Really though, why bother leaving the temple anymore? Seriously, everything was there for him; plenty of food and people and space and booze and dragons and booze and did he catalogue the booze yet? Yeah, drunen Raijin had been a thing recently; he'd always been a high tolerance type when it came to booze, but lately he was trying to see what his limit was. Or kill himself. Something in that family of actions. He really wasn't sure anymore; really he just wanted to forget the world and have a good time, but he couldn't get into his usual manwhoring and bar brawls like he used to; so he resulted to drinking enough high proof alcohol to roast an elephant's liver six or seven times over an hour.

It didn't really help.

It just left him drunk and bitchy and angry; he'd always been a happy drunk before, but something about the world left a sour taste in his mouth and he didn't like it. Maybe that was what was pushing him toward marinating himself to death. Maybe. Meh, empty bottle. This could not be allowed to stand.

"Oi. Bartender. Shakeh. Ya know wha' I wan', ya.~" That sing-song slur, his normal voice was gone, replaced by the lyrical, almost flute tones of a sage, slurred by the sauce turning his brain to a giant pickled mass; his normal tones were more akin to rumbling thunder and booming horns; a  timbre like distant thunder that still made the world shake without being overtly loud. A drop in the pond that caused the glassy surface to buckle and warp; that was his voice normally; but this too was his voice, this lute song of liquid honey with only a hint of gravel and roar that all the sages and monks of his type had; his natural tongue was song and roars and the sounds of the thunderstorm, not these words of the humans and peoples that surrounded him. No, to speak as a man was not his normalcy; he was a sage first, and his song was strong within him, even with his brain shutting down from all the alcohol poisoning it.

"You think you've had enough, Dragon?" This bartender had known him for years, knew of his clan and his skills and his stories; he'd called the male Dragon since he was older enough to be served alcohol at the establishment; a term of endearment for a patron that dropped obscene amounts of money constantly and made sure that his rent was paid. Even as the question was asked, the man was reaching below the bar for the bottles of sake that cost to much to be displayed prominently; a litre of this sake cost enough to fund the local academy for a month, and Raijin drank it like water when he came in. With the markups and such, the bar made a small mint off the Tsukino elders that came in and did the same as the purple-haired Jounin sitting at the bar in the middle of the slow part of the day. Yep. They liked his clan around these parts alright.

"Phfffft.~ Not 'ike 'm goin' home tanigh'. Gimme.~" He took the bottle and about hugged it, hiccuping like a drunkard and giggling on principle at this point; his eyes told of the truth of his mood, dark and brooding and meh, even if his body language and actions spoke of a celebrating ninja on break. He was good at hiding his mood, but the sheer amount of booze he was drinking was a good indication that he wasn't celebrating, even more so because he was alone in his drinking. The bar itself wasn't empty, not entirely; this place never really emptied, but it was the down time before the evening crowds filtered in. A few people sitting at the tables, another drunkard near the other end of the bar, the music was turned down low and some local pop tune that would make his head hurt if he could actually hear it. Otherwise, the place was dead. Good for him. Good for everyone, less chance of his hurting someone. He wasn't in any sort of control of his natural electrical shock at the moment, but the bartender wore rubber sole shoes just because of him, so he was safe. The chair he sat on was metal and grounded to the floor, so that was keeping everyone else safe; however if anyone touched him... well, yeah.

It would be that Kiri ninja all over again... the frick was his name... the dude he took his armor from... Hirigana? That sounded right. The Hoshikage motherfucker with the shit attitude. Fun times, that. Hell, he was wearing the armor underneath his robes right now; he never took it off unless he really needed to. He should do that again, and the cliff diving. He didn't do that enough anymore. Or ever, really. It sucked, but people got... iffy, about a Jounin that lied to roar like a dragon diving off the top of the mountain and throwing lightning bolts everywhere. Sadness.

"Hey. Hey everybody. Hey everybody heeeeeey! DRINKS ON ME!"

Tee Hee.

WC: 890

Sky Bar; having been within the confines of Kaminari no Kuni for such a long time, since the beginnings of this year Chuunin Exams, it's somewhat surprising that he never visited the popular locations for both civilian and shinobi alike. He didn't have any problems going to bars per say, having been to a number of them throughout his travels and times within Tsuchi no Kuni, only with some of the patrons being a little bit rowdier than normal. It is something of an annoyance when people misjudge the amount of spirit they can take, or simply ignore their tolerance, and become nothing more than a babbling buffoon. Doing so to prove their metal against their fellow peers or hoping the liquid courage will give them the confidence needed to approach an unclaimed conquest. Of course, there are other reasons for wanting to befuddle that varies from person to person. It's still burdensome to be around and deal with them. Becoming more taxing than the occasion paranoid patient within a client; at least, the former can be persuaded in some way, and if that didn't work, a sedative always did the trick. None of the aforementioned methods being plausible when dealing with an inebriated person. Well, the sedative route could be done, but risking possible jail time isn't something he wanted to experience, especially  while not in his own country, just to shut someone up. Though if aggravated enough he might just try his luck. Hopefully, the bar's patrons wouldn't push him that far.

. . . Hopefully.

It was mid-day. The streets slowly being filled with people promenading, searching for a restaurant to eat at or going home for a well-cooked meal. Many having taken their lunch break. The sun's rays bearing down doing nothing to relieve the crisp mountain temperatures.

Moving through the same streets, acknowledging others with only a subtle glance, nothing more nor less, accessing their threat level, and making sure none of them were following him. Paranoid? Yes, but it comes with the occupation. After making sure nothing was amiss, he allowed his thoughts to wander freely, not focusing on anything in particular or concerning.  Not his wayward student and her mysterious partner that almost killed him. Not worrying over the small fact that he was supposed to have returned to Iwagakure no Sato some time ago, around the time the chuunin exams ended. Or the fact that he didn't bother with getting an alliance between Kumo and Iwa. Undoubtedly Akira would be less than pleased once he finds out, and he, Nanashi, will deal with the mess when that time comes.

Ignoring the looks aimed in his direction. Apparently the idea of someone, especially a male, wearing a kimono in this modern era was something of a shocker. Though considering how the styles have changed with the times, it wasn't surprising to receive these looks. He continued his trekking towards his set destination - The Sky Bar.

Having heard about the establishment upon first arriving in Kumogakure no Sato. He had wanted to visit the place at least once. Not for the drinks, they served, but rather, to glean any type of information either directly or indirectly. However, other obligations took precedent, and the little hiccup with his student, former student, derailed any of those plans. But with him having some free time now, it is the perfect opportunity to set foot inside. Though his initial reasonings for doing so having now changed.

A mixture of different smells and aromas assaulted his sense of smell upon entering the establishment. He welcomed the pleasant aromas of differents types of foods being prepared and/or eaten. His nose crinkled, though quickly schooled, in disgust from the smell of someone smoking a cheap tobacco blend and of the patron he just past, a coppery smell clinging heavily to him. Yellow eyes looked around the spacious interior, taking note of those there, catching the eyes of others who looked at him with interest before returning back to their affairs.

"Hey. Hey everybody. Hey everybody heeeeeey! DRINKS ON ME!"

The bar erupted in a joyous cheer at the proclamation from the blue/gold hair male sitting at the bar. He either has enough money to cover the cost of everyone, meaning that he had deep pockets, or he was just spouting out nonsense while in a drunken state. It really didn't matter much to him.

Sliding into the seat to the right of the drunken man, Nanashi didn't have to wait long for the bartender.

"Haven't seen your face in here before.", knowing pretty much all of his customer based. he can easily pick out the unfamiliar ones. And the one who had just sat down beside Dragon was someone he never saw within his bar before.

"Not surprising. I'm just someone passing through, only stopping by here after hearing great things about this place. ", not entirely the truth, but suffice enough.

"I see. What you having?", Nanashi took a glance at the man beside before looking back at the bartender. None of the showcased spirits appealed to him, but the one that the drunk man was drinking did.

"I have what he is having. . . If he's offer of paying still stands."

---

886

Aaand now with the spinning.~

People joining the party? Awesome, more to commiserate with! Always fun, misery loves it's company, oh yeah. Not that most would come to such a popular place as this to drink away their troubles; this was a place for fun times and happy celebration; hence the facade of the happy drunk that the tightness and dark gleam to his eyes belayed. No, he wasn't celebrating really, nor was he as far gone as he appeared; there was some truth to the slur and gentle wobble of his movements, but there was too much of a control that was only seen among the ninja of the world (and the functioning alcoholics!) to convince anyone with a sober, sharp eye that he was actually hammered.

"I have what he is having. . . If he's offer of paying still stands."

The colorful male merely cackled and spun faster in his chair; a little trick of the tile floor of the bar area and the way the chairs were made; if you had the balance and such for it you could balance on one chair leg and spin like a top; which given one of his favorite jutsu was him spinning in circles with a blade belching chakra in one or both hands... well, he was used to spinning. He could do this aaaaaall day.

"Stands? Dragon there could buy this entire bar and the mountain it stands on right now and not even notice. Rich clan and all that. How else could he drink top bar sake like water otherwise." Not even a question, more so a statement of sorts as the bar was mildly swamped by patrons coming for their free drinks; many of which were ordering two or three rounds at once because this was a sadly common occurrence for when the Sage was in the bar, and he never bothered to paruse his tab close enough to notice the extra charges. Behind the bar, were only the bartenders could see, was set up a little display of certain patrons; the usual mix of bans and such, but there also existed a nice listing of patrons to keep happy at all costs, because of various reasons: important political figures, rich clans, etc. Raijin was plastered on that a few times over, personal wealth, high ranking in the military and civilian worlds, rich clan, and just general high spender with a deep wallet. It made the other patrons happy to get free drinks and such, so they ordered more on their own, and that made the bar even more money. Win-win situation, even more so as Raijin and his clan always paid the tabs in full at the end of the night, and if fights broke out? They'd pay the full amount and then double on top; just because they liked the places they drank at, and they made it worth it to not get evicted when they spent too much money making everyone else feel good.

Bottles of expensive liquors and various levels of mixed drinks were doled out quickly enough, and the rush at the bar slowed enough to allow a sense of comfort to return to anyone that hated tight spaces jammed full of people. "Sup buttercup?" The spinning was over now, and dar golden eyes focused on the man that could not even come close to claiming to be native that was seated off to his right. Raijin wasn't one for formalities unless it was called for; he was off duty, not wearing any badges of office as a Jounin or a Sage, nor was this the type of place where you should reasonably expect strangers to drop a Tea Ceremony just to introduce themselves. Nah, this was a casual place, and he was a casual being; he could do formal with the best, but he prefer lackadaisical and lazy. More fun that way. "Protip! Tha' sake's strong'r than ya'd thin', hn.~ Yer gunna have fun walkin' lat'r.~" He hiccuped again, both as cover and because it was better than letting it build to a horrifyingly grotesque belch that was threatening to form. Yeah, that was a bit much even for him; lazy or otherwise. "Hnnn, you Iwa, yeah? Wild guessin', yeeee! Been aroun' tha' world a few times, got 'n eye fer outsida's, yeah yeah. I'd vote Iwa 'r maybe the high desert out 'round Suna. 'M I righ', hm hm?"

Hey, Wait. Didn't someone...

The strange man swung around, sending himself into a fit of giggles as he over rotated and did a damn fine impression of a top for a few moments before settling facing backwards toward the bulk of the room and slumping back against the bar top. He threw an arm back and grabbed for his bottle, yanking it over and lifting it to his lips to take a deep draw straight off like the stereotypical drunken hermit sage. Yep. He was good at his cover. Wobbling slightly, he flopped around a bit until he was staring at the one to his left, or was it right now?, and blinked slowly, letting his eyes unfocus for a second and then cackling loudly. "You be local man! Dunno if I know ya, though. Ye kin? Nah, dun smell kin. No song in ya, no' kin. Hmmm... 'nother fighter, ye look li'e one. 'er one a ya does. Who's yer buddy? Ye gotta twin? Wai ya' dancin' like tha', ah? Waaaaaaaaait.~ Ain't ye Sano's boy? Swear I seen ya' 'round the Jounin office. 'er I'm juss stupid drunk. 'er somethin'. Tee hee.~"

Yeah. If any of that made sense, it would be a miracle; but it really wasn't that complicated. He was trying to be sociable with strangers, but he was... heavily strange to people that didn't know him. He'd always been stared at by his elders with that look you give a child that's not exactly right in the head, and he definitely wasn't that. He was weird, yep. Weird, barely functioning, and a piss poor excuse for a drunkard. Either way. New people, more booze. Maybe tonight wouldn't suck so hard.

WC: 1052

1052 + 890 = 1942

Drinking. An affair capable of being done in the company of friends or strangers alike, or in the presence of silence. If anyone bother in asking Nanashi which one he preferred. It would've to be the latter. Only because the prospect of socializing with others is none existence as it normally would be if companion(s) were involved. There wouldn't be any need to strike up a random conversation, or keep one joining, with a stranger and keep it engaging till they grow tired of it and leave or you do. Being cordial when in fact you are feeling anything but would also be avoided. Yes, drinking by yourself allows more freedom than partaking with others do.

And it's something Nanashi enjoys doing a lot.

He isn't a fan of conversating with others - especially when he's trying to enjoy a drink or two. Spirits, beer, cider, any alcoholic beverage all aim to loosen one's inner inhibitions. Giving a means to escape the crapshoot known as life and a way to forget the clusterfucks of the day. Exactly what he wants every time he sits down for a drink. Though, unless specifically buying the alcohol and taking it home with him, most of the time he had to converse with others. And being an anti-social being since childhood, chitchatting isn't high on the things he likes to do. Only thanks to his former occupation as a male geisha, providing entertainment to a variety of clients, and using the experience gained from that, is he able to converse, and appear invested in the conversation, with others when all he wants to do is enjoy a drink. An art having been practice for longer than he has been a shinobi.

An art that will be coming into play today.

Having just gotten comfortable on the barstool, though that's easier said than done with it not being that comfortable to begin with, someone else walked in. Eyes cut in the stranger's direction, lingering on the well-dressed man far longer than acceptable, at least by shinobi standards, something some of the other patrons were doing as well. However, while he would admit the male was handsome, unlike the others, he didn't look at the figure with barely contained lust and want, but because of his appearance. Whoever the person was, their finely crafted kimono, blue and gold in coloration, and the golden accessories on their person, caused them to stand out amongst the patrons; all but a few exceptions dressed in work clothing or casual wears, nothing as flashy as the stranger's attire. Going only on appearance, he would guess the man was someone of nobility or high importance. And from some of the puzzle looks being thrown in the stranger's direction, the assumption might be a correct one.  

His attention shifted from the approaching man, who were heading for a stool on the opposite side of the drunk beside him, and back to the speaking bartender. Worthy praise was giving to the drunken man, now identified as Dragon by the bartender, and the wealth which he and his clan held. About Dragon, from the corner of his eyes, Nanashi caught the man spinning on one leg of the chair while cackling madly.

"That explains why every seem to be buying an excessive amount of drinks.  Not caring about how big the tab will get."

Someone must have let it slipped that drinks were on dragon because the number of people within the bar had gotten considerable larger than it was only a few moments ago. And even now more people were still trickling in, coming in from their lunch break, getting off of work, or coming from some other destination. Orders were being placed rapidly, a lot with alcohol, and in some cases only alcohol. An already lively atmosphere becoming even more so. Finally after some time, the initial rush dull back down to normalcy, everyone having ordered all the could and in the process of partaking in it.

"So, stranger-san, I never got your name. What do people call you?", having served everyone else, the bartender reached down before the counter, grasping an identical bottle to the one Dragon was currently chugging away, setting it and a glass near him.

"Nanashi.", he didn't bother in given out his surname, seeing how he didn't want to deal with anyone possible recognizing him as a Sannin of Iwa. Though, if one was smart enough, they would figure out the tidbit of information just by knowing his first name. Because who else have the name Nanashi?

Before he could think about drinking the sake that he had just poured into the glass, Dragon, who had just stopped spinning like a top, looked in his direction and spoke.

"Sup buttercup?"

Yellow eyes met golden ones, a smirk danced across his features, as his eyes strayed from Dragon's "Nothing. Just dropping by for a drink or two.", landing on a particular sultry lady who was too engross in a conversation with her partner to notice the look "And maybe some fun.", before looking in Dragon's direction once more "You?"

Heeding Dragon's warning, Nanashi brought the glass of sake to his lips and took a sip of it. And almost immediately taking by surprises of the sake. It being stronger than what he had expected. A high-quality beverage that is to his likes, if the fact he already downed one glass of it down already and pouring himself a second one.

"Hnnn, you Iwa, yeah? Wild guessin', yeeee! Been aroun' tha' world a few times, got 'n eye fer outsida's, yeah yeah. I'd vote Iwa 'r maybe the high desert out 'round Suna. 'M I righ', hm hm?"

"You are very perspective for a drunk.", Taking a drink from the cup, Nanashi spun around in his chair to face the pool of people "Maybe I'm from Iwa. Maybe I'm from Suna. You tell me.", he challenged. Though the man had guessed his nationality correctly, something which didn't disturb Nanashi, he also guessed wrong. It would be up to Dragon to figure out which guess was the correct one.

Watching as Dragon turned his attention towards the individual sitting on his opposite side, Nanashi looked about the establish, seemingly engross with the crowd before it. That was far from the truth. His ears were tuned in on the conversation going on beside him. Wanting to know more about the kimono wearing man. Though, his assumptions that Stranger-san was of nobility seemed to be off, if the words of Dragon was anything to go by. For the man wearing the kimono was apparently a Jounin of Kumo, and a prominent one if he was seen around Sanosuke. If that was the case, he would be the second person Nanashi met who had a connection with the Raikage. And unlike the other person, this one seemed to be more interesting.

Taking another sip of the sake, no longer taken back by its strength, Nanashi just watched. . .

---

WC: 1191(2077)

A giant box in the back. To explore the insides, twists, turns, and pushes had to be executed. Sound alone was unable to penetrate. Left then inside, were authorized personnel only. Oh, and lights along with fine china. Quarters being discussed was not used very often, only certain occasions that warranted a designated area for a designated figure. A strong oak stand was entrusted to hold fine liquor and tea. Both beverages among the designated figure's favorite drinks. In his palm he could see both... in literal and prophetic sense. His hands inhabited a pair of gloves with a reflective surface. It was mainly to supplement Genjutsu, but he also wore the gloves for their visual appeal also. Despite the gaudiness of his surroundings, inside dwelt a rather shy man. Well, this resident just moved in for the evening, the common resident was one of over confidence. Today, was an unusual one for him though... such that he was feeling severely out of character... unsure.

A twist, turn, and a push was executed...to Kenji's dismay the sound was permitted to enter. To his ears it sounded like a fluctuating screech.

"Hey. Hey everybody. Hey everybody heeeeeey! DRINKS ON ME!"

Kenji shook his head dismissively. He gestured his hand to signal the woman to hurry inside and shut the door. "From the sound of the things, someone needs a new watch. It is way too early for that level of generosity." The woman started jumping. "Didn't you hear... oh, I forgot, sound proof. Well, they're playing pop hits!!! You're wife is on!!!!" Supressing a smile was futile. The mentioning of his wife reminded him of why he was here doing this ridiculous thing in the first place. The new resident inside was starting to unpack. "My wife is 'You're gonna hear me roar' Katy. You should not be surprised... or are you taunting me at last." She snickered and ran to Kenji. Clasped to his cheeks were her plush hands. "You will do fine. Don't forget, you're a Sannin, they have no choice but to love you!!!" Kenji scratched his wild blue hair... "You have a point..." Inside Kenji, there was shuffling going on. An emphatic sigh flowed out of Kenji. "Alright. The tea you made was fine indeed, but I'll need something a little bit stronger in order to go through with this. Would you please." She nodded and rushed to the bannister to retrieve the spirits.

A small stage was set up at the back of the bar. The circular stage was roomy enough to fit four people comfortably. It faced the bar. It appeared Kenji had guessed right in his time selection, it was not that many people there, but still enough for him to be embarrassed. He held his head high, accepting the attention that was bound to come, given his status within the village. Kenji had already noticed a few familiar faces of people walking around and sitting at tables. His attention was drawn towards the bar where a man was acting his level of alcohol intake. I bet my gloves that was the same guy I heard earlier. He had a solid physique but what was most noticeable was his purple and gold hair... I need to introduce this guy to anyone who has ever commented negatively about my blue hair. The man was a local, he had seen pictures of him behind the bar before... but he did not know him personally. The frequent drinker's attention was alternating between two people beside him. One was a guy he did not know. The other.... I can not believe it. I never thought I would see Han in the Sky bar... how will I go through with this now. 


WC: 632

Nanashi was bored. There wasn't any other way to describe his feelings at the current time. Any thoughts of having an entertaining conversation with the two gentlemen beside him had been for not; the quite of the two being more interested in sharing a conversation with his fellow comrade, and while Dragon did make an attempt to bring him into the fold, it became apparent talks alluded him. Being a foreigner of Kumogakure gave him the distinct disadvantage of not knowing intimate knowledge whereas any citizen would. He wasn't too much bother by it. Asides coming for the Chuunin exams, scouting out people of interest and any possible threats, business was the main focal point of the visit. And his knowledge was enough to deal with both aspects. So, he wouldn't hold it against them. They wouldn't have known of his limited knowledge regarding of the personal happenings.

Nanashi's eyes looked over the crowd, it having gotten slightly bigger from the time he had entered. His gaze wasn't ignored by some of the patrons, getting a few waves and subtle winks from the females, the latter being from those who were with their significant other that was too business getting plastered or encapture by the music to give their partner any attention. No matter the place, there seems to women who didn't mind stepping out on their lover if the reward was tempting enough. Nanashi didn't have a problem with that. And he would indulge them, turning their fantasies into reality, being the devil's advocate, getting them to explore uncharted territories that push social boundaries. Allowing them to try activities that would otherwise be embarrassing if found out or not plausible without some external motivation. Giving them all that they desire, for his own twisted amusement.

Not only did his gaze caught the attention of a few females, some men also took noticed of him. A couple of the more 'alpha' men locked eyes with him, assessing his threat level, and not breaking eye contact till Nanashi did so. Allowing them to have that victory, boosting their confidence and egos. He didn't come him to fight anyone, therefore, saw no reason for being the cause of one. Besides, it wouldn't do him any good. Others who saw his gaze looked elsewhere, not wanting to look him in the eye.

Seeing the gentlemen beside him were still in their conversation, he finished off the rest of his drink, place a generous tip for the bartender, before getting up to leave "It was nice meeting you Dragon. And you too, stranger-san.".

And with that said, he left. . .

---

447(2524)

---

Total WC: 2524
-Speed(A-1 -> A-3):  2450
WC Leftover: 74