark jeans. He was wearing a simple button up red shirt, with a few markings of dirt on the back and his left side from when he had been taking his nap. He had been careless, as he could have easily just slept on a bed of sand, thus not getting anything on his clothes as he’d be able to deposit the sand back in to his gourd, but he had forgotten to do as such today.

Again, he was going to say that all was fine and she had nothing to apologize for, she questioned him about his ability to carry the gourd on his back. The gourd itself was easy to carry around, the sand, while it would amount to an immense amount, in terms of weight, was light due to the chakra infused within it. Explaining it, however, could be a bit more difficult to do, as Haruo was never truly good at explaining the finer details when it came to things shinobi related.

Scratching the back of his neck, trying to figure out how to explain, he realized he left a lull of silence for a few seconds, just thinking on how to explain it. “First off, you don’t need to apologize, it was my fault for daydreaming as I was walking.” His tone was sincere, knowing that having just woken up recently, and often being prone to not paying attention, it was on him more so, and of course, it did not do to put the blame on a lady, as he was often told by both his parents.

With a slight laugh, albeit nervous, Haruo tried to explain both the gourd and the contents within it. “Ah, the gourd isn’t too heavy… it the.. umm… sand inside that makes it heavier. My mother said her kekkei genkai had to do with sand, and with a bit of chakra, it’s pretty light to carry around. I can… control the sand… so it’s not as heavy as it should be.“ That was the simplest way to explain it, yet definitely not the one which answered all the questions she could potentially have.

He hadn’t really looked at the female before him, though now he took a moment to take in her features. The things that stood out were easily the blue of her eyes, brought out by the make-up she wore, along with her dark pink her, a contrast to the bright red of his own. Scratching his cheek with his left hand, Haruo muttered out an incoherent word, likely an ‘umm’ before his hand fell back to his side. “I’m Haruo, by the way… and… umm… sorry for bumping in to you.” He did a slight bow, out of courtesy, with a smile on his face. Hopefully, she wouldn’t be too rude, considering she jumped from an apology to questioning how he could carry his gourd. Though, since she apologized first, there was a chance she would be a pleasant individual to be around.

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Adzumi's eyes continued to roam the mans form, trying her hardest to be as subtle about it as possible but with the warmth of his hand still lingering on her exposed shoulder it was hard to cover the warmth that was trying desperately to cool on her face. His clothes were a bit messed up though, and slightly dirty, making her wonder what he had been up to prior to their literal bumping into each other. Noticing she was lingering a bit to long on the rest of his form she returned her eyes to his. Taking a few carefully deep slow breaths her face cooled off and she was able to focus on the present.

Interestingly enough after she blurted out her inappropriate question and ignored the poor guy as he tried to say something, there was an uncomfortable silence that grew between them, the only noise being the village activity surrounding them. She noticed he scratched the back of his neck in thought before breaking the silence between them finally, speaking in a very sincere and polite tone which took her by surprise since she was surely the one who ran into him. Without a thought she flashed him a smile in acceptance of his words, and quickly averted her eyes from his.

Her eyebrows furrowed in slightly confusion as he tried to simplify his gourd and its contents for her to understand, the overwhelming information made her eyes widen slightly as she slowly dropped her arm from pointing at him. Adzumi took a moment to process all of that but the way he put it made it seem like he was really trying to answer her question without talking her ear off. Her expression changed from confused to slight amazement and child-like wonderment.

Shifting on her feet again she crossed her left leg behind her right, her toe pointed down as she balanced herself. Adzumi felt his eyes on her, knowing full well that she had just put him through this same thing. Reaching down her fingers began fiddling with the end of her white dress nervously, watching as he became a little nervous himself. He began to say something again so she gave him the respect he deserved and looked back to him, he greeted himself and apologized to her at the same time and was surprised once more as he bowed a bit to her in the process.

Reaching out her hand slightly in an attempt to stop him but she retracted her hand, letting it fall back at her side as a soft smile formed on her lips. "Haruo.. there is no need to apologize to me, or.. or for you to bow like you did, though I'll admit it was extremely nice of you." She was internally kicking herself for forgetting to introduce herself, pulling her hood back and letting it fall back on her shoulders she ran her fingers through her hair, pushing it back from her eyes. "My name is Adzumi Mizuno.. but you can call me whatever is easiest for you, I know it's a mouthful." Laughing nervously and looking around again in an attempt to collect her thoughts, she straightened her clothes, smoothing them down and clearing her throat. "So, Haruo, are you going to buy me lunch in replacement of my apple?", her tone was sweet, and her question was meant as a joke to hopefully make him smile a bit.

Simple enough, Haruo was confused as to where things would go on from here, or simply his own day at hand. For the past little while, his father had given him a break when it came to the business he ran, yet Haruo knew one day it would call for him to do some more work, though for the time being, Haruo had far more free time than he knew what to do with. Of course, that was all bound to change the day the Haruo gave being a shinobi a full try, knowing full well that he’d have to commit to it, as full effort would be required just for survival alone, at least until he became more adept when it came to the ninja world. Of course, going back to the simple things, Haruo had no idea what he would be doing for the rest of the day, as it was merely just past noon, so he still had half his day ahead of him.

After she told him he had no need to apologize or bow, he simply nodded, though he would do the same time and time again, knowing full well the manners instilled in him from a young age. Of course, Haruo didn’t mind showing potential friend simple courtesies when it came to greetings, so such was how he treated the pretty face before him. If the situation repeated itself, Haruo was likely to do the same. Of course, for now that wasn’t an option, as he had already done so for the female before him. While she defined it as ‘extremely nice,’ Haruo did not think too much on it, knowing full well it was common for him to do so to almost anyone.

Trying not to fidget too much, Haruo continued listening, as she introduced herself. Taking a note to remember the name, Adzumi Mizuno, Haruo stored that information in his brain, knowing it could potentially be of use if he came across her randomly in the future. He thought about what she said, at least in regards to calling her ‘whatever is easiest,’ though he didn’t know her well enough to come up with a more fitting name, or something endearing , so he thought it best to stick with her name.

At her joke in regard for compensating her for her apple, Haruo thought about it seriously for a moment, before fully realizing she said it as a joke. A slight flush covered his cheeks at the slight mishap he had internally, and his hand went back to his neck, slightly scratching it once again, with a small grin on his face. “Umm, I suppose I could… buy you another apple? Or something else if you want.” Before he could continue with what he said, a slight rumble escaped his stomach, though it likely wasn’t too loud or audible. He hoped she did not hear, as it would be slightly embarrassing for him. “I’m kind of hungry as well. Heh. My treat.” Of course, if she denied his invitation, he would not take it personally, knowing that they were strangers, though Haruo wouldn’t mind making a friend or two. With the slightly nervous feeling Haruo was feeling, it was apparent in his voice as he continued, “That is, if… you want to.” There was another slight pause. “I don’t want to keep you from what you were doing, if you’re busy.” That was the truth as Haruo’s hand once again returned to his side. The innocent smile still on his face, though not as bright as it could, just due to the nature of things thus far.

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The scent of searing beef drifted through the air toward the pair standing awkwardly near the middle of the road along with the distant shouts of the shop owners trying to attract customers, to any regular citizen of Kumogakure the noise would be white noise but to the shinobi it was clear. She cast her eyes around slowly, looking for any possible disruption of the peace in her surrounding area. She couldn't help it her doing so had become instinctual since her father is constantly causing problems in public with his behavior. Sensing everything was as it should be her attention was drawn back to the tall boy in front of her once more, his demeanor was nervous once more as he replied to her, offering her a replacement for her apple. 

Thinking she had taken him seriously for a moment she took a breath to ready herself to console his worry and to let him know he had no obligation to her whatsoever but before she noticed his cheeks became flushed. The simple mistake was rather adorable coming from a man who looked to be so serious what with the huge gourd looming on his back and his dark clothes. She couldn't help it, the breath she took to prepare for the correction instead came out as a short burst of quiet laughter which she quickly covered with her hand. Clearing her throat and regaining her composure she listened as his voice became even more nervous as he also stated he was hungry and even offered to pay for it himself. She couldn't help but smile at him, his kindness showing clearer and clearer in his mannerisms and behavior. 

He just kept going though continuing to worry if she had other things to do and he would understand if she refused him. Her eyes softened and a small smile played on her lips as she watched the poor guy struggle to get through his sentence in the most endearing way. Adzumi raised one of her eyebrows taking a moment to look at Haruo once more before she reached out her hand, grabbed his right forearm and linked her arm in his, all while taking a dramatic stance and pointing forward into the air with her free hand. "To the food it is Haruo! I hear there is this incrdible bar-b-que that just opened up on the East side of the village, so the prices are just right!" , her tone was joyous and uninhibited, having just met him she treated him as if they had been friends for years and she was just passing on the good news of the new grill. 


Adzumi had always had a free spirit and was known for letting the winds direct her life to a certain degree, it was a main reason she specialized in Taijutsu, in her opinion it was the one form of ninja art that was the most versatile. Especially the type she frequently used, it required the shinobi to use the momentum and power of their opponent to take them down for her, it was perfect for her. As she dragged Haruo through the streets, weaving in and out of passerby expertly she looked to him once more, "So Haruo, tell me a bit about yourself, what are your goals for being a Shinobi? Any high aspirations in mind like becoming Kage?", she looked up at the sky for a moment and smiled absentmindedly before returning her gaze back to Haruo. Before Haruo had a chance to reply they neared the grill she had mentioned earlier, getting excited once more she let go of his arm and ran ahead a few steps jumping up slightly, causing the ends of her dress to slide up a bit before falling back down. Sliding her hood back again she turned to Haruo with a bright smile on her face and her hand extended toward him, "You can answer all my pressing questions inside, come on."

He honestly thought that his offer would be denied and he would end up wandering around the village for another hour or so before retreating home to pass by the time. Of course, things didn’t always seem to fall in to place just like that, as Adzumi had decided to take the lead and begin tugging him along with her as she decided they would be going to the new barbeque place that recently opened up on the east side of the village. Haruo, never having heard of the place before simply nodded, though his mind reeled a bit farther back as they began moving towards the other side of the village. While he could tell, or at least assume, that her earlier laugh wasn’t meant to put him down, Haruo couldn’t help but feel he may have said something wrong for a moment, but that quickly had changed once Adzumi had taken the initiative of taking them to a restaurant. Once Adzumi had grabbed his forearm, it was simple enough for him to let her lead the way, as she would know exactly where they would be going.

As they were walking, there was a silence in the conversation as they moved about, passing through the crowds without bothering anyone else in their own travels throughout the village of Kumogakure no Sato. Haruo, was a bit more cautious as they moved, not wanting the gourd upon his back to unintentionally hit someone as they moved past people. The walk wasn’t too long, but it was far enough that the silence between them both was soon filled by Adzumi speaking up once again. When he thought about her questions, he didn’t know if his answers could be satisfying enough, as he hadn’t really thought much about what his goals would be, especially when it came to being a shinobi. Of course, prior to his earlier nap, Haruo had been sitting in his alcove within the park, simply allowing his sand to take on different shapes, slightly wandering how long it would be until he could consider himself a shinobi.

“Umm…” Before he could give off a full answer, or an answer at all, Adzumi had declared that they were here. Caught up slightly in his thoughts, he noticed that Adzumi was in fact a few feet in front of him, though he had assumed she was closer as they had been within reach when they were walking. With an inaudible laugh, Haruo watched as Adzumi’s face had a bright smile upon it, her hand outsretched towards him. With the telltale signs that she was eager to go inside, Haruo nodded internally, as he walked towards Adzumi, keeping a respectable distance between them. While she had initially closed that distance, Haruo wasn’t exactly comfortable doing such with her just yet, though her friendly nature made it so that Haruo enjoyed her company regardless, thus keeping a bit of distance between them.

As they would step inside the place hosting the grill which Adzumi had directed them towards, Haruo would trail after Adzumi if she took the lead once they stepped inside. He took a bit more time thinking about her question, just slightly, as they were guided inside and towards a table for both of them. Haruo didn’t want to falter over his words or imply something which he didn’t’ mean with his answers, thus his mind kept reeling back to the simple questions. Before siiting down, Haruo would gentle ease the gourd off his back and place it directly next to where he would be sitting. Once they would be seated, Haruo would take a moment to look around quickly, before supplying her with an answer, his voice slow, as if he was unsure of the words, “Uh… well… I don’t think I’d make a good Kage, so… that’s out of the question for me.” There was a slight smile as he said such, knowing full well that he wouldn’t be the best choice when it came to such a prestigious position. Even while trying to pace his wording, Haruo slightly faltered as he thought about what to say. “I never really thought much on being a shinobi for the past while. Dad wanted me to learn the merchant trade since I graduated the academy. I guess I would…” He knew that he wouldn’t exactly fit the demeanour set for the position that he could possibly attain, but it was a pipe dream regardless, “I’d like to be ANBU… maybe.” There was a slight look of frustration on his face that was quickly erased, replaced by simply questioning himself. “Simply… I think I just want to be… strong enough to protect people?” It wasn’t supposed to come out as a question, but somehow it managed to escape him as such.

Feeling slightly guilty for talking a lot about himself, or at least it sounded to Haruo that he was talking about himself a lot, he quickly waved off anything further he would say about himself for the moment. “What about you Adzumi? Umm… What are your goals as a shinobi?” As he asked this, the question sounded far too personal, even if it was asked of him earlier. He quickly added on, “You don’t have to answer, if you don’t want to.” The words came out quick, and sounded like gibberish to Haruo as he heard them escape his own mouth, but he supposed it was too late to take them back.

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The inside of the grill was appropriately decorated with wall hangings depicting some of the entrees that were available to be ordered accompanied by a rather pleasant deep red and gold accent paint lining the empty walls. As their hostess sat Haruo and herself down she ran her thin hands along the fresh wood table top and gave it an approving tap with her nail. The place was really well put together with friendly workers and an inviting atmosphere, it reminded her of her father's shop when she was much younger.

In her father's shop she remembered the walls being lined with books and scrolls of all kinds; informational ones that had detailed maps and handwritten footnotes to children's stories and smut novels that she regularly watched older men come in to buy. The bell above the door was a cheerful sound to her father and now when she heard it she only felt shame as the bell in the grill chimed loudly to call one of the servers to pick up a meal for some older couple seated a few tables away from them. Sighing softly she allowed her eyes to drift down to her hands analyzing every detail she could see without bringing them any closer to her eyes, she hated when her mood shifted so suddenly like it just had it was so unlike her. 

Forcing her intruding thoughts of her father's once successful shop to the back of her mind, she brought herself to place her chin on her hands and lean forward on the table slightly, causing her hair to fall forward with her as she smiled sweetly at Haruo to indicate she was listening. He proceeded to inform her that he didn't think he was a right fit to be Kage, which made her furrow her brows in disagreement as she drew her lips into a slight pout at the thought. Continuing with his answering of her questions he did confided in her that he hadn't even thought of staying a Shinobi as of late due to his father's desire for him to learn the family trade, which made her features soften a bit in understanding as she remembered her mother and father once arguing over who would take over the bookshop if both her brother and her became full Shinobi like her mother had wished. 

Taking a forced swallow to bring her thoughts once more from the past to his words, she became sympathetic toward Haruo, feeling truly how the strain of family obligation gets mixed up with one's desires and dreams. The look that struck his face was quickly absolved but it was of frustrated confusion and her heart went out to him, understanding how he must feel. Adzumi reached out her thin gloved hand slowly as she rested it on his arm for a moment and nodded in understanding before drawing it back to her side of the table.

He continued to speak once more, this time his tone was a bit more rushed, like the tone of someone who had forgotten something they had to do and was trying to explain it to their questioning companion. Now, what were her goals? Adzumi thought for a moment, her eyes drifting to the side as she thought, and her nails slowly clicking on the table. A smile spread on her lips again as her eyes shown with aspiration and determination as she turned to answer his question, her tone filled with confidence, "My goal as a shinobi? I want to train the most successful team of ninja and then become a Sannin so I can retire on the back of some huge animal of some sort." Letting out a quick burst of laughter she leaned back against the back of her booth's chair, "But of course I know better, I'll only achieve one of those things."  As she finished her response their waiter came by with their menu's and with a quick glance over it she ordered a simple bowl of rice with a sweet peanut sauce on the side. Adzumi waited a few moments to give her lunch mate time to order his own food.


Grabbing the chop sticks out of the cup to the side of them she began to play with them in her fingers, twirling them effortlessly as her eyes followed their quick movements flawlessly, without skipping a beat she addressed Haruo again, "So Haruo, what does your father do exactly? You don't seem like the 'sit at a shop' kind of guy, more like.... hmmm.. a fearsome shinobi." With her last words she slammed the chopsticks down onto the table, perfectly placed in her small fist. "I guess, my real question is... which is your heart telling you to do? Which path is going to bring you the most happiness." She stared straight into his green eyes, her body as still as a jack rabbit when listening for a predator in the distance, her eyes as intent as the predator stalking the jack rabbit.

As he had finished his answering of Adzumi’s inquiry, Haruo’s brief moment of frustration was more aimed at himself than the pressures put on him by his parents, or the lack thereof, though he was grateful for Adzumi’s understanding, even if it could possibly not fully understanding of the situation presented for Haruo. He admired his father’s business and didn’t mind the work involved. Added to that was the fact he could travel about if, or rather when, he took over the business entirely. Of course, Haruo would need to learn to balance that with being a shinobi, something his mother was and something he didn’t mind becoming. Of course, he still wasn’t the best in terms of disposition for it, but he could learn. Haruo returned the nod she presented him with a grateful smile of his own.

His smile turned neutral as she began to list off what she would like to do, but in a more joking manner. It was nice, Haruo had to admit, to not really have to take everything far too seriously, thus he let out a small laugh of his own, though very brief not wanting her to mistake it for something else. As she admitted she wanted to be a Sannin, lead a successful squad, and retire on the back of an animal, Haruo assumed she could achieve all of that if she truly wished to, though her admittance of only achieving one could also be possible. Not wanting to interrupt for the time being. Before anything else could happen their waiter came over to take their order. Not having glanced at the menu, Haruo quickly opened it to take a glance. There were a lot of things which he could order, though he wasn’t sure on what he would want, nor did he know the quality of this restaurant. Durng the time he was contemplating Adzumi had went ahead and ordered a bowl of rice for herself with something on the side. Deciding to order the first that appealed to him, Haruo ordered the spicy pork.

As the waiter left, Haruo went back to looking ahead of him, paying his full attention to Adzumi, as she began to fiddle with her chopsticks. He reached for the jug of water left for them, along for the two empty glasses, which Haruo immediately began to fill, taking one for himself. Before he could realize, she presented him with another set of questions, along with a … ‘compliment’ of sorts. Haruo couldn’t picture himself as being a ‘fearsome shinobi,’ though that was because he had his own preconceived notions about himself. As she got to the root of her questions, Haruo would once again be stumped for the moment. The particulars he hadn’t really thought about, but he knew where he wanted to be in the future, when he grew older. He wanted something like his parents had, though not an exact carbon copy. As far as Haruo could tell, not many people he came across had a similar relationship to his parents, but he had learned that all are different enough. The gleam in her eyes was enough to make Haruo flinch, along with the slaming of the chopsticks, just the slightest, not out of fear, but rather the surprise of the intensity he could sense from them.

With his hands in his lap, folded together to prevent himself from fidgeting, Haruo cautiously spoke up, “Well.. My dad’s involved in the cloth trade, so he’s constantly coming and going, but he mostly tries to stay at home or close by. I… kind of enjoy the work he does… but it feels a bit lacking.” There was a slight laugh escaping Haruo, when he thought back to her calling his a ‘fearsome shinobi’. It wasn’t a self-condescending one, but rather a genuine one at, what he thought to be, something to alleviate the tension. “I don’t think I fit the picture of a fearsome shinobi, but I can work on it.” His eyes lit up slightly, just thinking about the picture for a moment. He supposed, perhaps one day, it could be true. “I’m still trying to figure out exactly what I want in the future, but for now I want to be a shinobi. Of course, one day I’ll have to take over for my father, and I don’t mind. It’s just… one day I’ll have to balance out the two. Though, finding happiness… I think that’s something I’ll find sooner or later.” There was a slight mumble escaping him, “Something like what my parents have,” Though it was only audible if one truly listened. “Perhaps one day.” He took a small gulp of water. “I guess it’s more about the people I’m with rather than what I’m doing.”

Placing the glass back in front of him Haruo wondered how different her aspirations were from him. Raising an eyebrow, Haruo simply asked, “Is it wrong to not fully know what I want? I mean… I have ideas… just… not sure where exactly I see myself.” He often doubted himself, not sure of himself or his future, but he supposed everyone had similar thoughts at one point or another. Haruo, just assumed, he was old enough that he should have these things figured out by now. As an afterthought, he referred back to aspirations she stated earlier, “I’m sure you can achieve all you set out that you want to do.“ Those words were mainly in regards to his self-doubt to what he wanted to achieve, though at least someone else had it figured out what they want to accomplish as a shinobi and for their legacy.

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With a swift silent movement she placed the chopsticks down on the smooth table top, drawing her hand back as her intense burst of energy subsided and she reverted back to a cool state. Her eyes losing their intense stare as she looked down at his laps, where he had drawn his hands back, and she wondered why he was so concerned with stillness. Not letting it concern her she pondered more on his response which intrigued her, while he admitted he did enjoy the work his father did that his father would like him to take over, he more importantly divulged he felt the work was lacking a certain quality, a quality she knew for herself was danger and the fulfillment of helping others. No life of a Cloth trader or Book store owner would fully cut it for her or Haruo.

Her eyes caught a glimpse of almost hope-like imagining that flashed over his expression as he said he would work on the whole fearsome shinobi part. She glanced once more at the gourd, wondering once more why anyone would carry such a thing around if they had no interest in being anything but a shinobi, it cant be comfortable on your back at all. Letting out a soft sigh she pushed back the thought that maybe she had found someone who was too back and forth to really have a set path for themselves set. She listened as he continued to voice his thoughts clearly to her, stating that for now he was focused on being a shinobi with the thought of returning home at some point to take over and still be a shinobi. Now that in of itself is a true testament to multitasking, living two completely different lives.

She cleared her throat quietly as she leaned to the side, to bring up her leg to fold it neatly under her other leg, tucking the ends of her dress between her thigh so as to cover any unsightly parts of her body she continued to think as he spoke. A part of that sentence, it almost went unheard but it stuck in her head, he wanted to find happiness like his parents had, did he mean he wanted to settle down with a family or was there something they had specifically he was looking for. The curious sentence ran its way through her mind as she realized he had poured her a glass of water from the pitcher as well and she quickly reached for it with the hand covered by the metal arm band.Taking a few silent sips from her glass she couldnt shake the thought, so in her restlessness she simply cupped the glass with both her hands and rested them in her lap to keep them occupied, and away from slamming chopsticks again.

The doubt filled words that followed in their conversation struck an odd chord in her soul that not only made her feel bad for him but it was a different kind of feeling, one not of pity but of understanding. She knew what it felt like to doubt herself and every decision she made. Continuing to hold her glass in her hands she nodded in a slow thoughtful manner, knowing full well that Haruo must be thinking that her temperament was all over the board, since it was rather hard to pin her down onto one mood. "I hear your self doubt Haruo.. I hear it in your voice, I can see it in your actions and mannerisms... I don't point it out to make fun or make light of it. I say it because I get how you feel, so many things could go wrong or something could have been done differently had you chosen as such." She paused for a moment to study his face, her eyebrows furrowing a bit before she continued.

"I'm sure we can both achieve our goals no doubt in my mind, it's not the possibility we need to worry about, its our hearts. The kind of motivation, your drive, is what really makes it a can and can not situation." She smiled, and while she was looking at Haruo her smile seemed distant like it wasn't meant for Haruo at all. "My goals as a shinobi aren't my own, they are my .. late mother's goals.I don't have a choice, I have to do those things for her and for my father and brother. Sometimes you don't have as much choice as you'd like to think." Adzumi was interrupted by a staff member coming around with their food in their arms, balanced neatly in their hands and on the length of their arms, she watched as they set all their food down the steam coming up and filling their noses with wonderful scents. With the sweetest smile she thanked them and watched as they left their table.

She began again in her speech as though they were never interrupted, "Which leads me to concern myself with your predicament, you don't have the type of restraints I do and it worries me that you aren't taking advantage of it...thats all.." Her voice trailed off for a few moments before she perked up with an awkward laugh, "But please, don't let a stranger like myself weigh down your mind or tell you what to do, you caaaan however tell me what you meant about what your parents had." As she finished her sentence she picked up her chopsticks with her right hand and drizzled her peanut sauce over the top of her bowl of rice and proceeded to take a small chunk out of the snowball-esque mound of rice and stick it into her mouth with a sweet smile.

Upon first glance Adzumi would seem like an ordinary girl with simple things on her mind like love, family and friends, but on the inside she thought much deeper and more complexly and she used her innocent child-like looks to cover up that fact.

While there was a slight tingling for Haruo to simply ignore the conversation at hand, falling victim to his imaginations urges, he just didn’t feel it was right for him to do such a thing to Adzumi, especially when she had been nothing but kind to him so far. Most of Haruo’s self-induced doubt was a result of having been play a ‘civilian’ for so many of his recent years that the transition back would be far more difficult that he wished it to be. If he had his way, it would be a simple switch that would’ve been flicked by now, making him a full-fledged shinobi instead of a genin who simply went about waiting for the tide to carry him on to the path and then begin to swim. Instead, he should be the one running towards the metaphorical water, diving in and learning to swim from there. His gourd was the thing constantly reminding him of his worded commitment to doing so, but his actions still did not match up to that. The gourd was simply there to constantly remind him to take his own decision seriously. That and he still simply enjoyed the same thing he had done when he was a child, from when he was a boy who just learned how to control the sand. Haruo enjoyed the small amount of pleasure it gave him to simply mould his chakra in to various shapes, it was his way of drawing, sculpting, though his art would never last as he needed it for other purposes, but it was always simple to recreate.

Scratching the inside of his left wrist with his right hand’s thumb, index finger, and middle finger, while remaining in his lap, Haruo simply smiled as he accepted Adzumi’s judgement of his mannerisms, especially the ones related to his own decision making. He knew he had his faults, ones he couldn’t make up, yet they were things he could work on with time. He supposed that was always his biggest issue, managing his time, even though he had so much of it. Perhaps it was due to the large amount that caused him to mismanage it, never knowing how much too truly commit elsewhere. Or, simply, he just didn’t know how to truly be a shinobi.

When Adzumi reached her reasoning as for her goals, rather her taking on her mother’s goals, trying to live up to another legacy, though not creating her own. That was the first conclusion he had reached, nevertheless he knew she had her own reason for deciding to such a thing, as long as it was something that satisfied a person in their path of life. However, he wouldn’t tell her to change her own goals, especially if she had her mind set to it, and considering that they had merely met, not even twenty minutes ago. Before he could supply a comment, there food had been brought out before them, Haruo’s order of spicy pork sitting before him, his half empty glass of water just sitting above that and to the left. Issuing a thank you to their waitress, Haruo glanced towards both of their meals, simply wanting to get a visual of what either of them was eating.

Reaching towards his pork with his chopstick, grabbing a smaller portion than he normally would, considering it was still likely hot, Haruo stuffed the small amount in his mouth, chewing on it thoughtfully as Adzumi had spoken up once again. As she essentially mentioned that he was in a more advantageous predicament than her, he swallowed his food, wanting to comment that it wasn’t necessarily restraints placed down, but before he could, she continued awkward after her short but sweet laughter. His face flushed a considerable amount as her next few words registered for him, referring back to his comment about his parents. There were multiple things he could name, but he felt slightly embarrassed for such, especially when he hadn’t achieved much in his own personal life to begin thinking about such.

Gently placing his chopstick down, his gaze was someplace between Adzumi and his own food, once again unsure of his own words or answers. He wished he could be more certain about himself, about everything really, but such wasn’t the case yet. He lightly coughed in to his right fist as he brought his hand towards his mouth before bringing it back down at a normal pace. “Well… as for my parents, I like the understanding they have, neither forcing the other to really do anything. Dad’s not a shinobi, so he’s always been worrying about such things, though never stopped or asked my mom from being one. So, I guess, someone who just accepting me for what I am?” His face was still flushed, refusing to be removed even if he willed it, as his unsaid answer was easily floating through his words. He simply wished, not only to be accepted, but loved for who he was. This was simply due to the fact that he never once was in a relationship while so many of the people who he considered friends had been in a few by this point. At times, he wondered if he had done something wrong along the way, though there was no sure-fire way for him to find out. His outward demeanour said one thing, but it was always the doubts in his mind that dominated where his thoughts would usually remain.

Going back a few sentences, back to Adzumi’s statement about following her mother goal, Haruo wished to comment on it, for some reason or another, yet didn’t want it to come off as judging, as that was not something he wished to do. “We all have choices to make, some just seem to be the route we need to take due to varying things.” He spoke out softly, his phrasing easily also relating to some of his questioning about taking over for his father, while ignoring the shinobi side of his life. “I think I just saw things from my dad’s viewpoint for too long that I may have forgotten my own. But, if it was something I really wanted to do, I guess we wouldn’t be talking about it right now, eh?” He deferred things back to himself, not wanting to cause her to feel troubled or aggressive towards him. Perhaps, he figured, it was best to lighten the atmosphere than talking about such serious concepts when their meal was in front of them or at least something that could not blow up in their faces. While Haruo certainly would act as kind as he could, for that was who he was, there were a few subjects which definitely he wished to avoid.

“So, what can you do? I mean, as a shinobi… like… specializations?” This was one thing he was always curious about, as aside from himself and his mother, he hadn’t met anyone else who could mould sand like himself, though he supposed they were numerous in the Land of Wind, as the origins of the Sabaku clan traced back to the Godaime Kazekage. Feeling, he should answer the question as well, he looked over to his gourd, before looking back at Adzumi. “Well, like I can control the sand in that gourd. Any sand really. And use a couple of elements.” He supposed that was a slight feat for a genin, having never met one he could utilize more than two, while he, in essence, could utilize four, if one counted the sand as its own entity.

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Sliding the peanut sauce covered rice over her tongue was a much needed mood enhancer, the initial strong nutty taste covered up almost instantly with part tart part spicy punch. Her mother always said she was such a simple eater always finding such immense pleasure in the least complex combinations. Closing her eyes to each small bite she took she quickly took a few more chunks out of her bowl before stabbing her chopsticks haphazardly into the remainder of her rice to give her attention fully to her partner.

A slight breeze drifted in from a window across the restaurant rustling the wall hangings and the pair's hair gently. With one of her knees still bent up against her chest to prop up the elbow holding her rice bowl up off the table, she looked a bit comical for such a serious conversation. It seemed as though she was staring directly into Haruos' eyes, her lips pursed in sudden concentration as the food in her hands slipped from her mind. As she processed his answer to her very forward question about his parents she couldn't help but wonder at what acceptance from a loved one must feel like. Thinking back on her personal past all of her family never accepted her for the way she wanted to be and simply expected she be like her mother. Now that feeling of being only half herself is all she knows. Her eyes flashed quickly to the flush that was encompassing his face and her own cheeks responded in a shared embarrassment and as quickly as she looked she then averted her eyes. 

Her mind wandered for a moment as to what he could possibly be blushing about, I mean yes he was talking about his parents and their obviously successful relationsh... Oh. Relationships. Before she allowed herself to fall down THAT rabbit hole he brought up an interesting point about choices being made. Finally moving out of her odd position she set down her bowl the chopsticks wobbling a bit in their makeshift rice holder as she nodded in agreement. Clearing her throat from her silence she replied, "I couldn't agree more with you Haruo...in fact it might possibly be the first time some else has understood the feeling of impossible decisions like I do." Pausing for a moment she reached over the table, careful not to bump any of his food or drink, and gently grasped the top of his hand with her right hand, her thumb sliding under to squeeze his palm. "You are a great guy Haruo and clearly wise beyond what your years would suggest." Giving his hand one more squeeze she retracted her hand and rested it back into her lap. Using her left to slide her hair back to one side she tried to distract herself from acting out on any of her other ridiculous thoughts.

Thankful for the distracting question she glanced back at him and followed his eyes to the gourd he was carrying around, finally explaining his power as a shinobi. Now it was her turn to respond and for once she was stumped on how to reply. As she thought the sounds of the place became more evident as though she was removing herself from a quiet bubble that had engulfed the two. Shouting of orders and numbers from the kitchen mingled with the dull roar of the other patrons surrounding the place and if she listened close enough she could make out street vendors calling out to passerby. Unconsciously biting her lip she settled her mind once more to come up with her answer, "Unlike you... I don't have an amazing talent, and in fact I'm pretty horrendous at jutsu in general so I guess I rely pretty heavily on my skills at Taijutsu along with...", she swallowed hard, finding it difficult to show him her mother's Chakra Blades that were left to her in her will, "I also have something my mother left me. I just haven't learned to use them yet." Reaching into her pouch attached to her thigh she pulled out a pair of shiny black obsidian chakra blades with worn leather wrapped finger holds. The hand holds showed clear wear and tear but the blades themselves were as thin and sharp as if it were bought that morning. "I'm hoping to master them some time soon so I can defend myself a little better... I'm not exactly tough."


Slowly, as if regretful of her decision to share, she pulled her blades off the table and back into her pouch as she cleared her throat for no other reason than to try to avert from how open she was to him. In a weak attempt to change the subject she prodded another area of his life with a question, "With your raw talent you have to have a sensei by now, who are they? I myself am still waiting for one to be assigned to me."

A simple smile appeared on Haruo’s lips as Adzumi commented that he had an inkling of understanding when it came to Adzumi’s current impasse. His own was limited by his own decision, as he made his choices to seek out the route of a civilian, but was easily granted the opportunity to explore the shinobi world as well. For Haruo, he felt he had the ability to control where he would go with his life, but there would always be restriction placed upon him either way. Becoming a shinobi would mean his life was dedicate to the village, to the benefit of Kumogakure no Sato’s welfare. It was often described as a noble cause, one that Haruo could easily picture as such, but the room he had to be himself would be limited. All shinobi answered to the Raikage and Haruo would have to as well. As a civilian, there would definitely be more freedom for him, but he wouldn’t have the opportunities that came with being a shinobi, not being recognized for doing something for someone other than himself. It was all a twisted tale really, one that Haruo would have to decide upon, one which he would have to choose which road to invest into.

Haruo certainly wasn’t used to compliments, especially the sort that related to his abilities as a shinobi. He hadn’t done much nor shown anything to display his skills as amazing, but perhaps there certainly could be a day where such a statement could be true about Haruo as a shinobi. Haruo distractedly took his chopsticks to resume eating, fading in and out between his thoughts and reality, though would be paying attention whenever Adzumi spoke up once more, waiting for her to answer his question… if she wanted to. He certainly did appreciate her comment, but just knowing she relies heavily on Taijutsu wasn’t too telling. Perhaps she was more skilled at it than him, as he only had the basic academy training when it came to Taijutsu.

The next thing Haruo immediately noticed was Adzumi reaching for something around her lower body, which got him curious, especially when the words she said just a second ago registered in his head. His head tilted slightly, his chopsticks put back down to rest upon the bowl, as he’d taken an interest in to whatever item Adzumi’s mother had left her. Considering it could be something of use, as she hadn’t learned to use them, he truly wondered what it could be. It certainly had to be something inconspicuous that she could carry it around with her, compared to Haruo having to lug around his gourd with him.

The items she pulled out, for there were two of them, were black in colour, practically merging in to the night, if it was currently dark in their direct proximity. They certainly were combat weapons, for they had slits in which one could slide their fingers through. Easily assuming it was a fist-esque weapon, Haruo wondered how difficult it would be to incorporate such a thing into taijutsu. Haruo looked at the items curiously, listening to Adzumi state she wished to learn how to master the weapons. Like any other task, Haruo knew it would only take practice really, though having a natural talent would certainly expedite the process of becoming a master.

When she took the blades back, Haruo’s expression turned more puzzled, as she seemed to not want the items on the table. It made sense, as weapons didn’t have a place on a table where they were eating. Haruo wished he could just hide his gourd, or at least have a smaller one that could easily be hidden on his person, instead of lugging his large one around. Taking note of Adzumi’s wish to redirect the conversation, Haruo paid attention to her words, knowing the answer immediately. Even if she assumed he had raw talent, all Haruo truly had at his disposal was a unique kekkei genkai often found in the lands of Kaze no Kuni, not her in Kaminari no Kuni. “Ah, no… I haven’t been assigned a squad yet. I think that it would be difficult to incorporate someone in my situation in to a squad of fresh academy squad or a squad of shinobi who have been doing this for months.” His reply was calm as he didn’t truly worry about it, though should his current situation continue on longer, then, perhaps, it would become a problem. His hand once again reached for the chopsticks, wanting to eat more of his meal as the hunger was getting to him. Before he put food in his mouth, Haruo would lightly comment, “There could be a chance we both end up on the same squad.” The possibility of it happening wasn’t guaranteed, nor would he worry about it, but it certainly would be pleasant to have a friend on a squad. His smile dissolved as he put food in to his mouth, savouring the taste and chewing on it thoroughly.

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Her muscles were starting to get sore from the position she had curled herself into, her ankles up against her thighs as she scrunched herself onto the seat across Haruo. Taking a moment she slowly unraveled herself and stretched out her long legs under the table, unintentionally reaching up her arms in unison and stretching like cat. After her stretch she quickly brought her arms down, embarrassed at her lack of manners. She caught Haruo's eyes for a moment and felt her face flush suddenly as she averted them quickly, 'what is wrong with you Adzumi... he is just another Genin get it together..'. 

When she looked away from Haruo her eyes rest on her half eaten food, her stomach now twisted into several knots from their conversation and her unsettled emotions. Before she was able to say anything about it Haruo was answering her questions. So, he also hasn't been placed in a squad. she glanced at the giant gourd sat beside him and wondered how he could possibly think he was hard to place into a squad. All he needed was a good balance, if he was a distance fighter he would need a strong genjutsu user and a strong taijutsu fighter. He would have long, mid, and short distance all on his team honestly a perfect team. Adzumi simply pushed her hair back out of her face, the soft pink strands sliding easily through her fingers.

Her heart skipped a beat suddenly at the suggestion that the two would end up on the same squad. This was the last straw for Adzumi, the feelings were to confusing for her to comprehend as of now and it was making her anxious, it was possible that she had spent a tad to much time alone but all she knew now was that she wanted to get away and simultaneously get closer. Taking a deep breath and using the small window of silence offered to her she grabbed some Ryo from her hip that covered both her and his food, and placed it on the table next to her food. In the beginning of their meeting she had demanded he buy her lunch for causing her apple to be ruined in the dirt but it was different now. She stood up and closed her right fist, placed it against her open left palm and bowed slightly to Haruo. 

"I'm sorry to leave you so suddenly but I hadn't realized how late it had gotten. I have to go practice some of my moves, I'm trying to teach myself a different way of fighting... it is taking longer than expected. Anyways... It was wonderful to meet you Haruo-san and I dearly hope we see eachother again soon... I run to the falls every morning if you ever wanted to meet me there." She tried to keep her eyes off of his this whole time but couldn't help but meet them toward the end of her farewell, and smiled as their eyes met. "Good day.." Turning from their table she headed toward the door, her footsteps as gentle as a mouse as she slipped out the door.

After she was past the entrance she glanced back for a few seconds before sighing and hanging her head as she headed back toward town kicking rocks on the way. Clouds had formed in the skies during their time in the restaurant and a swift cool wind had picked up, sliding her dress up around her thighs as she walked past countless shops. On an ordinary day she would be consumed with window shopping but one thing did catch her attention on her way home. A single white mask amongst several colored masks the mouth was a stitched frown and the eyes were two deep cat winged eyes, protruding from the top were a pair of sharp metal ears made from steel or something similar to that. Without a second thought she placed money on the counter for it and left the shop. Adzumi stared at the mask the rest of the way home.

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Haruo watched Adzumi, mindlessly consuming his meal at a moderate pace while his eyes scanned the vague movements in the background every now and then. His comment about being placed in a squad didn’t have too much meaning behind it, but the mere notion of being in a squad with a familiar face would certainly put a few qualms Haruo had to ease. If he and Adzumi would be placed in the same squad, Haruo felt he’d be comfortable enough with knowing there would be at least one person on the team that accepted his presence. The other two mysterious figures that could round the squad was something he wasn’t sure about. Those two shadowy figures in his mind would have no faces, no emotions, just simple passing judgements about his own lack of skill when it came to being a shinobi. It wasn’t to say Haruo lacked skills, but he was essentially on par with a recently graduated academy student and there was nothing that would set him apart from such an individual except for the thing he was born with, with what he inherited from his mother, the Sabaku clan kekkei genkai. His gourd, while certainly an asset, was also a hindrance to some degree, for it was neither easy to carry around nor was it inconspicuous, as carrying around such a large item was bound to attract unwanted attention. It certainly wouldn’t be beneficial for Haruo to carry such an item with him if he happened to be on an undercover mission, as the gourd would give away information that he was a shinobi, thus he’d have to, one day, do something about it.

Lost in his thoughts for moments once more, Haruo’s mind set back in to reality and noticed some ryo placed upon the table besides Adzumi’s bowl of food. The amount of money she had placed seemingly looked like enough to cover the cost of both their meals. His head tilted to his left, a curious expression rounding his face as he searched Adzumi for anything that could give way to her departure. He noticed Adzumi’s hurried nature as rose out of her seat and bowed to him. Her words seemed a bit rushed to his ears, but she had said she had to go practice fighting. To some degree, he wasn’t sure of the truth, but he settled for the fact that she was telling him the truth for there was no reason for her to lie about leaving him, unless it involved something having to do with him. Had he said something wrong that could have offended her? Or was it something he did without being completely aware of the situation? Was this her way of saying that there was something he had done to ruin the meal for her?

Her words, however, denoted that she would likely to meet with him again, for she told him exactly where he could meet her again if he wished to. Instead of running in to each other by chance, perhaps this was her way of letting him know where to find her whenever he wished. However, there was the slight notion in his mind that it wasn’t true and she was just saying so to be nice to hi, but that thought was gone in an instance. Adzumi had been courteous to him thus far, so there was no reason for her to lie to him. She even went as far as saying she wished to meet again as well. Perhaps a simple courtesy that came from her naturally.

Before Haruo could even say his farewell, Adzumi had turned and headed towards the exit. The slightly confused expression remained etched on Haruo’s face before slightly transforming to a resemblance of dejectedness. Here he was now, alone, continuing to eat his meal, while the other sat across the table with the ryo beside the bowl. His head tilted downward, providing a shadow over his bowl as his eyes simply stared at the blandness of the dark oak table. With a sigh escaping him, Haruo lethargically continued eating his meal, the slow deliberate motions now in place for there wasn’t anything he could possibly due after he was done eating here.

Ten more minutes had passed by before Haruo was entirely done with his meal. Haruo took a few moments to look across at the empty space in front of him, before deciding he’d best be out of the restaurant and find something else to do for the day. Maybe he could finally train seriously, to a degree, though his mood didn’t seem to match up with that particular scenario quite so well at the current time. Haruo finally reached the conclusion that he would do what just came naturally to him, and that was to walk around aimlessly before something came to mind for what he could do for the remainder of the day.

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