It was the second day since Satsuji had been in Kumogakure no Sato. There were so many people there, he couldn’t even begin as to describe them. He had seen plenty shinobi from the Hidden Leaf Village, but none that he had ever actually conversed with in detail, and the chance of that happening was slim anyway since he didn’t consider anyone outside of the Hyuga Clan to be worthy of even looking at, let alone talking to. Of course, he wasn’t as xenophobic as that as to ignore other shinobi from his own village, but he most certainly didn’t consider them to be on a skill level of his own, and hardly useful enough to even be used in a training setting. Unfortunately though, he was on a mission here, and his goal was to find others who specialized in a style of taijutsu. His goal was to master the Gentle Fist as was his duty as a Hyuga, and to master as many close quarters combat styles of fighting in as little time as possible. If he wasn’t going to be able to learn them all, he was at least going to learn as many as he possibly could.

He immediately thought of the other Hidden Leaf Village techniques that he didn’t entirely have a grasp on, such as the Leaf Whirldwind and the Leaf Hurricane. He walked up the stairs of the resort that was Mt. Ikkyu. The faint sound of creaking steps was heard, even with his light weight was heard to his attuned ears. Immediately, his thoughts had leapt to the conclusion that this building was indeed quite old from the way that the steps sounded, but he continued with his fairly slow pace up the steps. There was a lift on the first floor for him to take, but he preferred to get to the top of the building through the use of his own two legs, he wasn’t one to really take shortcuts. It was a way for him to train his stamina and endurance in a way as he took another step up the staircase, feeling the muscles stretch in his leg every single time that he bent them to take a step.

Slowly climbing up the steps, it took quite a bit of time but soon he was near the top of the building, but there was a sign at the top of this flight of stairs that was saying he had to go down the hallway to continue up the steps that were on the other side of the hallway if one wanted to continue on towards the higher levels. Frowning, he was beginning to think that it was no doubt better to have taken the lift to get to the top and then to look out over the world on the top of the roof. When he thought about it, he had never been to a high altitude location. His time in Kumogakure basically being the highest he had ever been, even back in Konohagakure no Sato he hadn’t even climbed Hokage Mountain, let alone look over the horizon that one would see if they were to be at the top of the famed rocks.

When he thought back on it there were none that were Hyuga. No member of his illustrious clan had decided to become Hokage and because of that it left a sour taste in his mouth. Not because that none of them had wanted to become Hokage, it was because there weren’t that many important names throughout history that spoke of his clan. Of course most of the Clans that originated from the Land of Fire had broken apart and were now scattered in the rest of the shinobi world, but the fact that the Hyuga Clan was still specifically apart of the Hidden Leaf Village solely was something else entirely. It was almost as if they were destined to lead the Village to another, more prosperous age, but no one else had realized that point yet. The eleven year old steps had brought him to the top of the landing, and opening up the door he strolled through the doorway and into the hallway that was going to be taking him to the other side so that he may continue climbing to the top.

Are any of my kinsman taking part in the Chunin Selection Exams? The thought drifted through his mind, but the only answer was silence. No one else was going to answer that question, except him, not until he encountered someone from his Village, but he wondered if it would matter in truth, the First Stage was complete at this point, it was soon time for the Second Stage to commence and hopefully soon after the third one to end the entirety of the Exams and allow Satsuji to return home and to seal himself away from the rest of the Village again.

Deep down, he wouldn’t admit it but, he had had started to taking a liking to the Army Encampment that he had come to visit numerous times over the past few weeks before the Selection Exams had actually begun. His going to the Army Encampment that was just outside the Hidden Leaf Village had all started out as a need for more ryo for his personal usage, those being ninja tools and food when he wasn’t with his usual retainers from the Hyuga Household. And although he could just ask either of his parents, there was a need for doing it himself and without the all seeing eyes of his parents, simply so that he could consider himself grown. Ever since he had graduated from the Academy from Konoha and he had experienced what diplomatic missions were, he had a need for his own independence. Even so long after the event, he still remembered thinking that since he had become a Genin it was time for him to stop being childish and to grow up and to finally inherit the higher tiers of the Byakugan, at long last and to become something that the entirety of the Clan could be proud of. Besides, doing so already tied in with his goals.

Without realizing it, he had reached the middle of the hallway and was mere metres from the nearest door, and his gaze flickered as his soft yet slow steps took him ever closer to the other doorway.

WC: 1083

Despite having come to relax, Reiko's stay at Mt. Ikkyu had been an... interesting one, to say the least. She'd met a few more foreign shinobi, for one. As well as that, she'd been visited by an old... friend. She thought, anyway. Not exactly as relaxing as she'd intended it to be, but she had gone to the hot springs twice, and she hadn't done any training at all in the past few days. That was what her parents had intended sending her here, right? To stop the training and get her to sit for once. They probably thought she'd get sick again if she didn't stop training all the time. Reiko knew she was smarter than that. She was the one who'd experienced that, as if she'd let it happen again. Sitting down on her bed, the young Hyuga let out a sigh, looking to the bedside table, where a brush lay. Absentmindedly, she picked it up, starting to brush through the ebony strands, wanting them somewhat neater if she planned on going out for dinner. A small tune was hummed in the back of her throat, filling the room with it's slow melody. Coming across a knot in her hair, Reiko momentarily paused, looking down at it and carefully brushing through it before continuing, standing and making her way over to the kitchenette, bare feet pattering softly on the floor. As she reached the counter, her hands finished brushing her hair, setting the brush carefully on the counter and pushing any loose strands behind her shoulders. Her hand came forward to clasp the cup of water she'd prepared earlier, bringing it to her lips and taking a sip, her throat moving as she swallowed it.

"Hmm," Reiko said, thinking about what to do for food as she wandered to the bathroom, setting the cup down on the counter in that particular room. In the back of her mind, she realized she was slowly rearranging the contents of all the tables in the room, but didn't think much of it at the time. She would clean it up later, before she went to bed, after all. And then the next day she'd be able to return to her cheaper hotel room, and practice all she wanted. She needed to get Juuken down. Without it, she only had her hands, and she felt like half a Hyuga, rather than a whole. She knew she'd figure it out eventually, but she was beginning to get impatient with it. Shrugging, Reiko pulled her hair up, twisting it around itself and pushing two chopsticks through to hold it up. Once done, she looked in the mirror and then nodded, turning and heading out of the bathroom again, completely forgetting about the cup of water.

Now walking to the door, Reiko plopped herself down on the step, picking up her socks and beginning to pull them on. She still had a ton of things to learn before she could feel like she was ready to even attempt Chuunin. She wanted there to be no doubt that she was ready to be one when she finally went for it. So, in the end, nobody could argue that she was too weak or frail to be anything more than a Genin. Shaking her head, Reiko folded down the tops of her socks before grabbing her boots, lifting a foot in the air and leaning back, pulling one on with a little grunt before repeating the action. Standing, the kunoichi twisted her feet a bit, making sure the shoes were sitting comfortably before turing, and pulling open the door, one hand reaching into her pocket to pull out a pair of keys. It took her only a moment to step out of the door and pull it closed, fumbling with the keys a bit before locking the door behind her. She then turned, making to go down the hallway when she saw a small figure walking down towards her. Pausing, Reiko narrowed her eyes, wondering. They looked a bit familiar... Hiro? No... Hiro should still be at home. Somebody she knew... "Umm, Satsuji?" she called out hesitantly, hoping deep down that she wasn't mistaken. It was always really embarrassing when that happened... she might just die a little on the inside if it did now. At least she had the excuse of dinner, so she could run off if need be.

The sound of his sandals being undone was faintly heard by those ears of his. He always paid close attention to things that were in his proximity, and after glancing up and down the hallway he realized that the sound from the sandals was indeed coming from him. Frowning, he crouched down to his feet to grasp the velcro he supposed, he didn't entirely know what it was that held it together, and he replaced it over the spot that it had previously been located. Taking a few practice steps forwards and backwards the shinobi that was Hyūga Satsuji started to walk normally again as he finally came to the conclusion that his shinobi sandals were indeed fine. Once that check was completed, he continued walking forwards again.

Hyūga Satsuji wondered why there weren't that many members of his clan who had other chakra elements. For the most part he had seen that many people had lightning chakra, if he were to guess it'd be one of the more rare chakra elements to have at one's use, but since he had no research or proof for such a thing he dropped that thought from his mind as if it had never had a home in that brain that was in that head of his. Drawing a breath in, he exhaled it just as a door ahead of him had slowly begun to open up. Eyes tracking the door as it disappeared from sight since it was clearly one that the inhabitant had to pull to open. At least, efficiently.

With his bad luck in the last two days with finding any other members of his clan, he h ad stopped the eagerness that he had shown yesterday, his first day in Kumogakure no Sato. It was... Saddening to have not found any kin, whether they were distant or not made no difference, but it was disheartening at the least, and when the female he had determined exited from her room he didn't even bother to look at her face as he had the entire previous day. He was used to having his results immediately, and since he hadn't achieved that yesterday, he saw no point in continuing and to simply allow things to happen as they would. After all, if a Hyuga were to be dropped off at his feet it'd have to be... Fate.

Stopping a few steps past the origin of the feminine voice, he realized that the voice had said something that correlated directly to him. That word happened to be his name, and as he walked past her, his gait slowly slowed to the point that he was no longer moving and he started to turn around with speed to match his former speed. Slow. Turning his gaze from his own height, he set it upon her own and he saw the featureless white eyes that were unique to just the Hyuga Clan and those who had become fortunate enough to steal the doujutsu, and he frowned. He was glad that he had encountered a kinsman, and he crossed his arms over his chest, laying bandaged arms crossing over each other as he stared at her with those white eyes of his. If it were possible to determine what those eyes were doing, it'd be akin to scrutinizing the girl before him, as if trying to determine as to who she was.

"Yes?"

A pause.

"Do I know you?" There was the possibility that he knew her, but there were few times when he had actually used the names of people to distinguish them between other people, one reason why he could guess as to why his uncle disliked him. "...Cousin?" He said with a tone that could only be described as an uncertain tone. Even if they weren't directly cousins, it was a term that was used throughout the entirety of the clan when not related in a direct bloodline.

WC: 666

At first glance, he seemed not to recognize her. That was understandable, considering that Reiko had been not all that active as a child, and as a Genin wasn't at home much. She had generally learned of other people through listening to the conversations of others when she was let outside on her and her father's walks. All she knew about Satsuji, however, was that he was a Hyuga, and a bit younger than her. Still, it was strange that he was here in Kumogakure no Sato. She'd thought that she'd been the only Hyuga to come this year, but she must have been wrong, in the end. Satsuji was here, after all. He walked straight past her, leaving Reiko to turn her head, her hair falling over her shoulder as her eyes followed Satsuji, curious at where he was going, and if he was ignoring her or not. Sure, she may not know him well, but her eyes should be proof enough that she wasn't an attacker. It was then he stopped, and turned, all with a speed that would have left her itching in her boots at it's pace any other time. She could tell he'd seen her doujutsu now, though she wasn't quite sure why he frowned. Was there something on her face? Or did he think she'd stolen them? Though, someone who'd managed to steal both eyes of a member of the Hyuga clan was somebody to be feared indeed. The narrowing of the eyes was followed by her 'cousin' crossing his arms over his chest, as if he were about to yell at her. At least, that's what people often did before yelling at her. That, or that's what they did when judging her. Was he judging her? Or was he trying to remember her? There were differences, but at the same time, she'd probably prefer the second to the first.

In the end, her reply was only a simple "yes." She was confused for a second, wondering if she was expected to ask a question or something. She had just wanted to affirm who it was, and maybe say hi. Before she'd had the chance to properly reply, or even react, however, Satsuji spoke again, this time asking if he knew her.The only good part of his words seemed to be the mention of 'cousin,' telling her that he, at the very least, considered her part of the clan, and not a thief that had stolen eyes from somebody. So, she allowed him a small smile, her eyes narrowing slightly as her cheeks were brought up with that smile. "You might," she replied, putting her hands behind her back and rocking back and forth on her heels. "I'm Reiko. I was the one that was always sick, if that helps." she didn't really like to talk about that part of her all that much, but she figured that it might help him remember. though, he still may not, considering that she didn't really go out much as a child, either.

Similar to how in past generations, he was simply going to refer to her as Elder Sister, or by her name if he deigned to do so at a later point. That is, if he happened to remember her. At the point her facial features weren't exactly ringing any bells, and even though he himself was a member of the illustrious Hyūga, he still had yet to learn how to read those pale featureless white eyes that all members of the Clan carried in those sockets in their heads. To read a Hyūga through solely their eyes was undoubtedly a large feat for one to do, one that Satsuji hardly took part in simply because he rarely if ever left the walls of his own households grounds, and through extension, the Hyūga Grounds.

Allowing his eyes to floated down to her feet and then back up again, he wondered if he had actually seen her in the past. When he had had his important change of how he saw things in life, he had forced many things out of his life. Recreational activities, friends, faces, people, all of it. He had even forgotten the voices of people to the point that when he heard or saw them they had only seemed nostalgic, and or gave off the appearance of deja vu. In this situation however, he experienced none of that. The look he gave her was blank for the most part, having no idea who she was those eyes of his continuously scanned her.

I might? He paused, frowning at the statement. He disciplined himself in that instant, his expressions were fighting for dominance, to show the irritation and annoyance he had at her saying that. In the end, he allowed his nose to flare and his eyes widen before his brows set into a furrow as his expression deepened. Even after that apparent internal argument parts of his inner self still slipped out.Reiko? The frown lessened almost as if he were finally getting the information he needed to recognize her. Again, his eyes rose up and down with a new light in them. The one who was always sick? Then he stopped, and his gaze settled for when they had eye contact.

"I still don't know you."

With a shrug of his shoulders, he took half a step forwards, but before his foot could even touch the ground he thought better of it. Now was the opportunity for him to take advantage of the situation, to receive potential information on something that he would want deep down in the pit of his very existence.

A conversation.

"Will you accompany me to the roof?" He called over his shoulder, as he rotated on his heel this time, swaying as he came around to face her. Whether she answered or didn't, he had given her a few moments to think on it and had already begun turning around to continue on his way to the other flight of stairs that would take him to the roof. Of course, his pace was the same as earlier, so whether her answer was late or not, she'd have plenty of time to catch up.

WC: 545

Even though she’d told him who she was, he still seemed completely ignorant of who she actually was. This was visible before he even told her so, by the confusion that still rested on his face. This made her a mix between happy and unhappy. Happy that she wasn’t quite as known for being that sickly child as she thought she was, and unhappy that her cousin, in a way, didn’t know her.  She watched silently as he looked her up and down. She didn’t move, though he still made no indication that he knew her at all, even in the slightest. In fact, his face looked as blank as a new scroll.  Then a frown came, and both of Reiko’s eyebrows rose. She would have raised one, but she’d never had that ability, regretfully. She’d even tried to learn to raise only one eyebrow, but had never succeeded in raising only one effectively.  Reiko figured that was just something you had to be born with the ability to do, in the end.  

In the end, she found her eyes met with his, and she was told plainly what she’d guessed all along, that he still had no inkling of who she was.  Deciding to reply simply, the girl simply nodded to him, her head tipping slightly to the side. She noted his step forward curiously, considering that he paused halfway through it, taking the step back. What had he been planning to do? Walk, or go over to her? Well, she guessed that she’d never know

His request that she accompany him to the roof was met with a little smile, happy that she had somebody to talk to. Even if she’d been planning to go for dinner, she could always get some food later.  Talking to somebody who was part of the clan that she hadn’t actually had a chance to properly speak to before would be fun.

“Sure,” she replied, the polite smile widening to a happier one with her words.  He moved past her, and she turned with him, watching as he moved down the hallway. She didn’t move for a second, unsure if he was going to say more. When he didn’t, however, she trailed after him. Reiko jogged until she walked parallel with him, her steps matching his to some degree.   Her pace slowed when she caught up, and her arms came to clasp themselves behind her back as she watched, glancing over at the boy beside her.  “Did you come to Kumogakure no Sato for the Chunin Exams? As in… to participate? Or did you come to watch, like I did?” She didn’t remember seeing him in the first part of the exams, but at the same time, she’d missed a few of the battles while she was out training, so she wasn’t sure about a few of the competitors.  So maybe, just maybe, he’d been in one of those battles. Or, he could have been participating, and been in a place in the stands that she just hadn’t seen him. Even so, Hyuga’s were pretty easy to find, given their eyes. She would’ve thought she’d find the ones in this village before now. Though, it was a big village, one of the five biggest. So it also made sense if she hadn’t. It would be good if somebody of the clan had joined the exams, though. She’d been prevented from doing so, but that didn’t mean nobody else of the clan could. If somebody of the clan put themselves out, it would be good for the clan in general.

Satsuji wasn't one to pause so often to actually converse with someone. In most situations he was approached, his age being unnaturally young based off of this current age of Genin, and no doubt it gave people cause to talk to him. Or at least, that's how he imagined it. Coupled with the fact that he strode with a purpose and had a fairly gentle seeming face, it wasn't until he opened up that small mouth of his that it was clear that he wasn't as sweet seeming as his exterior proclaimed. Clear skin and complexion, he thought himself the best taijutsu user, but held no scars or bruises to show that he truly was. Rarely did it happen that he was actually struck, and even though some may think that the bandages that covered his arms concealed wounds he had received, that was indeed false.

Untouchable, was the thought that came to mind. Once he offered her the chance to go to the roof with him, he wondered if she would actually take it, given the fact that he didn't even know her, or tried to do so. He was certain that he had never met her, but she probably knew him when he was much younger... Too young to remember. Based off of appearance, he figured she was at least five years older than him. Pushing a stray strand of hair that had found it's way covering his peripheral, when she had caught up with his small form, he went through the opened doorway and into the staircase, ascending it as quickly as those short legs of his would manage before actually answering her.

"The Chunin Selection Exams are a waste of time to participate in," he said as he climbed those steps. His opinion was his own, and he figured that most people didn't think about them, or were simply in disagreement with him. "It's essentially a show for the other villages of what specific clans are capable of doing." A pause. He reflected, recalling that there were no members of the Hyūga Clan taking part in the Exam. "It's a good thing that no one from our own Clan participate. Lest, the other Hidden Villages gain a knowledge and develop an actual counter to the Byakugan." He climbed those steps, and within a few minutes they had reached the top of the flight, and when he opened up the door at the top, it would open out onto the roof.

"But yes, I did come to watch. There's no reason to partake in the circus that is the Chunin Selection Exams." Throughout the entirety of the exchange, whenever a word had left from his mouth, it was spoken with calmness and an even tone. Rarely was it that the young Hyūga that was Satsuji get emotional over something, and he had already come to terms with controlling his emotions when it came to opinions that he had already thought over in the past... For the most part anyway.

"Did you come to Kumogakure no Sato with accompanying someone or a group of people?" Of course Satsuji had journeyed with people, members of his own household. Despite his lack of wanting company whilst he traveled, the perfect single point of him being too young and inexperienced to travel to the Land of Lightning was made by his father, and his cousin, a direct relative to him and the brother of his father were tasked as his guides and protectors. Whilst he had been in Kumogakure no Sato, he had ignored them for the most part, usually taking a few moments every day to formulate a plan to escape them and journey to where he wanted.

"Which Village do you think has the most chance of winning this year's Exam?"

WC: 649

Busy climbing up each individual step of the stairs, Reiko did not look at Satsuji as he replied, though she glanced in his general direction when he began speaking, as more of an instinctual reaction than anything. Even if she wasn’t looking though, his words caught her attention, a bit of an extension of what she’d heard others say about the exams. She didn’t buy into all of it, personally, but she did understand where they were coming from, and agree with some points of it. She did smile at his words on Byakugan, however. “I believe,” she said, her words carefully spoken. “That the Chunin Exams are something to be wary of, considering they give away many jutsu we have to the other villages, which isn’t good if we go into war with them later on. But at the same time, it is a good opportunity to learn, and to hold diplomatic relations between the Villages in a peaceful way. Though, if someone were to figure out the problem with Byakugan, I feel like they would’ve done it by now, what with the Clan being so old. It will be a bad day somebody figures out a counter to it. Knowing some of our old clan heads, we’d probably be sent out to kill the ones who knew, which would probably just bring hatred and revenge alone. So yes, it probably is a good thing no Hyugas are taking them this time around.” That little spiel done, she nodded at him, accepting that he’d come to watch, just as she had. Even if the Exams were a bit… she couldn’t even think of a good word for them, but even so, watching them did help you learn, if you were willing to do so. She’d learned a lot in the exams, and hoped to learn more as they went along, about both their own Village and the other Villages.

A question was aimed at her then, one that had her smiling slightly, another movement being made by her head, this time a shake. There had been nobody around when she’d come, and she was lucky enough that she’d been allowed to move on her own.  “I came by myself,” she said, shrugging a bit. “All the people I would’ve normally gone with were gone, so I came with the intention of meeting my squad. So far though, I’ve only seen Tenzo.” A small blush came to her cheeks at the name, but she ignored it, behaving as if were any other name on the planet. The journey alone had been pretty uneventful; she could easily see why she was allowed to come alone. Nobody attacked her, and, when she went through somewhat iffy areas, she had the sense to take her headband off of her neck, making her seem like any other simple traveler. Nobody came near her at all. It was as if the whole trip was one very long, very nice walk.

”It isn’t really about who wins the Exams,” she replied, smiling slightly at his words. ”It’s not a contest between Villages, officially, though many may see it that way. It’s supposed to be a test, but I can see why you would refer to it in a contest sort of way.” Pausing, Reiko thought a moment, going through what she’d seen of the exams so far, wondering which village it would be that actually did come out with the most Chunins. ”Well,” she said, her voice once again attaining that careful way of speaking. ”Konoha, Suna, and Kiri all have two going through to the second part of the Exams, so they have the best chances of having more than one become Chunin. Though, to be truthful, and a bit of a traitor, I think it’s more of a competition between Suna and Kiri. I’ve not seen anything completely outstanding about the two we have. They’re good shinobi, I just don’t think either will win.” She smiled at him, her answer now done. ”What about you? Who do you think will make it to the top?” She was curious at his answer, because he seemed to be pretty perceptive, from what she’d seen of him so far. Maybe he’d seen something during the Exams that she had missed.

Based upon the carefulness and caution that Reiko was speaking with, Satsuji began to wonder as to whether she was starting to talk like that so that she may find a common ground with his words that had formed his opinion, or if she was just naturally a cautious person when conversing with people. Whichever it was, it left him wanting her to get to the point of what she was saying. It couldn't be that hard to get a point across, right? However, he only thought it was taking her so long to get to the point because he was waiting for her to agree with him. His mind didn't wander, he was too keen on hearing the confirmation that she was one in the same as him. Soon after though, he had realized she wasn't when she had finished speaking on his opinion of the Chunin Selection Exams. He couldn't blame her however, they no doubt had different upbringings in the Hyūga Clan Households and Grounds. Their experiences in life would no doubt be different and the same could be said for personalities and opinions.

"In the event that members of our Clan were sent to deal with those who had found a worthy counter of the Byakugan and our style of fighting, would you accept a mission to destroy them?" He asked because if his goal of wanting to lead the Hyūga Clan and to protect them from harm in the future was to come to pass, he wanted to know who of his kin would be willing to do what had to be done to protect them and their future. Of course, if it was true that a group of people had found a counter to the Gentle Fist fighting techniques, then it would certainly be dangerous for any member of their Clan to go, no matter how strong they thought themselves to be. Undoubtedly however, Satsuji would go alone if he had to. He was someone who spent most of their time alone and in their own thoughts anyway, to go on missions alone was something he was certain he'd prefer.

The day hadn't come that he had encountered someone that he'd willingly let cover his back, and would allow him to do the same. Within the Clan, and outside of it. He wasn't entirely certain if a team would be the best thing for him.

He was beginning to wonder if she had, just as she had begun talking about Tenzo. Whoever the man was, he thought nothing of. He didn't look at her face when she made mention of him, and the name slipped his mind almost as soon as it had been said. "Do you think you'll be a good addition to your Squad?" The question was one he supposed anyone should be asking themselves. Once, long ago, before he had gone on the fateful trip that had changed his opinion on many things and had opened his eyes on even more things in the world they lived in, it had been a question that he had asked himself numerous times. Being a member of a Squad would be one of the greatest things, that much he remembered thinking as they strode out onto the rooftop. What about becoming one? The thought had been more of a recent sentiment. If he wanted to lead a Clan, he first had to know how to lead a significantly smaller group of people first, right?

And then she spoke of his final question. It wasn't really about who won the Exams, she had said. Of course, he had already determined that, and one of his eyes twitched in irritation at her talking about it, but he was able to restrain himself enough to not reply in a snappy fashion as she finished talking. Before he was actually going to reply however, he allowed her to finish speaking completely as she started to go into which Villages she thought had a good chance of winning. Then, she asked him the question of who he thought was going to win and he shrugged as he brought it all the way back to the beginning.

"I didn't ask what you thought the Selection Exams were." He couldn't help himself. No matter how hard he tried, it irritated him that she thought she had to explain to him that it was no contest.

Now then, who did he think was going to win the Chunin Exams?

"That one person from Iwagakure no Sato, or one of the two from Sunagakure no Sato." He didn't know their names, he didn't care. All he cared to know was statistics, and with that information he forged on wards. "Both of them I've heard to be fairly dangerous..." A pause, "Besides, I didn't see the first stage with my own eyes. Only highlights."

Pushing a hand through his hair, Satsuji strode towards the edge of the roof, and once he got there he looked over the ledge and saw the countless people that were down there. It was high enough so that if he were to jump, he knew he wouldn't survive, that is, if he didn't use the Supernatural Walking technique.

"What do you think of fate and destiny?"

WC: 900

She wasn’t quite sure yet, but she got the feeling that Satsuji was either sizing her up, or still deciding whether or not to dislike her. It was an awkward feeling, and she wasn’t all that fond of it, though she was trying to make the conversation a nice one.  She could only hope that he’d warm up to her a bit soon.  As far as she’d seen, the more she spoke, the more people opened up to her. Those who were more open to her got less, because she felt that they didn’t need coaxing to open a shell. Satsuji seemed almost irritated by her chatting, however.  When he replied, however, his voice showed no sign of the irritation she thought she felt, but rather curiosity, in a way, instead. Still though, she got a testing feeling.

”Yes,” she replied, frowning slightly. ”That in itself is a threat to the Village. The counter would spread, and eventually, our eyes would become useless in battle.” She tried to shorten her reply this time, not wanting to irritate him.  It might help him be a bit happier. She wasn’t even sure if she’d seen him smile yet. To answer his second question, she shrugged, her eyes moving down to her feet. She wasn’t quite sure herself. Two of her team were Chunin, and she had just come from being down for three months. She had catching up to do, but she was sure that, if she worked hard enough, she’d be able to. ”I don’t think I am right now,” she said. ”I need to train more. But one day, I’ll be useful to them.” That seemed concrete enough a reply, though she was sure she’d doubt it later. That question was one she thought about often, after all, and still had yet to answer in a way that she didn’t waver on. And, because of her small span of being out of work, she didn’t know them quite as well as they probably now knew each other. So there was probably a gap there, as well. Reiko was, in a way, worried that, when she did get back firmly into the Squad, that she would be an outlier, the one that wasn’t quite part of the group, but was there, all the same.

Her reply to her previous question, the one on his thoughts about who exactly would win, came then, layered now in what she firmly believed was irritation, though she wasn’t quite sure how she’d irritated him so much. Though, the words he spoke clarified it some, her mouth curving into a frown at his snappy attitude. She’d simply stated her thoughts on the matter; she hadn’t been trying to look down at him. He had no need to act like a child. She found herself a bit put off by this, but tried to calm herself, not wanting to end up yelling at her clan member. She wanted to make friends with this person, not alienate them. A slow breath was drawn in, almost undetectable, such was its speed. It was as if she were taking any other breath. Then it was let out, along with, she hoped, any chances that she’d lose her temper.  By the time that was over, he’d finished his words, stating his own opinion on the Exams, one that was close to her own, but with Iwa and Kiri switched in positions.

He moved to the edge then, and she simply watched for a moment, her eyes emotionless.  His question, drifting to her on the wind, the currents being somewhat harsher up on the roof caused her to pause, her mind curious at the question. Stepping forward, she made her own way to the edge, looking down, making no movement as her hair was whipped back from her face.
”I think that fate and destiny are similar, in a way. But I also think you can have many different destinies, while fate is something you cannot change, no matter what you wish or do to make it different.” She wasn’t quite sure while he was asking the question, but she answered it all the same. Maybe he’d explain the purpose of it in his reply. Or, maybe, he was trying to confirm something he was thinking about.

After every single phrase that went past those thin lips of his, Satsuji waited and listened for her responses. Curiosity was one of the reasons why he asked the questions. In truth, he was sizing her up. He wanted to know what sort of person she was, and already he had determined that she was more of a timid sort of person. One that would give cautious answers to stay as neutral as possible. Would she even defend her opinion on something of importance? He had no idea, based on how she had reacted and answered based off of his previous questions, he figured she wouldn't. The answer of agreement and understanding of someone else's belief is what he imagined she would respond with. For a moment he wondered what kind of face he had on while he stared out over the world, white eyes scanning the horizon with quite a bit of interest in them.

When she gave her his answer after his first question, he nodded. It appeared that she was willing enough to help protect the Hyūga Clan, despite the potential dangers a mission such as the one he proposed may hold. Moments after, he had asked her if she thought she'd be a good addition to her current squad. Based upon her answer, he was able to discern that she wasn't the type of person to boast of skills and maintain a confidence that she knew she didn't have. Exhaling a breath of air, he supposed it paid to be modest. As to why, that was a mystery that he was sure he'd find out one day.

"Training is always needed," he stated after her own answer. It was one that was in agreement with hers. Despite their their clan's taijutsu prowess, it was still necessary to train in the Fuken style. It wasn't like the other styles he had witnessed in the Hidden Leaf Village. He was certain he'd be able to adapt those other styles of fighting to his own, and to apply the Gentle Fist in some instances, although that was a plan for later down the road.

On the journey to Kumogakure no Sato, despite the short journey, Satsuji had found that it had felt longer than it actually had been. That was only because of the intensive training that his handlers had put him through. It was mostly his uncle however that forced him to do it, and his cousin who went along with it simply because it was necessary that he did so. He remembered sweating heavily as his uncle set upon him, towards the point that he had tripped and fallen, too tired to even get back up to his feet. In that instant he had felt so weak, it reminded him of those that he had beaten in the past, but he doubted they had ever felt so bad as he did in the instants that he was training.

His cousin was much more easy going on him when they had been pitted against each other. Despite him being a few years older than him, perhaps of an age with Reiko, he was fairly close to his cousin in skill and technique, and from time to time he wondered as to whether his cousin was actually trying or not. If he wasn't, he was certain he wouldn't battle him again, not if he was going to hold back power that he shouldn't have been reigning in. If he was going to get better, then facing off against opponents stronger than him would prove that he was better than those that were of a level with him. That's how he saw it anyway, and for as long as he could remember he has thought of it as the perfect training regime for himself.

It wasn't like the children his age posed a challenge to him.

Then, his final question was being answered. She was saying that fate and destiny were similar. And in response to that, he nodded his head in agreement. They were similar, it was why people made mention of them in the same phrase from time to time. But when she came to an end, he made no movements, facial or otherwise. Instead, he simply looked down to the people below that were entering the building. "I see." He said quietly, more to himself than to her as he mulled over the information.

Only someone who was exceptionally strong would be able to have multiple potential destinies. "People can have more than one destiny, but their fate will remain constant between the possibilities," he said with a surety that he had never felt before. Although there was no reason to think of it as such, he knew it was so, it had to be. And for the next few moments, he remained quiet, allowing the previous statements to be left alone and forgotten in the silence.

"What do you do for... Fun?" It wasn't a word that found it's way into his daily use. Fun was when he placed his superiority on those that were lesser to him. At least, that's how he imagined it for himself. There was nothing that he could call truly 'fun,' not in his daily life. It was a foreign term to him at this point in his life, but it was simply a means to an ends. It was a friendlier way of asking what she did as a hobby, or in her spare time. Simple to answer, and it'd allow them to get to know each other better.

Satsuji knew he wasn't the best person to be stuck with, if previous interactions with other family members were meant to be used as reference points. Most people undoubtedly felt an aura of hostility from the Genin, one that he thought was necessary to prove the superiority of the Hyūga Clan, something that the people of this world have seemed to have forgotten, but more important the members of the Clan.

It was his duty to make them remember that.

Then it occurred to him that he had some place to be. Similar as to when he had been a younger child, he simply left with no words of departure or warning. Saying goodbyes took quite a bit of time, at least in the movies, and Satsuji had used up enough of his in one day.

WC: 1090
TWC: 4933

-EXIT THREAD-

tRAINING: