It would be early noon today, with a gentle, warm heat covering the marketplace, giving off a pleasant enough temperature for one to go out shopping. The various different shops and stalls of the market district in the center of the village played house for those that would do just that, being home to an expansive assortment of products, from cooked meat to cloths and miscellaneous items. Being in the center of the village, it is constantly a place that was filled with civilians from all over, as it had something for everyone if one merely looked hard enough. This would also have been the chosen place for a certain two foot tall Ninneko would be taking a nap, comfortably resting at top of a stall's shade, a tarp of sorts attached to the top of the wooden structure, allowing for the worker underneath to not overheat.

These shades generally were made so some weight can be on top of it without it falling down, and that is exactly what this Ninneko wanted. Being only eleven pounds in weight, the tarp didn't really give way at all, at least not enough for anyone working or shopping to notice. Instead, he was allowed to get a nice two hour long nap uninterrupted and unseen. Everyone has to wake up sometime, however, and this black cat is apart of that everyone, so as he stretched his arms and legs, he would make sure he didn't tear the tarp at all, before getting up and moving to the ledge. Before falling off and onto his feet, he would brush off the green pair of pants he wore, making sure it didn't get dirty at all from his resting.

Landing on the ground, the Ninneko would put on his forehead protector, signifying that he is a Konohagakure Shinobi, which his forehead. Luckily these things came in different sizes, or else he would have to do without one, and how else can one say they're the Shinobi of a village without a headband? For one like him, it was certainly something to help make sure that people don't mistake him for some ordinary run-of-the-mill cat that got loose from someone. The last thing he needed was to be a mission target for a Genin or three. The sheer thought of getting chased around due to a mistake would be bad enough, but generally the Ninneko didn't like the whole idea of getting tackled or caught in some sort of trap, either.

Looking towards the stall he jumped down from, he knew there was a reason why he picked it. That nose of his would twitch as it detected the sweet smell of cooked fish, something he constantly liked eating. He knew he could eat other meats as well, such as beef, but when it came down to it, fish, especially the meat of a crustacean, was a delicacy he loved. Strolling over to the stall, the black Ninneko shinobi would reach up with his paw, leaving some ryo behind as he would grab a cook squid on a stick. He can go and get a crab or whatever later, but for now, he would be merely looking for a quick snack as he would think about what to do next.

wc 555

The market place. A perfect location at which any form of conversation or individual can be found. And to this regard, the perfect place to find those of which one could manipulate, or those that one could keep as a contact for the future. It was not long ago here that he had met with the Nara woman, yet regardless the gentle faced and poised posture of Izayoi returned to begin his look anew. Clad in his white and blue kimono, wherein the majority of the fabric was a light cyan, Izayoi made his way throughout the crowded streets in the early noon heat, a soft and gentle smile upon his face, hiding the venom that he kept behind his lips and laced upon his tongue. His hair, black and long, was tied up neatly behind him in a single streak of a ponytail, which swayed gently down his back.

With a pride in his step that was out of place with the rest of the atmosphere, yet felt in tune with his posture, the Hyuga walked through the streets, weaving in and out amongst people. His eyes scanned from left to right, looking at the features of each person, with the hitae ate upon his head to signify his allegiance to the leaf village. Any signs of another shinobi, some sign of the leaf village upon someone’s figure, or a clan symbol that he could recognise. Nope… Nope… Nope…

The pale grey flickered from side to side, and the Hyuga found himself growing frustrated. Was there nobody of interest, no shinobi, out in the streets and off duty today? The answer was soon answered, albeit not in the way the Hyuga imagined. Walking past him on two legs, was a cat, with a cooked squid in its paws… Hands? Paws? Well, whatever it was, it was a cat, wearing trousers, and eating like a person. Even more so, it had a Konohagakure no Sato forehead protector. The feline appeared to be some sort of shinobi of the leaf village, something which baffled the somewhat maniacal genin. Interest piqued, he stopped, activating his byakkugan so that he could keep a tabs on the feline without coming into direct contact. He refused to believe there could possibly be a cat as his equal, so, he sighed, and began walking in a somewhat perpendicular direction, allowing his visual prowess to keep an eye on the cat, using the smaller focus of tenketsu as an easy way to track the animal as he pursued from a distance, pretending to simply be another one among the crowd. He fully expected and prepared for the cat to notice him following. After all, cats were animals, and everyone knew that animals were great natural trackers, and had a sort of… Sixth sense. He read about it in a book one time, so, it must be true.

480

(Sorry for the shorter post)

Chakra: 140/150 (-10 for C rank byakkugan)

The genin would look around, trying to figure out what to do during his time within the marketplace. He hadn't thought far into coming here, instead being more or less just looking for a relatively peaceful place to rest, but now that he's fully rested and ready to move, he hadn't a clue on what exactly he wished to do at that moment. Looking around, he wouldn't exactly see anything out of the ordinary as he stopped in his tracks. Sure, there were a suspicious individual here and there, but nothing truly out of the ordinary, which only served to slightly bother him. Surely at a marketplace there would be some sort of thing occurring that can keep his attention or interest, some way for him to make himself useful as a shinobi.

If not however he would consider just moving on to the training grounds. If anything he can at least practice his skills there and perhaps learn something new. It seemed clear for the moment that he wasn't needed here, and considering how some people that actually took notice of the Ninneko shinobi began giving him weird looks, it was perhaps preferable that he should leave either way, as to not attract any unnecessary attention from anyone he didn't know. He also considered heading down to the administration building and see about getting into a squad. Despite his not exactly trusting the Kage that much due to their being an Inuzuka he knew better than to let such a thing impede his own personal progress and feelings. He also knew just how valuable it could be to be apart of a group with other Genin as well, perhaps even allowing him to make an ally or two, as a result.

As soon as he began walking again, however, a shiver would go down his back. Something was off, but he just couldn't place his finger on what. His ears would twitch, and the hairs on his back began to slowly stand as he would become alert. For some reason, he felt as if he was being watched or observed from somewhere, by someone, but, before he could dive into this feeling further, something would catch his eye. This something was an answer to what he can do in order to substitute a day of doing nothing for a day of performing a good deed for someone here, as out of the corner of his eye he had caught a civilian bumping into another, with the victim of which having their back faced towards the cat.

It was during this moment that he would see the stranger's hand grab a wallet out of the back pocket of the civilian, making the situation clear. This person was a pickpocket, a thief of which was hoping to use a moment of accidental rudeness as an opportunity to make a quick buck. The Ninneko couldn't let this slide, however, as thieves are a large part of what further hurts the community, and to stop this one from making someone else's life a little bit worse would mean that he would be doing his part in preventing someone from struggling to afford something later. For him, this person, for whatever reason, figured he was more deserving of another's hard-earned money, of another's paycheck, and as a small gap between the two opened, and the wallet was in the middle of it, he would make his move.

Immediately, the Ninneko would drop his partially eaten food, left paw stretched out as he would kick off his dash for the stolen currency that laid three meters away from him. Immediately, through his signature technique, the Catling Gun, he would increase his speed, making him appear to be a small, black blur that would dash through the gap, taking the money out of the thief's hands and landing another three meters away, causing the man to be startled and surprised at what happened, and alerting the other civilian to what had happened as well, as when he looked down he would still see the thief's hand reaching towards his pocket. Immediately, the thief would run, though the cat himself wouldn't pursue him. His main goal was to recover the money, as so he did.

Returning to the victim, he would toss the small wallet of cash towards the seeming adult-appearing male, lightly hitting him in the chest as the Ninneko would turn around and begin walking away. He had done his good deed for the day, and as a result would begin to move away from the small event that had just happened, hoping to not get caught up in it at all.

wc 794

twc 1349

ooc: Np, I didn't give you much to go on, anyways. I hope this gives you more than the previous post.

135/150:

The cat continued walking, and so did Izayoi, weaving in and out of the crowd without once losing track of the small mass of tenketsu. To Izayoi’s surprise and confusion, the cat turned to face something occurring, and through his near perfect area of vision, he could tell it was likely the two people bumping into each other, although the specifics were something he both didn’t know, and didn’t care about. Yet what did pique his interest was the sudden reaction from the feline. The squid on a stick that the feline had been holding splattered to the ground, and in an instant the cat seemed to spring from the spot towards the two, simply a blur of tenketsu to even Izayoi. The line of blur ducked and weaved in and out of the few people between it and the two people, before springing up in an instant. The whole ordeal made Izayoi understand a bit more why the cat wore the hitae ate of Konohagakure no Sato, although as he kept watching, he wanted to know more.

One of the figures soon turned and ran, the other seeming to not have much of a reaction, likely from confusion, as the cat threw an object up into the chest of the second person, and then walk off as if nothing had happened. But, the Hyuga had no intention of letting the cat get away without finding out more information – he had heard of ninja animals, but, of ninja animals with as much skill as a normal shinobi? Well, that could be important to know, and every bit of information was useful. So, byakkugan still active, the Hyuga followed, keeping his expression neutral and features soft. He didn’t feel like confronting the cat in the middle of a crowded area – that would cause a scene, and really, perhaps seem antagonistic of him, something which for once wasn’t the case. Instead, it was merely the childlike curiosity that took over the grey eyed boy, who walked to catch up with the cat.

The Hyuga continued to walk at a still normal, yet slightly faster than average, pace, following the cat from a distance before waiting for the cat to reach an area that had less people than the previous, Izayoi ducking out of the crowd to walk behind the cat, catching up due to the difference in leg length. Now side to side with the cat, and continuing to walk ahead, he spoke calmly and quietly, a soft smile upon his lips. “So, you’re a shinobi are you? I’ve heard about ninja animals, yet I never thought I’d see one. The name is Izayoi. You have some impressive moves back there little cat. Seems a waste of that food you were holding however, dropping it on the floor like that. Still, you appeared like you were doing a good deed, and, as a fellow leaf ninja, I can respect that. If you don’t mind, I’d be happy to buy you a snack to make up for that some time. As a gift from one comrade to another.” He kept his smile up, tilting his head as he awaited for a response. Perhaps it was madness to assume the cat could speak, or even understand him, but given what little he had seen before, sometimes assumptions had to be made. If he couldn’t understand, then the cat’s usefulness would be non-existent, so Izayoi’s interest would go along with it.

576 + 480 = 1056

Chakra: 130/150 (-10 for C rank Byakkugan)

(OOC: So you know, Catling gun would cost 15 chakra since it's a C rank technique. Byakkugan costs 10 because it's the clan dojutsu~)

The Ninneko would finally reach a less-populated part of the market-place, or more specifically the outskirts of where he was before. He couldn't help but return to thinking about that feeling he had right before he was distracted by that petty crime he prevented. If someone was indeed following him, or at least keeping an eye on him, it seemed like common sense to head to a less-populated part of the location so he can see if he can spot them out. He didn't like the idea of being followed by someone, to not be confronted or even caught off guard. It created unnecessary suspense, which led to definitely unnecessary stress. He already had enough of that, being a disgrace to his old friends and family, he didn't need anymore from needless paranoia.

He would notice that someone was walking next to him as he walked, making him almost wish to stop immediately just to see if they would. Looking up at them, he would take notice of the stranger's gentle facial features and the white and light cyan kimono they wore. He also had long, black hair, which was tied up in some sort of head-tail, going down his back. It was then, in the midst of the Ninneko's observation, that the stranger would actually speak, inquiring about his being a Shinobi, and continuing on to claim that he heard about ninja animals, though he never thought he would see one. He would introduce himself as Izayoi, complimenting the Ninneko on what he had done previously, though this compliment would trigger the Ninneko quite a bit. He wasn't a little cat, he was a compact feline!

Wasting food or not, he wasn't a little cat, he was perfectly regularly sized. It wasn't his fault all of the humans were just too big. Anything normal-sized in the eyes of a giant is going to look small, especially a fat giant that wore fancy clothing. The only reason the Ninneko wouldn't immediately lose his temper, however, is because the stranger would acknowledge a respect of his good deed, further explaining that he, too, is a shinobi of Konoha. He even offered to buy him a snack in order to make up for it sometime, a gift really, from one comrade for another. Of course, it wouldn't have felt right to get a free snack from someone else, in fact, the Ninneko believed instead that if one is capable, they should get their own food, but then again, there's nothing wrong with accepting a friendly gift, is there?

"I'm Aki, thanks for the offer, I wasn't able to eat my food before that loser tried to steal some money." He would say with a hint of annoyance, though just as he was about to continue on, he would eye Izayoi's face a little more, taking notice of the eyes above the gentle smiling mouth. "I see now, you're blind! That explains why you thought I was small. No, it's you, who is the giant, Izayoi." He would blurt out, immediately taking the lack of features in the shinobi's eyes for blindness. It all makes so much more sense now. The guy was really good at hearing, but perhaps he was just someone that assumed other's were short automatically if he didn't hear their voices come from above him? Yeah, that seemed to make more sense, and it also allowed Aki himself to be able to breathe a sigh of relief.

"Anyways yeah, I'm a ninja-cat. A Ninneko, to be more accurate. You said you never met one before, right? So if that's the case, you have any questions for me? You're buying the next snack we're going to get, so it's only fair that you can ask me anything." He would say, the tone of his voice going from hinting annoyance back to a more neutral, if not friendly tone. He didn't know how exactly to explain off the questions if they were answered, but honestly, he didn't mind trying, especially since it's pretty much making them both even. Food for info, really.

wc 709

twc 2058

ooc: My bad xD I half-dead while I was double-checking Jutsu costs, so I read the wrong one by accident.

The veins at the side of Izayoi’s face softened as he stopped focusing chakra into his eyes, looking down at the cat with the same smile he had before. So, the cat knew nothing of the Hyuga? Perhaps Izayoi could use this, or at the very least, he would not see the need to correct him. After all, were the cat to believe Izayoi was lying and intentionally using the cats misunderstanding, Izayoi could simply state that, well, he’d misheard the cat, for his hearing is what was poor, not his eyes. A good scheme, and if there was one thing the malicious genin enjoyed, it was schemes. And not animal rescue and safety schemes.

Still, he would look down at the cat, being sure to focus not as much as he had before, wishing to play to the cats ideas of blindness. Regardless of this, it seemed the cat had a name, Aki, and that it had a slight temper at losing its food. It amused Izayoi to no end to find out that a cat could talk, but that mattered little, and the smile upon his face would tell no tales of treachery. Instead, he was genuinely pleased – the cat offered to answer any questions Izayoi had. Izayoi would nod slowly, before gesturing in a random direction, which happened to be at a wall, emphasising the cat’s claim purposefully that the Hyuga was blind. “Let’s walk and talk then. That way we can save some time, as I have a mission to get to later tonight, and I can’t imagine you’ll want to wait too long for a new snack. Heck, talking of food has made me hungry!” he laughed, shaking his head as he waited for the cats response and the cat to lead, before following, and speaking up once more.

“So, I guess, um, first question…” he hummed for a moment, trying to think of the sort of questions to ask a cat. “What’s it like to have a tail?” a simple, seemingly harmless question. In reality, Izayoi could find ways to make it not so harmless, but that would be something he could think of later; it was better to start with a soft and easy question that the cat wouldn’t mind answering. So, what other questions could the Hyuga think of? He tapped his chin in thought as he walked, stopping every now and looking around, as if pretending to use his ears to see – walking and talking while blind would be fairly tough. “Oh! Second question! Do you have any, like, kitty cat speciality, like, anything that you know how to use that a human, or other animal, would be unable to do?” he asked, stumbling on his words as he tried to innocently ask the question – in reality, he was asking this to find out if the cat had any advantages that he could utilise to either his advantage, or avoid to cover a weakness. But, nothing said innocent like innocent, children’s words.

It would only be a matter of time until they’d get to wherever the cat would lead, Izayoi fumbling to get some ryo from his weapon pouch, doing it without looking to emphasise the idea of looking being useless to him, getting out a handful of the money and simply holding it for now, more intent on hearing anything the cat would have to say to the first two questions, before posing a third as they walked. “Ah! I know! This is a very important question, and is relevant to what’s happening soon! What’s your favourite type of food?”

600 + 1056 = 1656

Aki would take notice of Izayoi's gesturing him towards a different direction, one of which was directly towards a wall. Aki himself would listen as the human would agree to walk and talk then so they can save time, as he had a mission to get to later tonight, and that he can't imagine he'll want to wait too long for a new snack, further going on to claim that talking of food has made him hungry. The Ninneko in response would attempt to grab onto the blind shinobi's sleeve, hoping to lead him away from the wall and towards a nearby food stall. "You're going towards a wall then. Let me help." He would exclaim as he further attempted to lead the fellow shinobi in a different direction. It made him wonder how this person can possibly be a shinobi if they're blind, but also unaware of their surroundings. He could better understand if this person was someone that relied on sensory techniques, but if that were the case, then surely they would have used it in order to know in the first place that Aki was a nin-cat. Something just wasn't adding up..

As they began to hopefully move in the correct direction, and not towards the wall, Aki would listen as Izayoi asked the first question, seemingly humming for a moment beforehand. He would ask him about what it's like to have a tail, which immediately made Aki wonder what he's getting at in regards to it. Generally, the Ninneko wouldn't be willing to give out sensitive information, like the fact that the tail helps him land on his feet at any time, but he figured that this person was friendly enough, not to mention they're both on the same side as well. "It's like having an extra limb. It doesn't really do much anyways. Honestly, I'm worried about having it sometimes. It gives an opponent something extra to aim for." He would answer, giving a semi-honest evaluation of his tail. He wanted to keep the main benefit of it a secret, as to not lay out all of his cards on the table at once.

Aki would continue walking with Izayoi, stopping when he stopped to seemingly listen around before continuing again. After a few times of this he would listen as the next question came, asking him if he had any "kitty cat" specialty, as in anything that he knows how to use that a human or another animal would be unable to use. Aki himself had to consider this question for a moment. He never really thought about it, as he only had ever seen the Inuzuka around Konoha, meaning that he can't really answer with a sure-fire answer as to whether or not he truly does have an ability they can't use, though he guessed he could make an assumption based off what he currently does know. "Well, I can see in the dimmest lights perfectly, it makes it harder people to not be seen by me in the dark. The "moves" I did earlier was a technique of my own design too, called "Catling Gun." It lets me increase my speed greatly, but at the moment I need to work at it better. My senses can't catch up fully with my ability so I struggle with maneuvering when I actually use it. Oh, and since we can make ourselves look like regular cats, we can get an advantage in being able to spy on things without putting in as much effort as a human. People usually don't consider a Ninneko being around to listen in on their conversations, nor do they expect the standard stray cat to be one either, so it's a pretty great advantage for us." He would respond. He decided to keep some more important things a secret, such as the Bakeneko transformation that the stronger Ninneko cats can access, where they become literal monsters. Chances are that transformation being kept secret overall will help him a lot in the future, so as a result he wishes to keep that as the most closely guarded secret he has.

As they neared a different cooked food stall within the dry market, Aki would notice Izayoi's fumbling for something in his pouch. Most likely money, of course, but still, before Aki could ask his own question that had been on his mind throughout the entire walk, he would be asked a final, third question, which was declared to be very important and relevant to what will be happening soon. "Crustaceans, usually crab." Aki would respond with a short answer as he was asked about what his favorite food is. He wouldn't really give Izayoi much of a chance to respond however to the third one, as he would continue on with what was bothering him. "I thought of something while you were asking me your questions. When you started to talk to me, you called me "little cat". I know that even a blind shinobi would have good hearing, but how is it that, out of all of the things I was, especially considering I hadn't spoken beforehand, how did you guess correctly that I was a cat, and not just a human or even a dog? After all, if you were really blind, you would only be able to hear what was going on, not what kind of creature I was." He would ask the fellow shinobi as he kept a single suspicious eye on him as they continued to walk. His body tensed as he continued on with the second half of his question. "And if you aren't blind, why did you act like you were?" He would further ask, wondering if the subconscious suspicions he had, which he shrugged off before purely due to his temper, were actually correct, after all.

wc 999

twc 3054

Izayoi allowed the cat to drag him away from the wall by the sleeve, following along for the moment as they then began the conversation, and the cat began answering the questions. Still, it gave Izayoi an idea as he answered the first question. It was like an extra limb, eh? Thoughts of how to use this information came to Izayoi’s mind, and he nodded along as the thoughts rushed through his head. That sounded like there was a way Izayoi could use this for perhaps, a future genjutsu, wherein the victim would believe they had a tail sprouting from their backside, and using the description given to him by the cat, perhaps it would alter their movements or actions somewhat due to the believed presence of an extra limb, a bit of weight down back? Oh, what an absolutely ludicrous idea.

The next answer the cat gave was useful indeed as well. Night vision was one he’d heard of before, although had until this moment believed such a thing to simply be rumour. It was… Intriguing to find out that in reality, such a thing was well, reality. Izayoi could only imagine the endless possibilities of how useful that could be. Advantages to not being concealed, or at the very least, not having things concealed by darkness. Of course, while he used the byakkugan, this wasn’t a problem, but there was only so much chakra he could drain of himself. Still, there was something else useful about that information. What was to stop Izayoi from… Experimenting, shall we say, with non-ninja animals, or perhaps other ninja cats? He happened to know a medic, and it could be interesting to see the effects of a cats eyes transplanted onto a human, if not just plain amusing. Would they work, or is it a part of the cats brain that meant they could process things at a lower light level?

Next, the cat explained the movements and technique it used to move in such a blur like fashion. Perhaps Izayoi should have expected as much from a ninja cat, but, for some reason, the thought had yet to cross his mind. Still, he stated the flaws of his ability, something that Izayoi made extra sure to mentally note. In case he made enemies of the cat. Yep, that was a thought process the maniacal Hyuga just had. Enemies with a cat. It was moments like that which made the Hyuga question his sanity. Not the whole thoughts of torture, murder, and subterfuge. The thought of fighting a talking cat.

The next point was equally as useful, and Izayoi remembered his academy training at the fact. While not to the same effect as an actual cat, Izayoi can imagine the usefulness of disguising as an animal in order for reconnaissance and spying. After all, a generic use for the simple technique was simply to disguise as another person. What was to stop him from just being a ninja animal himself, and claiming to be a dog or something? Oh, this talk with the feline was proving thought provocative to Izayoi in a way that simply amused him to no end. Although, it also made him know and think to never trust an animal. In future, if he has secrets to keep, he’ll keep them, and ensure nothing that lives is nearby no matter how big or small.

As they made it to the area, and the cat answered the last question, it seemed the feline had some questions of his own. The food stall was in front of them now, and it appeared the feline had caught on to Izayoi’s deception. Still, no use lying when caught, and simply emphasising his manipulation. So, he shrugged instead, deciding to come clean about lying. “You’re right. I’m not blind.” He stated flatly, and blankly, not wanting to put a lot of emphasis on it. “You likely assumed I was blind at first due to a lack of familiarity with the Byakkugan. It’s a type of eye that is only found within the Hyuga, or those that have killed Hyuga and stolen their eyes. I am the former. We are one of the noble clans of Konohagakure no Sato, although I personally belong to the branch family, which exists to serve the main house. I did not correct you, and acted as if I was blind, because I did not wish to correct you, and thus cause a societal confusion, or perhaps an awkward moment of realisation. I realise now that this was foolish, and I am terribly sorry. I am quite the opposite of blind, and would in fact pride myself on my eyesight.”

He smiled down to the cat, before walking over to the food stand, now much more directly and firmly, his path clearly planned out and watched with every step, as Izayoi took out some coins, looking at the selection of sea creatures cooking on the grill. “I’ll take a crab on a stick and… Hum… Oh! I’ll also take a salmon stick please!” he said with a grin, counting out the correct amount of change, before handing it over to the shop keep, and taking the food, walking over to the cat once more, crouching down, and holding out the crab. “One crustacean. Consider it thanks for the questions, and also an apology for my lie earlier. My treat.” He nodded slowly, before standing up and stretching out, taking a bite into the pale flesh tearing slowly, and gently, his teeth like fangs with the almost predatory way he carved a bite out. He paused for a moment, before smiling once more, clapping his hands together somewhat, not entirely due to the presence of the food. “Oh! This is quite delightful! I might have to come to this food place more often! I don’t usually go for sea food, as it tends to be more expensive than simple noodles, or bread, but this is quite delightful! I hope your crab is tasty my friend!”

1004 + 1656 = 2660

Aki would pay close attention as Izayoi came clean about his deceit with a shrug of his shoulders, telling him that he's not blind in a more flat manner than usual. He would then explain to the ninja cat about why he assumed he was blind, chocking it up to a lack of familiarity with the Byakkugan, which is true of course. The Hyuuga, despite being a pretty common and upstanding clan in Konoha, was frankly also a clan Aki himself avoided. He doesn't trust any sort of eye-based Kekkei Genkai, whether it had Genjutsu applications or not. It was a sort of superstitious thing for him, but he fully believes the both the Hyuuga and the Uchiha, along with any other eye-based clan, is a bad omen overall. He would be informed about some interesting things about the Byakkugan, and how it's a type of eye that is only stolen or gifted at birth, with Izayoi himself being the former, and how the Hyuuga is one of the noble clans of the village. He would also tell him about how he himself belongs to something called a branch family, which serves the main house. "Sounds like too much effort to steal eyes when they could just improve their other senses." He would respond, though his focus would be on something else at that moment.

'Main house? Branch family? Why does one exist to serve the other if they're all the same family?' The Ninneko would think to himself, wondering what the point of that whole deal was. Of course, the Ninneko served their own leader, though that was more different. They didn't exist solely to serve said leader anymore, instead to serve Konoha, and even then members of the same litter weren't subservient to one another, at least to Aki's knowledge. He may not be accepted as a member of the Ninneko anymore for now, but nonetheless he still recalls the experiences he had within it being relatively free in regards to what they could do. He would be told about how Izayoi didn't correctly him and acted like he was blind because he didn't wish to correct him, further explaining how it caused either a societal confusion or an awkward moment of realization, and how he realized now that was foolish of him to do.

Aki would take note of Izayoi's statement about how he prides himself on his eyesight, telling him that he is the opposite of blind. He knew he should keep this in mind just in case he ended up on the bad side of a person with special eyes, perhaps even bringing a flash bomb or two too, just in case. He never trusted those that can use their eyes to use jutsu or techniques, as it seemed to him that it would be far too easy for them to strike fast and hard, leaving people like himself ill equipped to react in time. He also assumed their failure though with being given these eyes would be a strong reliance on them, meaning they probably haven't trained their other senses to be as strong as their ability to see. He could see why someone would want to steal them, but even then that process seemed utterly disgusting to the cat. Who the hell would steal body parts? If someone is that desperate for power they're either going to end up dead or end up going insane, that's for sure. Aki would see as, after smiling down at him, he recently met acquaintance began walking over to the food stand much for directly and firmly, clearly walking as though he can see once again.

This made Aki end up lagging behind for a second before he caught up, not adjusted to the sudden shift in what had happened. Stopping a meter away from Izayoi, he would watch as the Hyuuga took out some coins and began looking at the selection of seafood available, telling the shopkeeper that he'll take crab on a stick and salmon on a stick, making the Ninneko wonder why so many things are stuck on a stick after being freshly cooked. Honestly, it makes sense for convenience, but so would just putting it on a plate, and at least the plate involves less of a waste of perfectly good sticks. Afterwards, Izayoi returned to Aki, crouching down and handing him the crab on the stick, telling him to consider it thanks for the questions and an apology for the lie earlier, telling him its his treat. "Don't worry about the lie. You wanted to take advantage of the situation, that's all. I'd have done the same." He would say in response as he looked at the crustacean, a paw breaking one of the legs enough for his mouth to easily tear it off, allowing him to chew on it.

His ears would twitch from the clapping of Izayoi's hands, telling him that the food is delightful and that he will have to come to the place more often. The Ninneko would hear as the Hyuuga continued, telling him that he doesn't usually go for seafood due to it being more expensive than noodles or bread, but in this case it's delightful. "I can't eat instant noodles or bread myself. It does more harm than good, so usually I just accept the extra pay for this stuff. It's easier, not to mention I don't exactly have a place to cook." He would respond as he nodded in response to the Hyuuga, swallowing his food. "So Izayoi, why does your family serve another?" He would ask. Frankly, that issue had been bothering him since it was brought up, as he was curious as to why members of the same clan would just make each other subservient to a select group.

Wc 992

Twc 4046

As Izayoi made his comment of stolen eyes, it seemed the cat had a… Not pleased, or perhaps even disgusted reaction, stating the act was perhaps too much effort. Perhaps the cat didn’t understand the byakkugan at all. Well, what he didn’t know couldn’t hurt. Or, rather, in Izayoi’s mind, it would be more apt to call the creature what it was; an it, not worthy of using pronouns. If only the feline knew how great the power of the Hyuga’s visual prowess was. The ability to see chakra… The ability to see in every direction. The ability to have perhaps the perfect sight. That was the power of the Hyuga, the power this feline was oblivious to.

As the feline replied to his explanation about the lie, he was interested in the nature of its response. Not enough to query it, but it seemed the animal had no grudges from Izayoi’s abuse of the misinformation. In fact, it was intriguing to hear that supposedly, the cat would have done the same. Still, Izayoi couldn’t entertain his curiosity – he had to keep up appearances, and to inquire into something seemingly malicious would perhaps not be in his best interest in order to do such a thing. Interesting. It was all so interesting. First the knowledge of a sentient, talking ninja animal that could speak, perform techniques, and rationalise. And secondly, the idea of a lingering malice within such a small body… Oh how exciting!

The cats reply to Izayoi’s talk of food was interesting in and of itself – it was a flat out cat, having the same requirements for eating as one would expect. Such food caused harm to the feline, and in an instant, Izayoi found himself thinking of ways of which to use this information for the harm or perhaps blackmail reasons. Every piece of information in life, or in a game, was useful after all. And the Hyuga had a purpose to serve of which he could not yet allow himself to falter by ignoring the pieces given to him to use. So, instead, he would wait and listen to the next question posed by the little kitty.

Why did the branch family serve the main family?

He sighed softly, closing his eyes for a moment as he composed his thoughts together. “Well…” he began, taking another bite of his food before continuing. “The history of the Hyuga clan is a long one. Our clan has always held a reputation for having the branch family and main family system, which perhaps falls into a need. The secrets of the Hyuga are important. We are, after all, one of the four noble clans of Konohagakure. Perhaps the most noble of them, modestly speaking. Our clan head, of the main branch, is referred to as either a lady or a lord, so, perhaps it is fair to speak of the betters as a true noble family. Regardless, early on in the history of the Hyuga, is the power of our eyes. I told you before how often an occurrence it was that outsiders would steal our eyes, yes?”

He paused, allowing his rhetoric to sink in for a moment. He did not see the point in hiding the history of the Hyuga – it was something that could be found in public books regardless, so, perhaps in honesty, could he create and use true deception. “Well, the clan soon realised the danger this posed. Many foreign villages would hunt and kill Konoha shinobi, especially those of the Hyuga clan, for the sake and goal of obtaining the visual prowess we have. This was an issue, for not only did it put the lives of the clan of which I belong to at stake, but the village itself. So, the elders of the clan developed a method in secret. They divided the clan in two, forming the main nobles, and the branch family. The goal of the branch family was to defend and serve the main family – to ensure the survival of the clan, and protect our secrets and powers. However, this alone would not solve the problem, for when the branch family were killed, their eyes could still be stolen. So, they came up with a solution.”

He took off his forehead protector, gesturing to his forehead with the hand that still held his snack, a gesture that seemed meaningless given the lack of anything there other than skin, and a forehead. “The members of the main family developed a seal that would be placed on the members of the branch clan. Its practice has been made illegal since the seventh hokage, but in short, the seal had two purposes. The primary function, was that when the person died, their eyes would be destroyed by the seal. The secondary use, however, was to give the main clan the power to ensure that the branch would not rebel. If those with the seal acted out against the main family, the clan head would be able to either cause intense pain, or even death, simply by activating the seal forcefully. The sealing technique may be forbidden now, but, the idea of the branch family remained.”

He finished up eating his food, throwing the stick into the nearest bin as if it was a senbon, before putting his forehead protector back on. “As a member of the branch family, I exist for the sole purpose to serve. For this reason, it is important I defend my superiors, and those that are my betters – the true nobles. I don’t know if it’s destiny, fate, or just luck of the draw. But, well, I suppose whatever the circumstances regarding my position, it is what it is, and it is a fate I have comfortably resigned myself to. I don’t believe I am one that is the commanding type… More so, I feel perhaps I am better at doing something such as serving, and I believe my parents taught me how well. So, there, I do hope that answer satisfies you on the history of the twin families.”

1012 + 2660 = 3672

From what Aki could see, his question invoked some sort of subtle reaction in the Hyuga, whom of which would sigh softly, closing his eyes for as moment before taking another bite. He would explain that the history of the Hyuga was a long one, that it always had a reputation for having the branch and main family system, which pretty much falls into a need. They as a clan placed importance on the secrets of the Hyuga, as they are one of the four noble clans of Konohagkure, possibly even the most noble of them. Their clan head of the main branch is actually called a lady or a lord, mentioning how it is perhaps fair to speak of the betters as a true noble family, though regardless, with a reminder of how he had told Aki before about how often an occurrence it was that outsiders would steal their eyes.

After a short pause, in which Aki almost said "Yeah, I do, I have a memory", Izayoi picked back up where he left off, telling the Ninneko about how the clan soon realized the dangers stealing eyes posed as many foreign villages would hunt and kill Konoha Shinobi, especially those of the Hyuga Clan, as they had the desire to obtain and use their visual prowess. This was an issue which had the potential to place the lives of his clan and the village itself at stake, the elders divided the clan in two, forming the main nobles and the branch family, with the goal of the branch family being to serve and defend the main family, to ensure the survival of the clan and to protect their secrets and powers, though that alone wouldn't solve the problem, as when the branch family was killed, their eyes could still be stolen.

Aki would watch with interested eyes as the Hyuga took off his headband, stating that they came up with a solution. The human would gesture to his forehead with the snack-holding hand, though nothing would be there, leading Aki to wonder if the Hyuga is suffering from some sort of derangement at the moment. This would be explained soon enough though, as Izayoi informed him that members of the main family developed a seal that would be placed on members of the branch clan, an illegal practice that was made illegal since the coming of the seventh hokage. The seal had two purposes though, where when said branch family member died, their eyes would be destroyed by the seal, and the secondary use would be for the main branch to ensure they kept power of the branch, ensuring they wouldn't rebel.

When those of the branch caused trouble, the clan head would cause intense pain or even death by forcibly activating the seal, and while the technique may still be forbidden, the idea of the branch family remained. After finishing up his food, the Hyuga would throw the stick into the bin almost as if it was a senbon, which was a bit too much, as it was only a stick. Aki himself would merely walk over to the bin, sticking the stick in before walking back to the Hyuga just in time for the tall male to put his forehead protector back on, explaining that as a member of the branch family, he exists only to serve, and for this reason, it's important he defends his superiors and his betters, the true nobles. He admitted to being ignorant of it being destiny or fate, or luck, but whatever the circumstances of his position, it is what it is. He admitted to not being the commanding type, feeling that perhaps he is better at serving, believing his parents taught him well.

"Wouldn't the branch family protecting the main branch weaken the main branch over time? They're being protected, I wouldn't be surprised if at least some of their members put in less effort to be strong as time went on. It just seems obsolete to me. If you aren't forcibly restricted by the main branch and if you're more fit to be the next clan head or whatever, I don't see any reason why you should serve and not just take leadership. For The Ninneko, we generally live in a fortress, though serve Konoha these days. We have a branch as well called the "Nekomata", but they're weaker versions of us, usually just pets for these humans that are closely related their kind. We don't have a division or anything, it's more of that if you aren't a part of the main directive then you're against it, which usually just leads to kicking them out of the clan."

He would share in response, allowing as little information as possible about the Ninneko out to the Hyuga without exposing their secretive ways of doing things. He already said enough about how they sometimes act like spies, he didn't wish to say anything more that could be compromising information, especially as he was already in hot water with his kind at the moment, anyways. Just thinking about it made the scar on the side of his left eye tingle uncomfortably, leaving him to perform a subtle wince or sorts. As his face returned to normal, Aki waited for a response of some sort, waiting to see how the Hyuga would react to what he just said.

wc 913

twc 4958

It seemed the cat had something to query about the clan. It believed that the idea of the branch family and main family was something that strengthened the branch, and weakened the main. Izayoi had thought about that before. He personally was in favour of the branch and main system – it was indoctrinated into him by his parents, the ones that could be deemed zealots. Still, it was not Izayoi’s place to question such a thing. He was a part of the branch, and perhaps it was this position that made him not question it. He deemed himself a servant, and while others may deem his goals and desires unethical, and against the good of the many… Well, that mattered little, for he simply had to serve his purpose.

Izayoi was tempted to interject into the feline’s train of thought as it mentioned the potential of a clan head from the branch family – he himself would never wish for such a thing! There was an order… And the order had to be followed, had to be maintained, no matter the cost. Without order, life was meaningless. Order was what kept the world from collapsing in on itself. Order… Order order order order order. The thought raced through his mind, and it was all he could do to supress a wild grin of madness. Yet, he remained composed, allowing such thoughts to become supressed within his mind and set aside. He had to be patient… He would have his utopia. He would bring order. One day.

Still, it was then that the cat would talk about its own clan – the Nekomata, and the Ninneko. Or perhaps, clans? It seemed from how it was being described that such a thing was more akin to a plural, multiple clans of the same type. It wasn’t a situation that sounded like anything that he was familiar with, at least given what little information the cat provided. It seemed, out of all things, the cat came from a fortress. Intriguing information, truly it was. He wondered though, from a cats perspective, would it be a normal fortress, or, was it something stupid such as a simple clan building, or a house, or, perhaps more realistically, just a cat climbing toy. The idea of a feline wearing armour that was made of small pillows, while defending a castle that was simply just made of cushions and sticks… It was odd, and he wasn’t sure if he was supposed to find it amusing, or just foolish.

Regardless, this tangent aside, the kitten ninja continued. He phrased it that he served Konoha, along side the clan it was in. Furthermore, it was perhaps apt to call it a branch, just for different reasons – the Nekomata, supposedly weaker, and deemed just pets. Was this one just a stray then, grumpy because of its lack of owner? Its failure to serve? Furthermore, it seems that the clan had a strict no risks policy. If you’re not with, you’re against. A logical deduction, and not one he would expect from cats of all things.

Still, something about this all seemed fishy to Izayoi. And it wasn’t just the fish stick he had just consumed. No, there was a hint of… Emptiness in those facts. Despite Izayoi revealing the entire inner mechanisms of the Hyuga clan, the cat felt no desire to do the same. And regarding the information he had acquired earlier… The feline was clearly used to spying, stating pride prior about how many did not suspect the lowly animal to be a threat, or a spy. There was something secretive about this feline. The only information he revealed was comparative to what Izayoi had stated, and little divulged about the history, or machinations of its clan. How disappointing. Still, he wouldn’t give it too much thought. Such a thing was trivial, and simply gave him enough knowledge to know that even a pathetic little creature could be deemed a threat. A thought that insulted him, but, he had to be cautious in life, and this was no exception.

He nodded thoughtfully, not wishing to look as if he was too contemplative of what little had been said, before shrugging. “I don’t really know, it’s not my place to state on my clans business. That’s for the head family to do. However, I do not believe the head family to be weak because of the existence of the lower clan members like myself. We may exist to serve and defend, but, that does not mean without us they are defenceless. We are simply the first line. The ones sent to die, so that the nobility may survive. The pawns in a game of chess, if you will.” Making sure his ponytail was properly aligned and neat, he continued, shutting his eyes for a moment to simply think. “It is said that the strongest of our clan can always be found in the noble house. That the main reasons the clan elders agreed to the uplifting of the ban was simple. One such reason is that one of the prominent ladies of the clan was the wife of the seventh Hokage. The second, is that despite the ban, the elders knew that they could simply train their children with a strict enough regime to be stronger than their peers. It wasn’t something that could be argued against, or disputed. Several branch members tried to overthrow the head once the seal was lifted, but they were simply beaten, and cast out. I don’t know what happened to their eyes, since this is simply a story, from the time of the seventh hokage. We’re a bit past that now!” he laughed, shaking his head. “So, any stories you have to share?” he purposefully posed the question, wishing to see if there was any information he could subtly probe from his conversational partner, the cat.

981 + 3672 = 4653

With a shrug, Aki could hear the Hyuga respond to him, telling him how he didn't really know, as it's not his place to state on his clan's business, as it's something for the head family to do. A restriction of opinions? Aki himself had chosen not to betray the secrets of the Ninneko, from whom is generally in charge of them to what they can become, though that is less of a restriction made by his own kind and more of a personal choice, a loyalty not so easily broken, even when he is one that is not welcome back within his home anymore.

The human male would follow up by stating that he doesn't believe the head family to be weak because of the existence of "lower clan members" like himself, seemingly demeaning himself once more by calling himself lower. The Ninneko wouldn't say anything about it, however, as it seems Izayoi appears to be perfectly fine with it, and if he is happy believing he must always serve another then that is fine. It is his life, after all, and while Aki couldn't wrap his mind around such a mindset, it was clear the male Hyuga was seemingly okay with it, meaning the Ninneko won't be able to convince him otherwise.

Aki would have doubts about what the Hyuga continued to say, stating that while they may exist to serve and defend, that doesn't mean that without them the main branch is defenseless, but more that they're the first line, the ones sent to die so the nobility lives. They're pawns in a game of chess, but Aki disagreed, almost scoffing in the process, though thankfully catching himself before he could. Pawns are nothing more than tools, beings of low importance, individuals which are unable to be able to see anything beyond a few years into the futures. It was either foolishness or indoctrination that made Izayoi believe himself to be a pawn, the Ninneko could sum up, but either way, it annoyed him that frankly the Hyuga can stand there and say such a thing without a shred of disgust.

He would continue to mention how the strongest of their clan can always be found in the noble house, and that the main reason the elders agreed to uplifting the ban is because one of the prominent ladies of the clan was the wife of the Seventh Hokage and the second was that the elders knew that they could simply train their children with a strict enough regime to be stronger than their peers, further going on to claim that it wasn't something that can be argued against or disputed. He even went on to mention how several branch members tried to overthrow the head once the seal was lifted, only to be simply beaten and cast out. With a laugh, he would mention how they're a bit past that now, though with the shaking of his head, he would instead impose a question on Aki himself, asking if the Ninneko had any stories to share.

"I don't have any personal stories I'd like to share, but I can share you a tale that you should remember in the future, just in case." He would begin, closing his eyes and crossing his arms together, opening them shortly afterwards as he looked up at the human. "One time, many years ago, a boy lived alone in the forest with his mother, the two staying in a small home. The boy was one that aspired to be a great warrior, to the point where he had learned how to and created a bow with some arrows. When he was on his way to try out his newfound toys, his mother would warn him; "If you see any animals with two tails, run back straight back home." The boy would nod while leaving, where he would begin playing with his bow and arrows."

"A few hours would pass and the sun was setting, the day was nearly over and the boy had nearly broken all of his arrows from shooting them at targets over and over, clearly enjoying his creation. It would be then, however, that a single small feline would peek out of some bushes, and the boy had become curious about what it was like to shoot a living thing. After all, hunting wouldn't truly hurt anyone, right? With the pulling back of the bow's string, and the release of his fingers, the arrow would find its target, and this cat's brown and white fur would be stained red. The boy, curious about his kill, would move closer to the body to examine it, only to see two tails coming from the creature. At this point the sun would finish setting, and the boy, terrified, would run home."

"Entering his home, the boy would yell to his mother "Mother! Mother! I saw one of those beasts!" His mother would only look at him and smile at her son before looking out the window, shaking her head as the front of her body was kept hidden from his view. "I really did see it mother! It was brown and white and it had two tails!" He would tell her once more, only to see that something about his mother was different, and he could have sworn he saw something move underneath her clothes. "And... And I killed it!" He would say once more, wondering if he would get in trouble for doing such a deed. At this point, his mother would turn around, revealing her clothes being stained with blood on her side, and an arrow was protruding out of it. All the boy could recall seeing would be two tails, which would appear behind his beloved mother, and what almost looked like growing fur in the moonlight, before he was ripped to shreds."

Finishing his tale, Aki would take a short pause, looking away for a moment before returning his gaze back on the Hyuga. "Well, this is where I leave. It was nice meeting you, Izayoi. Remember to look out for two tails." He would say before turning around and beginning his attempt to walk off, leaving the Hyuga to take in his story. Whether he found it ridiculous or not, the Ninneko didn't care. All stories have a grain of truth in them, and Aki knew all too well that that includes stories such as this one, as well.

wc 1087

twc 6045

[Attempting to Exit Thread]

(Sorry for taking a while to post, I was trying to figure out how exactly to respond)

It seemed the cat had no interest in telling Izayoi about its clan, or its personal life. How frustrating. He was hoping that it would be simple enough to convince the feline to telling him any further bits of information that he could potentially use. Instead, the small cat just crossed its arms, shut its eyes, and told a story. A fake story, with very little value to Izayoi. Tales. Still, shaking his head, he listened regardless, hoping that if anything, there was a slight chance of anything useful. Something to hint at his clan, for example, or something that exposed a self-weakness or flaw of the feline.

The story began in a very generic way. Izayoi could already feel his will to deal with this failing. In the back of his mind, he was thinking up recipes for cooking that involved cat, however he kept up his smile and listened, nodding every now and again as a sign of paying attention, using social affirmatives to his advantage. So, it turned out the story was about a young boy and his mother, who warned the child of a cat with two tails.

As Izayoi listened, he cared less and less. In the end, it seemed the tale was not a heart warming, cliché like he expected, which was a pleasant surprise, however that didn’t stop him from becoming ever so bored of the farce.  As the story ended, and it was revealed that the mother was the feline, and murdered the child in cold blood, Izayoi sort of allowed his expression to drop to a more appropriate reaction. In reality, he didn’t care, but it would not do any good to let his lack of emotional resonance show with such a socially deemed horrible ending. What was said at the end however, was interesting. Remember to look out for two tails.

Izayoi simply nodded at the cat as it began walking off, calling after it. “Likewise, Aki. May we meet again, and I wish you fare travels.” He declared, before turning and heading back in a different direction. He hummed, thinking with a gradually grimmer and grimmer expression spreading across his face. Two tails, huh? What an interesting little tale of the tails…

373 + 4653 = 5026

[EXIT]

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