It had been awhile since Azumi had been in the leaf village. more than a few months she'd say. It's not that she left the land of fire, she simply went to spend a few months with some of her relatives outside of the village. In fact they had summoned her there. During the course of that time she had become a little more practiced in medical ninjutsu, and a little more disciplined. She wasn't quite the same hot-headed girl she had been the time she met  Rippa, although she still had a temper, and still held pride in her, she was a bit more mature now. Now she was back, and ready to start doing some missions, as well as get stronger. But, she also had a new motive as well. On her last day at the Hyuga compound outside of the village, She had been told that that was where her mother went while she was pregnant with her. And, during that time she had written a note for Azumi. In the letter, it goes on about how she hopes to be a good mother some day, and her dreams and aspirations for Azumi. Most of which made Azumi smile, and cry at some parts. But the part that gave her new found motivation was written in the P.S. section of the letter. it read. "P.S. Azumi... Incase something should happen to me, and you are left without knowing your father's name. I'll tell you it here. His name is Hyuga Tsuyo."

Azumi folded up the letter she was looking at and put it in her kunai pouch. She had invited her sensei Rippa to the hyuga compound so that she could apologize to him, as well as ask him about Tsuyo. Although in her letter she just stated the summons, and gave little reason, however she did  give an apology for her previous actions and for disappearing for near a year without any notice. She just hoped that he would come. Azumi let out a small sigh as she looked down the row of cherry blossom trees that marked the entrance to the Hyuga compound. She sat on a bench with a purple umbrella to block out the sun. Although the trees were in blossom. Something she had never really payed attention too before now. With that in mind she stood up and walked a crossed the path to a tree on the opposite side of her, holding out hand to catch some of the falling petals. She could only hope he wasn't angry at her. she needed Rippa's help more than ever now that she finally had a clue as to something about her father. Something that she didn't have before. Something that could help her track him down. Azumi watched as a petal floated from a branch and down into her outstretched hand. She gave a brief smile. She was one step closer to getting to meet the man who helped create her.

Upon entering the Hyuga compound Rippa would be able to spot Azumi almost immediately, although he will also be able to spot differences. He should easily be able to see that she has matured, As she looks older, and has grown some in height. She has also matured in personality which can be seen in her more passive and less aggressive stance and face. these are just some of the things that Rippa should be able to pick up from walking in the front entrance to the hyuga compound.

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WC: 598
Total WC: 598

Rippa sat on the edge of the well as he supported himself with one hand behind him. His blue eyes scanned the sky peacefully as he seemed to let it mesmerize him. His eyes were a brighter color then the sky that day but that was due to the time of year. With it getting colder and the days getting shorter the days seemed to be a darker shade of blue. A lone cloud drifted overhead but surely not enough to indicate rain. He sighed as he kind of enjoyed the rain...it always washed away the signs of battle he left behind. With the flux of missions coming to him with the other Jounin away he had been busy. A lot of foolish people had seen it as an opportunity to try their luck raiding the roads around Konoha. Most were simple to deal with as they were weak opportunists and cowards when faced with an actual fight. Regretfully that was not the actual problem. Somehow a couple of major players had gotten wind of the absences. What Rippa was being sent against were specialists these players utilized when a profit was to be made. These guys were anything but amateur.

His free hand began to rise to touch the small scar on the left side of his chin when he felt the letter in it. The reason he had drifted into thought to begin with came back to mind as he looked down as if surprised. An old student of his, however briefly she was one had risen her head after something like a year had passed without a word. She acted more like an enemy in that time he knew her before anyway. It was fairly strange that he would receive some formal summons after so long with that kind of history. A white eyebrow rose as he contemplated on if she had received an injury that needed a high ranking med nin picking a fight or if she had caused one. The latter lacked any urgency though which made him doubt such a likely scenario. She was a brawler last time he saw her. A street thug at best. However now she seemed to have some sort of dignity...Had her pride finally evolved to honor? If so than she would no longer be a child throwing a fit. She would be the kind of warrior only her clan could produce. To be honest the concept was a little exciting.

Either way he had held off for a couple of hours because he wasn't sure about seeing her in the middle of her clan compound. If she just wanted to test herself on him after a year away he would have to show a little muscle again. While they were a clan of martial artists he doubted they would see one of their young getting bounced off the ground as a lesson learned. He was confident in himself but not against an entire bloodline. He sighed as he rose from his spot and pocketed the summons in his black jeans. His boots touching the ground before he stretched out. His black tank top fluttering in the slight breeze. He flexed his hands as his fingerless gloves flexed with him. They didn't limit movement but they kept grip even if his hands became soaked. His silver angel wings necklace reflected the light of the sun before he reached down and picked up his red long coat with headbands etched into either shoulder and captain in Kanji on the back. Slipping it on he finished by picking up his twin blades and slipping them into his ammo belt. Loaded as always. With that done he was on the move.

In a blur Rippa moved step by step. Each step covering a gap of a dozen meters with ease. He had discovered his speed had increased dramatically since he was a genin and he could move easily without straining himself over large distances simply by stepping without holding back. Still a red blur zipped across the roof tops one by one as if it would be gone in the blink of an eye. He could of ridden his bike but rooftops had less traffic. Still he landed outside the front gate of the compound as he suddenly stopped. A breeze swirled around him from the speed of his arrival kicking up a few petals as he bowed his head to the guard at the gate and produced his summons. The guard indicated a young lady by a tree not far off and Rippa nodded before calmly walking at a normal pace in her direction. His right hand rose to scratch at the scruff of his thin beard as he looked her over before he smiled warmly and spoke up finally.

"Well you have grown a little. I can almost sense the change in your aura without you even flexing it. Or perhaps it is because you haven't flexed it I noticed the change? Hmm." He said as if studying her.

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As the petal brushed her hand with it's softness. A smile spread gracefully a crossed her face. Not a cynical one. it had no malicious intent behind it. This was easily noticeable. As the petal fell into her hand she heard the footsteps of someone approaching. She turned, letting her hand fall to her side and the petal to the ground below. "Well you have grown a little. I can almost sense the change in your aura without you even flexing it. Or perhaps it is because you haven't flexed it I noticed the change? Hmm." She giggled a little at the thought. She had grown a bit hadn't she? A year of nothing but hyuga discipline can do a lot to a person. She eye smiled at him. "Ohayo Gozaimasu, Rippa-sama." she said giving a semi deep bow to signify respect. She figured the 'sama' at the end of his name and the bow might throw him off. As well as the notably more elegant tone her voice took. She would have never given the man the time of a merely a year ago, much less address him so respectfully. For a moment she stayed bowed slightly as the morning birds chirped in the tress surrounding them.

After a moment she then finally stopped bowing. then she spoke to him again. "It's good to see you again,,, I'll be honest i didn't think you were going to respond to my summons." she said giving him a warm smile before extending her hand. "Would you walk with me?" She would obviously await his reply, and if he said yes, then she would walk along next to him walking into the hyuga compound and towards the gardens. After a few more moments she would then speak again. "I'm sure you're curious as to why i requested to see you... Well first and for most, i wanted to apologize to you... In person. I know i wasn't too easy to deal with, and I was honestly a bit of a pain in the ass to deal with. And so i appreciate you being my teacher. even though I wasn't the best student... So i would like to ask if there is anything i can do to make it up to you?" she said with an apologetic tone in her voice, one that was mixed with a big of sorrow and regret. Azumi let out a sigh as she finished speaking for a brief moment. She would allow Rippa to speak if he so chose too, and she would respond accordingly, Then she continued. "The next reason i brought you here was I need a favor from you. You have every right to walk away and not help me, and i really have no grounds to ask anything of you, but I could use the help, so please wait until i've finished... She paused briefly to make sure she wasn't overloading him with information. Also at about this same time the two of them would be reaching the gardens. Azumi would walk towards a bench and motion for Rippa to sit down with her. That was, of course if he stayed. Once the two of them were seated she would continue. "You see, I haven't had the best childhood, but then again, what shinobi has?" she said kind of letting a small little laugh to signify that that was a joke meant to lighten the mood. "My mother died almost immediately after child birth, and I never knew my father. In fact, no one knew who my father was. I spent most of my life angry at him for not being there for my mother, for abandoning her and his child. In turn this made me generally more hateful towards people in general. Granted I got over my hate of everyone sometime in the last year, but my hate for my father remains. I also have a strong desire to find him. What i'll do when i do, i don't know. But i still would like to find him. I always have. it's just i've never had any leads, nothing to go on. No one knew who he was. That was until I left my family's compound just the other day. I received a letter from my mother that left a name... Hyuga Tsuyo... I wanted to know if you knew anything about him, or where i could find information about him." When she finally finished speaking she let out a breath of air. Then she looked to him for a response to al that she had said. It would be up to him whether he helped her or not. If he said no, she wouldn't blame him, but that doesn't mean she would stop. She finally had some information about her father. She wasn't going to stop now until she found him, or his corpse.

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WC: 835
Total WC: 1433

Rippa watched her for a time as she greeted him. The smile was new and to be honest a little more welcome then a set of knuckles heading straight for his face. He wondered just what had been done to her in order for such a change to occur. It wasn't often that he watched a total change in someone. He didn't doubt that the original her was still somewhere deep within but it really wasn't some part of her he was looking to surface so long as she was happy with whom she currently was. His sky blue eyes studied her as she greeted him rather formally before returning her bow a proper amount. He was the head of a rather influential clan branch after all. He had been taught how to properly greet someone and entertain guests from a young age. Always the son of the clan head. Always expected to rise above the norm. Well he had easily done so with his current statuses. Branch head, captain of the sword saints and Sannin of the village. He so loved remembering his achievements. It gave him a sense of purpose. Perhaps that was what she had found. A sense of purpose. Or at least a direction to place her energy towards.

She mentioned how she hadn't actually expected him to come and truth be told he had hesitated. The history between the two of them was harsh. Always leaning towards violence before reason. The calm manner they were partaking in now was actually unnerving. There must be some reason to it. Still when she held out her hand he took it as a welcoming gesture instead of a polite way to walk together. He wasn't really a hand in arm kind of guy. Oblivious to that whole side of life. Still he walked with her as she spoke of wanting to apologize. He had expected that sentiment to take years in the making. Perhaps a couple more times being tossed around. Instead she had taken it upon herself to grow into a young lady. He was impressed really. Still he smiled as he spoke. His tone as warm as it was with his patients.

"It is the duty of a teacher to have patience and to strive to help the youth grow. The fact that you have grown whether I was a direct part to it or not is payment enough. Surely though you wouldn't of summoned me to the compound for a brief apology. What else is weighing on you?"

She spoke of wanting a favor and white eyebrows lifted with curiosity. Still, He followed her to a bench before watching her sit down. Even as she indicated to sit with her but he shook his head politely. If he refused her and she reverted back to her old self he preferred not to be within arms reach of a hyuga regardless of his abilities. Still he crossed his arms and watched her as he waited for her to speak. When she began it seemed kind of like a life story. However he was used to those. Patients were sometimes just there to be comforted before death. This was just passion though. Perhaps she just wanted him to see it how she did. An orphan of sorts discovering she had a father? He could sympathize with her a little on that now that he was an orphan. Not a child for sure but his parents had both passed. Still he smiled and even chuckled.

"At the age where you wish to know the truth even if it hurts eh? lets see then."

He lifted his right hand and pulled an android phone from his inner coat pocket before tapping the button on the bottom to bring it to life. His thumb slipped over the thumb scanner before his phone came unlocked. Quietly he accessed the Konoha shinobi database with his log in and password. If he was a hyuga then likely he had been a shinobi at some point or they had a file on him. Still when he put in the name he got only half the file unlocked. He furrowed his brows before speaking up.

"Thats odd. Well I can tell you he was another prodigy from your clan. A med nin and taijutsu specialist with Doton and Suiton chakra natures. Top of his class and had a very high success rate in both missions and spars....however two missions on here are restricted access I don't have access too. It also claims he is still wanted though information on that is also locked even to me....which is....odd."

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"That's odd. Those words were never good. Azumi let out a sigh as she leaned her head back. She don't know why she was surprised. Maybe because she thought that once she knew his name he'd be easy to track down and all would be good? A child's idealism. She continued to listen to his words, hoping they might be a bit more upbringing then "That's odd" "Well I can tell you he was another prodigy from your clan. A med nin and taijutsu specialist with Doton and Suiton chakra natures. Top of his class and had a very high success rate in both missions and spars....however two missions on here are restricted access I don't have access too. It also claims he is still wanted though information on that is also locked even to me....which is....odd." After he finished she let out another sigh. Then kind of laughed a little. "So this isn't going to be all that easy then?" She said with a hint of sarcasm. Then she exhaled some air. "Well I suppose there's nothing that can be done about that. I'll just have to ask around I suppose..." She would then turn to him. "What do you recommend doing Rippa-sensei?"

She would wait until he replied. Then she would stand up. "Well whatever I end up doing it's not going to get done sitting on this bench." Azumi had been well aware Rippa seemed a little tense around her. She could guess he was expecting to be hit in the face at any moment. Although it didn't seem to be so much at her. More so, he seemed to be watching around him. She could assume he didn't want have to fight her in her own clan compound, and deal with the members of her clan as well. She smiled at him. "How about we do a training session? It's been awhile since i've stretched my limbs and done some real training." she would look around the garden for a brief moment before continuing. "We can even do it outside of the compound if you wish... I just need to continue training, and would like to do it under my teacher" she would say eye smiling at him, offering a hand to help him off of the bench if he was still sitting. Then she would wait for him to take the lead, following him to wherever he decided to train.

This was one thing she was certain of. If she was going to find her father. She was going to need to get stronger. Rippa had said he was missing, and that some of his files were locked, even to him. Azumi doubted she could get them unlocked by asking. This means she'd need to become ANBU at least. Then she could hunt him. A look of determination filled her eyes. One that wasn't uncommon for her, even from over a year ago. She was going to find him. Whatever the means may be. She had too. She had way too many unanswered questions. Plus, she also wanted to know what he was like. If he was even still alive. Azumi had to hold out hope. Hope that she would at least meet one of her parents.

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WC: 562
Total WC: 1995

Rippa heard her sigh and watched her expression fall a little. It appeared this information had been a more prominent goal of hers. He wasn't really a fan of delivering Bad news to people. Or even not having news at all which appeared to be the case for the moment. He wondered to himself just how difficult it was growing up and not knowing a father figure. Or at least the person you had been born from a part of. It could certainly explain her past issues with him and his issues with her. He didn't want to sum it down to daddy issues but it would provide a reason for her tendencies towards male authority figures. It actually made him feel slightly guilty for not having been more of a prominent individual to her growth as of late. Although by all appearances that hadn't really been an issue as she had grown considerably without him. She was more of a young lady now then before if not still closer to a tom boy. Well mannered in a sense. At the very least in comparison she was more agreeable to his sense of what a person should act like now.

Still he blinked as she spoke up about what to do. Even calling him sensei as she did so. Quietly he pocketed his phone after locking the screen with a shift of his thumb back into his inner coat pocket. His free hand rose to rub the back of his neck as he blew out a sigh of his own. Truth be told he wasn't entirely sure how far she could get on her own either. Still he looked back to her with bright blue eyes, as usual not avoiding eye contact as he spoke. His tone practiced and warm as he smiled. A typical manner that a doctor might practice to comfort his patients when things don't go well. "Well I would not be sure with any answer I give you. Missing nin isn't really my field nor is the Hyuga clan. What I do know is that a couple of options are available to you. Gain access to the ANBU files is the first but again you would have to be ANBU...Second might be talking to the Hokage. While files might be locked to me they should not be locked to him. The last thing I might suggest is that you look around within your own clan for information. Someone that prominent doesn't just fade away with no one knowing anything about him in a clan like this."

Still she mentioned wanting to do some training with him. Last he heard she was still a genin so he couldn't plow into some of the more advanced training sessions he was used to with her but at the same time taijutsu wasn't a specialty of his. He may as well get some practice in while he could with hand to hand combat. The rank difference should easily make up the lack of experience for him in a fist fight but it would also be a nice handicap for him. Still he chuckled as she mentioned leaving the compound. She had observed his nervous state about it had she? Clever enough but still she was willing to not use it to her advantage. He felt by now if the clan was going to react violently to some training it may have been highly spoken of by now. Still he smiled and spoke once more as now his voice was filled with humor. "By all means this compound has all the accommodations we might need. I see no reason to move elsewhere. Come, show me to the nearest available dojo." He smiled and would allow her to guide him should she choose to over to a dojo. Just outside of the building he would remove his coat and fold it. Placing it on the wooden porch before laying his belt and weapons across it and finally his necklace. Lastly he slipped out of his boots and hopped up into the dojo with one bound. There he stood in jeans, socks and a black tank top with fingerless gloves as he shifted hopping on one foot to the other while rolling his neck. Not a great stance but obviously it was built for moving rapidly by landing on the foot for the direction you wished to move. He pulled his gloves tight as he watched her quietly before speaking out to her. "How about a straight hand to hand session. See if we can't shake loose some rust with a couple of bruises aye?"

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