Otter would be sitting within the empty confines of his new two-room apartment. A fetal position would be made, and the skin of his bare feet would rub against the tough wooden surface. It would be there that he would think to himself, to ponder while his tail lightly thudded the floor. thud thud thud 'A challenge..'

[thud thud thud[/i] 'Seems he thinks that he's going to tire me out by keeping me on the chase..'

thud thud thud

The thudding would stop, a sweeping motion taking its place for a short moment as the male would stand up, rotating his body so he would face the new bedroom room of his. It was a small apartment to be sure, but for the most part, he was moved in. His things, unsurprisingly, didn't take up any real space either, as he had not much to begin with in the first place. The basic furniture was nice at least, it helped the rooms not be completely empty. Entering the second room, he would look down at the bed, where a red mask would be. This mask was one called a "Tengu", where the face would be red with an elongated nose and yellow eyes. The thing actually looked comical during the day, but during the night, it should help serve what he had planned to do.

The instructions given were vague at best, where a general area was given with the information of members of the Infinity Gang residing within it, but not much was given other than that. Being told that one of them would know more about Daiki wasn't helpful, especially considering how he had scouted out the building earlier in the day before he finished moving. In the building itself he couldn't tell how many, though there were three guarding the nearby alleys, and those three would be his main target tonight. Thankfully, the building itself seemed to be on the outskirts as well, not far away. There shouldn't be too many innocents out there.

Still, it would be wiser for him to get an ally before he begins pushing for the invasion; someone that is distant enough from him that he is sure they wouldn't know the real intentions behind this, but also someone he feels isn't affiliated with Daiki himself. He would grab the mask and place it over his face, the accessory fitting him nicely enough. Then, he would slide the dark purple hoodie of his over his black short sleeved shirt, properly covering most of his blue hair and his skin as well. With that, the only noticeable thing would be the tail sticking out of his black pants, but even then in the cover of night it shouldn't prove to be that bad of a factor. He wasn't sure whether or not he truly wished these people to still live after he was done, anyways.

"If Zaiaku were here, deciding would be far easier." He would mumble as he would move towards his door, opening it and leaving his two-room apartment. He had already considered letting Midori know about his night activity, but then again he didn't see why he should. If things go according to plan, there wouldn't be a murder. No fancy laws would be broken either, as he's not going after innocents and he's pretty licensed to crack down on criminal activity. He had already let her know about the Infinity Gang, so she should pretty much understand if any trouble occurs. Yeah, she didn't need to know about this round of vigilantism, and he didn't need the help of a kage to take down decently strong criminals. There were the people he had met at the restaurant, though he wasn't entirely sure about it quite yet, not sure about any of them.

At this point, the male would have scaled to the top of his apartment, where he would jump from that roof to another one, landing well enough on all fours. The people that had originally helped him escape, they would be good in a situation like this, though the locations of them all had been all but lost to him like grains of sand in the wind. Nanashi also wasn't around either, or else he wouldn't even really have to do anything, considering how the guy made Chu Bu become black mush in a short span of time.

There, he would stop at the top of a certain rooftop, overlooking a certain alleyway where one of the Infinity Gang members he had scouted out earlier would be. There, on all fours, he would be perched, glaring down upon the man, the Tengu mask covering his face. It would be there that, under the moonlight, he would pounce down from the top of the building, dropping nearly twenty feet on top of the gang member, his hands tightly grappling the enemy's shoulders while his feet would plant themselves next to his hands. He had misjudged how fast he fell, as the force of the gravity sent both he and the gang member to the ground, with his rump hitting the man's chest hard before the younger male rolled off, laying right next to the now groaning man.

"What the hell landed on me. ****..." He would hear the gang member groan before he would see him begin to get up. Shit, he cannot let this go to waste. Scrambling up, he would already be charging at the gang member, tackling him to the ground again, where he would already begin sloppily punching the man until he had gone unconscious. With that, he would drag him away from the area and back to his apartment, where he would keep him for questioning. He didn't have a lot of neighbors, not to mention he would make sure to gag him, so now all that was left to do was find out more about the building and its occupants, and to look for the person he decided on tomorrow.

It was now the next day, and Aiden himself barely had any sleep. The man, after an hour or so of interrogation, broke down, and, after receiving the information, the Chuunin had knocked him out and left him in a random part of town. It was now the morning, leaning towards noon, where the Chuunin himself would be up and out, his new blue short sleeved shirt matching a pair of cargo shorts. He would be up even earlier than that, looking for a certain man that he had decided to meet with; Kuno, one of the three he had met at the restaurant a while ago. He didn't really interact with him much since then, but considering the fact that the guy was friendly enough, he figured that he could help out. Who knows, it could be an enlightening experience for the both of them, and if not, he would have to find a way to pay him back later. He had already searched the Bazaar, the Slums, and a few other places, though there would be no sign of him. Now, it would be the Tsumi Sand Grounds next.

Entering the grounds, the fifteen year old would begin his search. "Kuno! Is there a Kuno somewhere around here?!" He would begin to call out as he would walk around, searching for the potential comrade.

Wc 1255

Everything had slowed down to a point that was nearly unbearable to the young Uchiha. Ever since his confrontation with Syekren and the group of Autumn thugs in the slums a while back, the trail had run cold on his investigation. Of course, there had been a revelation pertaining to the nature of Autumn and why his mother had been killed. As he discovered after nearly dying, the leader of the group that had murdered his mother and had begun to plant their seeds in Sunagakure no Sato was none other than his father, Kafu Hattori. It had been years since he had heard his father’s name, and Kuno had hoped that it would never again be uttered in his presence after he had forced himself, his sister, and his mother to flee their home in the Land of Fire for a life in the desert. He hated the man, and yet, something deep within him still knew he was his father. But despite that lingering sense of family ties, Kuno had decided to sever them had much as he could. So, when he had heard his father’s name on the lips of a dying criminal, he could not have been more shocked.

His recovery in the hospital had taken some time, and once he was out, Kuno had resumed his search for the gang’s main hideout. However, knowing the mane of the group’s leader had proved fruitless. More and more the young Uchiha pushed into the underworld of the Village Hidden in the Sands, but his work bore no new useful information, and before too long it seemed that the Autumn gang had begun to lessen its grip on Suna. Of curse, it was good news for the village, but Kuno could not help feel that the job was being left half done. If the identity of the leader was correct, then it seemed logical to Kuno that he could not be done until the chuunin himself had been taken care of. On top of that, there was the question of his sister. Why had she not been killed in the house? If she had been taken, then where and why? They were questions that were still left unanswered.

And so Kuno had not returned to the Kazekage yet to tell her that the job was complete, and he did not feel that a report at this time would do anything than have him pulled from the case. Instead, he continued with his investigation in hopes that he would get some sort of lead into any kind of criminal activity that was stirring in the village, but alas, to no avail. Eventually, Kuno had given up on the search for a time, and instead turned to bettering himself and to the completion of missions for his village. After all, no all of his time could be spent consumed by his own personal vendetta. He still had a duty to his people, to his village, and to his Kazekage. After everything that Midori had done for him, he owed her that much.

And so, this particular day, Kuno had decided to spend it in the Tsumi Sand Grounds, honing his personal skills and training harder than he had in a long time. With the way that his eyes were developing, he needed to catch up to their newfound power so that he could effectively wield them in battle when the time came to use them. Thus, with his crimson miao dao sheathed and attached to his hip, the young shinobi had made his way into the training grounds earlier than most, finding an array of training dummies on which to practice his kenjutsu. With the blade in hade, the Uchiha danced between the training posts, lashing out at different points in them with precision and speed that he was proud of, but not satisfied with. After a particularly strenuous combination that had him flipping high in the air over his opponent’s head and slashing out as he landed, he stood up straight to take a breath and drink from his nearby water bottle. It’s gonna be a long day.

Kuno’s training regiment had continued for some time, and as the day pressed on, the temperature grew only hotter. With the sun high in the sky, Kuno had stripped off his black jacket and white tank top and thrown them over a nearby wooden post, revealing a scarred but toned upper body to match his scarred face. His still wore his black pants with a single black stripe down one leg that hang loosely on his legs, allowing for them to breathe in the incredibly hot Land of Fire weather. He was about to begin another stint of sword swings when he heard someone calling out behind him. It was a familiar voice, but not one that he could quite place without the face to go along with it. "Kuno! Is there a Kuno somewhere around here?!" Spinning, the young Uchiha was surprised to see a young, familiar looking boy entering the Sand Grounds. He was wearing a blue shirt and matching cargo shorts, but the most familiar thing about hum, was his tail. Smiling at the thought of seeing a fellow ninja, Kuno raised his hand and waved. “Hey Otter! Over here.”

Kuno sheathed his sword and stepped over to his short, grabbing a towel and his water first to wipe off his sweat and take a drink. As the young man approached, Kuno could continue with a smile. “How are you man? It’s been a while! And what are you doing out here calling my name?”

WC:945

A single light within a dark room would be turned on, and the captured thug would come to, appearing to be taking a few moments to fully realize the situation he's in. Otter would watch from the shadows. He had to move some of the furniture out of the way for now but thankfully the chair worked out well enough for him to use. It was a curious sight, seeing how others reacted when they too realized that they're trapped, that they're inside their own cages now. This man in particular immediately went for the feeble attempts to free himself, but his arms were strapped to the arms of chair and his feet to the legs, with his body strapped to the base. It was futile, the binds were too strong, and watching the thug struggle both reminded the male of himself and left a newer feeling of satisfaction from it happening to another which wished it on him. An eye for an eye, and a loss of freedom for a loss of freedom.

Then came the calls. "Help! Is there anyone out there? Help!" The fifteen year old would continue staring, his tail intentionally tapping against the wall. thud thud thud. The circular light source was just enough that, when the masked male began moving around the room, he could remain close to the wall, out of sight. The thuds became accompanied by the light taps of his feet against the wooden floor. thud tap tap thud tap tap.

"You're apart of the Infinity Gang, right?" His calm voice betrayed the malicious intent his eyes held, and as he moved, the red and yellow tint of the Tengu mask helped make it so the thug can very vaguely see it from the shadows. tap tap thud tap thud tap. "That's what the tattoo on you says?"

He could see the once panicked expression of the thug's being replaced with a shaky glare of arrogance, one of his eyebrows raising as a light smirk appeared on his lips. "Y-yeah, and since you know who we are then I bet you already know what my friends will do if they find out I'm missing. If you let me go right now though I can maybe forgiv-"

Suddenly, the masked Chuunin stopped moving in a circle, and the sounds of the thuds ceased as he lunged towards the man from behind, his claws touching his throat, the tips beginning to dig into the warm skin after the final thud of his landing could be heard. "I killed three of you recently, and far more of you back when I was in your Stone Country. The last thing that I am is scared." He could feel his throat move as he swallowed, and he knew that his captive received the message. "I don't know how to do these things, but I'm just gonna start going at it until you talk."

At the Training Grounds, Otter's fingers tingled for a few moments, reminding him of the actions he took last night. He would spend no time looking at them though, he was satisfied with the feeling. Looking around, he would here the familiar voice ring out and his gaze would catch a hand waving, signaling where Kuno is. Nodding, his tail would wag lightly as he would run over to where his comrade is, stopping just a meter and a half away. He would hear the question of how he's been, and another of what he was doing out here calling for his name, but it would take the fifteen year old a moment or two before he would answer. He first looked at the scarfed and toned upper body, and then to the weird looking sword, one he hadn't seen before. He would blink a few times before looking back towards Kuno, attempting to make eye contact.

"I've been doing.. okay, I think. I was looking for you because I was looking for help with gang-related stuff that's going to happen later on today, if you're interested I'd really appreciate the help." He would come straightforward with the topic of the issue, though his gaze would trail back towards the weapon as he spoke. "I got recent info that a group of people from a foreign gang are holding up in a building and from what I experienced before with them they're mostly Genin and Chuunin level and I can't exactly blow up the place. I was hoping you'd be up for breaking into it with me and helping me find something in there." After he spoke, his would be near-entirely kept on the sheathed blade. "What kinda sword is that? I never seen it before." He would ask as he awaited the response of his ally.

Wc 822

Twc 2077

Kuno had to stop himself from chuckling as he watched the younger shinobi’s tail wag slightly as he approached the Uchiha. There were all kinds of unique bloodlines that existed in the world of ninja; some of them were far more prominent than others. Whether a clan was able to create ice or wielded some sort of legendary dojutsu like himself, the possibilities were endless. But even so, watching Otter run towards him with his tail wagging from side to side, Kuno was reminded at how diverse the world really was. He had only met the young man once before, at a restaurant that had a few other genin there at the time. At the time, Kuno had been a genin himself. Not only that, but his mother had been the one to encourage him to go out for that evening to meet some of the other shinobi in the village. It was a much simpler time, when his mother was still waiting for him at home every night. For a moment, Kuno let himself remember those times.

He was quickly snapped back into the present as the tailed young man stopped a little bit short of the Uchiha, looking him up and down for a moment before answering his questions. "I've been doing.. okay, I think. I was looking for you because I was looking for help with gang-related stuff that's going to happen later on today, if you're interested I'd really appreciate the help." Kuno locked eyes with the ninja as he mentioned “gang related stuff.” Was it possible that Otter had uncovered something about Autumn? Maybe he knew where Kuno’s father was hiding. Though as he tried to keep the young man’s attention, Kuno could see his eyes drifting toward the sword on his hip rather than his face. "I got recent info that a group of people from a foreign gang are holding up in a building and from what I experienced before with them they're mostly Genin and Chuunin level and I can't exactly blow up the place. I was hoping you'd be up for breaking into it with me and helping me find something in there."

Kuno opened his mouth to reply, ready to offer what knowledge he knew about foreign gangs in Suna. But before he could reply, another question leaped from his lips. "What kinda sword is that? I never seen it before." His mouth handing open, Kuno let out a laugh that he tried to disguise as a cough. It was incredible to him how short Otter's attention span was, especially considering the severity of what he was talking about. Gangs were no joke in Suna, and having the opportunity to but one down was always welcome to the nineteen year old. Shaking his head, he rested his left hand on the hilt of his sheathed blade. “Well, how about I answer that one question at a time.” The young Uchiha stepped over to the post where his towel and jacket where hanging, and began to wipe the sweat from his shoulders as he spoke. “I’m always happy to help on gang related issues. I myself, have been running down leads on a new gang in the city recently known as Autumn. Though the case has run cold now, so I’m certainly looking for anything I can do to help the village.” Throwing the towel back onto the post, Kuno began to put his shirt back on followed by is jacket. Despite the heat of the Land of Fire, Kuno was never without his black jacket that breathed surprisingly well.

“I would be happy to help you break into this place and take the guys on. Just tell me when and where and I’ll be there. Though I would like to know what you know about this group other than their power level. Do you know who they are? or did they just show up here?” Kuno would allow Otter the opportunity to answer before smirking. He then reached across his body and gripped the hilt of Adolescent Ember, giving Otter a small smirk as he did so. “Now as for my blade,” he slowly drew the miao dao from its sheathe, revealing the finely crafted weapon. The blade itself was crimson with the appearance of budding flames from embers, reminiscent of coals being coaxed alight. The hilt was detailed with golden trim around the guard and the pommel. “I didn’t know you were interested in weapons. This is a miao dao that I’ve named Adolescent Ember. It was forged in the Door to Hell, the former mines outside of the village walls. Its traded very few hands in its lifetime, as it was owned by a collector for a long time until I bought it from him. It has served me well, that’s for sure. It's steel has tasted the blood of many a gang member of Sunagakure no Sato's slums.”

Turning the blade over in his hand, he allowed the light to reflect off of the blood red blade before stepping over to Otter. He then reached out his hand, offering the hilt to the young man with a smile. “Would you like to take a few swings with it? It doesn’t take much getting used to.”

WC:899+945=1844

His head would nearly cock to the side as Kuno began having some sort of weird coughing fit that sounded like a dying hyena. Could it have been something he said? Maybe it's some weird new disease that causes this as oddly convenient times? Taking two small steps back, he would assume it would be the latter and would divert his attention back to the weapon at first, though switching back to the wielder second when he began to speak, seeing that he's resting his hand on the handle of it. He suggested answering with one question at a time before he looked as though he was going to not answer either one considering how he began to walk away and towards he's things, where he began wiping himself off.

He would listen as this friend of his would mention his willingness to help on gang related issues, even revealing that he himself have been running down leads on a relatively new gang named "Autumn". He mentioned how the case ran cold now though, causing him to be looking for anything he can do to help the village. As Kuno tossed the towel back onto the post and, to Otter's mild disappointment, began putting his shirt and jacket on, Otter himself would begin considering the fact that so many foreign gangs are beginning to come into Suna. It is something that is definitely a weird occurrence. He couldn't help it wonder why they're migrating here, right after the appointment of a new Kage of all things.

Thankfully, it seemed Kuno was completely on board, since he would go on to say how he was happy to help him break into the place and take them on, to tell him when and where and he'll be there. He did want to know more than just their power level though, origins and all that stuff. "Welp, I don't think this is the Autumn gang. It's another one that came from foreign lands, called "The Infinity Gang." What I know about them is that they came from Iwa, but from what I know they just showed up here, even tried ambushing me a little bit back." He would visibly wince at this, though for just a moment. "Considering that Autumn and Infinity are both new gangs that are trying to make it here though, there's a chance they could've interacted with one another." He'd suggest, hoping that the absence of the Autumn Gang though the offer of an opportunity to possibly find a lead on it will help further tempt the older male into helping him.

It would be then and only then that Kuno withdrew his weapon, revealing the crimson blade, though not the crimson of blood, but almost like a fire before it it comes to life. The handle had a golden trim around both it and the pommel. He would admit his not knowing Otter was interested in weaponry before explaining that it's a "miao dao"; and that this specific one was named Adolescent Ember, forged in the Door to Hell. It has been wielded by few due to being owned by a collector, and the steel has tasted the blood of many a gang member within Sunagakure's slums. "Fancy." The one-worded response was definitely an understatement. He never seen a colored blade before, and while his interest in knowing more about what is gonna hurt him in the future and less on what he's gonna wield, it was still an amazing sight. Hell, he nearly touched the edge, stopping him at the last second before he got a cut on the tip of his finger.

His eyes would widen at Kuno's offer to take a few swings with it, even claiming it doesn't take much to get used to. Seeing the handle offered to him, he would take the blade into his right hand, feeling the weight of it. Moving it in his right hand, he would switch to his left, doing the same light waving motions as before before switching back to the right. "This is so cool, how cool is this. This beats using my claws and teeth all the time." He would say as he brought it upwards before swinging it directly downwards in front of him, allowing mostly the steel to drop like a guillotine. It felt different to the standard katanas he had seen, it felt weird, but good as well. Looking at the blade some more, he would offer the handle of it back to his friend.

The younger male would up his hands. "Usually I just use my claws, teeth and tail for weapons. My claws work better than my teeth, but when it comes to the vulnerable bits.." He would stop for a moment, using a finger to lift up his upper lip, revealing the larger canine tooth with two smaller ones next to it, letting go of the lip afterwards. "They work well enough. Tail is only for if I don't think it'll get cut, since it's not exactly made to stand against sharp weapons and pointy things." He said as he would look at it, using his left hand to grab the four and a half foot long appendage and hold it closer to and around him, the dark blue fur matching his hair color. Releasing it, he would let it return behind him. "Never had much need for actual weapons thanks to these save for throwing stuff."

"You're an Uchiha, right? What are they, exactly? From our first talk I think I get you're not exactly someone that likes them, but someone else I know is an eight foot tall giant and another person I know makes needles that he sticks into people to heal them, so I just want to know if your Uchiha-ness gives you anything or not, for when we go and attack these guys tonight. Granted, we could always spar so we find out each other's abilities, too." He wasn't basing personal skill on natural traits or anything, but it doesn't hurt to ask if there are any add-ons that would be useful. A clan that has the ability to make things explode, that would be a nice clan to have right now. "Oh, meet me over at the apartments on the outskirts of the village tonight, the ones that recently-graduated Academy Students are given to help them get financially independent or whatever it was that Midori said." He would inform his friend, only just realizing that he didn't give a time and place yet either.

Wc 1120

Wc 2010

For a moment, Kuno completely forgot about the entertaining nature of Otter’s demeanor as he began to tell the Uchiha about the gang that he had been pursuing. "Welp, I don't think this is the Autumn gang. It's another one that came from foreign lands, called "The Infinity Gang." What I know about them is that they came from Iwa, but from what I know they just showed up here, even tried ambushing me a little bit back." He winced pretty obviously, causing Kuno to remember the thrashing he had received not long ago himself. Fortunately for him, Syekren had been around with him, so he was able to survive the attack. He was not sure what would have happened if he had gone in alone. "Considering that Autumn and Infinity are both new gangs that are trying to make it here though, there's a chance they could've interacted with one another."

Kuno nodded slowly for a moment, going over the very little that he knew Iwagakure no Sato. He had never been to that part of the world, though it was one of his goals to travel to each of the shinobi villages at some point. For now though, he would have to take Otter at his word surrounding everything about this “Infinity Gang.” Despite his recent and thorough investigations in the slums of the Village Hidden in the Sands, he had not heard any word of this foreign gang, though this only intrigued him more. “I doubt that they are affiliated, considering that I think Autumn’s agenda is a little more…specific.” He closed his eyes for a moment, pushing back his anger at the memory of his father being named as the head of the group. “No…I don’t think we will find anything on Autumn. But I’m happy to help either way. One way or another, another gang is going to be cleared out of my home.”

After handing his sword over to the young man, Kuno could not help but smile as he watched him swing it around and get a feel for it. He seemed fascinated by it, but Kuno was fascinated in turn by his mention of claws and teeth that he generally used for weapons along with his tail. Taking his sword back from the chuunin, Kuno watched with fascination as he explained how he generally handled his enemies.  "Usually I just use my claws, teeth and tail for weapons. My claws work better than my teeth, but when it comes to the vulnerable bits.." He stopped for a moment, using a finger to lift up his upper lip, revealing the larger canine tooth with two smaller ones next to it, letting go of the lip afterwards. "They work well enough. Tail is only for if I don't think it'll get cut, since it's not exactly made to stand against sharp weapons and pointy things."

Kuno nodded in approval, though he did make one offer before Otter moved on. “It sounds like you’re pretty comfortable with those, but hey, if you ever want some training with katanas or similar weapons, let me know and I’d be happy to show you the basics.” It was not long after that Otter launched into another series of questions, which Kuno was growing used to at this point, "You're an Uchiha, right? What are they, exactly? From our first talk I think I get you're not exactly someone that likes them, but someone else I know is an eight foot tall giant and another person I know makes needles that he sticks into people to heal them, so I just want to know if your Uchiha-ness gives you anything or not, for when we go and attack these guys tonight. Granted, we could always spar so we find out each other's abilities, too." Kuno could only smirk and shake his head at this revelation. To hear of a person that did not know about the legendary dojutsu of the Uchiha clan was rare indeed. I was the Sharingan that had leveled a great many places in the world in the black flames of Amaterasu, and on top of that, the Uchiha name was generally a famous one thanks to the heroes of past generations.

Regardless, Kuno decided that it was his responsibly to educate the young man. “Well, the Uchiha are a pretty famous clan. We were originally from the Village Hidden in the Leaves in the Land of Fire, like myself. But thanks to some…disagreement between the village and the clan, the clan ended up scattered all over the shinobi world. The reason that we are sort of famous is due to our clan’s kekkei genkai. Like your tail and claws, the Uchiha have a special part of their body that is unique to us.” He would then activate his single tomoe Sharingan, pointing to them so that Otter would see the blood red colour that his eyes became. “The eyes of the Uchiha are know to be able to activate the Sharingan. That’s what this is called, though mine is incomplete. Over time and through…training, my eyes will grow more and more powerful, allowing me to see attacks before they even happen, sense chakra, and even copy jutsu that I see.” He then allowed his eyes to deactivate and return to their normal state. “At least, that is what I was told by my mother. Though it is because of this power that many Uchiha follow a darker path. They try to force their Sharingan to awaken and thirst for the strength it can grant. That’s why I don’t like most Uchiha, though there are some exceptions.”

After his explanation, he would answer and question that Otter had before the tailed chuunin eventually told him where and when the duo was to meet up for this home invasion. Kuno nodded again and smiled in anticipation. “Well, I look forward to it. I haven’t had much of a chance to take out gangsters in a while, so I’m sure this will be entertaining to say the least.”

WC:1037+1844=2881

Otter would listen as his friend responded, expressing his doubt of the affiliation of the two gangs and hinting that their agenda is more specific than previously thought. His head would cock slightly to the side as the Uchiha closed his eyes, though would erase the confused expression he gave when he opened them, instead listening as he would be told of how he doesn't believe they will find anything on Autumn, but he'll be happy to help either way. Either way a gang will be cleared out of his home.

Each swing of the sword reminded him of his dealing with the thug that night, of how he swung his own hands, cutting the criminal lightly enough to not even leave scars, but deep enough for it to hurt quite a bit. The information he initially received was from when he had placed his claws against he guy's throats initially but he learned from Zaiaku's actions that these types of people most likely withheld important information unless they're hurt a little, he knew that he'd have to hurt the guy either way. Like a sword cutting through air he received whatever info was left by the end of it, including numbers in there, ways to get in, that he was a bedwetter until the age of thirteen. It was only after the last that he stopped and dropped the thug on the other side of the village, and like how he gave the sword back to Kuno he would be ready to give the information out when the time came.

He would have to give all the tidbits later. Kuno just offered him training with swords, or at least the basics. He had half a mind to take him up on the offer since he'd be lying if he said he didn't have an interest in the stuff, but it was something that could wait. It's not like they're both going to die anytime soon, right? The other male seemed to also smirk and shake his head at his asking about his Uchiha stuff, almost as if it was something commonplace to know of one's traits. Otter wasn't the bookiest of bookworms though, so he couldn't say for sure.

He would listen as Kuno talked on the Uchiha's being a famous clan, one that actually came from the Village Hidden in the Leaves, but thanks to problems that both village and clan had it ended up scattered all over the Shinobi world. They're famous for the Kekkei Genkai they have, which works like his own tails and claws. Almost like a malfunctioning mood ring, his comrade's eyes would turn blood red in color, which gained his interest more than the short history lesson before that did. He would look directly into Kuno's eyes as the Uchiha admitted that his was incomplete, but that over time and through training they'll grow more and more powerful, even allowing him to see things before they happen, sense chakra, and even copy jutsu.

As his fancy eye magic deactivated though he admitted that it was what his mother told him the stuff, though the power is the reason that many of his people follow a "darker" path. These ones force their Sharingan to awaken and crave the strength is has, and that's exactly why he doesn't like most Uchiha, save for a few exceptions.

"So a lot of people in the Uchiba go crazy over the "Sharingan", which is where your eyes turn red, right? If you have to train it to get better, then why did they go crazy for it?" He was starting to get stiff from just standing around. With a swift motion of his head he would turn it enough to let out a cracking sound before following this with the stretching of his arms. He realized then and there though that this Sharingan was a part of their body, hence the comparison of it to his own tails and claws. "To me it just seems like if it's apart of your body you shouldn't have to train it or unlock it, it should just... be. You can get better with it, like how my tail helps me swim but through a lot of use I learned how to make it more flexible and more useful in other situations, but this is the first time I heard about people having to unlock parts of their body. Just seems like somebody told you guys that rather than just breathing you need to manually focus on inflating and deflating the lungs so you can learn how to breathe, and that just sounds annoying."

Oh, the tangent was beginning now. "I mean, I needed to learn how to swim because it wasn't something a person's body is originally designed for, but I didn't need to teach my tail to do its job of improving my ability to swim, it just did it. I didn't need to teach my class to be sharp, that's their normal form. If someone came up to me and said "no no, you're doing it all wrong. You have to make the class jagged to do more damage, or make the tail lose some hairs so it can take in the heat" I'd just ignore that person, because it's apart of my body. Why would you want to listen to others on how to best use your stuff when it's your body? Would someone that trained their eyes enough without unlocking it fair way better than someone that devoted their time towards just reaching the next step?" At this point, the furrowing of his brows and the lighter tone in his voice the conveyed his confusion faded away, and instead his arms would cross as a means of defiance. "I don't know, you Uchiba's are a weird people. I'm happy there's only one of me in that regard, because that means there's no other me telling me what to do or how to get better at things I already know about myself."

His distracted fascination with the Sharingan reached the point where he almost didn't hear Kuno's gleeful anticipation for their fights to come. His ears twitched, but no one was home in his head. For now, he was more or less curious about the idea that something could naturally be apart of someone but still require that person to work towards unlocking it, rather than working towards honing it.

Wc 1110

Twc 3120

For a moment, the tailed boy seemed to be enraptured by Kuno’s crimson kekkei genkai, but the response that he gave ti the young Uchiha was definitely not one that he ahd been expecting. Most people were impressed by the Uchiha and their legendary dojutsu, but it seemed that Otter did not know better, and his response dictated such. If Kuno was honest with himself, he wasn’t sure whether he was pleased or disappointed at the chuunin’s confusion. "So a lot of people in the Uchiba go crazy over the "Sharingan", which is where your eyes turn red, right? If you have to train it to get better, then why did they go crazy for it?" He punctuated his thought with a swift turn and a series of sharp pops as he cracked his back. It startled Kuno, having deactivated his Sharingan and ceasing to worry about otter’s actions.

He thought of responding and trying to explain that it was a little more complicated than Kuno had let on, but he did not get a chance as the young ninja continued with his thoughts. "To me it just seems like if it's apart of your body you shouldn't have to train it or unlock it, it should just... be. You can get better with it, like how my tail helps me swim but through a lot of use I learned how to make it more flexible and more useful in other situations, but this is the first time I heard about people having to unlock parts of their body. Just seems like somebody told you guys that rather than just breathing you need to manually focus on inflating and deflating the lungs so you can learn how to breathe, and that just sounds annoying."

Kuno’s mouth had fallen open in the middle of Otter’s speech, but he had yet to get a chance to insert a word edge wise. Otter was on a roll, and he wasn't going to slow down any time soon. "I mean, I needed to learn how to swim because it wasn't something a person's body is originally designed for, but I didn't need to teach my tail to do its job of improving my ability to swim, it just did it. I didn't need to teach my claws to be sharp, that's their normal form. If someone came up to me and said ‘no no, you're doing it all wrong. You have to make the claws jagged to do more damage, or make the tail lose some hairs so it can take in the heat" I'd just ignore that person, because it's a part of my body. Why would you want to listen to others on how to best use your stuff when it's your body? Would someone that trained their eyes enough without unlocking it fair way better than someone that devoted their time towards just reaching the next step?" As the went on, Otter seemed to be more and more determined to explain to Kuno how he was treating his body incorrectly, and how he should just listen to his own instincts to better himself rather than train his eyes to be better. The irony of his statements were not lost on Kuno, but he was too enthralled with how enthusiastic Otter had become about this while situation. So instead of trying to protest, he watched as Otter folded his arms and concluded his thoughts. "I don't know, you Uchiba's are a weird people. I'm happy there's only one of me in that regard, because that means there's no other me telling me what to do or how to get better at things I already know about myself."

Kuno was silent for a moment after his declaration of anticipation. He was not quite sure how to properly respond to Otter’s speech, and thought for a moment about whether or not he was actually right. The truth of the matter was that Kuno did not fully understand how or why his Sharingan grew more and more powerful as time went on, only that it seemed to happy every time something horrible happened to him. When it was first unlocked, it was upon finding his dead mother on the kitchen floor of his home. When they advanced for the second time, it was only after he had been nearly slain by a couple of men wielding pretty vicious weapons. As awful as it seemed, it looked like the only way for his eyes to grow further would be to have something miserable happen to him again. And he could not in good conscience call that training. But at the same time, he did not want to tell Otter that. What would he think of him? Of his whole clan for that matter? Sure, the Sharingan was powerful, but was power really worth the price that it took to obtain it? And now that Kuno had told Otter that many Uchiha went bad for these eyes, would he understand why his clan was so scattered? Th slaughter that brother visited upon brother was detestable to say the least, and Kuno did not want a fellow shinobi to look at him like he might one day try to kill him, just to grow more powerful.

And so Kuno was stuck in a situation where did not know whether to tell the truth, or to just ignore the situation. Usually Kuno was very proud of his heritage and bore no shame in telling others how incredible his clan was. But for the first time in a long time, Kuno was afraid that instead of being seen for himself, he would just be seen as a dangerous man who might go crazy over power any day. He did not want that; not today, and not from Otter. He let out a weak chuckle to try and disguise his distress. “Its UchiHA, actually. But you know what Otter, maybe you’re right. Maybe it’s not worth training to get something more over honing what I already know how to use. But I will say this, the Sharingan has been envied y many people for a very long time, and up until today, the Sharingan has been unlocked and increased in power as a ninja grows with it, not by honing the weaker versions or settling for second best. But maybe, if you;re right, they've been doing it wrong all along.” He paused again for a moment, an uneasy silence falling between them. “I guess only time will tell.”

“In any case,” he brightened up. “Is there anything else you think I should know for this mission tonight? Or should I head out and just meet you at the apartments like you mentioned?”

WC:1149+2881=4030

Otter took note of his friend's silence, though didn't know if it was out of annoyance or just because he was thinking. Sometimes when he accidentally annoyed Zaiaku the Chuunin would go silent as well, making the silence basically tell him everything he needed to be told in regards to said annoyance. It almost seemed as though the he had took it well enough, since he chuckled, even if weakly. He did correct him though, saying that it's "UchiHA" and not Uchiba, but what's the difference in the end? Family names mean nothing to him, so it meant nothing to himself on it. Kuno stated that maybe he was right, that it's not worth training to get something over honing what he already knows how to use, but the Sharingan has been envied by many people for a long time, and until today it has been unlocked and increased in power by growing it with the ninja, not by homing weaker versions or settling for second best. If he's right though, then perhaps they're doing it wrong all along.

With an uneasy silence that befell the two of them, Otter would take this moment to consider what Kuno had said, not fully expecting the feeling of pride he got from his ally at that moment. It was blatantly apparent that he held some sort of pride in how he responded to Otter, and it made the younger male blink a few times in response, a blank slate across his face as he processed what had happened. Even when Kuno brightened up and asked if there was anything else he thinks he should know for the mission tonight or if he should head out and meet him at the apartments like previously mentioned. Even then, he would be silent. If he were a computer, loud whirring noises would be going from his head, though a second later, he was ready to speak.

"Uchi.. ha, Uchiha, there we go." He began as his blank face disappeared, and instead would be taken on by something less... wide-eyed. "Sorry if I struck a cord, I was trying to say that if a lot of people from the Uchiha went evil from unlocking it then maybe it's not worth even worth the power, but I don't know much myself, so I'm sorry for my rambling." He would stretch both of his arms for a few moments, enjoying the feeling of his muscles being stretched out from what he could only describe as little tight knots from before, where he would then lean back until he fell, landing upon the warm grains of sand and dirt with a soft thud. Kuno asked if there were anything else Aiden thought he should know for the mission or if he could just meet him at the apartments like he mentioned. Yawning, he offers a passive wave to his friend. "Nothing else, I'm just gonna take a nap here for a small while. I'll give you numbers and everything when we're there." With that, he'd begin to close his eyes, only opening them should Kuno say anything or ask anything before leaving.

Wc 538

Twc 3658

The young Uchiha smiled and waved his hand dismissively at the notion that Otter had upset him. “No need to apologize Otter, I guess I just get pretty defensive about my clan sometimes. I should be the one saying sorry.” But with that, Otter began to stretch and stretch until he fell back onto the ground. Once again, the young man had managed to bring a smirk to Kuno’s face. The tailed boy let out a yawn and waved the Uchiha off as he bid him farewell. "Nothing else, I'm just gonna take a nap here for a small while. I'll give you numbers and everything when we're there." He had to admit, he was a little taken aback by the boy’s choice of resting place, but he decided against protesting in any way. Instead he simply nodded and offered a waved that Otter probably wouldn’t see due to his eyes being closed.

“Alright man, sounds good to me. I’ll see you there and I’ll be ready for action. Get a good rest!” and with that, the young Uchiha exited the Tsumi Sand Grounds and headed toward home. If he was going to be fighting gangsters with Otter, then he would need to be ready. The chuunin had experienced his fair share of gang exterminations in the last few months, and so he knew that expecting trouble was a given. But he would be there regardless; his sword would be sharp, and his eyes sharper still.

[Exit Thread]
WC:254+4030=4284

Training

E-S Scaling Jutsu: Copy Wheel (3500/3500)

Unused WC: 784