The morning air gave off a sweet scent as Sousetsu awoke from his slumber, fully refreshed. He had a well deserved rest after the countless obstacles in his path in the recent past and showed with his lack of sleep until this day. He began his morning routine like any other. He made his way into the bathroom to have a nice warm shower followed by the assorting his outfit of a black jumpsuit before making his way downstairs for breakfast. A few rounds of toast and a glass of apple juice seemed to have perked the Senju for the future day events.

On his way out he grabbed his high frequency blade which lay stationed upon the wall and his traditional Senju armour. The blue plated armour clinked as he fitted it and the sheathed blade now law across his lower back. With the door shut behind him, he looked down at the streets of Konaha and grinned as he was shown the many people that he fought for. They were happy, children were laughing, and the adults spoke to each other on past events no doubt. With a leap from his balcony, Sousetsu landed in a clearing within the streets. As the dust settled before him, children gazed in awe before running up to him and tugging at his clothes while the Senju laughed in his response.

After patting a few of them on their soft heads the Sannin began his short journey to the administration building to see if there was anything that was in need of his assistance. Smiles could be seen all round during his short walk, waving, smiling and nodding in return as he passed the local merchants and families alike.

Before long, Sousetsu arrived at his destination and entered briefly, heading to the front desk. The assistant stood and bowed before him as he did so in return before he was handed a letter. "What's this?" he asked as he opened the letter. "I'm afraid it was for your eyes only, Sousetsu-Sama." she replied in a concerned expression. With widened eyes in his small shock filled state he brushed past the introductory and began reading it's contents.

'Senju, Yokochima. Although he can be childish at times he is known for changing his ego. Bi-polar?' Sousetsu thought to himself. 'I'm sorry, Sousetsu-Sama, but we feel you would be much better suited as his guardian than most others. His parents are no longer with him and has no-one else to care for him. So, as the head of the Senju Clan, we thought you should be the next candidate...'

Sousetsu's eyes widened further. A guardian? His eyes could have deceived him, but they did not. This boy was now in the custody of the Sannin.

"Oh! Excuse me, Sousetsu-Sama! I forgot to mention there is a small child here who was told to go with you. Should I bring him to you?" the woman added.

"Oh! Urmm...Yeah, bring him to me..." Sousetsu replied curiously. Would he take the role of this boys guardian? He could only know the answer if he saw the boy. He would surely take him for the day but would the Sannin of the Leaf have time to care for the boy in these harsh times? Time could only tell.

A blinding flash of light greeted Yokochima when he awoke this day, very to his misliking. His body ached, his head throbbed and his belly growled and even worse, he was summoned to the administration building today. He found the official letter last evening, somewhere inbetween his clothes that were lying around on the ground and his ninja scrolls and tools that he used for practice. He must've tossed it there when it came, thinking that he would read it later. Of course he didnt. Hrngnnm.. He stretched his arm in an attempt to reach the letter with his hand but his efforts of doing so without even turning around to face said letter were quite unsuccessful. Instead he managed to knock down the cup that was standing on the edge of the table causing a sharp bang when the tableware touched the ground. He jerked from the sudden sound and sighed loudly. Why cant things just go the way I want it...like, for once? Who ever was responsible for his karma must have heard him, because when he eventually turned around in another attempt to attain the letter he rolled right out of bed and on the ground, mimicking the sound the cup made loudly. For a second he just kept lying on the ground, reluctant to stand up or even try so. Then, after a few minutes he finally rose and yawned. When looking around he noticed the letter mere inches away from him on the ground and reached for it. Just a second later he grimaced. Apparently he was supposed to be at the administration building in roughly 23 minutes.
Oh damnit, oh damnit, oh damnit... Instantly he jumped up, snatched the closest pieces of clothing he could find and put them one while also grabbing the last, slightly wrinkly apple that was in the bowl. The following bang scared away some of the pidgeons that were sitting on the roof of his house.

It took him another few minutes until he was finally dressed and leaving the building. Soon he was seen rushing through the streets, jumping from roof to roof and trying not to slip and fall because of the speed he was moving in. While he was on his way to the big building that he knew was somewhere in the centrum of the village, he puzzled over the reason for why he was summoned. Was it to be punished for something he did a long time ago and forgot?
Maybe i will be promoted to the rank of a chunnin? That would actually be kinda nice, i would be the first one from my class, to reach the next rank! He grinned, for the first time this morning. The thought of ranking up first in his class visibly pleased him.

He reached his destination just about in time to get away with a warning look by the woman behind the desk. So you are Yokochima, hm? Good, good you made it. Please take a seat in the backroom while you wait. But I... He didnt even get a real chance to reply, the instant he started to speak the woman raised her finger and ordered him to stay silent. Please, wait in the back, child. She tried to smile but that made her look way more unfriendly to him then before. Without a further chance to answer Yokochima went into the backroom, where he sat down on one of the chais. His nervosity was rising as he still didnt know what the real purpose for him coming here was.
After a while the woman showed up again. When she entered the room, she gave him a short look that he couldnt quite assess before asking him to follow her to the front room.


Doton B > A
632 / 3000

As the boy emerged from the back room, Sousetsu stood tall and stoic, looking over the boy from the distance. His hair was rugged and blonde and needed a comb through it. A rather messy style. A feature that stood out from the boy was his eyes. They were not surrounded in white but with a shade of black which was curious. He wore a simple dark kimono and leggings of a similar colour. He was intriguing to Sousetsu to say the least.

The Sannin looked back to the assistant in a puzzled look. She did not know of the meaning of his presence and therefore could not answer any question regarding the boy so simply nodded. "That will be all. Thank you." he spoke as he bowed formally to the woman who did so in return. He folded his arms before him and looked at the boy sternly. Did the boy know of this? How would he begin to explain? All he could do was think of a possible solution's and so he could only suggest other ideas until the right moment presented itself.

He bowed before Yokochima, formally introducing himself. "My name is Senju, Sousetsu. Sannin of the Hidden Leaf and leader of the Senju clan. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Yokochima." he spoke, breaking the ice between the two. He folded his arms once more and raised his head slightly, looking down at the boy.

What did genin like to do? What could he possibly do to stall more time as he thought of an appropriate way of explaining the situation. It was soon approaching lunch time and the boy would deserve a treat given the circumstances. He turned his back and headed towards the door, stopping at the entrance and turned his head slightly, "I'm just heading to lunch. Care to join me?" he asked awaiting the boy to follow him.

When Yokochima came into the room he instantly noticed the big man standing in the middle. He had white, shaggy hair similar to Yokochimas own blond hair without the ponytail and wore a blue plated armor on top of a black jumpsuit. His appearance seemed strangely familiar to Yokochima.
"That will be all. Thank you" The stranger bowed to the woman, leaving her with a surprised look, and gave the genin a grave look while also crossing his arms. It seemed to Yokochima, like he was in serious trouble. Suddenly he realised why the ninja in front of him looked so familiar. It was now also, that he noticed the senju's family crest that was inscribed on the armor.
"My name is Senju, Sousetsu. Sannin of the Hidden Leaf and leader of the Senju clan. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Yokochima." The young genins eyes widened in surprise. This was the famous Sousetsu, a sannin and his clan leader and he was bowing to him and introducing himself like it was the most normal thing to do. Unable to think of a appropriate reaction, which he most likely wouldnt have done anyway, Yokochima smirked and scratched his head. Haa...yeah thanks. Nice to meet you, too. Right after saying that he started to laugh but was quickly intertrupted by the woman that was still standing behind him. Her voice had the dangerous tone that upset adults often had when dealing with children, calm and yet warning.
I think it is common courtesy to bow to people that greet you. She pushed his head down at the same time as bowing before the sannin herself. Then she gave Sousetsu a quick smile and turned around to leave the room.
Hahaa, yeah i forgot about that i guess... He frowned at her back for a second before turning back to Sousetsu who was standing there apparently measuring up the situation.
An uncomfortable silence had starten to spread in the room after the woman left and Yokochima was already considering to just leave, believing all of this was just a mistake.
I wonder why the sannin would call me here...i dont think hes even seen me ever before. Maybe i really am promoted?

That, or something happened to your parents.

The second voice had a cold tone and seemed to pierce his thoughts like a needle.
No it couldnt be, i wouldve known. Somebody would have...

...told you?

The voice finished his thoughts for him, not without a sound that made it seem like the second person smirked for a second.
Before Yokochima could finish his thought process, Sousetsu raised his voice again. "I'm just heading to lunch. Care to join me?" That question shocked the younger Senju for a second. He couldnt have been summoned just to accompany a Sannin to lunch, right? That was way beyond weird and completely out of the norm. Or, it was a joke or even test.
Ah, haha no thanks, im fine like that. He grinned again, before his belly growled again, louder this time causing his grin to freeze and his head turn red.
...Stupid!...


Doton B > A
1155 / 3000

This boy was not as formal as Sousetsu would have hoped him to be, expecting the siblings of his clan to hold more respect, but he digressed, looking past this remark as there was not a carer in this boys life at the moment to teach him the proper formalities when greeted. The offer was still on the table as the boy declined with a grin but his stomach seemed to disagree. Sousetsu remained with his back turned and tilted his head forward slightly with closed eyes. 'How did this happen..?' was the only sentence that crawled back and forth in his head.

He let out a small smile and turned to face the boy with a grin of his own, one that he infamously wore. "It will be my treat." Sousetsu offered once more before heading out the door in hopes of the boy following him. They continued to walk down the street, in the markets in particular, when other leaf shinobi and civilian alike smiled and waved towards Sousetsu to which he did also in return. The village was in high spirits today and the people seemed to be enjoying the warm weather with a nice cool breeze that the sun and the wind provided. His hair flailed back and forth as the breeze brushed past his hair along with the white and somewhat fluffy collar around his armour.

Upon their arrival at the barbecue restaurant, Sousetsu greeted the owner with another grin. "The usual, Sousetsu-Sama?" he asked the azure beast. He looked down towards the young man and nodded in reply. "Make it two!" he answered wholeheartedly. They were then placed by the booth which was common to the Sannin in the back corner of the restaurant followed shortly by the waitress with two glasses of water with ice cubes to top them off. The water among the glass trickled down the side showing how it was fresh and still getting used to the warm temperature inside the restaurant.

He looked at the boy, clearing his throat and sipping at the beverage before placing it back down in its respected place. "I suppose you are wondering why I am with you today..." he asked finally. He thought that he might as well get it over with, the sooner the better. He placed the napkin on his knee under the table in preparation for the food to arrive. "I have been chosen to be your guardian. I am willing to teach you the way of the ninja but you must work hard to achieve this." he spoke as he got straight to the point. His stern look was also applied to his speech. "We also need to work on your formalities and mannerisms." the Senju continued with a raised eyebrow. It was a hint of a joke but a bad one at that as it was also a serious issue with Sousetsu.

The food came. Several trays of barbecued chicken and pork were set before them along with a set of chopsticks each. The grill was placed in the center of the table where the first round of meat and poultry were stewing in their juices and turning the contents brown and crispy. Sousetsu reached for some pork and ate it before looking at the child and swallowing. "You do not have to do this, Yokochima." the Sannin added before taking another slice of pork.

Yokochimas Mood had significantly increased since they had left the administration building. Not only did he get the chance to eat without paying for it, he was also accompanied by one of the strongest ninjas in the whole village. All the other kids that were most likely watching them from a far must have turned bright green out of envy by now. As they past stranger after stranger, always being greeted first, Yokochima instinctively mimicked the Sannins way of walking however with a broad grin on his face. He still didnt exactly know what the reason for this whole situation was, and altough he was interested in Sousetus motives he secretly decided to wait until he had eaten before asking something that might eventually bring up the more serious part of this whole event.

It was now that Yokochima somewhat regret not taking the time this morning to atleast put on some more official looking clothes. His black kimono and the pants made him  look like some kind of street kid that has been picked up by the clansman or something along these lines. He could only imagine what the people that saw him following this tall warrior could think about him and most of the time it was nothing good. Yet he didnt let that ruin his good spirit. The weather was nice, the food was going to be free and if he would get over with this whatever it was, he could probably expect to have a few quiet hours in the sunspot on his roof.
Hopefully he didnt have to carry out some sort of duty for the sannin. The genin had already heared of other kids that were summoned by the hokage or other similar high ranked ninjas to run errands for them. That would mean not getting back to his place for several hours or potentially even days!
A cold shiver ran down his spine when thinking about that, but before he could continue the thought they had reached the place that the senju clan leder was heading to. "The usual, Sousetsu-Sama?" The shopowner was a feisty, slightly overweight middle aged man in an apron. Apparently he knew Sousetsu already for quite a while, since he did neither write down the order nor did the older senju specify the order.
I hope he isnt a vegetarian or something like that...
The interior of the barbecue restaurant was nicely furnished and had the wonderful smell of leather that has been around burned meat for years after years. Yokochima soaked up the delicious air in the building, it must have been years since he entered an etablissement like this. He followed his elder to the back of the shop where they sat down at a small table next to the wall. Everywhere he could see busy waitresses and waiters taking or bringing orders and the kitchen doors did not seem to stay closed for longer then a few seconds.

The meat here must be really expensive...just how much money does a sannin have to be able to easily "treat" a genin to a meal in such a big restaurant?! He glanced at the tall man in his armor that sitting right next to him. Right at the same time, Sousetsu turned his head and started talking right away, apparently without noticing the genins curious look. "I suppose you are wondering why I am with you today..." Yokochima nipped from the glass water that had miraculously appeared on the table.  "I have been chosen to be your guardian. I am willing to teach you the way of the ninja but you must work hard to achieve this." The young genin choked on the sip he just took and let out a small shower of water droplets into the air when he snorted. That, he didnt expect.  "We also need to work on your formalities and mannerisms." Haa...im...im sorry... Yokochimas voice was more of a stammer as he couldnt quite judge what had happened just now. Did the sannin really tell him that he would be his guardian now?
Atthis moment the food was delivered but Yokochima didnt notice the beautiful roasted meat on the plates. He was still staring at the sannin, with probably just as much shock as most of the people around them were looking at him after he spit his drink.
You must be joking... He tried to smile on account of this abstract change of events.



Doton B > A
1901 / 3000

"You must be joking..." the boy spat out. Sousetsu could only ponder at the whole scenario. A genin, who lived by his own rules and morals now coming to a change with a guardian who also looked after the village as one of its higher-ups. If the Sannin was in the boys shoes it would have been quite the break he would have hoped for. But that was not the case. Sousetsu was never had a sensei and grew up in the ninja society following books and training sessions to make the man that he was now. He had come a long way. Although he was proud of his efforts he still would have wondered what it would have been like with a sensei to teach him. Would he be even more revered or thought highly upon? He supposed that it would not have been the great story of the azure beast, a lone wolf in his training and respected authority.

The crisp smell of the burning meat and poultry filled his nostrils with delight. The very environment aided Sousetsu with his hunger on his days off or a simple fine cuisine after a hard days work. He was regular and the service was just as good as the food. It may be because of his status within the fire country but that did not seem to bother him. The relationship between the hard working class citizens here and the Sannin was a great bond to hold, almost like it was from a movie or television show. They were friends first and customer to service second.

He looked at the boy and nodded to eat along with him, with a gesture of his palm spreading outwards before the food. He took another sip from the iced water and let the cold liquid sooth the heat of the food in his throat, trickling down the back. A small exertion from voice proved that it was more than enough to help with that matter. He looked at the boy and placed a napkin by the sides of his mouth before returning it to his knee and spoke once again. "As I said before, you do not have to do this." the Sannin repeated. "The training will be vigorous and rough. But, I will make a man out of you yet. I have had many students in my time, but they were reckless. They were too eager. Titles aren't everything." exclaimed Sousetsu. His past students seemed to think that simply because their sensei was a Sannin, did not mean that they were better than everyone else. It was their own efforts and always have been.

"So what do you say." asked the Senju on a serious note, ceasing to eat anymore until he was given an answer.

It was a notional situation. Here he was, sitting in a barbecue restaurant, with one of the strongest ninjas that Konohagakure had and was offered the position of a pupil bye the sannin. While eating grilled meat and drinking cooled water. He had no idea what he did to deserve that. It seemed so unreal he really had to consider the chances for him to still be dreaming. For a few seconds he allowed himself to dive into his daydreams. What would it be like to be teached by a sannin, by somebody who was adored by pretty much every single person in the village?
That sure would make all the other kids stop annoying me so much, ha!
His heart started racing when he imagined himself under the tutelage of Sousetsu. He could easily beome the strongest ninja in the village, second only to Sousetsu and possibly the Kage.
Since he is the leader of the senju clan, i bet he also knows a lot of strong and useful jutsus huh? Im sure he could easily teach me how to actually create more wood then just for a few kunais!

While thinking to himself, Yokochima totally forgot about the meat and just stared at Sousetsu for a few seconds before the same started talking again. "As I said before, you do not have to do this." His words pulled the young genin out of his day dreams and back into reality. "The training will be vigorous and rough. But, I will make a man out of you yet. I have had many students in my time, but they were reckless. They were too eager. Titles aren't everything." Too eager? Yokochimas face turned into something more neutral. Yeah, he knew what it ment to be "too eager". His teachers at the academy would tell him that when he asked to many questions about more complex and stronger jutsus, claiming he was to young to know and he would probably never need any of those anyway. They would tell him to focus on the basics first and that he had to learn discipline and obedience before high level jutsus, which usually ended up in him doing boring chores in the school. Yeah, he knew all to well what that means, being "too eager". That ment the sannin was not really searching for somebody he could pass his techniques onto but more for a juniour assistant, doing all the paper work for him. No wonder he was trying to convince him with good food instead of good teachniques.

Thinking about the good food reminded him of what was in front of him. "So what do you say." While Sousetsu stopped eating and gave him a quizzical look, Yokochima started digging in. He had to use the chance to fill up his belly before ruining the situation. I think... he took a big bite out of a rib followed by a big gulp of the cooled water. Afink whufud furchfor whumady lse, whuman fout e fining utur sme... His voice was dampened by the meat between his teeth, but he didnt let that bother him. He was ment for bigger then a desk job and he knew that. When he finally swallowed down the food, he turned back to the armored man while licking his fingers. Haha, no offense, but i really am...

Are you sure, you want to decline his offer?

Yokochima stopped right in the middle of the sentence, essentially freezing with his mouth still open.

Haha, yeah, i sure hell do want to! Im not going to be his secretary, or whatever his real intention is! Didnt you hear him? Hes had pupils before and they were "too eager". Dont pretend like you didnt know exactly what that meant!...

The invisible voice chuckled.

You are an idiot if you really think that he would go all this way just to get a "secretary". I say you should atleast give him a chance to explain himself...

He suddenly realized that he was still staring at the clan leader and that he still didnt finish his sentence. ...interested in those pupils of yours. What exactly happened to them? Im sure theyve grown into strong and honourable ninjas by now, huh, haha? Yokochima smirked when he ended the sentence with a slightly sarcastic tone. He would have to make the sannin show his true colors. Deep inside though he did hope that his inner voice was right. Having a real teacher for once would surely help him becoming stronger and the sannin was more then a suitable choice for being a teacher, unlike his academy teachers most of which barely seemed to have reached the rank of a chunnin.


Doton B > A
2688 / 3000

The muffled words fell on deaf ears as Sousetsu closed his eyes and turned his head in disgust. It was another ruse act to speak with your mouth full and it just proved how much of basic mannerisms should be taught to this young shinobi regardless who was training him. A small sigh erupted from the Sannin before the food was then swallowed as he could not make out the words that spewed from his mouth. Was he really this uneducated? He took another sip of water and opened his eyes to look at the leaf shinobi once again before his speech was continued. "Haha, no offense, but i really am..." was all that was heard before a short pause and an open mouth. It was almost as if he was interrupted but there was nobody around to fill in that role. Was the the bi-polar tendencies that Sousetsu was informed of? He watched, becoming more curious as the time seemed to swiftly go by. He was thinking and almost reassuring himself judging by the movement of the young mans eyes as they shifted from time to time.

The young mans mouth still hung wide open for the world to see the food still being chewed which caused the Sannin to close his eyes once more. As they shut he continued to speak once more, finishing the sentence that he had already started. "...interested in those pupils of yours. What exactly happened to them? I'm sure they've grown into strong and honourable ninjas by now, huh, haha? a crude remark at the end with a hint of sarcasm yet interest. Sousetsu cleared his throat and leaned forward slightly, edging for the genin to lean in also.

"Never speak with your mouth full and never show what is in your mouth." Sousetsu ordered to the young man making himself clear. His eyes pierced through Yokochima's. He was serious and his facial expression showed that clearly with a clench jaw to finish. He sat back while taking another slab of meat from the grill as they were beginning to over cook. Some parts were darker than Sousetsu liked them to be but ate it never the less as the juices of the meat would compliment that factor. He chewed slowly and carefully, almost as if he was inspecting what was in the meat and looking for any glass shards with his teeth. He swallowed and looked back at the boy.

'Was this a good idea? Should I have agreed to this?' Sousetsu flushed his mind with questions such as these and could not seem to find the answer.

He took another sip of the iced water to clear the remains of grease and meat in his mouth before speaking once more, finally answering the genins question. "No. As I said before they were too eager." the Sannin replied not giving the full details at first. He then let another exertion of air through his nose with the same quality of a sigh before continuing his explanation. "They seemed to think that just because I was a Sannin and their teacher that they were somehow better than the rest. They are missing in action. Possibly dead. Titles aren't everything. It is what the pupil is willing to learn and take it heart, developing their own abilities to how it best suits them. The title Sannin does not simply mean my teachings are better than others. You must learn that. I have had many students and only one remains alive that I know of. He was in the final of the Chuunin exams as I recall, and haven't seen him since."

As Sousetsu finished bombarding the young man with his knowledge of previous experiences he signaled the waitress for the check by raising his hand for her to see. He retrieved the money from his pouch and and doubled what he would usually pay for with this meal, laying it out by the side of the table for her to retrieve. She bowed formally and Sousetsu bowed just slightly over the food in response before giving his thanks. With another slice of pork ready to be picked up he looked to the young Senju once again. "Don't make the same mistake." he finished as engulfed the meat just like the previous.

Sousetsu reacted right after Yokochima finished talking.
"Never speak with your mouth full and never show what is in your mouth." The tall man talked silently and calm hence forcing Yokochima to bent forward to properly understand him. It was obvious that it wasnt a joking matter to him, he seemed to be quite the strict man as far as Yokochima could tell. To bad though that Yokochima himself was not that serious. The young genin replied with a grin and a somewhat excusing wave of the hand. Haha, yeah yeah, i got you.
While proceeding to take meat from the grill, Yokochima started having his own thoughts about the developement of the recent events. It wouldnt be to bad to have someone as strong as the sannin as a guardian, that is for sure...altough on the other hand i am not sure he is a fun person to be around, he seems to be a pretty stern teacher. He took another glance at the blue armor plates covering Sousetsu Body and took a small sip of the iced water. Their discussion had stopped for a short time, while both participants where pondering over the situation.
Yokochima was hoping he would still get an answer from Sousetsu. He was extremely unsure what to do at the moment since he had both good reasons to accept the sannins proposal and not to. Both decisions would have a great impact on his life and future way as a ninja and both could be something that he would have to regret doing.

Finally Sousetsu stopped eating and instead turned his head towards Yokochima again. He had a serious yet sad look on his face, the past he was probably thinking about did not end nice for him. "No. As I said before they were too eager." His eyes moved away from Yokochimas curious face and seemed to take a short stroll through the restaurant, taking short breaks all over the place. He seemed reluctant to continue for a second but that vanished of his face just a moment later when he procedeed. "They seemed to think that just because I was a Sannin and their teacher that they were somehow better than the rest. They are missing in action. Possibly dead. Titles aren't everything. It is what the pupil is willing to learn and take it heart, developing their own abilities to how it best suits them. The title Sannin does not simply mean my teachings are better than others. You must learn that. I have had many students and only one remains alive that I know of. He was in the final of the Chuunin exams as I recall, and haven't seen him since." A surprising look appeared on Yokochimas face, altough only for a split-second. Missing in action... Yeah he knew what that meant, he too had lived through similar experiences. Possibly dead... One of the things he really did not want to hear.
The memory of the day when the letter came in was still burned into his brain, the one letter with the dark cover. He was playing with some of this fathers ninja tools just outside the house when he heard a shout of surprise from his father. That was pretty rare considering the serious nature of his father and was more then enough reason for Yokochima to go back inside. He could still remember his mother sitting on the kitchen chair, burrowed into the broad sleeves of his fathers kimono while the same was standing behind her holding the black envelope.
Most of the following words that were coming out of Sousetsu mouth didnt make it to Yokochimas consciousness. The last thing that reached him was "Don't make the same mistake."
I wont... Altough he still didnt trust the man that was reknowned as the Azure Beast, he had made up his mind. The genin smiled, hiding his thoughts like he had always done in front of others. Haha, yeah i guess i will have to try and avoid that, eh? It was not a clear positive answer, and maybe not what Sousetsu expected from him, but it was the most Yokochima could give him.

tbc: A new Path [Squad Two Training]

Doton B > A
3391 / 3000

A smile appeared before him before more words spewed from his mouth, "Haha, yeah I guess I will have to try and avoid that, eh?" Sousetsu tilted his head forward, looking down slightly at the meat and they lay there in their own juices. The sizzling became mesmerizing and the smell concluded in the hypnosis. He was lost in thought once again thinking about all the previous students. But this was not just a student if he chose to accept, he was under his protection in his personal life also. The thought still lingered around brain, a carer, a guardian. Was he indeed suitable? The child before him was like any other in the village. He would die for him. He would teach him just like he would any other. Was there even a reason to declining during this current state of affairs within the village hidden in the leaves? It was safe for now. Sousetsu was not leaving anytime soon, settling in and doing more missions to ensure the safety of the village further. It was the perfect time.

He looked back up at the child and grinned, assuring him that he was ready for the challenge if need be. He took another piece of meat from the compact grill laying before them in the middle of the table and placed it in his mouth, savouring the taste and satisfying his hunger once more. A large gulp was taken from the water with ice floating around the top of the beverage. It was cold and ran down his throat like any other stream of water that the Sannin had came across. He looked up to the waitress and nodded, signaling for the cheque so that he could pay. He had a busy schedule today that needed to be tended to. He looked back Yokochima and smiled slightly. Crossing his arms once more given him that stoic look he spoke once more.

"I have given you your options but I cannot choose the path for you. This is your decision alone." He took the cheque from the waitress and bowed to thank her for the meal. He retrieved a sum of money from his pouch and placed it on the tray that she was carrying with a little extra for herself. She bowed in return with many thanks and wished him a good day and to come back soon to which he smiled and assured her he would. He stood and removed himself from the booth at which they sat. Looking down at the boy once more he searched in his pouch for another item. A pen was presented and the cheque was his paper. He wrote information on the blank side and slid it across the table to the genin before him. "If you accept, follow these instructions. I must go now. Thank you for accompanying me and be sure to eat as much as you want." he finished gesturing to the remaining food with another grin. He waved to the boy as he made his way out of the restaurant before giving another bow aimed towards the chef, thanking him for the satisfying meal before waving to the rest of the kitchen staff.

On the piece of paper was a simple invitation 'Small South Forest - Tomorrow - Midday.'

*EXIT THREAD*