Yoshi sighed as he walked down the streets of Konohagakure, his body in remarkably fine shape in the wake of his first match in the Chuunin Exams. His duel with the Cicada of Sunagakure had been somewhat anti-climactic, their match called by the judges just as it began to get up close and physical between them both. It was a shame, he had been hoping to go at the puppet-human until he had nothing left in the tank, but it seemed as though their fight had lasted far longer than originally it had been meant to be. Whether that meant the odds had been stacked against one of them in the beginning, Yoshi couldn't be certain. Instead, the boy was left reeling in the wake of what had quickly turned out to be a very turbulent first week of matches. His pseudo-younger-brother Sachi had lost, as had Kanro his sometimes-friend-sometimes-stalker, perhaps most of all though, his friend Xiao had been nearly annihilated in his first match at the exams. When Yoshi had heard the news about the Kiri-nin's near death, it had shaken him greatly.

Xiao had been a good friend of his ever since their first meeting when they teamed up to defeat the evil lizard sage known as Komodo, yet in the wake of that Yoshi recalled seeing the spidernin in good spirits. To have heard the news that the boy had been so utterly destroyed by his opponent, it left a fire in his veins that was burning hotter than any fire release jutsu could accomplish. He may often have been a somewhat quiet or reserved teenager, but when he saw the recordings of the match play across Konoha for attendees of the festival to watch, he felt consumed with anger. His teeth grit tightly together, his fists curling up into knuckles. He felt helpless, more helpless than he had been in his entire life, when he watched the barely living body crash onto the dirt only to be taken away by one of the proctors and medical nin. Kami take him, he never wished to feel so helpless ever again! It was thus a melancholy feeling that washed over the black haired Genin as he walked down the streets of Konohagakure, his own match had been one of skill with no clear winner until the judge's decision, but for the sake of his friend, it felt more like a loss than the technical tie it had been.

The teen rounded into a large courtyard where vendors and musicians were filling the brisk night air with life. Yoshi walked somberly over to the mochi stand he had come to visit often, they were from Kumogakure, but the mochi they made was apparently shipped from the Land of Snow, it tasted amazing. He plopped some Ryo down on the counter before silently pointing at the green tea flavor. He put an ice cream covered mochi ball in his mouth, it only made him feel just a little bit better. He'd be finding out who his next opponent was soon, with his next match starting soon after that. Yoshi didn't like this perpetual feeling of anxiety that was all around him, of battle after battle, the mounting pressure of trying to work up the brackets towards the quarter-finals. He had promised Ting to face her in this tournament, and now that Xiao was very likely not going to be able to compete, Yoshi felt compelled to face the one who had nearly killed him.

But for now, he tried to just enjoy his Mochi and not let anything eat away at his nerves.

618/618

YoJo hummed as he ate his mochi in thought, his rather aimless steps taking him along the busy streets of Shinwato. The lanterns illuminated the streets brilliantly, giving them hues of red and gold, a radiating warmth that was like a blanket of good vibes wrapping around everyone in attendance. Just as the teen thought his anxiety would wear him down, he felt just a bit better with the sweet mochi being mushed up in his mouth. He got a few looks, sure. His fight with Yasubei hadn't been a clear cut victory, but hey, at least he had put on a clinic in how to use spacing to one's advantage, mobility was the half the battle as a shinobi after all. He took some solace in that, even if he knew that the other matches of the first round were far more memorable than his own. He wondered briefly what Yasu had been up to in the day since their match. It was only after the event that YoJo had learned of the fact that the man was actually a human puppet, something completely inhuman in every sense of the word.

These thoughts and reflections weighed in the teen's mind as he reached the central courtyard where a number of performers and the like were going through their acts for the foreign visitors and guests of Konohagakure. Yoshi stopped to watch some of them for a short while- there was this one lady who somehow managed to contort herself to fit in a suitcase which her manager casually walked away carrying. It was a little surreal to be honest. There one sight, in particular however, that caught the Genin's eye. It was unmistakable who was sitting alone and forlorn on one of the outer benches of the courtyard, sulking in a melancholic mood as passerby's gave judging looks. It was Ryo, the man who had killed the spider. Instantly, the taste in YoJo's mouth felt immensely more bitter as he laid eyes on the casually dressed teen moping about the place. His first reaction was to walk over and yell with no restraint, yet, he knew that provoking a fight outside of the exams was a crime, especially with so many visitors and non-ninja present.

YoJo walked through the crowd of people, coming to a halt a couple of feet away from where the other Genin sat, his dark brown eyes burning with a mixed tumult of emotions. What would he say to someone whom had killed a close friend? The answer wasn't clear, it couldn't ever be. Instead, he simply stood there for a solid minute, looking the Genin over in the flesh as he sat there. He looked like him in a couple of ways, perhaps the melancholy attitude most of all, he had the look of a miserable and lonely boy who no longer knew the grace of friendship. It was one that YoJo had known all his life as an orphan, and it was one that he sympathised greatly with. And yet, he had killed his friend, nothing could change that fact. "So" Yoshi stated, alerting the boy to him standing there if he hadn't noticed until now, "-why did you kill him?" he asked, waiting to hear the response to the open ended question. "He was my friend. He knew the risks of competing in the exams, but I don't think the thought of being killed ever crossed his mind, not in a safe place like this" he added, looking around briefly at the jovial atmosphere. This was a time of celebration, the second round of matches would begin soon and many wished to enjoy the respite and gather to bet on the outcomes of the upcoming fights.

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