Dax walked down the stairs to his apartment. Keeping his arms behind his head and a large smile on his face. Fubuki was following closely behind his heels. The little white wolf pup was bouncing and panting as Dax took each and every step. Dax reached the bottom of the steps and let out a small sigh. Looking down to Fubuki, Dax gave his little wolf pup a weary smile. The truth was he was extremely nervous. Today he was going to the Inuzuka Complex that is held only for the Inuzuka members of the Konoha Pack. Dax is nervous because he didn't know yet if he was accept as one of the pack. He did after all just been admitted as a Genin and has been assigned a squad. Dax crinkled up his nose at the thought of the first meeting. It was interesting none of the less.

Dax started to walk down the path that led from his small apartment to the main street in Konoha. Dax walked slowly so he could get a handle of his nerves. To be honest, when Dax gets nervous he just gets all the more excited. He didn't want to be over excited. He had a feeling that his energy scared people off. He was like a little pup in the world without a mother or a father to tell him right from wrong. As Dax walked, he looked down to the ground and watched his feet shuffle through the dirt. He had no one that cared for him anymore. It was a sad thought but that was how he felt.

A slight breeze blew through the street as Dax walked. He grabbed for his hat that had a slight chip in it from his battle with the Kage. That made Dax all the more depressed. The Hokage of the village was supposed to be a grand person who loved all his ninjas and civilians. He was at the very least a little bit amused from the battle but he seemed to have more interest towards someone who came from his Pack. Dax didn't like the thought of being seen as a Stray that was just an add-on to the pack. Dax frown to himself as he continued. Fubuki who was walking silently the whole time looked up to Dax. Seeing his upside down expression, Fubuki began to nip at Dax's pant legs and yapped happily.

Dax looked down at the little puff that was his wolf and ninken. All he could do was smile. His companion knew him more than anyone. He also knew that he could cheer Dax up at any moment of the day. In all reality Dax realized that Fubuki was the only friend he needed. All of the other people would just be a added bonus. Dax let out a small giggle and bent over to pet the small wolf. Picking Fubuki up in the air and carrying him in his arms Dax moved in the direction of the Complex. Dax made it to the front gates and let out a small sigh and exhale. The gate was of average height and by taking in a deep breath through his nose Dax could smell various people and dogs. Dax let out the breath again and walked into the complex.

Dax only it made it so far without dropping his jaw. The place was amazing! It had various of people with their dogs running around. They were all talking and smiling. Dax put a huge smile on his face and began to take a step forward. As he was moving, Dax stop and returned to his previous position by stepping backwards to the threshold of the gate. Dax could see some peoples glances from the clan that they were giving him. Dax smiled and waved just to be returned by blank stares and people turning their backs. Dax looked down to hide his shame. He knew that some of these people were not ready to see and outside clansman into their complex. Dax rubbed the head of Fubuki and smiled at his wolf.

Ashi watched Dax's arrival with his ninken from the top-most roof of one of the nearby houses where she sat perched as if ready to spring forward at any moment. Her gaze switched between him to the people moving around on the ground below and then back again. A frown swept across her face and a sigh escaped her lips. "I really hate how some people treat outsiders...", she muttered to herself.

Standing up to her full height she sprang herself up into the air from the roof she'd been on, sending herself to a nearby lower one. She landed on that roof in much the same crouched position she'd been in before only to repeat the process, jumping herself from roof type to roof top until she landed on the ground; right next to Dax. "Pay them no mind, it's not worth caring for their opinion. You're not the only one they give that look to."

With that said she turned her gaze from Dax to those nearby, an eyebrow raising as if daring them to speak their minds. Gazes were quickly averted and Ashi smirked. "See? I don't think most of them like me much either." She folded her arms across her chest, hoping to not be as intimidating as she had been during their squad meeting. She had to remind herself that she was the crazed one who had been swinging a hammer at everyone. "So, wanna take a walk around?"

A whistle brought her own ninken running over who had been hiding in the shadows nearby the house she'd been perched on until that point. Akai slowed when close and then sat herself directly next to Ashi, mouth opened in a dog like friendly grin.

Dax was hugging onto his dog as he could feel the burn from the stares. They were like daggers stabbing into his skin. Dax did not want to look up and see them all because he felt like it could cause some sort of fight. Not to mention that they were all seasoned Inuzuka and he has yet to have complete training for his ninken and himself. He learned the basics but not anything that would be considered advanced for his clan. Fubuki who was in his arms, wiggled and licked his face while pawing at him so Dax would get distracted. The wolf whined and shifted in his arms wagging his tail from left to right. He was doing anything he could to change Dax's mindset.

Dax looked down at the furry creature and smiled nuzzling the dog, but the efforts were useless at this point. He could still feel the burn from the looks. Dax let his hair fall down into his face and cover his eyes. His violet eyes stared at his feet. Why did he deserve this stare? Why did he deserve this sort of pain? The thought ran through his head while he was standing there with his face in the pile of fluff that was in his arms. All the way until he felt that Fubuki stopped moving and let out a small growl. Dax looked up slowly and looked at the small face of the pup. The wolf was looking up into the sky. Dax followed the matching violet eyes of the dog and looked up. He couldn't see what it was but a figure was flying through the air towards him. As the figure became closer he noticed it was a person. He couldn't see who it was but they had a familiar smell.

The figure finally dropped right next to him where Dax look wide eyed at the person next too. Him his violet eyes were wide and a curious look on his face. When his eyes were able to process what happened, he realized who it was. It was Ashi! She was the girl who is on his squad. He even had the chance to be able to fight against her which was scary but awesome at the same time. Dax smiled at her and the mood and feeling he had disappeared. "Hiya Ashi!" He said with a slight giggle. As he was smiling he looked over through the corner of his eyes to see the people. More people were staring now. He looked back to Ashi when she spoke. He had a blank look on his face when she was speaking and then looked back over at the people. When he looked back they had all adverted their eyes.

Why would they advert their eyes? Dax turned his head to the side and then looked back at Ashi. It must have to do something with her, but what? Dax smiled and laughed. It was a horrible sight to see someone of their own pack be seen as an outcast, but it was a nice feeling to see that he was not alone. Dax just had to keep himself weary and alert just in case someone did not like that he was coming in on their territory. He also had to be weary of Ashi. He remembered how she was swinging her hammer around at them. That was something he did not want to experience again. So Dax kept on smiling and then shook his head.. "Yes!" He said with a bright smile. "Lets look around!" He looked around the vast complex and put his weight on the balls on his feet while bending forwards. He gave the place a cursory look. "I have never experienced the main pack's complex before!" He giggled softly.

Dax took a step forward and set down Fubuki. The wold wiggled for a second and then situated itself on the ground. Dax looked up to see Ashi's ninken bounding towards them and could not help but smile. He bent himself over and sat on his ankles while putting himself at eye level to the dog. "Hiyo Akai!" He laughed. Fubuki let out a happy yip himself to repeat everything that Dax said as his own greeting.

She threw another glance towards the passersby, her stare shooting daggers and saying more than words could. She smiled towards Dax and nodded. "Well then, it'll be an adventure. Akai and I were needing to stretch our legs, anyway." She reached down, scratching at the top of her ninkens head, behind her ears, just like she liked the best.

Akai looked to Dax and Fubuki, letting out her own friendly bark of a greeting all while her tail started wagging like crazy due to the over abundance of ear scratching that was going on. She didn't move from her spot next to Ashi, however, given her large size she was openly weary of harming Fubuki. But, her body language remained friendly and nonthreatening none the less.

"So, where do you want to start? The parks, or just a general tour first?", she asked, practically bouncing in place as her energy increased in her excitement. She'd leave it up to Dax to decide, not really caring where they ended up, so long as they got moving. She finished with scratching Akai on the head, who whined in protest to the sudden loss.

Dax smiled at the dog as it barked back to him. Dax put his hands on his knees and pushed himself up so he could stand again. He let out a grin to Ashi as he stood there. He could tell that she was giving looks to the people behind him but he didn't mind. He didn't care anymore. He was here to have fun and see what the complex was like. It was going to be an adventure! Dax was able to let out a small laugh as Ashi actually took the words right out of his mouth. She wanted to go on an adventure as well. Maybe they could get a good run in!

Dax turned and pointed his finger up into the air then pointed forward allowing himself to fully exclaim. "I want the whole tour!" He let out a triumphant laugh and then snickered to himself, "Lets move on then!" He said lifting his knees up into the air so he could march forward. Dax made it a couple of steps before he stopped and turned around giving Ashi a nervous laugh while scratching the side of his face. "I don't know where I am actually going...." He laughed again scratching the side of his face one more. "Maybe it would be for the best that you take the lead." Dax said with another nervous laugh while putting his arms slightly behind his back. Dax stood there smiling and rocking on his feet.

Fubuki who was sitting there staring wide-eyed at Akai and wagging his tail. Moving slightly Fubuki moved up to the massive creature and sniffed at one of Akai's paws. After he got close enough to feel comfortable with where he was, Fubuiki let out a yip and jumped up on its hind legs and playfully pawed at the side of Akai. Fubuki did it for as long as he could before falling backwards into a roll back onto his feet where he sat and scratched at his head. Fubuki blinked with his purple eyes and then turned and trotted over to Dax with a bright smile on his face.

Dax smiled down at the wolf and then looked up at Ashi. Looking around, Dax hushed his voice slightly and leaned himself inward. He glanced from side to side once more before he spoke. "The Kage isn't here is he?" Dax raised himself up once again and looked around the area. He knew that the Kage was the clan head so that means that he should have residence here. Dax liked the Kage but he didn't know if the feeling were mutual. Besides he didn't want to get thrown into another training session. Dax looked around with his bright eyes and then shifted his weight back on one foot where he put his hands behind his head. "I mean..." He said glancing around again. "Will he be joining us?" Dax said and then he had a really great idea. Bringing his fist up to his face and showing his energy again, Dax leaned forward. "I really want to get to know him better!" Dax then looked Ashi square in the face. "I also want to get to know you too! You are both very interesting!" He said with a giggle before straightening himself out again preparing himself for the walk.

Ashi watched Akai and Fubuki, chuckling softly. Akai simply stood there, unmoving, and blinking her big bright blue eyes down at Fubuki before tilting her head as she watched him roll. A whine escaped her that quickly stopped as she watched Fubuki move back over to Dax. Akai took that as her cue to get to her own feet, moving beside Ashi and remaining standing, ready to follow her.

Ashi turned her attention from Akai back to Dax and nodded. "Probably best, don't want to get lost on your first tour around. We'll head to the park first, it's the best spot in my opinion." With that she began walking, slowly at first, Akai walking next to her. "I'm sure Kenta's... I mean, the Hokage, is busy right now. Besides, I don't smell him around." She shrugged. "As far I go.. ask any question you want, I don't mind." She smiled again, friendly enough.

Dax looked up at Ashi with a large smile on his face. Then with a wide eyed glance he looked down at Fubuki and laughed. They were going to the park. Dax jumped and danced around and Fubuki did the same as they laughed and spun. "We are going to the Park!" He said in a sort of song like jig. He kept skipping and hopping around while Fubuki yipped and bounced around as well. They have never been to the park before! It seems like it would be so much fun. Up in the mountains, they only had the surrounding hilly terrain with all the snow in the world. There was not a lot of people around not to mention many people of his pack.

The thought of the park really made him excited. He just couldn't wait. He made sure that Ashi was either next to him or in front of him when they moved so he could keep her in his sight. Ashi was right that was all he needed. All he needed to do was get lost and get cornered by the people of the Konoha Pack. What joy and wonders would that bring to him. But Dax didn't want to think about the what ifs he wanted to think about what the park looked like to him. He could see it now. The green grass. The dogs barking and running around. The people laughing and staying together like a family.

Family. The word rung inside of him like a bell. It is one of the few words that depressed him. Seeing all of these happy people as they walk on made him think about his own family. Dax looked over and could see a family walking on with their child walking between them. They were all holding hands. Dax smiled at them and then grabbed his scarf fondly. He could remember his family well. His mothers smile. His father strong hold. Everything he needed to feel accepted and loved. Something that was not on strong supply here since he was found and brought to Konoha. Dax touched the metal of the Konoha ninja headband that he wrapped around his arm. Dax watched the family walk away while he and Ashi moved forward. He watched them all the way until they were out of sight. The whole time he kept a nice smile on his face.

Dax looked up and smiled over at Ashi as they were walking. He looked down and around to make sure Fubuki did not wander off. The wolf was keeping pace and walking around him at his heels. He could tell that Fubuki needed training compared to Akai who was walking in sync with Ashi. Still Dax was listening to every word that Ashi had to say. "Thats alright I guess..." He said when he heard that the Kage was not around. "He is the Hokage" Dax said with a smile on his face. He enjoyed his time with Ashi so far. He liked the fact that she is allowing to open up to a degree to him so they can get to know each other better. They were going to be teammates after all.

So Dax said leaning in towards Ashi with a smile while continuing walking. "Alright then!" He said with a giggle. "Since you are willing to answer my questions..." He said looking off into the distance. "We can make it into a game!" He said with a bright smile on his face. A game! What fun can that be. Dax looked up to Ashi and spoke, "The game is that I get to ask you one question and you answer. While..." Dax looked down trying to think this through. "While you get to ask me one and I answer as well." Dax looked up and smiled "We can go back and forth. That way we get to know a few things about each other!" He said with a giggle. Then he looked up to Ashi pointing. "The only rule is that you have to answer the question honestly...ok?" He laughed this time. It was going to be fun and interesting to get to know Ashi and maybe some of the Kage.

The game wasn't much of a game but Dax wanted to think of it that way. Dax brought his hand up to his face and made it look like he was thinking. "So I will go first!" He already knew his question. He may be oblivious to some things but he definitely heard Ashi call the Hokage Kenta. There was a story behind that and he didn't want to let that one go. So Dax then looked up to Ashi and with a grin spoke, "alright! Just now you called the Hokage Kenta..." He said and then let his smile drop a little bit while giving Ashi a kind look, "What is the story behind that?" Dax looked forward and continued to walk while putting his hands behind his head. "Not every day you see that..." He said with a giggle and a smile. He really wanted to know why the Kage did not attack her while they were training. He always wanted to attack him and Axel.

Ashi grinned, and nodded. This game sounded fair enough, though something deep down told her a question was going to come up that might be a little hard to answer. Especially given the only rule was truthfulness. "Alright, sounds like a game I'm willing to play."

She kept them walking in the direction of the park, reaching down every so often to give Akai a light scratch on the ears as the dog walked beside her. And there went the first question, ah yes... this was going to take some explaining. She knew better than to get so comfortable calling her cousin so, especailly given his position. Ah well, she had inserted her foot in her mouth, and Dax was due an explanation, especially after the squad meeting.

Ashi bit her bottom lip a moment, thinking where to begin. With a sigh she stared up at the sky, still walking, and only glancing every now and then to the ground to make sure she wasn't about to trip over anything or run into anything. "It's a long story... but I guess we've got time since you want the whole tour." She turned her gaze to Dax for a moment, wondering how much of the truth he was going to be able to handle before he ended up running off. She then turned her attention forward again, paying more attention to where she was walking; this story was going to be easier to explain if she didn't have to make eye contact with anyone.

"Well, I guess it started when I started having problems with my mother. I was never good enough for her, not towards the end. My dad loved me enough, never had a problem with me, really... but he wouldn't stand up to her. Things got worse when I named Amaya Uchiha as my best friend. That's when the fighting got intense. My mother kicked me out." She took a deep breath and exhaled, drawing a little strength from the simple gesture to continue. "I'd been talking here and there to Kenta for a while, and he made a deal, I could have the room in one of his houses in exchange for doing some chores and babysitting. I'd already taken a liking to his kids from when I'd seen them from time to time, so it wasn't a problem at all. I accepted."

They'd reached the park by this point, and she hesitated, her walking stopping. She looked around and then at Dax. "A few weeks after I moved in I ended up needing some more of my things. I hadn't bothered packing it all, I was just anxious to get out of the house, really. So, I went over in the intent of getting the rest of my clothes. My mother went nuts, I heard her slamming drawers around in the kitchen, cursing, yelling... " Another deep breath, and she started walking again. "I was in my room, acting oblivious to it all. I just wanted my stuff packed and to get out there. I was almost done when it happened..." By this point she was walking along the path in the park, to allow Dax to see the full beauty of it.

"I saw Akai dive behind me out of the corner of me eye, and then heard my mother screaming. When I turned... well she was lying there, pinned by Akai, and a knife was beside her. She'd tried to kill me." She swallowed some saliva, needing by this point to keep going. "Kenta was in the compound at the time, but I think he was pretty much the only one. School was letting out you see, and yeah... parents had to go get their kids. He came running, found out what was going on, and restrained her. That's when I smelled it.. rotting flesh." She winced slightly, remembering the smell all too well. "I found my father in the shed... I won't go into detail about his condition, but it was clear my mother murdered him. So, she had to be taken care of... clan law and all. I got to do the honors..."

She stopped there, not wanting to scare Dax any more then she figured her story might have already. She'd never bothered to go into that much detail before to anyone, and only Kenta knew the full truth because he was there. But, it had felt too good at the time to stop, like a heavy weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. "So, you see.. he's closer than my family now, he did more for me than I could imagine, he saved me from myself, really. I think of him more than just Hokage, or the leader of our clan. He's my best friend..." She looked up towards the sky again, more of a glance this time than anything. "I guess that's why I can honestly say that I'd die for him..and it go beyond just words or duty."

Dax was walking through the complex on pins and needles. He really wanted to hear the story for Ashi. It would mean more than the world if he could get to know his cousins better. He never actually knew many of them so getting this time meant the world. They were walking and Ashi's head dropped. Dax looked at her and gave her his full attention. He knew this must be some story or her demeanor would not have changed as such. Dax walked closer to Ashi and whistled low towards Fubuki so he could jump up on Dax. When the small wolf jumped Dax caught him and put him on his head. Dax did not want to miss a single bit of the story by looking after his wolf.

Once the wolf was content, Dax turned and listened in on the story. It seemed as though the whole world disappeared as he was listening. Occasionally he would make sure to look around since he was getting a tour, but he wanted to hear the story. Then Ashi began to speak. Dax's eyes opened wide and his mouth dropped slightly while he was listening. It was a chilling story. Dax adverted his eyes and looked over at the park when they passed through so he could see the whole thing. Really he was just trying to process the information more than anything. It was a pretty park...Still Dax couldn't fathom the thought of a daughter having to kill her parents. What cruelty! Not to mention that her own mother had killed her father.

Yet in her story there was light in the darkness of her past. She had met the Kage and they became friends. A slight breeze came through the area when Ashi took a pause in her speech. Dax grabbed at his scarf to make sure it didn't blow away. as the breeze went through Dax felt like he was going to cry. It was so sad to hear that she had to go through all of that. What made it worse was that he didn't know what to say. Dax just continued walking and kept listening. It was all he could do. She had it just as bad as he did. Maybe even worse. Actually she had it a lot worse. It was comforting again to know that he wasn't the only one who had that sort of pain locked away inside of him.

Dax looked up to Ashi. His eyes shined in the sun. The violet seemed to glow. He wanted to let her know that he cared and he felt out to her, but still he couldn't. All he could say was, "Thats horrible..." He said looking low to the ground watching his feet take each and every step. It seemed like time had slowed down at this point. They seemed to be walking forever. That was what a story like that would do to you. Except, Dax was not afraid. He himself had to experience death. He too had to watch his parents be slaughtered in front of him. Why did she have to kill her mother herself. IT was not an honor to be allowed to kill your parents. It was a cruelty. Some sort of cruel lesson that was in place.

"But.." He said looked up to Ashi with a curious look. "Why would..." Dax stopped himself as he spoke. He would have to leave that question for later. It was the rules that he put into place and he almost broke them. He did not want to break the rules. He couldn't even smile. Actually he could.. "Oops.." He let out a small giggle. "I almost broke my own rule..." He looked up and smiled at Ashi. There. He was able to do it. This way he could show through his smile that he cared and that he understood. He did not fear the darkness of peoples past he wants to become friends with everyone and accept their dark sides. That way people can understand each other more and maybe they could all stop the violence and killing.

Dax kept his smile and spoke to Ashi. "Ok!" He said looking over at the scenery so he could take it all in. Dax turned and looked at Ashi again. "Its your turn this time!" Dax continued walking and would pet Fubuki who was now asleep on his head. IT bothered him that she had to go through it, but there was nothing that he could do to help her forget and feel happy without getting the same glares that everyone gave him. That was his next question. Why would they give her such mean glares when it was the clans law.

She couldn't help but grin, having been expecting the question Dax had stopped himself from asking. "I think I know what you want to ask next, and I'll answer it now since I didn't fully explain the rest of it." She nodded her head in the direction of the next row of houses, where another, smaller park waited to be explored. Her feet moved in that direction, Akai all the while walking silently by her side.

"I was enraged when I saw what my mother had done. I was given the choice of what I wanted to do, and I let my rage rule me. So, I decided I wanted to be the one who handled her, I felt at the time like I owed it to my father. So I did.. I regretted it afterwards, felt empty for days. But, Kenta helped me through that, as did Amaya." She finished there, contemplating what sort of question she wanted to ask Dax in her silence.

She glanced around a bit more, taking in more of the sights now that she wasn't telling her own chilling tale. "So, what about you, hmm? I noticed that your ninken's a wolf, that's rare.", she asked softly.

She continued to look around, letting the sights around her distract her from reliving the pictures pouring through her mind from her story, and waiting eagerly for Dax to start speaking, it'd offer a great distraction to be able to focus on him and what he was saying. She reached down while they walked, her hand lingering lightly on Akai's head as she scratched the dog behind the ears, the fur offering a comforting touch, a way to ground herself for the time being.

Dax looked at her while she spoke. She let her rage rule her....Dax knew all to well what that was like. Dax rubbed his chest as she talked about rage. He himself had something locked away in his heart. His other self. The self that he did not want to bring out when he was in a group. It manifested his rage. It showed his lust for power and revenge. It scared him. The only thing he could do was to lock it away so that no one would ever see it. He almost let it out during the fight, but he was able to stop himself. It was to protect everyone and himself. So he was able to get the whole story. Well at least most of it as he could infer that she used her rage and attacked the village or something of the sort. In all it was something that she must regret doing.

Dax looked over to the side when he was asked his question. He was kind of disappointed that she asked such a easy question. Nothing really could come out of it. But still it was a question that he had to answer honestly and truthfully. It was not much of a story though. Still it was Fubuki! His true and dearest friend. Dax looked up and smiled at the small wolf who slept soundly on top of him. Dax rubbed the little wolfs head with his forefinger. The wolf wiggled a little bit and fell back asleep. This made Dax smile. Dax looked over at Ashi and smiled.

"It is not a grand story like yours but.." Dax said running over to a uninhabited bench as they moved onward in a different direction of the park and jumped up balancing himself as he continued to walk. "But it is a tradition for my family." Dax said looking over to Ashi just to drop down and join back over to her side. "You see I am from a nomadic pack that started to settle down in the mountains." Dax said spinning around on his toes. He loved talking about his people and his clan. It was always such a rush. "One of our clan laws is that we have to go out and choose our ninken. In other words..." Dax said looking off at a family who walked by. There was a little girl who seemed to have gotten her ninken as she was cuddling with a puppy in her arms. He smiled at them. Dax looked back at Ashi and began to speak again. "Your alpha releases you into the wild to find your ninken. It can be anything from the canine world as long as you received it with your own hands and it is not given to you by your par...parents..." Dax choked on that last word. It was not only for him as he lost his, but for Ashi as it seemed as though she lost her connection with her family.

Dax enjoyed talking about this though he loved the memories of finding Fubuki. "It took me a week to find Fubuki...and the whole time we are not allowed to receive help from the other clansmen." Dax let out a giggle. "Everyone had found theirs as I could see them all happy and giggly as they walk by me....Most people would just walk down to town and find a stray or buy one in a local shop with the money they received from their family before they left. Or my favorite....The parents would plant a ninken for them where they seemed like they went out to find or searched for." Dax looked over at Ashi. "They would cheat the system and has been done for many years, but not my family" He said looking off ahead. "We had a tradition that we would find wolves because we wanted to keep with how the clan was in the past. So I was traveling the mountain when I came upon a small litter of wolf pups. They were so small and all playing. They must have just walked away from the pack. I knew that they needed to be taken back to their mother."

"I walked them all...It was weird because at first they didn't want to move they feared me, but a small white wolf." Dax said looking up to Fubuki. "A small white wolf seemed to follow which made the others follow...It was scary going back to where their family was. They were all growling and howling at me, but the same white wolf seemed to protect me." Dax smiled and laughed. "One thing led to another and I was able to form the bonding ceremony allowing me to have Fubuki here as my ninken." Dax laughed and rubbed the dogs head again. He was greeted with a lick of the fingers and a yawn as Fubuki kept still on his head. "You could say it was fate...how many white wolves seemed to have the same eye color and all...My family was so proud...." Dax laughed. he liked that feeling. The feeling of remembering, but it saddened him. Dax looked off to the side and saw a bunch of families moving past. Great. It was just something that he needed to be reminded of.

Dax turned and looked back at Ashi. "So I have the same question for you! How did you find Akai? I am unfamiliar with the customs here in a village so I don't know how you guys get your ninken" Dax said smiling at Akai who was walking silently this whole time.

Ashi nodded as she listened to his story, smiling as she watched the pair. They'd reached the smaller park, with a pathway, and a little bridge in the center of the park both for use and decoration purposes. She was distracted enough now not to be stuck focusing on the past, and it gave her grounds to actually think back to that happy little meeting between herself and Akai when she heard his next question.

"Well, when I was younger, a little too young to be doing most missions, I'd help out when I could at the kennels and the clinic. It was my way of contributing, and I liked the work." She grinned a bit. "I couldn't wait to get out of school and get there. The idea of helping with the animals... it made me feel good." She reached down, scratching Akai's head again. "Akai's mother had died shortly after being brought there, and the other puppies were mostly okay... but Akai was the runt of the litter. She didn't want to eat, and was mostly unresponsive to the others who helped out."

Akai at that point barked happily and wagged her tail, as if saying she wasn't unresponsive now. Ashi chuckled and nodded at Akai. "I know, I know.. you're never tired now, right?" She then turned her attention back to Dax, walking over the small decorative bridge that crossed the stream that went through the small park. "So, I was assigned to feeding her that day, they'd given up hope, and figured she didn't have long to live because of her refusing food. She took to me almost right away, ate, became more responsive. After a few days of that I could even get her to play."

She paused long enough to look around, enjoying this part of the park as it had the most colorful flowers. "In a way Akai picked me, not the other way around. They thought that since she was getting better she'd act the same for them, but she wouldn't. When I wasn't around she became unresponsive again, would refuse food. So, I was given the task of getting her back to full health. From there I was allowed to take her home, we've been inseparable ever since."

She started walking again, thinking of the next question she wanted to ask Dax. "Hm... So, what about your parents, or family?", she asked softly.

Dax was slowly next to Ashi as they made their move up to another park. This one was just as cool as the last but a little smaller. Dax was smiling the whole time that they moved. The smile faded when it was his turn. Dax stopped moving and stared at the ground. His hands clenched into a fist and his whole demeanor dropped. Dax looked up at Ashi and could not muster a smile. His family? His parents? How could he tell her. Dax let out a sigh and he knew what he had to do. He had to tell her the truth. Dax looked up to Ashi and spoke with his eyes adverted and moving for right to left. "My parents...My family...they are all dead..."

The air in the place seemed to go still. No wind no sound just silence as Dax began to speak his tail. He kept his eyes off the whole time and did not want to move while he told his story. "As an only child I was had many different chores one of which was getting supplies from town. So on my bi-weekly run to get the supplies his family needed from the local market, there was a sense of unrest within the local towns people. I casted this off to the side that it was probably just because this was supposed to be the busiest part of the year. So as I continued on with my normal business of shopping. As I continued on through my usual shopping business until I heard a scream. I looked around in curiosity to see what was going on. Then I hear the scream again. With a quick turn, I saw a the local townsmen pointing up into the woods. Slowly I followed the eyes and the points until my eyes grazed onto the rising smoke from the forest that my family resided in.

Struck with fear with a cold sweat, I dashed up from the cobble paved street and ran up the mountain side to see the destruction that was once called his home. The buildings were all on fire. The flames were melting away the snow on the ground. But what was the most feared sight was the blood. Dripping from the trees above and made it look like a fresh rain came through. My eyes widen in fear as I saw the blood came from my family. My mother and father were hung from the trees above with their bowels ripped from the inside out. I was taken completely by fear as the true fear took over as I stumbled and fell to the floor screaming out hoping that my words would rise the dead.

Then there was a rustle in the bushes off to the side of the house were the smoke was the most black. My eyes snapped open hoping it was someone of my clan who survived and my cries were answered. My head darted in the direction of the noise. What emerged from the brush was not my parents, but something else. Something sinister. A dark aura seemed to harvest over this being. As there was a dark bright smile that seemed to pierce through the darkness. I did not wait to see what that being was as I leapt to my feet and charged off the mountain.

I seemed to be walking forever since that day. The towns and the sights that I would normally stop to admire seemed not as much of an interest to me. I seemed to be just dragging along trying to run away from whatever it was that was there. I kept going until my strength left me and I passed out. The darkness that surrounded me seemed eternal as I slipped off into the darkness I flew deeper and deeper. Falling into nothingness until I saw a light. I heard a voice.

When I came to, I was in a small room laying in a plain bed. Struck with confusion, I rubbed his eyes and searched the room throwing off the covers and stepping onto the cool floor. Walking over to the window, I pulled back the curtains and let the light shine in. Once the window was open what I saw was amazing. It was a simple looking village that seemed to have a leaf as a symbol."

Dax looked up to Ashi and gave her a meek smile. "Thats what happened to my family. There was no news no nothing..." Dax looked off to the side. "I don't even know who it was that saved me. I believe it was the Kage but I am not so sure...." Dax's voice trailed off as he stared off into space.

Ashi stopped walking when Dax did, her ears given her the hint from the lack of movement. She listened in silence to his tale, a frown forming across her face. She folded her arms across her chest, leaning her hip lightly against Akai who took her weight rather well given her large size.

Her gaze shifted around, but she was still listening intently. When he finished she tilted her head slightly, rainbow colored hair falling over her shoulders, her emotions were a mass of agony, sorrow, and compassion, each one fighting inside of her for control. "I'm sorry to hear that... it sounds terrible." She smiled gentle. "But, I'm glad you ended up here." Her smile grew a little bit more. "I can always use more friends!", she said happily, Akai barking along in agreement.

She nodded towards the path. "Shall we continue?" She'd stay if he didn't feel like walking any more, but she was sure he could use the distraction. She sure as hell had needed it after her tale. "And, what's your next question for me?" She moved her hair out of her face, straightening so she wasn't leaning against her ninken.

Dax looked down at the ground as he finished his tale. Dax would look up every now and then trying to make eye contact but he was to depressed to do anything about it. Fubuki sat and just breathed on top of his head seeing what the next move was going to be. Then Dax's head snapped up when he heard what Ashi said. It made him smile. He loved to hear the fact that he was going to keep his friends and make new ones. This is what it meant to have a clan! It was such a fun thing to experience.

Dax continued and moved forward with his head held high and a smile on his face. He was able to wipe away some of the tears that dropped from telling his tale. It still made him happy that someone actually cared to hear from what happened to him. No one actually really wanted to know what was going on in his life. It made him feel more like an outcast. Dax confidently took a step forward and then moved on. He kept in pace with Ashi as they moved and then brought his hand up to his face to think. What did he want to ask her? He found out her past and he found out about her ninken. What else was there?

"hmmmmm...." Dax said walking and wondering and hoping and thinking. This was truly a hard one. What was he going to say? "How about...." Dax said looking around to find an idea. He really didn't know anything else to say. So he could just go with some simple questions. Then he had an idea. Dax looked up to Ashi and smiled. "Can you show me where you live?" he said with a laugh. That also meant he could see where the Kage lived as well. All of which would give him some good information on who he was and such. He didn't want to ask Ashi about it because it meant that the could possibly make her betray the Kage's trust. Also it was still considered a part of the tour. This way he could get more into the complex and see all of the sights.

She thought about the freshest question as she walked; not seeing any reason why it would hurt to show him where she was living. She was glad he seemed happier since what she said, and wanted to keep him that way. Having had her own taste of depression she knew it was something to avoid as best as possible. "Alright, it's a bit of a walk, but sure."

Akai barked in response to their next location and then a series of short barks and growls came from her; the ninken was inquiring about Kenta. Ashi grinned and shook her head. "I don't know if Kenta will be there, Akai. Miss him already, eh?" She reached down, ruffling the shaggy fur on Akai's head. "The Hokage is one of Akai's favorite people.", she said by way of explanation to Dax.

There were less stares by now as they walked, most having got used to their presence rather quickly. She couldn't think of any other questions to ask right off, and tapped her chin as they walked, until another strand of her overly colorful hair flew into her face and it reminded her of his hat. "So, while I'm walking us to your next question I have a question for you; where'd you get your hat? I like it." She tilted her head a little bit in her curiosity, one of her usual signs when curiosity peeked for her, but she didn't leave it like that long, especially given that it made the walk slightly harder to do so.

Akai, meanwhile, had become bored with just the constant walking; that becoming apparent as her ninken spotted an overly colorful butterfly and took off full speed after it.

Dax was walking happily now. They were able to see where Ashi and the Kage lived. He wondered what it was going to be like. Was it going to be big? Was it a simple house? Were there lots of dogs? Ashi said that there were a lot of children at the house so that must mean that Kenta had a partner in his life. Dax used the word partner because he didn't know how Kenta aligned himself in the world so it seem correct to use it in that sense. Dax continued walking swinging his hands and arms with a light skip to his step while they were moving.

Finally it was his turn to be asked. She wanted to know about his hat. "My hat?" Dax looked up at the bill that was off slightly to the side. The split in the bill was still there from the battle earlier. He actually needed to get that fixed as soon as possible. Still the blue hat that had the clan markings embroidered on it in a silver string was there just as blue as the sky. Dax grabbed at the bill and then adjusted it. Looking over at Ashi with a curious look. Why did she want to know about something as simple as his hat. He actually didn't know where he got it. Fubuki who had taken residence on his hat jumped off and landed as soft as possibly on the ground. He saw that Akai was having fun on his own and wanted to join in. Fubuki ran off and chased after the butterflies with Akai.

Dax raised his arm to stop Fubuki and then decided that he should leave him alone. He needed to have fun and be social with other ninken. It was good for him. Maybe Fubuki could learn something. So Dax raised his hands and took off his hat and held it close to him. His white-silver hair fell slightly in front of his left eye when he did this. Dax looked up at Ashi. "My hat.." Dax rubbed the bill and felt every string. He could feel the embroidery and the handwork put into it. "I have had this since birth.....I guess...Everyone had one in my family" Dax said plainly. He smiled down at it just looking at the blue in front of him. It was his favorite color. "It was a gift from my mother." He said with kind eyes looking up to Ashi while they were walking.

They as a group moved further down the way as they made their way towards where Ashi lived. It was Dax's turn to ask a question and he could tell that his game was coming to a close as they were both starting to run out of questions. Dax looked up and giggled. "I am running out of questions" He laughed slightly with a apologetic tone putting on a grin. "So this may be my last question unless I think of something!" Dax looked up at Ashi and stared a little bit at her hair. It was fascinating as it had a arrangement of color and sparkle to it. It was truly interesting. He wanted to know how that was possible. "How did you get you hair like that!? It is so cool!" Dax said with a giggle and eyes sparkling.

She listened to him explain his hat as they walked, knowing the building was rather close that she lived in now. Her gaze went form Dax to Akai at random, keeping an eye on her ninken, though she was more then capable of handling herself these days. Akai had caught the butterfly by this point, and had accidently eaten it. The look on the dog's face was anything but pleased as she ran her way back to Ashi's side, pausing to glance back at Dax's ninken as if checking on him.

"Oh this?" She fingered a strand of her hair for a moment before shoving it all up in a hasty ponytail to keep the wind from constantly blowing it in her face as she felt it beginning to pick up. "Amaya did it. She's got an eye for detail. I just sort of sat there with my eyes closed until she told me she was finished. It took a very long time though. She promised it wouldn't be so hard to do my roots when it started to grow out. I did it after that whole thing with my mother. I guess it was one of the ways I coped, and it felt good to be rebellious for once. She never let me do anything like this, felt really good to defy her on top of everything else, I guess."

She knew it was her turn to ask a question, and racked her brain for a good one, but nothing came up. "Well, I can't think of any more questions to ask, but we're almost there."