Things were as they always are in the Electric Weasel. A crowd between half-empty and packed full, today tending towards the emptier quarter of that distinction. The low drone of conversation that only shinobi can keep while drunk. Old Toyoh-san, the barkeep and owner, polishing a glass while chatting with Sunba-san over the latest imports. "I'm telling you, Toyoh-oyaji, until you've tried the new white blend sake from Tsuchi no Kuni you'll be stuck with your idea that Ta no Kuni's Shiro Hebi is the best. That's just plain wrong!"

Matsuto-san complaining to his fiancée about the oppressive rules of the hospital, "I'm telling you honey, it's like they want to keep you in there forever!" and her laughing reassurances. It was the sound and smell and feel of mild music and tobacco and alcohol and of stress being washed away at the start of their scheduled off-duty period.

Minoru stood in the door and just breathed it all in. This was familiar ground, a safe place of warmth, though tempered by alcohol and slightly spoiled by the ever present smell of tobacco. Stepping into the room proper, Minoru languidly passed the Matsuto pair's table, approached the bar, shuffling past Sunba-san's excited gesturing, and took his seat three stools past Sunba-san, the fifth stool from the wall. Relaxing was... difficult for Minoru. He always felt that he should do something more, something extra. He was eternally the first to arrive for their training sessions and the last to leave after they ended because there was this strange feeling that he shoukd be doing... something instead of relaxing, like he didn't have time for all this, for anything but the most essential social mores. This had been with him since, well, forever. He couldn't remember a time when he didn't feel restless as long as he wasn't too tired to lift himself from the ground.

Plucking a pair of coins out of the leather pouch he kept them in he gently tapped them against the bar counter, wouldn't do to have Toyoh-san on a rant about denting the wood again, before aiming at the barkeep and flicking them across the wooden surface. Face scrunched in concentration Minoru tracked the coins with his eyes but still didn't notice the exact moment, or movement for that matter, when they vanished from the counter just as they passed between Toyoh-san and Sunba-san. Minoru didn't have to look up to see that Toyoh-san was grinning at him, the wrinkly face almost as full of mischief as the gray haired man's lone eye. "One day, Toyoh-san. One day..." Minoru muttered, resting on his folded arms as Toyoh burst out in a short but hearty laugh. How someone that old had any right to be that quick was beyond Minoru, you'd think the old man would have the grace to actually slow down somewhat with old age during the five years Minoru had come here. Apparently Toyoh-san didn't think so, the coins vanished just as quickly as they had the first day the then academy student had been allowed to pay for his tea.

Speaking of tea, a large steaming cup of black tea, heavily smoked, was set down in front of Minoru's folded arms. Sitting up properly the young shinobi muttered a blessing of thanks over the tea before taking a sip. Ahh... perfection. Letting the sounds of the Electric Weasel wash over him Minoru spent the next five minutes slowly getting to just about halfway down the cup.

A small group could be seen meandering around a small pond in one of the man parks sprinked around the now very quiet Kumo.One of the boys spoke to Adzumi as he was releasing her from a tight hug, “You really need to take care of yourself, you aren’t looking to well okay?”, honestly the kind words of worry felt more like she was being disciplined as if she was an ignorant child. Half-heartedly laughing she tapped him on the cheek playfully, “Aye aye captain.” She turned away from her small group of friends, simple civilians really, and slowly walking away.

It was awhile before she came to realize just where her feet were carrying her, she had been so lost in her own mind she paid no mind as to where she was headed. Now that she was more aware she started recognizing the scenery, almost laughing to herself. The unforgettable path leading away from the main road and off into a rougher district. The clean walls and roadways faded into cracked pavement and overgrown shrubbery until the neon lights of the Electric Weasel glowed welcomingly in the distance. Sighing i n happiness she trekked the remaining distance before slowing down on the porch. Running her hands through her hair and straightening her leggings and dress, she put her most cunning smile on and burst through the doors.

Holding the doors open wide she announced herself to the crowd with a cheerful, “Honey, I’m
home!” She continued forward, acknowledging reciprocated greetings, the doors swung shut behind her with a dramatic thud. Finally reaching the end of the bar that housed her favorite keep, Toyoh-san, she leaned over the stool three spaces away from the wall and but on her most effective begging routine. “Oh mister Toyoh-san.. It has been such a hard day for me do you think.. Maybe I could have some of the strong stuff on the menu mixed into my green teaaaaaa.” She made her best pleading face until she saw the red flush take over the elderly man's face as she shook his head endearingly to begin her order. Giving him her sweetest smile and thank you, she plopped down on the stool, resting her elbows on the bar top and pushing her shredded hood off her head.

The bar was pretty busy tonight, it was much louder than she was in the mood for but no other bar in town would even give her idea the time of day. Reaching out she grasped the mug in her slender fingers, nodding once more to the man in thanks before taking it to her lips and taking in a gulp. As she lowered the mug from her lips she looked to the left, and erupted in a huge grin. “Well if isn’t Ol’ Broody Balls!” Fully turning her body in the stool and crossing her leg over the other, she smirked,”Some people just never change do they?” Taking another sip she winked at him, as if to say not to tell, a clear blush now overtaking her cheeks as the saki set into her system. “Why is it whenever I see you, you are always so somber, like the blue of the cloud on the saddest night.” the contrast between them was laughable, to begin to write down their differences would be laughable.

The blessedly clam atmosphere absolutely shattered with the door opening. Honey? what the- Glancing at the door, Minoru almost had to suppress a cringe when he saw who it was, instantly returning his gaze to the cup of divine black tea. "Oh... now, really?" Adzumi was his... acquaintance, friend? Yeah, his friend. But Minoru really didn't have the energy to try and keep up with the whirlwind of happy right now. Resolutely not letting his gaze wander as she leaned over the counter to sucker Old Man Toyoh-san into free booze, Minoru could feel the beginnings of red but clamped down on it with the considerable might of his will.

Instead he returned to his relaxing state of zen, grasping the cup and carefully sipping from the smoky tea. Toyoh-san had once noted on the apparent paradox that Minoru couldn't stand the smell of tobacco but was absolutely locco for "the drink that might as well be a bonfire of tobacco leaves squeezed into a cup of dark amber liquid", his words. Minoru had replied that it was all to do with the feeling as it went down your throat to which Toyoh-san had spluttered out a laughter. "I still don't understand what that was about," Minoru mentally grumbled as he left his mouth fill with the taste of smoked tea. "That was grammatically correct phrasing." He shouldn't have done that.

Adzumi Mizuno wrote: “Well if isn’t Ol’ Broody Balls!”

Reflexive inhalation in preparation for an outburst is a decidedly bad idea with any sort of liquid in your mouth. The tea followed the air down the trachea where age-old reflexes took over, spasming the diaphragm just so... The tea vacated Minoru's mouth at near sonic velocities, spraying part of the counter and the liquor cabinet behind it. Toyoh-san had somehow possessed the good sense to wander back and chat with Sunba-san before this happened, as if the old man knew this was coming. Not like Minoru would put that past that sly old-

Coughing to clear the last dregs of tea from his airways and speaking at the same time is hard, and as such Minoru only managed a strangled "What?" as Adzumi went on to comment on Minoru's apparent ability to stop brooding. Confusion was the dominant mindset in the Mind that is Minoru before the laughter from people around the bar snapped him out of the daze. Mind rebooting at just the right time, or the wrong one, Minoru caught Adzumi's wink before she went for a second sip and Minoru.exe crashed to a halt again. What? Taking a few moments to order his thoughts again, and this was why he found Adzumi such a tiring experience, he could barely keep up with all the twists and turns and she insisted to be on top. All. The. Time.

"Good day to you too, Mizuno-senpai," the younger genin grumbled out to the background noise of the bar settling down after his little embarrassment. "I wasn't expecting your company today, didn't your team get a C-rank yesterday morning?" He remembered that she had crashed in here briefly the day before as well before whirling off to prepare and pack.

The laughter filled her ears and prompted the sly smile to form on her dainty lips as she crossed her legs on the bar stool and completely faced Mino-kun, Her white dress barely keeping her concealed as she leaned forward a bit, soaking in the rooms attention. In reality she was like a flower, without the attention from others like sunlight, she wouldn’t be who she was, the vibrant light of the Electric Weasel’s dimly lit atmosphere.

Raising her eyebrow to his question, the red blush of the alcohol warming her face completely now. Noticing his grumble and how uncomfortable she had just made him she shot a warning glance to some of the patrons who were still giggling in the background, nearly instantaneously shutting them up. Returning her full attention to Mino-kun, her bright blue eyes staring into his dark brown ones, “Well to be honest the mission turned out to be a little to easy for as many as there were, a simple escort and in fact we returned home… I’d say... “, she began trailing off as her eyes flipped up in thought, “about two hours ago.” Finishing her sentence she downed the remainder of her tea before setting it onto the bar top to have it whisked away by Toyoh-san and replaced with a sweetened green tea.

Suddenly her demeanor changed turning a little more sincere, “How have you been? I haven't seen much of you outside of this bar and even then you always seem like you wish I weren’t around.” Her tone of voice was all she needed to convey the worry she felt for Mino-san, she considered him her friend and to see him alone all the time was saddening. She thought to herself for a few moments, remembering the feeling she had earlier, the hollowness of her teammates’ company and the emptiness that was her home life. Most evenings she spent here or on her roof, alone, much like Mino-kun.

Nudging him gently with her hand and smiling she offered something, “You know, you could always hang around me, we could train, go on hikes, I could even show you some of the most beautiful spots in Kumo that I’m pretty sure you haven’t seen.” Her face was lit up with happiness and hope that maybe they could both benefit from some change in their lives. “What do you say?”