Daraku, feeling pretty full of it and always the life of the party, set out for the sandbox on a windy Suna night. His sword was tied around his waist, as it usually had been, but for once he wasn't dying to use it. Getting through the night without a fight was what he really wanted more than anything. He had two goals in particular that night: first was to get drunk, and the second was to find a nice girl (or guy) to take home. In the last four months or so, he was off on Kokugatsu Island, with the Dusk Moth Sage, helping train new students since he was a veteran sage himself. This meant that he had absolute isolation from other people aside from those he was training, AND no access to regular stuff that people ate or did for fun, AND no dyeing his hair, AND no alcohol. At all. Not like Daraku was an alcoholic, no, not by any means. But a drink once in a while helped him unwind, which was a necessary alleviation for someone with as many issues as him (though his schizophrenic, psychopathic side was hardly a problem these days). Making up for lost time was a must, and he'd already dyed his hair again, so the next logical step was to get completely hammered.

The club had changed quite a bit since the Sannin had last visited. The bar was in a different place more towards the front, and the stripper poles weren't visible from the door, especially with the practically 7 foot tall bouncer that stood between Daraku and the entrance. Daraku approached the bouncer with a cheeky grin. "Daraku Ishido. I'm kind of a big deal around here." The bouncer rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, which was enough to show Daraku that he needed to pull out the moves. "Big deal? Then how come this is my first time meeting you?" Daraku dropped his smile. "Let's say I was out of town for work. That's not really your business, though. Listen, I don't want any trouble..." His hand wrapped around the hilt of his blade and slowly started to pull in a drawn out, deliberate motion so that the bouncer could clearly see.

"Don't try any of that bullshit. I won't hesitate to snap you in half."

"Oh my god, man. Do I really have to spell it out for you? I'm one of the top shinobi in the village. If you tried to fight me, you'd be dead, and I wouldn't be getting in any sort of trouble for it because the village kinda needs me around. So out of the way, please." The bouncer seemed angry, but he must have noticed Daraku's headband and the solemnness in Daraku's tone, so he stepped aside. Loud music flooded Daraku's ears as he entered the club and caught sight of the strippers. He could hardly contain his excitement as he threw his arms into the air. "I'm HOME!"

Zu's mind was in turmoil as he was roaming the streets late at night in Sunagakure. Since becoming a burden to this village, he only improved slightly in his abilities, but has yet to find enough information about his abilities than needed. Other than a name and shady stories, it was not a really popular subject. People often gave his sideways or worried looks when he tried to speak about it. His hands were in the pockets of his dark pants as a hoodie obscured his face from most view. While his slightly higher height and muscles, despite their show, set people off when he spoke about Jugo to others. These looks they gave his brought about a new anxiety feeling he had never felt. They almost viewed him like a monster before he knew any better. During the night like now was his best chance for being alone and not harassed. From the corner of his eye, a rather beautiful woman approached him. Everything about her seemed enhanced by some other thing whether it was perfume, make up, or such. Her hair was up but still long as the darkness of it shone in the night. Taken back a bit, he just looked in awe as she approached him in a rather rapid pace. His first reaction was to run however, she was closer than he realized as she grabbed his arm and spoke in a friendly way, "You look rather bummed. C'mon inside, I promise you wont regret it."

Zu blinked a few times at the proposition. He did not know that she was just a worker bringing in business. What better than a friendly female. While his anxiety rose when she touched him, he breathed deep and spoke back. "I am fine trust me, I hope you have a great night ma'am."

Her face frowned at his answer and she attempted again. Zu did not want to bother people and be in their way, however, her persistence was quite admirable to say the least. It was his own fault for being too nice, and so reluctantly he agreed as she brought him to the door. With little to no trouble at the door. The two went inside. The place was quite packed and the music was loud. Zu began to second guess his reason for coming. His best bet would be to ditch her when he got inside and head out. Ironically, that was her plan too. Once inside she at least tried. She led him to the bar as she said she would be back soon. Her leaving him meant he could find a way out. The amount of people he had to walk through was obnoxious, and the possibility of raging needed to be kept minimum. So long as he could keep his cool, all of this... Would not distract him. As he was about to get up the bartender walked to him, and with an also friendly voice offered him a drink. With an odd look, Zu had accepted thinking a simple water or something. The man poured a drink from a bottle into a small glass. Zu began to question even more, but what did he know about anything in this world. His seclusion was his downfall. To him, he thought perhaps this man was a suiton user and it would expand in his body for better hydration. Grabbing the glass Zu took the shot. In an instant, the burning sensation went down his throat and kept burning down. With wide eyes, he stood up and set the glass down quickly. Zu knew not what had happened but did not like it. He had never drank and this shot was an eye opener. Throwing money on the counter hoping it was enough, Zu made for the exit. He was not hurting, but was worried what the effects could do while in this environment. These people, this music, these ladies... Oh the beauty in this place. As he was making his was towards the door as a man that commanded presence entered with a boastful shout claiming he was home. Zu had no idea whom this man was, but knew he should stay away with hopes. He began walking towards the door with his head a little low, trying not to be seen by many. The effects of the liquor began to kind of hit him a little harder than Zu could have ever have known. With hope he could make it out the door without anyone pulling him back in. Still though, the odd calming sensation that was soon felt after his anxiety was alluring. However, he had to be safe in case an incident.

WC:785

Just as he was entering, Daraku brushed past a gargantuan man dressed very inconspicuously, having left some money at the bar and started to storm out. This concerned Daraku; he'd clearly gotten past the bouncer without a problem, so he probably wasn't dangerous, but he looked to be upset, almost scared. Sensory overload. A perfect image of a deer in the headlights. Then, a beautiful woman wearing very little approached the bar, looking confused. She asked the bartender something, and the bartender pointed out the door. The girl nodded, now saddened by the bartender's answer, and she sat down and ordered a drink. Against all of his instincts, Daraku turned around and followed the man, though he refrained from reaching for his shoulder for fear the physical contact would be received poorly. He had to speed up to a light jog to catch up and position himself in front of the guy. He judged him briefly, noticing his visible muscle definition, red eyes, uncomfortable frown, and he didn't do anything but smile back. The bouncer looked at them standing there suspiciously, but continued paying attention to the line of people streaming out of the club, confined by velvet ropes.

"Hey, are you alright?" Daraku asked, doing everything in his power not to try looking back into the club which would've instantly drawn him back into the fray. There was a pause, so he continued talking. "I saw you in a hurry to get out of there. Your girlfriend seemed pretty disappointed. You'd have to be asexual, blind, insane, or all three to leave a chick like that behind." He couldn't help but wonder the context of this situation; the girl didn't exactly look like someone who was in a committed relationship, no, she looked like most of the other girls who came to the Sandbox on Saturday nights. She was single and didn't want to be. She wanted to have fun and get wild. This guy, on the other hand, had probably never been to the Sandbox, let alone any club, in his entire life. He was too tense, outfitted like someone who had something to hide. Daraku even thought about ditching this guy and trying to flirt up the girl himself, but figured that would be against some unspoken agreement between eligible bachelors, and opted to scan for his own arm piece once he got back inside.

Zu was deep in his breathing as he made his way out of the place. The whole ordeal had his mind racing for some sort of peace and security. How did people function in places such as that as if nothing could go wrong. That simple idea of peace, was unknown to him. The shot that he had previously took started increase its effects as it was coursing through his body. His heightened heart rate increased the process of the alcohol. Zu, was trying his best to just go with the flow, to be just normal like he saw all the others do around him. Giving a small smile, Zu stretched and tried to think of others things; however, a familiar but unknown voice came from behind him asking if he was alright. Zu gave a quick turn around to see the person, and it was the man from earlier. The one he had intentionally tried to avoid. This gave Zu even more anxiety as he tried to brush it off calmly. The night seemed to get worse and worse as time progressed, but what could he do about it other than going with the flow. The man was friendly and seemed to be genuinely concerned for Zu even though he had not an obligation to do so. Zu's brow arched when the man said girlfriend, as the idea of that girl being his girlfriend was funny. Love and such relations seem out of his reach in his current mental state. For now, he would have to hone is body and become something so that he could love his self before another. Zu had a slightly anxious and awkward laugh for a moment, before he spoke in a somewhat friendly tone, "I...I think I am. Still unsure what kind of water that man had offered me. It seems to be weakening my body and I feel.... different somehow."

It was true, the alcohol was new to his knowledge despite his age. The idea never crossed his mind that such a thing existed. Despite his clear unknowing knowledge, the alcohol seemed to make him friendlier. The feeling of being buzzed was coming over him and his mind eased a bit as did his muscles. What a rather peculiar feeling came over him, he felt his mouth speak before even he could realize he was being so open as he took off his hood to show his face a little better, "To tell you the truth, I do not even know her name nor yours. My name is Zu, just a simple wanderer that took interest in shinobis. I just come from a very small farming village quite far south of Sunagakure. Thank you for your concern for my well being, but I assure you I think I am fine." Zu gave a small bow during his rant which was unusual for him to speak for such lengths.

He honestly did not know if he was fine. The sensation was new and he was interested in possibly drinking more, but he was worried if he should get too angry over something little. The simple fact was, he was unsure if he was even safe around others and that was the true reason for his fear. Zu wanted everyone to just be safe and felt like he was not quite a safe individual. The last thing he wanted was to hurt someone, and so his fear of that will keep him away from such things even though he was rather interested in that care free lifestyle.

WC:595
Total: 1380

[ OOC: Syekren is gonna be joining this thread so I'm letting him post next ]

In the dark of night, the man was found doing his patrols. He was assigned to them after his recovery, to make sure that there were no problems inside the village. The ANBU was quite bored with everything going on and hadn't found out much about what he was supposed to be looking for so he felt rather defeated. Upon landing on a building's roof, the silhouette of a figure nearly six feet in height could be found, staring down at the village.  It was all rather quiet, nothing out of the ordinary was happening in the market district, the sand dune slums, or even the night light district. There really wasn't much to do in the village tonight, but the patrols were still rather important. The ANBU looked back, hearing a cough from behind him to see two more ANBU waiting on the roof as well. After an exchange of words, these ANBU took over his charge of patrols for the night, relieving him of his duties so that he could jump on the rooftops, back towards the administration building, noting two figures outside of the sandbox.

Upon reaching the administration building and taking a tunnel entrance on the outside, the male quickly went to his room and changed from his ANBU armor and mask. Syekren stood there, looking at the person in the mirror, trying to fix his unkempt hair. He swapped out his netted shirt for one with black out sleeves and pulled on a clean gi. After this was done, the uchiha quietly tied his hitai-ate tightly around his forehead and grabbed his ryo pouch. If those two were who he thought they were, this night was going to be interesting. Cutting off the light, the man made his way back out of his quarters and through the tunnel system underneath the administration building reserved for ANBU. Syekren yawned slightly, following a long trail of tunnels, winding underneath the village herself, turning right and left, trying to find the right exit. After what seemed like an eternity to him, Syekren began to climb up a ladder, reaching the top in two minutes, to push the hatch open. Inside an abandoned building, the Uchiha rose, closing off the hatch and hiding it under a rug. He then made his way to the door and pulled it open, greeted with the sounds of the night.

He was a block or so down from the sandbox strip club, a stable of the village hidden in the sand. This was possibly their most popular outing for the night among the grown members of the village. Yawning and adjusting his outfit, the male stepped towards the sandbox strip club, quickly reaching his destination to see the two figures from before. One was a large, burly, mountain of muscle. His student: Zu. The other was a slim, blonde, friendly little party boy. His old teacher: Daraku Ishido. He approached the two, stretching a bit and chuckling, watching Zu bow. Something had gone down that Zu felt the need to apologize for or something. He seemed to always be worried about upsetting people or causing them harm, a far cry from the man who said he sometimes lost control. Stopping in front of them, he waved to the bouncer, who only nodded to him and Syekren slipped his hands into his pockets. He coughed, slightly, to let the two know of his presence, though he was almost sure someone of Daraku's caliber had heard him approaching.

588

The man acted like an alien, like he had never gone out and experienced nightlife, a fish out of water. Daraku was amazed, and tried his hardest not to laugh when the guy explained that he "wasn't sure what kind of water" the bartender had given him, and it was "weakening his body". He struggled to get a grip and introduced himself as "Zu", short and sweet. He said didn't know the woman who had been with him in the bar, he didn't know Daraku's name either, and that he was from a small farm village far from Sunagakure. Daraku really didn't understand quite how the guy had ended up in a place like this; Sunagakure no Sato was great, of course, but people from smaller villages tended to stay close to home and didn't venture so far out. Zu had explained that he was a "wanderer who took an interest in shinobi", but it didn't add up, exactly. He seemed insistent that he was fine, though. "Pshhh, yeah. You're fine but you think that you just paid for strange water in a bar. Do you not have alcohol in your hometown? Sad existence, honestly." A figure was approaching them, not too fast that it seemed to be a threat, but it was direct enough that Daraku knew it must've been someone that he or Zu knew. Daraku gave Zu one last sideways glance, somewhat judgingly, before turning towards the approaching figure, who cleared his throat almost in unison with Daraku's turn.

"Oh, hey, Sye. This giant here has never had a drink in his life! Can you believe that?" Daraku pointed a finger to Zu. Figuring that it wouldn't be important to Sye anyhow, he smiled and put a hand on his hip. "Guess that's besides the point, though, I was just about to go back into the Box. What brings you around? Trying to let loose?" He looked Syekren up and down, finding humor in how different he looked wearing casual clothes instead of combat gear or a shinobi uniform. Daraku, on the other hand, was always wearing ridiculous outfits even in the middle of a fight. Cotton, silk, baggy pants, cloaks and haoris, netted shirts, tank tops, anything that was comfortable, so his "club" clothes compared to his combat gear was largely the same. Most people assumed he was a hoodlum, especially when he was younger and always hanging out in the slums. That gave him the advantage of the element of surprise: when a "hoodlum" pulls out a long sword and turns into a moth-creature-thing, most opponents are just a bit taken aback.

With slight sways of his body, he heard the man that came to see if he was alright somewhat explain what he drank. Alcohol was foreign to him, and it seemed to Zu that this man favored it as he said that it was a sad existence to live without such knowledge. The changing of his mentality was not something that Zu was comfortable with. Considering he is finally getting a grip of his frequent rages, Zu would have declined the drink had he known the true intentions of it. His heart hammered as he almost believed he was being set up. Wide eyed, Zu stood in his confusion only to view someone from the side of his eye walk forward. To Zu's amazement it was Syekren, his sensei. Wide eyed, he stood there momentarily frozen from the sudden rush of anxiety. His mind raced between too many thoughts for true clarity, until the other man spoke again. As far as Zu could understand from what this stranger spoke about, people wanted to change how their body felt. As this stranger asked Syekren if he was coming here to let lose. Zu was unsure what he meant by that, but had a mini flash back on his past. On times when he let lose, people got hurt. Those memories are repressed and only come in glimpses from interactions. Letting lose was not something that he was comfortable with, and that simple concept truly frightened Zu, as he was unsure what would happen or what he would say or do if this continued. He already spoke too much to this stranger about himself already, but it was a relief that the two knew each other. Zu let out a deep breath in a subtle way as to not draw attention. Perhaps he could slip away while these two talk. First though, he would have to greet Syekren as he was one of his few friends that he felt like he had."Sensei", he said bowing quickly before speaking again, "This man here explains that they give alcohol here... Is it safe? Excuse my ignorance, I lived quite the excluded life.""

Syekren knew enough about Zu to give a proper judgement. Even though he wanted to sneak away, he could not be rude in the presence of his sensei. Of all the people he could run into, it had to be his sensei. Zu was a bit ashamed his sensei had to see him like this, and also ashamed that he had ignorance in this subject. Those two facts weighed heavy on his mind. For once in his life he wanted to make people proud of him, a somewhat nostalgic feeling from his childhood. A lost feeling that he needed. Zu gave a small laugh while scratching head head from embarrassment. The pressure and anxiety was tearing him apart. Zu would have to try and leave before becoming more of an embarrassment and burden on his sensei. All he could do now was give a small smile and try to quietly leave. With any luck, they will become bored with him and enter without him. His heart hammered but, he could not really speak. The alcohol was at the maximum potential it could be for him, and would soon wear off. Despite how much it seemed that the alcohol made him feel a bit normal and more social, he was still afraid of any further or stronger effects.

WC: 577
Total: 1957

"Of course I'm here to let loose! You see my casual clothing, right Daraku? And hey, Zu. My little student!" The man waved cheerily, yawning a bit. It had been a long night and he hadn't planned too much on actually 'letting loose' but investigating the scene he was greeted with on his patrols. Though, drinks with his best friend and student did sound pretty good at the moment. He didn't have any more patrols to do for the night or the next day, so it wasn't like he was too worried about any of that. In truth, it had been a while since Syekren truly had time to kick back and relax. He'd spent weeks constantly training after his transplant to get his body back up to par then go beyond that, so that he could work towards becoming a jounin of the village. It was long and arduous and the only breaks taken were to sleep and eat, with showers and other.. 'necessities' in between. He was thinking about this too much though, it wasn't time to think, it was time to relax! He just realized at that point though what Zu had asked him.

"Alcohol? Eh, sometimes. I guess it all depends on how much ya drink. Given that you're not really used to it I guess I can't expect you to know much about it. Maybe we'll order you some actual water or something in there. I thought you big guys were supposed to be able to drink more without feeling it! Hahaaa" He laughed, walking over to the two, patting them on the shoulders. It was nice to be able to come out and see people you knew at a place like the sandbox. While it wasn't the most reputable place, it was great to hang out and maybe get a couple drinks, say hell to the women there. Syekren was a bachelor after all, so what was the harm in having a bit of fun on a night  around the town with two of the people he acquainted with? Thinking to himself, he rubbed his scruff chin, watching a few women approach. They were mostly scantily clad but had a certain air of self-respect about them. Normal lines wouldn't work on ladies like this, so he'd have to be creative. After rubbing his chin in thought a bit more he whispered a 'watch this' to his two companions and walked after the women.

"Hey there ladies! How about letting a jounin shinobi buy both of you a couple drinks? I'm sure we can find something to talk about while we drink! What do ya say?" The girls looked at each other then looked Syekren over and began to laugh incredibly loud. "Yea right, Scar Face!" Their laughter continued as they departed, Syekren scratching the back of his head while walking back. He reached his companions, touching the scar that ran from his left eyebrow down to his left cheek, shaking his head. The scar was long because the cut was, making it easier for the eye to pop in and connect the optical nerves. Still, this sort of backlash from having a surgery was not expected. When he reached his companions again, he sighed then laugh a bit, looking up while he scratched the back up his head. "Well I guess that didn't work out so well. I'll have to figure out a better line for ladies like that I guess. Hahahaha"

594|1,182

Something surprised Daraku when Syekren and Zu addressed one another; Zu referred to Sye as sensei, and Sye called Zu "his little student". Well, Syekren certainly had made himself a reputation around Suna, that was definitely true. Daraku raised his eyebrows when he realized this, but didn't say anything. Syekren answered Daraku's question with "of course", citing his outfit as clear evidence that he actually was trying to get loose, which was something Daraku could get behind. "Let's do it then, I'm ready!" Zu also redeemed himself a bit in the alcohol department, claiming that he knew what it was but had been ignorant to the idea that he had been given some, rather than being ignorant to what it was altogether. Syekren quipped about how larger men were harder to get drunk, something which Daraku had also thought to be true. He looked back towards the bar and chimed in again. "Yeah, well, Zu seems to be full of surprises. C'mon, come back inside with us. You'll have a good time, I promise. I'll keep an eye out for you to make sure no one pulls any funny business."

Syekren had already gone ahead of them and started trying to chat up a few women. Daraku was just out of earshot, but he could make out the words "buy both of you a couple drinks", and to his own (and Syekren's probably) dismay, the girls responded with thunderous laughter. Daraku could not help but express his embarrassment for Sye with an audible "ah", and he shook his head sadly. Determined to keep his friend's head up, he ambled back toward Sye, who also seemed to be returning to them. Zu still seemed hesitant, but Daraku was certain that he would at least have one companion for the night, and that in itself filled him with excitement. "Oh, Sye! I'm sorry. That looked brutal. But look, you got this whole black hair, blue eyes, sexy kind of toned look that all the ladies go crazy for. Trust me, if I didn't have this goofy ass tuft of blond I keep on my head, and I were to just straight dye my hair full-on black like I assume the color of my soul to be, I would be getting swarmed, I tell you. Not that I don't get my fair share of action. For some reason, people like loudmouthed assholes with histories of mental health struggles and firm calves, which is great for me." He looked back at Zu one more time with a smile before reentering the club, brushing past the bouncer dismissively.

Zu was mostly relived by the two's statements of safety. He would have to once again put his trust in the Sunagakure people's word, wondering how much his pride could take. Despite his low life that was handed to him, he always held a certain pride within him to be better and make the choices that could improve his life. If his sensei and his sensei's sensei claimed only well beings then onward to more experiences with this alcohol. Luckily, part of the reason he was willing was that the alcohol earlier seemed to make him a bit more social and normal feeling. Here in this place, Zu seemed to almost be freed of his burdens if only but for one night. Syekren's attention moved from their mini-group session and was aimed at a few ladies that were clearly in clothes that complimented their curvatures. With a confident stride, Syekren's attempt to impress the ladies clearly failed. They made a mention towards a particular scar that resides on his face. Syekren did not seem too put off by it though as he made a small joke towards it. Zu laughed a little but tried to hide it. Only the corner of his mouth had a crease. Daraku, as Syekren named earlier, spoke he said about woman enjoying the loud mouth and lack of better word assholes. Zu was no where near anything like that, in his current state of mind he was quiet and almost timid looking even with his slightly large stature. Then again, his goal was not to find a woman it was to try and learn how he can avoid from hurting people.  For now though, he would have to try and enjoy himself and try to build a friendship with Daraku and strengthen his friendship with Syekren as well. With a heavy heart of worry, he re-entered the club when Daraku did.

Once again, the music blared and the females were showing off their features for money. Zu was impressed with a few and their beauty as he was making his way back towards the bar. Sitting down he tried to focus himself before re-ordering a drink. Zu this time, tried to tell the bartender that he wanted the strongest shot he had. With a hearty laugh he asked Zu if he was sure about that and he nodded with agreement. The man disappeared into the back before coming back out with a rather peculiar bottle. The bottle was embroidered in designs that were on the bottle. The bartender poured the shot in a small glass before handing it to Zu. With a deep breath, he took the shot and instantly felt the effects it seemed. His body burned with such heat as his world became dizzy and everything seemed to be better. He gave genuine smiles to people and tried to enjoy his surroundings. Though everyone here was interested in the show instead of making friends it seemed as everyone's eyes seemed to be on the dancers. Zu did enjoy the show, as the erotic females danced around poles for Ryo. Zu wanted more to drink and turned back around towards the bartender to get two more shots of whatever the man just gave him. The bartender laughed again, at first denying Zu two more shots from that bottle. Zu looked at him in an odd way before trying to speak louder than the music, luckily the bartender was good at reading lips as his voice seemed to be drowned out by the music, "Just give me the shots, I swear I am fine. Watch, I will prove it to you."

Zu stood away from the stools and did quite a few one armed push ups upside down before standing back up straight as if proving he was alright. Though, when he did turn upright, it seemed to make his world even dizzier but Zu did not care. He was rather enjoying himself despite his lack of meeting new friends. The bartender reluctantly gave him two more shots and demanded money. Zu checked his pockets, but it seemed he was out. Zu reluctantly sighed and told the bartender he was sorry for the trouble.

WC:708
Total: 2665

OOC: Please forgive me for such a long wait, I've had problems in real life but I'm good to post. Excuse the bright colours to follow.

Syekren chuckled at what his friend said, and flexed a bit at the 'toned' part of the compliment. It was true that he had a type of body that most women thoroughly enjoyed, but it seemed that many of them didn't want anything to do with him for the fact of his facial scar. It wasn't odd to see a ninja with scars, but for one as young as Syekren, it was odd to have your face marked up with a scar. With a sigh and a scratch to the back of his head he nodded. He watched his old teacher enter the establishment once more, followed shortly after by Syekren's own student, who seemed to have gained his confidence back.  With a shrug to the bouncer, Syekren made his way into the club as well. He was greeted by the familiar music of the strip club, and the sights of women scantily clad trying to get men to part with their ryo.  There were a few others at the bar, including a familiar face to Syekren. He'd experienced the bar itself more than anything else, so when he saw the bartender had changed to someone he'd been used to seeing around the sandy arena. That was about the only place he'd really gone to in the last few years anyway. So, when Syekren approached the bar, he saw the bartender talking to Zu. It seemed the former was annoyed the latter didn't have money for his drinks. With a chuckle, Syekren patted Zu on the shoulder looking across the bar.

"Seikatsu, you're charging my student now? Come on, he has to deal with my training regiment soon. Would you really subject him to paying when he has to spend time on the fields with me?"

The familiar face cracked into a smile. The loud music made it hard to hold a decent conversation, but the bartender would recognize Syekren's mug anywhere. "Fine, fine. But this is going on your tab old friend! How's bearing a son to have my name live on by the way?*" Syekren bashfully looked away as the bartender slid the shots over to his student. He nodded to Zu, wiping his hands on a towel and coming from around the bar to embrace Syekren in a hug which was reciprocated. The man leaned upon the bar, staring at the Uchiha, shaking his head with a smile. "So, ya still haven't had an heir yet? You've gotta get a move on man! Ninja don't live forever and you're no exception. I know you've cheated death before but it won't always be like that. You've got some special blood in you that needs to continue on in the generations." Syekren sighed and looked over at Zu, looking around for Daraku, as he'd lost his oldest friend when coming in. "My legacy right now is simply how hard I've worked and the friends I've made. But I suppose what you say has merit. It's just hard. I've wanted to settle down and have a family, but I have a promise to keep. Not only that, I wanted an Uchiha woman to be my mate so that our child would have more of a chance of carrying the Uchiha line.* But don't worry, I won't forget the promise I made to you. In thanks, my son will bear your name to signify life and new beginnings.**" The two smiled at each other and the bartender went back behind the bar.

When Syekren looked away, to survey the scene he turned back to be greeted with a familiar bottle. Firebrand whiskey, from the village hidden in the leaves in the land of fire. It was an old favorite of his and the bartender slid glasses his way, waving to say it was 'on the house.' A nod of thanks, and Syekren poured himself a shot of the dark brown liquid, flecks of red in it as though they were still burning embers.  He took the shoot in one gulp, giving an 'ahh' of satisfaction. The cinnamon within the drink giving the nice flavor along with a slight burn, holding the whiskey true to its name. He set apart the two other glasses and poured himself another shot as well as one for each his student and his old teacher. It was a tradition for him to share a shot with good friends and those you trained with.

*Foreshadowing for later on in IC plot
**Seikatsu means "Life, Living, To Live." Life being a symbol of New beginnings.

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Daraku's destination was the dancefloor, as it always had been. He let go of all that stupid shit that had been weighing him down and just let loose, swinging his hips and throwing his head back to yell every so often. Loud music blasted through the speakers and left the floor quaking, and bodies around him swayed, jumped, and sang along to the beat. He linked up every so often, choosing a dance partner to get close to, press up against, do a couple hot and heavy moves before fate tore them apart and placed them both with new partners. At some point, it reverted to being just an undulating blob of people, and regardless of form, all of them had the same intentions, and the emotions in the air were addictive. One girl in particular caught his eye, and he made his way to her until they were together in the crowd, dancing with one another, his hand brushing her curves and caressing her face. She looked so familiar, but he couldn't place a finger on how he knew her, if he did at all. The tension between them started to build and they were slowing down, which only moved them out towards the edges of the dancefloor until they were off of it, at the corner of the bar, looking one another in the eyes.

She stood in front of him, suddenly so statuesque and keeping him pressed against the wall. She had crimson eyes like a demon and short, wild hair that had been thrown about in the midst of the commotion. Her hand was resting on his chest and he looked down at her with the fire of desire and lust in his eyes. He wasn't a polite man by any means, and it took all of his might not to tell her exactly what he wanted to do to her. Instead, she spoke first, with just enough power to make herself audible. "You're Daraku. Your hair is different, and you're taller, but...I remember you." This caught him off guard. The mood essentially ruined, he assumed a more relaxed stance and shoved his hands in his pocket, like he always did out of habit. "Dammit. Please tell me you remember me from something good I did, and not from, like, murdering your family or something crazy like that." She let out a giggle, clearly unaware of how serious Daraku was being when he said that. He brushed her reaction off, staring her down and waiting for a reply. "You and my younger brother, you...kind of, um...well, his name is Joji." The name unleashed a flood of memories that hit Daraku like a wave. He immediately burst into laughter; Joji was an extremely timid boy that Daraku new in the Ninja Academy. To make a long story short, the two had lost their virginity to one another around age 15, in an uncomfortable event which Daraku had thought to be a well-kept secret. Apparently, it was not. "Joji told you about that!? Hell, that was an awful day. No offense to him."

"Yeah, he told me. He really liked you but you stopped talking to him afterwards, and then every time I saw you around the village I wondered why he even liked you." She laughed again, although she had the courtesy to add, "although now that you're older and scruffier, I can see what he saw." Daraku felt very strange about all of that, so he gently moved her with his hand to get around her. "I'm sorry for the trouble, really. I knew you looked familiar, and Joji's a nice guy; I was just an asshole, and I still am. I'm going to get a drink." He left without looking back, only to find Zu doing handstand-push-ups in front of the bar, with Syekren watching. Daraku started clapping, and Syekren and the bartender started talking after said spectacle, so Daraku sat down next to Zu, who still seemed to be struggling with a bit of sensory overload. He took note of the shot glasses in front of Zu. "Impressive push-ups you got there. You're pretty strong." Once the bartender and Syekren finished speaking, Daraku called out, "Can I get whatever this guy's having?" gesturing to Zu.

((OOC: Sorry for the late reply... stuff happens sometimes. I am good now to go.)

Zu's instant reaction upon being touched without noticing the person caused his muscles to tense for a moment as he turned to face his sensei. It appeared that his sensei noticed the financial struggle that Zu was currently in and came to his aid. Relaxing his muscles upon noticing who it was that randomly touched him, Zu listened to Syekren make jokes towards how bad it was for Zu to be his student. This was quite puzzling for Zu as he did not think it was that bad being Syekren's student. As far as Zu thought, it was a blessing so far. Syekren so far has helped save his life, help guide him in this shinobi war, and now was getting him free alcohol. With each addition of help, admiration and duty was molded onto Zu as he was not one to forget kindness however small it was. After Syekren and the bartender exchanged a few words, a small glass slid down to Zu as the two embraced each other and spoke to each other on matters that did not reach Zu's ears as his attention was elsewhere.

Zu happily took the shot as the liquid slid down his throat with a burning ferocity that he was not accustomed to. Letting out a deep breath, he was a bit more willing towards this experience. For now, he knew that he had to try and enjoy this experience, for he knew not how many of these he could have. Giving a glance around, he looked at things in a more detailed way. Instead of his mind, racing at all negatives that could happen, he just started to notice slightly finer details such as how beautiful some of these ladies really looked. Zu gave glances at some of the ladies, but tried not to stare. The thought of actually taking in a mate was far beyond his conception because he was ultimately afraid of the possibilities. Zu's attention was soon diverted towards Daraku, his sensei's sensei. He gave mention towards Zu's strength and wanted whatever Zu was drinking it. Now that Zu gave thought towards it, what as he drinking really? It appeared to Zu that Daraku noticed Zu's display of steadiness that Zu performed earlier. Unlike Zu's normal behavior, he spoke rather quickly without giving much thought as the words flew out of him, "Strength to lift things mean not. These muscles were built upon many hours of labor, they know not how to protect nor harm. Even with these muscles, I can not do much without proper form and practice."

Zu realized he was being a bit too serious for the moment and laughed a bit scratching his head before speaking again though this time with a bit more nervousness, "Haha... Sorry, that is just what I imagine though. So you at one point taught my sensei, right Daraku? I could not imagine much stronger than my sensei, perhaps one day I can see you in action if you would be willing." Zu gave a smile towards him as he would also remember this man's help earlier. Even small things like that would weigh heavy on his pride and heart for many days to come. Zu was about to speak again, but his attention was once again adverted as Syekren poured the two of them drinks before passing them down. Zu took the drink in hand and spoke again but this time towards Syekren, "Thank you once again sensei, it would seem my debt is piling up now. Cheers though." Zu raised his glass a little and drank the liquid inside. More than likely this was more than he could handle but Zu was not paying much mind to such matters currently. Right now he just wanted to continue how this feeling felt, if only he knew there was such a thing as a come down and hang over perhaps Zu would not be so willing. Zu gave a genuine smile as his eyes were distracted by a rather beautiful brunette in a black dress across the room. Her beauty struck him hard from across the room. While he was looking, she looked up at him and her eyes were even more breath taking. Though soon a man that was even larger than he was, came towards her with drinks. The man noticed them looking at each other and gave Zu a harsh look as if to stop looking. Zu did not stop for a moment as he was still struck. Finally he noticed the man was obviously with her and Zu quickly turned around. Oh how he hoped that it did not cause trouble, but the woman was so beautiful to him that he could not help but to turn around and he met eyes across the room with the man as he was still staring hard at Zu. Turning a bit red, Zu turned around again and tried to enjoy the company of his sensei and his sensei's sensei.

WC: 841
Total: 3506

OOC: I'll try to post on this later, I'm sorry it's been a month since I've posted guys

OOC: Thanks for being patient guys. We each need six total posts I think so I can hit S-Rank

Syekren quietly smiled to himself with a bit of amusement as his student downed the shot of firebrand. It was truly a great day when three could come together as one and enjoy the drinks given as well as each other's company. Syekren held his shot glass as well, then holding out the one for Daraku to take. After the glass could be taken from his grasp, his shot was raised up as if to say 'cheers' and the shot was downed once more. The burning liquid going straight to his throat and then down into his stomach. It was this liquid that he'd enjoyed when he first became a Genin, albeit without the knowledge of anyone else, for it was illegal for him at that age. It was what he drank when he'd become a chuunin,  what he drank to celebrate becoming a special jounin. He drank it with those at his ceremony when he was inducted into the ranks of those within the ANBU black ops of the village hidden in the sand. For a secretive group of shadows, they stood less on ceremony than one would expect and knew that while from that day Syekren would no longer be himself under the mask, a night of celebration was allowed. Now, upon his joining of the ranks of the jounin he would be drinking this liquid again, celebrating in his own way.

But for this night, it was not only his case he would be celebrating for. Instead, it would be for his own benefit, the coming of a new student that would one day take over where Syekren would leave off, and the reuniting moments between himself and Daraku. It was truly a night to enjoy the company of those close and appreciate the little things in life. Too often Syekren forgot to enjoy himself or to relax. When he'd become an ANBU, he'd given up everything to do with it and devoted his life to getting stronger and staying that way so that he would always be ready to defend the village if needed.  Syekren was quite lost in his own now alcohol addled mind, that he had forgotten those he was spending time with. He looked over to see the two speaking, it seemed that Zu was curious about the man who had been teaching Syekren so long back now. Syekren rubbed his chin, pouring himself another shot before he took it, standing next to the two of them, chuckling as he spoke.

"He's incredibly strong. I barely grazed him on our last not so polite encounter. Guess his swords were a bit sharper than my skill at that point. I still have a few scars on my body from that night. You remember that, eh, Daraku? Quite the grand old time that was. A simple misunderstanding had us bickering like children. Or a married couple with sharp and pointy things. Whichever you'd prefer to categorize it as." Syekren laughed openly and clapped his old friend Daraku on the shoulder, pouring a fourth shot for himself, and then motioning to refill the others' glasses. Should they accept he'd pour them shots and raise his again, downing it as quickly as he had the others. He had a good tolerance for alcohol, so it would be quite a while before he'd actually gotten drunk, but it would still be nice to enjoy the taste of his favorite liquor. Seikatsu was busying around behind the bar, but kept an eye on the three with a smile on his face. It was true to be felt that he and Syekren were still good friends, which all hung on something that had happened some time ago between the two of them.

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EXIT due to inactivity.

2,000/2,000 for C-Rank technique: Lightning Illusion Flash Pillar

[Exiting due to inactivity]

Training: