Summer had begun to slowly move into fall, and though the weather was still warm, the humidity that could make such warmth seem oppressive was not in the air today. As today was her day off, Tsuneko was able to make it out to enjoy the weather after taking care of some clan duties that morning. Finishing a light lunch with Wataru in her room, the pair soon made their way to the Downtown Marketplace, Tsuneko on her two feet and the bat inside a backpack that she carried primarily for his use.

Finding an unoccupied bench, the young woman took a seat, gently placing the bag beside her. She was not here to shop for either legal or illegal merchandise, as the marketplace had both, but simply to enjoy the afternoon sunshine and “people watch”. Wataru had little interest in the sport, but he was a bit like a younger sibling: he could not tolerate feeling as though he was being left out of anything. Catering to her companion, she had gotten the backpack for him to rest and travel in when he did not care to fly or simply cling to her back; it also served another purpose of housing her medical kit, ninja paraphernalia, and any other items that she cared to place within it, or on it, as her forehead protector was tied to it now.

Being off duty, she didn’t wear the forehead protector on her person, but several people who passed her today greeted her, recognizing her as a medical ninja who frequently worked within Kirigakure’s Hospital, some of these knowing her personally and others just professionally. She was not dressed in scrubs today, though. Tsuneko wore a charcoal, racer back styled dress; the princess seams gracefully highlighted the curves on her slender body and adding a bit of tailoring to the casual dress. The standard but oh so comfortable shinobi shoes were a given with most anything that she might choose to wear.

Her long white hair was pulled back in a loose braid, her bangs well-kept enough that the lilac eyes that watched the crowds pass had nothing to impede their vision. She kept herself entertained by seeing if anyone would meet her eyes with their own and offering a pleasant smile if they did. Most people had company, whether some children begging for a treat or a date flirting with them, and were too preoccupied to notice the young woman; the few that did make that brief contact responded with a smile, a nod, a wave, or even just a confused expression, before continuing on their way, leaving the napping bat in her backpack as her only companion, but it was no bother to her. While human company would not be minded, the lack of it would not ruin her afternoon; who could be sad on a beautiful day like today?

It had been a few days since he had gotten back from Kumogakure no Sato, a trip that was unique to say the least. Today, Yuudai wondered down to the marketplace for no apparent reason. He held no objective in the marketplace, except for going on a nice calm stroll for the time being. It'd be a while later that he'd get on with other activities, possibly training. For now, he needed to clear his mind, focus on less trivial matters, maybe focus on nothing at all. Clad in his usual western clothes, minus the tailcoat he often wore, Yuudai was walking down the path that would lead him directly to the marketplace, Suichi in tow, trekking behind him, often running forward to spot something interesting. 

He managed to avoid dealing with clan issues for the time being and was able to free up a lot of time ever since his arrival in Kirigakure from his trip. He needed to improve still, in various fields, thus him delaying his training until later in the day. Acknowledging those who greeted him, his position as a Sannin sometimes granting him unwanted reverence. Yuudai, while he acknowledge his own power, clearly felt that he was far from being the best he could possibly be. He had several ideas concocting inside of his brain, figuring out the possible directions he could take with being a shinobi, yet clearly aware of his own limitations. His forehead protector was absent, as he had no need to wear it within his village, and he was already known for his shinobi status as both a Sannin and the leader of the Aisu clan. There wasn't much he expected out of the marketplace, except for possibly clearing his mind, not having to continually think about certain aspects of his life for the time being. He'd be able to see a small majority of the various people he swore to protect, even if he barely knew of most of them. Children raced past him, adults chatted away, shopkeepers assisting customers, all while Suichi continually ran forward with Yuudai following behind him, clearly wanting to avoid the creature's bad habit from affecting others. He literally almost had a clear path in the direction he was walking, as people moved out of the way, mainly due to courtesy towards a fellow citizen of the Village Hidden in the Mist. His impassive eyes watched his companion, while still glancing around the marketplace, taking in the sights of the signs, items for sale, and the people.

The time ticked by unnoticed; as the days of summer were want to do. In the comfortable warmth of a rare sunny day in Kirigakure, Tsuneko was perfectly happy to idle away her day. Almost as rare as the sunlight in a country known for its mist was the young woman having a day to herself, as she did today. Well, mostly to herself. Wataru did not like to be left alone, but he was content so long as he was in her company; he did not wake from his nap as she continued her hobby.

Gradually, there came a change in the flow of people down the broad avenue of the Downtown Marketplace. The crowd was parting, as a stream does around a rock in its center. Her attention drawn to it, she watched with interest, waiting for the stream to part long enough for her to glimpse the person who was causing the fuss, only to be distracted by a little flicker of movement. Violet eyes moving to observe the little creature, she was surprised to see a penguin running forward with the funny waddle that the species was known for. Trailing behind him was a young man. Clearly, he was the cause of the crowd's behavior. He walked with an easy, unhurried pace, confidence ingrained in his every stride; the deference of the civilians wasn’t asked for in his mannerisms but accepted nevertheless, graciously acknowledging their greetings. His style of dress was a bit unique, the western-styled white shirt seemed almost a bit formal for an afternoon stroll, but it was well-fitted and suited the young man well. She made these observations absently, as she did about all strangers whom had walked by earlier in the day. It wasn’t until his face was turned her way that she realized that she recognized the man. His features had changed as they matured, but in that moment, she was certain of his identity.

‘Yuudai Aisu…’ Her brain supplied the name, remembering a day in years past when she had spent the afternoon with the young man. She had been only fifteen at the time, and though the details of the day itself were a bit fuzzy, she remembered having a rather good opinion of him. Without really thinking about it, she stood and called out, “Yuudai!” In the next instant, she wondered about her decision to do so. Back then, she had meant to see him again another day, but for whatever reason, circumstances hadn’t permitted it; then, as it often went, time passed, and she never got around to reaching out to him. Five years had gone by between that long-past afternoon and today, and there was no telling if he remembered her or not. It would be embarrassing if he did not, but it was too late to draw back in the words she had called out over the noise of the crowd.

It was not often that Yuudai went on these casual strolls through the village, as he preferred to find a quiet corner, either within the village or outside the walls, where he could spend some time on his own. Though, it never hurt to be surrounded by people he had sworn to protect, which every shinobi of Kirigakure no Sato had sworn to protect. Watching the people pass by, as he continued moving forward, he never really expected himself to be in the position he currently possessed, but he couldn’t change the past. The only reason behind his formal attire had been due to attending a meeting less than an hour ago, and not wanting to change right away, he had went out the door the moment the clan meeting had come to an end.
 
Suichi continually led the way, almost as if the creature just chose a direction at random as the continued moving along the paved pathways. People still gave odd looks towards the penguin, assuming that such creatures would much rather prefer to live in much colder environments, surrounded by ice. Suichi did prefer those ideals, though circumstances had him in Kiri with Yuudai. Having heard an infinite amount of noises as he continued along, Yuudai did hear one specific word that drew his attention instantaneously, as there was a limited vocabulary of words that could draw his interest on the spot, his name definitely being one of them. Though, there most definitely could’ve been another ‘Yuudai’ walking the streets along with him. Having paused in his steps as he heard the voice, his eyes slowly traveled in the direction from where the sound came from.
 
The first thing that stood out to him was the hair, white hair kept in a braid. Just from a quick recollection of memory, he had met few people with white hair, and even less who he knew by name. Considering the person was female, his mind already sparked a name; Tsuneko…. Kaguya, recalling a time nearly 5 years ago where he spent an afternoon training and then spending time with the person who had been watching him. While the memory was slightly foggy, he knew that the occasion was definitely a pleasant one. But, it definetly had been a while since he had last seen that face, a face which matured over time. Gone was the innocence of youth, only to be replaced by exquisiteness seen in matured adults.

Changing directions on the spot, Yuudai started moving towards where Tsuneko was standing. As he approached, a small smile graced his features, “Hello, Tsuneko.” He wasn’t quite sure what to make of the situation, as it had been she who called him, but it certainly wasn’t an event he would avoid. From memories alone, she was friendly and pleasant to be around, though it was definitely some time ago. “It’s been a while. 5 years? How have you been?” As he finished speaking, Yuudai noticed that Suichi had quickly stopped, turned on a dime, and was heading straight in their direction. When the penguin stood by Yuudai’s side, it tilted its head and looked up at the woman before him. “And this is Suichi.” The penguin lazily lifted a flipper and dropped it, his form of a greeting.

Although she had outgrown her adolescent fear of drawing attention to herself, she had been uncertain that he would hear her over the buzz of the crowd, but that worry was replaced with another one as he spotted her and abruptly pivoted to walk towards her; what would she say to him? They had never become more than acquaintances and much had changed between now and then. But, he remembered her, so that was a good first step; after all the time that had passed, it would not have been surprising if that had not been the case.  “Something like that,” she agreed to his estimate of five years having passed. As she returned his smile, her eye was drawn again by someone approaching.

It was the little penguin. She had almost forgotten about the strange creature, but clearly he was Yuudai’s companion. He even moved liked the young man, pivoting mid-stride to come and join them. ‘I wonder if Wataru and I are similar in the same way.’ With the thought, she glanced back towards the pack, checking on her napping companion. Finding that the bat was still nestled, unseen within the little pack, she let him be, not disturbing one of his frequent naps to make introductions on his behalf, for he rarely liked to speak to anyone besides her. Although his sleep schedule had been altered by his time spent with her, he still napped fairly often during the daytime hours, particularly in the afternoon.

Because of her relationship with Wataru, she did not coo at the penguin, despite his undeniable cuteness, but spoke to him as though he were a person himself. “Hello Suichi. I’m Tsuneko,” she introduced herself for his benefit. Some ninja companions spoke, some did not, but it was always safer to assume that one did; a little embarrassment at speaking conversationally to an animal was worth it if it kept from offending one that was more than he appeared. Looking back up to Yuudai, she observed that, though certainly taller than she, he was not quite so tall as her memory had recorded him as, but then, she had gone through a late growth spurt in the time since she had seen him, which probably explained the difference in her memory and the reality.

“I’ve been good,” she answered his query, nodding as she did so. Busy working at the hospital and taking care of the clan’s business... I suppose I’ve kind of become the de facto clan head,” she said with a little shrug, by way of explanation for her involvement mention of the clan’s business. “But, what about you? What’ve you been up to?” After a moment, those violet eyes looked back down to consider the penguin. “Oh, and how’d you meet Suichi here?” she asked after a pause. Although she knew Yuudai was an Aisu and inclined towards the cold with their affinity towards Hyouton, Kirigakure was not exactly an icebound country. Though never having been particularly interested in the wildlife around the area, she did not recall seeing penguins running about Mizu no Kuni before.

As she had grown into herself, she had shed the insecurities which had made her so guarded and defensive as a teenager. Such as often happens, she had projected her insecurities onto all she met, and out of fear of them expecting the same measure of openness of her; since she was so determined to hide herself away, avoiding even speaking her clan’s name to avoid the prejudice, both real and imagined, which would come with association with the ‘Bloody Kaguya Clan’, she had avoided asking much of others. However, on this bright afternoon, years after she had overcome such behaviors, she was genuinely curious, and the brightness in those violet eyes spoke of caring about what had come to pass for him those years past, rather than as one trying to pump him for information of some sort.

Yuudai had mainly just wanted out of the house, getting some fresh air, and Suichi had decided to take the lead and guide them around the village, with no real goal in mind. As such, Yuudai had left both his katanas back at his place, as he felt no need to keep them with him during a clan meeting and a casual stroll through the village. He had expected the walk this afternoon to be uneventful, dull even. Seeing a familiar face, even if it was five years later, was certainly unexpected on his behalf, yet he couldn’t go out and ignore someone who had essentially greeted him.  Upon Suichi’s arrival to the scene, Yuudai had a slightly curious look as Tsuneko glanced towards her backpack, then focusing her eyes back on Suichi.

As she greeted Suichi, Yuudai already knew, to a degree, the reaction the aquatic bird would have to being greeted by Tsuneko. The one thing Yuudai knew for a fact would be that Suichi wouldn’t reply a verbal reply, as the creature rarely made a vocal sound. Instead, Suichi just stared at her for a moment, before waddling forward a bit, essentially trying to evaluate the person before him. After a moment, the penguin nodded to itself before waddling back to Yuudai’s side. Yuudai, looking down at Suichi with a familiar expression turned back to look at Tsuneko. “Don’t mind Suichi, that’s just his way of saying he likes a person.” Yuudai tried explaining Suichi’s behaviour, though considering it wasn’t often Yuudai met someone who knew him when Suichi was in toe.

He listened to Tsuneko briefly explain what she had been doing in the past few years, recalling her hesitation to identify herself with her clan back when he had first met her and a brief mention of helping around the hospital, or something as such. It proved a bit difficult to recall memories that hadn’t really been reinforced over the years, but he could recall the base information. With a slight nod as she finished discussing her time over the years, Yuudai wondered if anything else significant occurred over that period of time, such as what happened with himself. As he was about to begin answering her initial question, she also asked about how he met Suichi. While he could recall the meeting, it wasn’t the most joyful encounter, perhaps if the circumstances had been slightly different at that time; it would’ve made for a better story.

Deciding to tell his tale of meeting Suichi first and then what he’d been up to outside of that one adventure would draw attention away from the tale he hadn’t really told anyone except one other person, his mother. “About three years ago I travelled to the Land of Snow. I met Suichi near Yukigakure, or rather, he found me. I had been a little… worn out from an encounter.” He had decided to skip mentioning he had been caught by a group of mercenaries, and any mention of being a prisoner, tortured or of his escape. He just wasn’t familiar with her to share such details. “Suichi here helped me fight off some mercenaries, they had essentially taken him away from his rookery. When we tried to find his family, they were long gone. I suppose he trusted me enough to follow me back to Kiri and stay with me.” The brief version of the story would always be better. Better for him to keep his mental walls strong, thus not having to relive that memory. His pain was his own to deal with, no need to relive a story that had no purpose to anyone.

Continuing on after a brief pause, Yuudai went on to tell Tsuneko about his developments within Kirigakure no Sato. “As for what I’ve been doing, I’ve been tied up in clan matters a lot more that I would like. Ever since the inauguration of the Mizukage, clan matters fell to me. Mainly have been training every now and then, having to deal with a few political matters, both of my clan and the village have been taking up a majority of my time. I recently just came back from a trip to Kumo. It was nice to see the world outside Kiri, even for a few weeks. I also came across a genjutsu specialist who taught me. It’s still a work in progress. Other than that, not much has really changed for me.” The mentioning of being a Sannin wasn’t something he enjoyed stating to others, though most were aware of the status quickly. To him, Yuudai preferred not to draw attention to himself, thus never mentioning it to boost his status. He took a quiet honour in the title more than anything.

Out of mere curiosity, Yuudai had decided to as Tsuneko a rather simple question.  It wasn’t as if he was in a hurry to go anywhere, as he essentially had the rest of the day to himself. “I was taking a walk through the village, mainly to get some air. Would you like to join me?” A simple invitation, somewhat like the one from five years ago, with the same people, though much more matured.

Those pale eyebrows raised slightly, quizzically, as the penguin waddled forward, scrutinizing her. It didn’t make a sound, and for a while, its beady black eyes just stared up at her. After a time, it nodded to itself and waddled its little, chubby-looking body back over to Yuudai’s side. She turned to Yuudai as he tried to explain the odd behavior and nodded in response with a little, “Sure.” She wondered what Suichi's response would have been if he didn’t like her. Would he have just shaken his head? Pecked at her toes? ‘I wonder how highly Yuudai values Suichi opinion of people? Did I just pass a hurdle without realizing it?’

She listened with interest as he detailed his meeting with Suichi. It was obvious that he was leaving details out, but she was well-raised enough not to question the obvious omissions. Her violet eyes flicked down to the penguin as though that would answer some questions. How a little, land-bound bird could fight off mercenaries was beyond her, but that was another aspect of his odd story that she didn’t press for specifics. Things were not always what they seemed in this world, and with shinobi companions, that was the case more often than not. A neutral “..Hmm..” was voiced as the only kind of comment upon the conclusion of the tale; there was little else that she could say without prying when he clearly wanted the details to remain obscured.

He soon continued with detailing what he’d kept himself busy with over the years since they’d last met. Interestingly enough, they had both taken over their respective clan’s duties as clan head; while not unheard of, it was a bit odd for the family head’s to be young shinobi, barely into their twenties, such as the pair of them were. Particularly for the Aisu clan, their clan was not as small as her own, and therefore less decimated by the fires of Amaterasu years past; one would assume that they had older members to pull from. However, she had an inkling that he had been of an unusually high rank for his age back when she had met him, perhaps he just had an affinity for leadership, one that his clan as well as the village had recognized. He continued to mention a visit to Kumogakure, and that he had expanded his specializations to include Genjutsu. "It sounds like you've had no trouble keeping yourself busy," she commented, conversationally.

When he made the invitation, she agreed to accompany him on his walk with a “Sure.” Tsuneko had no other obligations for the day, and catching up with Yuudai would be a pleasant way to spend her afternoon. She had a tendency for getting caught up in her work at the hospital and forgetting to get out and live her own life when she was busy saving others, thus she often ended up as a bit of a spectator more than a participant in life, resulting in her spending her afternoon off with a snoozing bat and just people-watching. She was struck by a feeling like déjà vu; hadn’t they done this before? Vaguely, she recalled that, perhaps, the main difference was that he was the one making the invitation this time.

She turned and, with slightly more care than the act would normally require while she tried not to jostle her friend, shouldered her backpack. A little squeak could be heard from within as Wataru shifted at the movement. The backpack was constructed with a simple buckle to close the top, and the buckle was always undone for his convenience; the top was only loosely closed to shield him from the sunlight when he chose to seek the security of the bag. Within the bag, the vampire bat, half-awake, wiggled his little nose, sniffing at the air. Verifying that the one who was holding him was his Tsuneko, he dozed off again, not deigning to concern himself with the lowly humans who walked by. Accustomed to the noises he makes, Tsuneko did not pay much notice of the drowsy little noise from her companion, focused instead on those that were walking on their own feet beside her. “Oh, and I heard that you were promoted to Sannin a while back. Congrats,” she said, smiling at the purple haired man beside her. When he began moving, she would fall into step beside him, on whichever side Suichi chose to leave unoccupied, if the little penguin did not just continue his running about, and follow Yuudai's lead on where their walk would take them.

His ocean blue eyes gleamed slightly as Tsuneko had agreed to accompany him; the slightly haunted look from his recollection of his adventure completely disappearing. Though he had no idea what they could possibly due except for stroll through the village, through the market district, and idly chatter about anything under the mist.  It wasn’t often that he spent a day with someone other than Suichi or his mother for no real purpose at all. He’d never ever went out of the way to know someone beyond being acquaintances, mainly due to his own faults of being hesitant to interact with others, something rooted within him from his shy disposition that initiated during childhood.
 
His ears slightly perked as he heard a squeak, coming from Tsuneko’s direction, though he wasn’t exactly sure from where, rather who, the noise came from. His right eyebrow slightly perked up at the sound, curious as to what, or rather who, the sound came from. The notion that it came from Tsuneko was erased, as it could have come from anything in the area. There were far too many individuals around this area to pinpoint the noise to a single being. Shaking his head slightly, more to himself, Yuudai lowered his eyebrow as he turned slightly; facing the direction he was originally walking.
 
Suichi taking note of the situation that they would be continuing on their walk began walking ahead of them, seeming to have a destination in mind already. At the mention of his promotion to Sannin a few years ago, a small smile once again graced his features. While it was pleasant to be recognized for such a thing, it didn’t affect him drastically as a person. He held the title of Sannin in high regard; as a symbol of his capabilities. “Thank you. It’s.. umm,” It was hard explaining the thoughts running through his mind to others, sometimes even to himself. There weren’t many times he was at a loss of words, but this seemed to be encroaching such territory. “It’s nice to be recognized. Though I still feel there much more I could do to earn it.” He constantly felt inadequate, even if his strength was recognized. The constant doubt would continually be present, so long as threats continued to exist. Threats that would never disappear.
 
Slowly, he began to take the first few steps, following after Suichi, allowing Tsuneko to fall in to step with him. The crowds of people continued moving, both with them and against them in the flow of traffic. After a few seconds passed of silent walking, on Yuudai’s behalf at least, Yuudai turned his vision slightly towards Tsuneko, yet still watching where Suichi was heading, even if the creature knew when to stop and follow after the Sannin. Yuudai’s shortfall in social situations was showing slightly, although it was more likely to be his awareness of it that made him instantly aware. Not wanting there to be a complete silence, Yuudai decided to ask about something general. “How’s work been at the hospital? Is there anywhere you’d like to go? I had no real destination in mind, mainly just following Suichi around.” He felt it was better to ask, as otherwise he and Suichi would be aimlessly wandering throughout the village, at least until one of them got hungry. Another moment passed. If he recalled correctly he had last ate soon after he woke up in the early morning, begore he got pulled in to minor clan affairs that really did not need his insight on such trivial manners.

Her back having been turned at the time, she did not observe the quirk of Yuudai’s eyebrow and the little noise that Wataru made was quickly forgotten; their time together had accustomed her to the sounds that he made. Apparently Yuudai’s companion was eager to be off again, and Suichi took off before them, as silent as ever with a sense of purpose in his waddle. The young man had no concern of falling behind the penguin and took the time to answer her question before trailing after him. For one with such a high rank, recognized by the Mizukage as one of the strongest shinobi in all of Kirigakure, he was surprisingly grounded. In fact, there was a way in which he replied that made Tsuneko wonder if all of the attention made him uncomfortable; it was a little surprising if that was the case, since he was not newly appointed to the post. “I’m sure Ayakashi wouldn’t have approved it if she didn’t think that you were ready for it,” she said by way of encouragement. As she had so little interaction with him and did not know the scope of his abilities nor what tasks he had taken on in the past, there was little else that she could say, and she did not attempt to offer him false praise.

As the young woman fell in beside him, she did not rush to fill the brief silence. Such a thing had never made her uncomfortable. Waiting for him to speak, she observed the people around them, trusting their direction to Yuudai, who in turn seemed content to let Suichi decide. It was an odd experience, walking with the Sannin. The bubble of deference that she had observed surrounding him had now expanded to include her as well, as his companion, which was a novel experience for her. Being a healer, she fell naturally into the role of support, and her name was never associated with any interesting deeds. As a Jounin, she was capable, but she was well-aware that her ascension to that rank had more to do with her work in the medical field than to her fighting capabilities. While she worked hard and had helped a lot of people, including a few people in the crowd that day, the role of medical-nin was rarely an illustrious one. ‘Certainly not on the same level as ‘one of the strongest shinobi in Kiri’,’ she thought, but the idea was not one rooted in envy. Although she no longer strove to fly under the radar, she was also rather content with her relative anonymity.

After a moment, Yuudai spoke up, asking about her work and where she’d like to go in the same breath. “I’m up for anything,” she replied. Gesturing towards the little penguin moving purposefully through the crowd, “It looks like Suichi has some destination in mind.” Tsuneko had no other real obligations for the day and was content to follow the little penguin wherever he had a mind to wander. She answered his question about her work, “Good, in a way. After all, I’m never short of patients to treat.” She said with amusement, “One of the perks of working in Kiri.” The reference was a clear one to the high number of shinobi in the village, and the injuries that unavoidable came along with such a population. “I like being useful, and they’ve set aside some lab resources for me to pursue personal projects.” Nodding to herself, she commented, “It’s a good job.” She rarely went outside the village on missions anymore, not sense her quick rise through the ranks and the disbanding of her Genin squad. Since she had not expressed an interest in taking on a squad of her own, she had been deemed to be of more use to Kirigakure as a medical-nin on hand than one in the field, for the time being. Which, though it was not how she had anticipated things, she had no qualms about, generally happy with her life.

There was an absentminded nod on Yuudai’s part when Tsuneko mentioned Suichi have a destination already in mind. Suichi would likely lead them to one of two places, depending on the creature’s mood; to the pool or someplace to get food. As Yuudai had let Suichi to his own desires while he was tied up dealing the affairs relating to the Aisu clan, Suichi had likely been able to get food whenever he felt the need, though how exactly would sometimes perplex Yuudai. Suichi had often been left to his own devices when Yuudai was tied up, so Yuudai never had an exact idea what the penguin would be doing in its own free time, though at least it stopped causing as much trouble as it used to upon the first few weeks of their cohabitation. With that in mind, Yuudai felt as if the creature had already managed to get enough food in him that would last him a while, however the same could not be said for Yuudai himself.

The walk remained rather uneventful, as Suichi guided them towards his chosen location. Yuudai listened to Tsuneko talk about her work at the hospital, glad that she had found something that allowed her personal satisfaction as well as the ability to pursue her own goals. He hadn’t been to the hospital in a while, only having visited the hospital for a short period of time after his return from Yukigakure. That visit in particular had been very short, mainly to see if he was still healthy, though no one really knew of the mental and physical pain he had been served while imprisoned. Then again, only Suichi and his mother were aware of the event to a certain degree; his mother only receiving the bare bones version of it, though with more detail than he had provided Tsuneko with. While it remained his story to tell, it wasn't a story he felt like sharing, especially in full detail.

“It’s nice to hear that you found something you enjoy.” Having the ability to heal wounds, make sure that the population was healthy was priceless, something to be admired. Added to  that was Kirigakure’s high population, mainly in terms of the active shinobi population who continually went out to the field to complete missions set forth by the Mizukage. Yuudai had no knowledge of healing, except for the basics of first-aid, which came in use on multiple occasions. With his footsteps following Suichi at a rather slow pace, as the penguin's waddle did not cover much distance. If Suichi had transformed, then they'd be able to walk at a regular pace, but Suichi rarely ever  changed to his actual form, mainly due to the size, and perhaps cuteness if Suichi were aware of it. Shaking his head, Yuudai knew exactly where Suichi was heading as he absorbed in the surroundings. They had turned on to a much more condensed road, though it was free of buildings on either side, allowing for an expanse of greenery to cover the area. Not like a forested area, but rather a park area. Suichi's choice of place had been to go to the pool for a swim, as it was an outdoor pool. With a quick look back at the two humans, Suichi quickly began waddling to pool, eager to get in as soon as possible.

With a shake of his head, Yuudai turned to face Tsuneko. “I should’ve guessed we would end up here. Or at a restaurant.” Looking around quickly, Yuudai spotted a free bench that was close enough to the pool that Yuudai would be able to see Suichi from his location. The first few time he came here, people gave odd looks at the penguin, but slowly over time, the pool-goers didn't take a second glance towards Suichi. Of course, having the creature identify with Yuudai made the transition faster.  “We could go sit down over there,” He nodded towards the bench, “As I doubt you expected to come to the pool today.” He certainly hadn’t. Seeing as how he just escaped a clan meeting and was on the streets right away, Yuudai hadn’t even had any food for a while. However, he could push it off for a while longer so as not to interrupt Suichi’s desire to swim. He would wait for Tsuneko to make the decision on whether they would sit or go closer towards the pool. Though he doubted the pool would be an option for them, seeing as how Suichi practically had the pool to himself. For people, they’d be a bit more inclined to avoid the pool during the autumn weather. “Aside from working at the hospital, anything else interesting happen in the time since we last met?” There wasn’t much Yuudai could think of to talk about. Mainly due to his personality and the fact that the person standing before him he’d only met once, five years ago, for a single afternoon. “Or should I ask again five years from now?” It was his slight attempt at humour, however horrible it was. He just wished it wouldn't destroyed this acquaintanceship; perhaps it could develop further. He recalled a person, a genin, from the time Yuudai took on a genin squad, telling him he should ‘loosen up’ or ‘liven up’, be less uptight. Easy to say, harder to do.

One of the results of the large size of Kirigakure and the main hospital there was that Tsuneko, though there often, did not personally have her hands in the care of every patient that came through their doors. Because of this and because they had only a vague acquaintanceship, she was not in attendance upon his return visit from Yukigakure nor had there been any reason for her to be made aware of it. So, while she knew that he was leaving parts of his story out, but she had no idea that they were parts which were so traumatizing. She refrained from asking further questions about it in the brief pause which followed her own exposition out of respect for his general privacy than out of a specific desire to spare him from having to rehash something he might prefer to forget.

Their stroll soon led them through a park and to a public pool. There were many of these around the village for most of the people of Kirigakure had an affinity towards water, and even if it was not an element that they utilized in their jutsu, swimming was a common pastime for the villagers. The oceans which surround the island country could be rather rough, and many of them preferred swimming in tamer waters. It appeared that that was exactly Suichi’s intentions as he hurried over to the water as quickly as his short legs could carry him. His behavior wasn’t a surprise, penguins being aquatic birds, but the reactions of those around them were .Though there were none in the pool with him, there were a number of villagers sharing the park with them. However, very few of the people seemed surprised at all to see the nonnative bird waddling about. In fact, some of the older folks, those people that had the look of being part of the landscape because they made visiting the park in the afternoon part of their daily routine, smiled indulgently at Suichi. Apparently, this wasn’t his first visit to the pool.

Yuudai confirmed as much as he turned to her, shaking his head. “That’s fine,” she agreed, referring to the bench which Yuudai had indicated. Although the weather was pleasant enough in the sunshine, the water would be on the cold side. Even if she brought swimming things with her in that bag instead of it just serving as a bat carrier, she would not have been particularly inclined to join the penguin’s aquatic revels. Instead, she made her way over to the bench and took a seat, expecting the young man to join her. He questioned her more on her antics, and as she had just been recalling what events had passed since the time that she’d last seen him, he made a joke about asking again in five years. She gave an amused little, “Hmph, maybe.”

Thinking for a moment about his question, she began, “Honestly, it sounds like your stories are far more interesting than mine. Trips to Kumogakure and Yukigakure? I actually haven’t had the time to travel since I was a fresh-faced little Genin.” She gave a little laugh at the remembrance of herself at that time. The circumstances of her trip had not been a positive one, for the only reason that she’d made the journey had been because the infrastructure of Kirigakure was in ruins due to the black flames which engulfed the city, and she had sought out refuge in the Hidden Leaf.  Rather, her amusement was resulting from other memories of her fifteen year old self and how big her concerns of, now trivial, matters had seemed at the time.

At the sound of her laugh, Wataru awakened fully from his dozing. Tsuneko had set her backpack in her lap when she had sat down on the bench to make room for Yuudai to sit beside her, and the vampire bat poked its head out from the pack, it’s upturned nose quivering as it sniffed the air. Two black eyes focused on the source of the smell which had followed them from their old location near the street to the park area which he now found himself in. Clearly unimpressed with Yuudai, the bat let out a reprimanding little squeak before using his little claws to clamber up the front of Tsuneko’s dress to reach his favorite perch on her shoulder so that he could glower at the young man, distaste clearly radiating off of the over-sized mammal. “Ah, and I met Wataru here a couple years ago. Wataru, this is Yuudai, a friend of mine.” Him being identified as a friend did little to improve Wataru’s opinion of the Aisu. Wataru was an extremely jealous creature and had a particular dislike for men. Though capable of speech, the bat did not bother with it, giving another disapproving squeak instead. Tsuneko, her face turned towards the bat, frowned slightly at his behavior, but did not correct him, as it was not particularly unusual for her companion, but apologized instead to Yuudai on his behalf. “I’m sorry. He, uh, doesn’t really like strangers.” To an onlooker, the whole situation would look so absurd as to be almost comical. An extraordinarily large bat, perched on a slim woman’s shoulder, staring down the well-known Sannin of Kirigakure in the warm sunlight of an autumn afternoon.

As per his invitation, Yuudai trailed slightly behind Tsuneko as she made her way towards the bench he had indicated just a minute ago. His slight jest at the time it took for them to meet again was regarded with an amused smile from Tsuneko, something he rarely received from his limited social actions. Finding it refreshing, Yuudai offered a more relaxed smile, one that wasn’t forced for politeness or to deceive, it was honest. Upon arriving by the bench, Tsuneko was the first to take a seat, setting her backpack gently upon her lap. Only once she had settled in to a seated position did Yuudai join her, sitting a respectful distance away; not wanting to break in to her personal space and knowing he wasn’t comfortable doing such either. His eyes trailed off towards the pool, seeing Suichi swimming about. Knowing the creature he called a companion, Yuudai knew that they’d be here for less than half an hour.

It was a habit of Suichi’s not to swim for too long, but also the creature’s awareness of the day Yuudai had so far. However, Suichi was never one to forgo his desires completely, knowing full well that the Sannin trusted him to behave. Besides, Yuudai wouldn’t have followed him to the pool if the Aisu clan head had a more pressing matter, such as satisfying his stomach. Suichi would follow Yuudai if he were to leave the park, though the Kenjutsu user often left Suichi indulge himself.

Yuudai caught the laugh that escaped Tsuneko as she stated that his stories were more interesting than her own; he had to disagree considering the circumstances surrounding his one-off visit to Yukigakure no Sato. While he still wasn’t familiar with the woman by his side, he liked to hear the sound of her laugh, a sound of joy that Yuudai preferred to hear from others, anyone really. In a world were nothing was certain, especially when considering the careers of shinobi and kunoichi, their lives could be at an end at any one moment, so to Yuudai, these kinds of days were the best. A day where he could relax and enjoy the peace, for however long it would last, was rare and often not found consistently.

From where he was sitting, looking towards the pool, Yuudai could barely see Tsuneko’s features, but he was able to see whatever movement came from her general direction. While nothing really happened for a while after they immediately sat down, shortly after Tsuneko’s small bout of laughter, a head popped out the backpack that she held. Two black, beady eyes were aimed in his direction, the sound of sniffing could be heard, as the creature seemed to recognize his scent. Now that he was aware that such a creature was around him this entire time, Yuudai wondered why he never bothered to sense the area for any chakra before shortly realizing he didn’t feel the need to be constantly on alert in his home village, even if an attack could come at any moment. Perhaps it was because he felt relaxed in the presence of Tsuneko, as he had enjoyed her company on the last time they had spent an afternoon together. The squeak that was released from the bat was short and not very deafening, yet the implication was practically radiating through the sound, along with the creatures body. As the creature began clawing its way up Tsuneko’s dress to reach her shoulder Yuudai assessed the creature’s physical characteristics and the answer came to him immediately, it wasn’t hard to classify the creature as a bat.

With the creature’s perception of Yuudai being aware to any passer-by, the beady eyes looking directly at him, Yuudai drew his eyes away to look towards the pool once again, just to make sure Suichi was still swimming, which he was. As Tsuneko introduced the vampire bat as Wataru, Yuudai’s eyes trailed back to both the woman and the bat, looking between them both with a slightly puzzled expression when she stated he was a friend. He supposed, he would prefer being a friend to Tsuneko rather than a simple acquaintance, thus relaxing his features in to a more neutral appearance. The introduction did little to change the bat’s perception of the Aisu Sannin, though he didn’t bother remedying that at all, instead he held silent for a few more moments as Tsuneko turned to face the bat. Her apologizing of the nocturnal animal’s behalf did little to ease things between Wataru and Yuudai, but Yuudai held calm. There was no point in him acting up against the creature, as it hadn’t done anything to him or Suichi.

After looking directly at the bat with a blank expression for a few more seconds, Yuudai looked towards Tsuneko, knowing she had no need to apologize. “There is no need for you to apologize. It’s fine.” Yuudai gave a polite small, hoping that it would ease the tension some, even a little bit. His eyes slowly went back to the pool, seeing Suichi still there, before travelling of a space a little ways off behind Tsuneko. He knew a bit about wary companions, Suichi being one of them when he first came back to Kiri. It took some time before Suichi was more open to completely trusting others. “Suichi was a bit similar in that regard when he first came to Kiri. He’s gotten better about it.” Yuudai wasn’t quite sure what to do at this moment. Wataru probably did not like Yuudai’s presence around him, though getting up and leaving was out of the question. He just did not want to leave, not right now at least. Wataru's distaste of Yuudai was something that he did take in to account, maybe it was best to cut this lovely afternoon short due to wanting to keep the bat relatively happy, and in relation, Tsuneko as well. Deciding it would be best, for the time being, to try and deflect the bat’s glaring, Yuudai went back to staring in the direction of the pool. After a moment, Yuudai began to ask the question that sprung to mind, “I’ve told you how I met Suichi,” He paused, knowing he didn’t tell her the entirety of the story, “I believe it’s only fair if you do the same.” His tone remained neutral, though with hint of wonder. He hadn’t ever really sat down with another person and just exchanged stories, even butchered ones, and tiny little tid-bits of life.

Perhaps her naming Yuudai as a friend was a bit of a stretch since this was only their second time in each other’s company in five years, but she thought well of him and wouldn’t mind getting to know him better where that was their relationship in truth rather than in a way to set Wataru at ease. Yuudai didn’t correct her overstatement, and surprisingly he seemed only puzzled than offended by the sudden awakening and subsequent appearance of her poorly mannered companion, offering a bit of reassurance that Suichi had been of a similar disposition. “Hmm… Maybe one day, then,” she said, hoping that Wataru’s firmly-set prejudices would ease up with time. The young woman reached up to stroke the dark fur along its back, a small attempt to reassure the bat. However, some fears were deeply ingrained in ones psyche, and it would take more than a comforting word or touch to change his opinion; in the years since meeting him she had tried multiple times with no real success.

When Yuudai questioned the nature of their meeting, his tone neutral, her thoughts wandered back through the years to a quiet night at the partially burned ruin of the Kaguya Temple.


Tsuneko came here often just to think. As she wandered the marble halls, the signs of what had caused the clan to abandon this place were clear upon its walls. She reached up, her hand pale against the soot stained marble as she ran her hand across the ruined wall. It was funny; there were rumors about there being ghosts among these ruins, but she had never seen any signs of such being the case. If there were any ghosts seen among these walls, it was most likely that they had seen her, with her fair skin and long white hair it would not have been a stretch to think that someone would imagine her to be a spirit from those days before Amaterasu savaged so much of Kirigakure. There were ghosts here, but only the ones that haunted her dreams still. Screams that had followed her as she had vaulted from her window to flee the burning building; screams which she had never been able to escape, no matter how many years passed.

The girl of eighteen had traveled the empty halls, still familiar from her memories of growing up within them, and eventually found herself in one of the old meeting rooms. Cut into one of the walls was a large window which looked out onto the wildness which had replaced the beautiful courtyard which she had played in as a child. Her thoughts turned sentimental as she envisioned what this place had been before. She had tried to rebuild it, but the cost of importing the huge amount of marble that it would require was not one that their small clan could afford with all of their other losses, and her pet project had been abandoned. Leaning against the wall opposite of the window, she allowed herself to slide down until she was sitting with her back to it. Her violet eyes and the red marks of her clan were the only bits of color in a face that had been bleached white by the moonlight shining on her.

Her reveries were abruptly interrupted when a dark form went flying through that window. Startled, she only had time to recognize that the creature’s flight seemed off before it failed to bank hard enough before reaching the wall behind her, struck the marble hard with one wing, and fell haphazardly into her lap. The bat cried out, a sound which did not have words but clearly expressed pain nonetheless, and lay there trembling, unable to right itself. The strangeness of the situation was not lost on her but neither was she stunned by it and immediately ascertained by their unnatural shape that the delicate bones in his wing were broken. It was hard not to be sympathetic to a creature so obviously in pain, and she resolved to do what she could to help him.

She had carried the bat to Kirigakure’s hospital and subsequently repaired the bones in his wing, only later, upon recalling his disorientation and seeking out the cause of such behavior, realizing that the more dangerous affliction that faced the mammal was not his broken bones but a poison that he had gotten into. Unfortunately, his exposure had been such that she was not able to simply purge his body of the toxin. Having already invested so much time in the bat and feeling responsible to see him fully recovered, she took him home with her and nursed him back to health as his body went through being detoxed. Eventually he recovered enough to be conscious of his surroundings.

“What did you get yourself into, little one?” she asked one day, talking to herself. “It was that damn farmer,” came a weak voice. Tsuneko was surprised to hear the creature who had previously just expressed himself in distressed squeaks, more of an animal’s expression of pain than any attempt to communicate. With her encouragement, the bat tersely described how a famer had purchased a previously unused tract of land by their caves and his fury when he discovered the colony’s bites upon his livestock; a blood offering that they saw as their right since he had trespassed into their territory. Not bothering to try and speak with the sentient colony, he came in to their cave wielding poison gas, determined to exterminate them. Wataru was young and strong and was able to gather enough of his wits about him to try to escape, but the disorientation, a side-effect from the gas, resulted in him losing himself within the cave, unable to make sense of what his echolocation was trying to tell him. Eventually he escaped and mistook the marble walls of the Temple for another cave, which was where his flight met its abrupt conclusion in the form of a collision with the wall.

Tsuneko had sought out his cave the next day and found only the corpses of a hundred or so bats littering the cave floor, the rest of his colony wiped out. As furious as she was at the tragic sight, there was nothing that she could do, no retribution that she could seek. Vampire bats were seen as pests, and though his method was brutal, the farmer would not be held as at fault for ridding his land of pests in whatever way he saw fit. Wataru, when he was well enough to fly, left one night and a short time later there was talk of how the farmer’s herd had suddenly all contracted rabies at once and how the man was ruined, unable to sell the tainted meat; Tsuneko never asked about Wataru’s involvement or how such a thing could have been accomplished, and Wataru never mentioned the incident. Though the situation had further lowered his opinion of the human race as a whole and inspired a deep mistrust of their males, it had resulted in a close bond between Tsuneko and the bat. With the loss of his colony, he clung to the young woman, deciding to remain with her throughout whatever life might bring them.


Tsuneko glanced at Wataru, wondering if he would like to tell it, but he made it clear that he had no interest in talking with the man. So she began, "He...kinda just fell into my lap one night. Wataru had a run-in with a farmer who didn't want a bat colony so close to his livestock, and the man decided to remedy the situation with some poison gas." Her hand continued stroking the bat's fur as she continued. "Wataru decided that he liked my company enough to stick around for a bit, and he's been my companion since. I guess it's been... a little over two years now," she concluded thoughtfully. 'Constant companion' would have been a better way of describing their relationship. It was extremely rare for them to be apart when she wasn't in surgery or he wasn't out hunting. Used to a colony of over a hundred bats, he now had only Tsuneko for company, and he craved that closeness at all times; it was enough that she had decided to carry the backpack most everywhere, just for his convenience. It had been hard to explain to Wataru that no, he couldn't cling to her scrubs when she went into patients' rooms. They got strange enough looks just sitting on this bench, which didn't bother Tsuneko, not as it once might have, but hospital policy was not going to budge on the bat accompanying her into all areas.

Her thoughts going back to Yuudai, she remembered what he had mentioned in passing. "Did you say that it was either here or a restaurant? Please don't let me keep you two from your dinner; I'm sure between all of your duties you must have had a busy day. I was just so surprised to see you simply walking by after all this time," she offered politely, giving him an 'out'. There was an honesty to her concern for she truly did not mean to make him postpone his dinner and also an understanding of how her companion often made people feel, knowing that it would be too discouraging for some people. Yuudai may be too polite himself to be showing it blatantly, but she sensed that he was less than comfortable with the way Wataru was acting; it was not an uncommon sentiment. As pleasant as it had been to have a surprise reunion, her loyalty to Wataru would come before other relationships, and this would not be the first time that she had had to forgo a friendship because of it, though it would not be without some regret for missed connections.

He took note of the few facts that were given to him regarding Tsuneko’s meeting with the vampire bat, the creature that seemed to display a certain dislike towards him. Though, he couldn’t really do much, nor could he blame the creature of his distrust based on the story provided. It seemed that a single individual, a male at that, had taken it upon himself to rid a bat colony without a second regard. While the wonder of how the creature survived the poison gas came to mind, it was sated rather quickly. Just drawing a few conclusions alone, it would have been likely that Tsuneko was the one who had cared and cured the bat of that poison, she did work regularily at the hospital, thus likely was able to procure a remedy to help Wataru. With a nod of understanding as she finished, Yuudai’s eyes trailed over to the bat, just to assess it again, seeing if anything truly struck his eye about the bat, though there was nothing that could’ve changed within the last minute.

“Well, I suppose it’s nice to meet you, Wataru.” He didn’t expect a reply from the bat, likely due to its display so far. With a quick scan of the surroundings, just scan each chakra, Yuudai knew exactly where Suichi was right now. Suichi was a constant change for Yuudai. Before meeting Suichi Yuudai had often been stuck doing the same routines on a consistent basis; now he was always up for a slight surprise from Suichi, depending on what he wanted to do. Of course, there were often times where Suichi just preferred to laze about the entire day. If Yuudai had been able to describe the creature based off of one word, it would easily be eccentric. Even the days where Suichi attempted to annoy Yuudai, the Sannin enjoyed those days equally.

As Tsuneko spoke up once again, mentioning his earlier statement of where Suichi would likely lead them, he recalled not having eaten for a few hours, thus being hungry. The way in which she phrased the statement allowed him to have an escape, though an escape from what, he wasn’t entirely sure. He enjoyed her company, that was for sure, but he supposed that she could, potentially, have another engagement to attend to and he was keeping her from attending to it. He tried to recall her saying if she had the rest of the day free or not, yet he couldn’t recall a single instance. Perhaps, it was due to the friction between himself and the bat, Wataru. It was one thing in the air that he could sense, though he was on the receiving end of it. Saying he wasn’t uncomfortable would be telling a lie, yet he didn’t mind the bat at all, just his manner.

“Fortunately, my duties are done for today.” Just as he finished speaking Suichi came waddling back towards them, the pavement darkening with the bits of water still lingering on the penguin’s body. He looked towards Suichi, just a glance to see if everything was fine, though he knew it would be. Looking back towards Tsuneko and Wataru, he wasn’t sure how he should introduce Suichi to Wataru. After all the bat had a certain dislike towards him, though it likely extended to more people than just him, that much he was certain of. As Suichi stopped beside Yuudai’s side of the bench, the penguin turned its head to face Tsuneko, now assessing the bat. “I suppose I should introduce Suichi again.” He paused, not sure how Wataru would react towards Suichi. “This is Suichi, my companion.” He’d wait for Tsuneko to introduce Wataru to Suichi, since he didn’t want to provoke the bat.

After that, Yuudai quickly traced back to the conversation before Suichi’s return. “Ah, we’ll most likely be going to get some food, it’s been some time since our last meal. We didn’t really have any plans set forth once I finished my duties today. You’re welcome to join us, if you want.” He hesitated, questioning himself if he was encroaching too much. Waiting a few seconds, hesitating before he spoke again, “Of course, if you have any prior engagements, don’t hesitate to attend to them.” Now that the words were out of his mouth and thinking about them, he basically restated what Tsuneko had said, giving her a way ‘out’.

“Well, I suppose it’s nice to meet you, Wataru.” The bat did not acknowledge his words. In fact, he went out of his way to make it clear that Yuudai was no longer worthy of his attention; Wataru turned away, his dark little eyes taking in the park as he looked anywhere but directly at Yuudai, he pretended to ignore the Sannin. It was purposefully rude, but it was about as well-behaved as he ever was around men, so Tsuneko didn’t chide him over it. As someone who had always been carefully polite, even overly-so when she had been a young Genin, Wataru’s behavior had been something to get used to. It was not that he behaved this way when he was alone around her; he was actually very loving and caring towards her. No, it was the impression that he left on others as a result of his mannerisms, and the fact that he was of a species that humans, almost across the board, were uncomfortable around versus a poorly trained puppy, for instance, certainly didn’t help. However he was not some pet to be taught to ‘sit’ and ‘beg’; his personality was his own, and while she encouraged better manners, there was a line where she, and whoever shared her company, had to accept that he was who he was. Though they were like family, he was a separate entity from her…even if his frequent presence made some question that truth.

As he replied to her statement about keeping  him from some prior engagement, it was almost as though Suichi had sensed the direction their conversation was going in. ‘Or, perhaps, they have a closer connection than I thought,’ she considered, wondering idly about the nature of the penguin and the young man’s relationship. She had not seen his signal the bird, but then, it also could simply be a coincidence. Suichi turned his silent regard onto Wataru as Yuudai began the introductions. There was a pause when she wasn’t certain if he would also introduce the bat, but he left it at just naming Suichi, so she filled in the second half. “And Suichi, this is Wataru, my companion.” One long-fingered hand swept up, the palm turned upwards, as she indicated the bat which still crouched upon her shoulder. It had taken some getting used to, introducing a creature that was capable of doing so himself, but he rarely felt inclined to speak with anyone else, regardless of their species; it would have been odder to not give him an introduction at all. Wataru’s upturned nose twitched curiously as he sniffed the air; he had noticed the creature in the water moments earlier, but he had not seen Suichi up close and had never seen another of that species. Only a brief moment passed before his furred head did a little dip in acknowledgment of Suichi. It wasn’t exactly a warm welcome, but for the bat, it was a more cordial one than could generally be expected when meeting a stranger; normally, they went a bit more like Yuudai’s had.

The introductions passing without incident, Yuudai had continued, welcoming her to join them for dinner and then making an excuse for her if she’d prefer not to… just as she had just done for him. “I’d love to join you,” she assured him, a warm smile brightening her features. Violet eyes shifted down to look at the bat, addressing him, “Are you going to join us, Wataru, or are you going to go get some dinner of your own?” Being a vampire bat, Wataru drank blood, something that was rarely kept on tap at any of Kirigakure’s restaurants. During his convalescence, she had supplied him with a diet of cow’s blood, purchased from the butcher after some convincing and more than a few odd looks. Now that he was fully recovered, he generally hunted for his own dinner, often during the evenings versus at full night, another result of his association with her instead of with other bats, and the day had slipped away without her notice; it was about that time now.

“I’ll eat later. I don’t want to leave you alone with… him,” Wataru spoke softly, his mouth already right by Tsuneko’s ear by the nature of his impromptu perch; particularly sharp hearing would be necessary for another to make out his words. The bat didn’t deign to name Yuudai, but the subject of the pronoun ‘him’ was obvious. Tsuneko nodded in response, used to his over-protectiveness. Speaking to Yuudai again, she added, “It looks like we’ll both be coming.” There was a brief pause as the afterthought came. “That is, if you don’t mind.” There was a little apologetic flicker in her expression; she was so used to his company that she assumed that any invitation was for them as a pair, but she wasn’t sure if Yuudai had meant it to be as such. “It doesn’t matter if he minds or not. I’m not leaving,” Wataru commented in the same whispered tone into Tsuneko’s, his voice at once sounding both firm and petulant. She didn’t reply to him, used to the constant running commentary in her ear, as she waited for Yuudai's response.

Suichi had taken it upon himself to be neither welcoming nor interested in meeting Wataru, as though he could sense the tension that was coursing through the air around the bench. As such, Suichi didn’t bother nodding his head, or even inspecting the bat, as to deem him worthy of his time, for the time being. To Suichi, it was initially confusion on his part, as he had seen the nice white-haired lady be friendly towards Yuudai. As he was walking back – waddling rather – the confusion was present, until he caught a glimpse of another… thing in the presence of the two humans. Knowing that was the only change from how things were when he had left them, Suichi immediately came to the conclusion that the tension that wrung about was all solely on the one who wasn’t present before. However, seeing the nice white-haired lady accept the bats presence upon her shoulder, gave Suichi the idea that the two knew each other, thus he decidedly went with only acknowledging the creature.

Yuudai, on his part, had taken to slightly nudge the penguin, just let Suichi know that it was best to behave himself. Yuudai had come to a few conclusions, internally, yet none of which he could completely confirm as to what would be the most likely of outcomes. Instead, his attention drifted to that matter ahead, his invitation for a dinner to Tsuneko, and by proximity, Wataru. Once Tsuneko had confirmed that she would dine with him – and Suichi – it was just a matter of moments before she turned towards Wataru, asking what the creature would be doing. Considering their conversation a private matter, Yuudai slowly pushed himself off the bench and crouching down in front of Suichi, ruffling his head for a few moments. Once Tsuneko had spoken up once more, this time, informing him that Wataru would be accompanying them, Yuudai just idly nodded and stood up straight. Between the four of them, it seemed that there was an understanding of Wataru’s dislike towards the Sannin, though none bothered to comment upon the issue, something which was likely a better idea than bringing the issue to the forefront of things. Yuudai could easily accept the bats presence, and simply choose to avoid further aggravating Wataru. That was the simple part. He just didn’t know if the bat would do something during the occasion, but so long as the bat just kept to simple, harmless glares, the Sannin wouldn’t mind a bit. The glares of the bat were a lot easier to deal with when compared to the events he went through years ago.

He turned to face Tsuneko and Wataru, waiting for them – Tsuneko – to stand up so they could move about once again. “Of course, it’s no issue. I had originally assumed you both would be joining us.” Yuudai turned his gaze back to the direction they had originally came from, knowing it would be the closest route to get back to the village center and finding their way from there wouldn’t be far too difficult. Then, with his eyes back on Tsuneko, he offered her a small smile, a typical one for Yuudai. “Do you, or Wataru, have any preference as to where to eat?” As he asked the question, a memory of the past came, something that reminded him of a similar event that happened just as today. While the circumstances had changed and there were another two individuals – a bat and a penguin – involved, Yuudai could fairly recall an event – the last time he had met Tsuneko – where a similar conversation had sprung about. Of course, back then, it was Tsuneko wondering what she would have for dinner. This time, Yuudai hadn’t decided where they would eat entirely, though he had a few ideas which could possibly please all parties. Suichi preferred fish, given by the nature of the aquatic bird. As for Wataru, Yuudai could only assume the exact species of bat, so it wasn’t entirely helpful if he was wrong. Best to let Tsuneko give her input before deciding completely. The only times he had to take another’s opinion of where to eat was with his mother and Suichi. Figuring out Suichi was simple. His mother, while she enjoyed most food, was rather exclusive of the restaurants she visited.

Once Tsuneko would provide a reply, Yuudai would begin to slowly turn and walk in the direction of a place that he deemed acceptable, unless Tsuneko had a desire to visit a specific establishment. His steps would be slow; easy enough for her to fall in to step with, as Suichi would trail behind, this time. Mainly to watch the bat, yet also not 100% knowing where they would be going. Of course, Suichi could simply take the lead and go to wherever he pleased, yet the flightless bird knew that it was best to just follow for the time being.

Tsuneko was more or less fine with Wataru determining the nature of his own relationships, that being said, she would immediately jump to his defense if he was threatened, but she did not care very much, one way or the other, when the penguin did little more than acknowledge her bat. If they were honest, Wataru basically had no social skills, and Tsuneko’s was the only company he had happily kept since then loss of his colony; it was understood that others generally only tolerated the unfriendly bat for her sake, and it did not bother Wataru in the least.

When Yuudai straightened from his kneeling before the penguin, Tsuneko did as well, rising from her seat on the bench. She nodded in response to his assurance that the invitation was meant for two, the hesitancy in her movements gone along with that bit of uncertainty. Her backpack, which had previously been sitting in her lap was now in her hands, and she subsequently shouldered it again, without regard for her companion’s perch. The move was no surprise to the bat, and he spread his membranous wings and took to the air just long enough for the woman to settle the bag on her back before alighting upon the canvas instead of the mostly bare shoulder which he had occupied previously. They had learned early on in their relationship that it was much more comfortable for the both of them if Wataru’s sharp little claws dug into fabric instead of her skin, so whenever they went out she carried the little bag with her to give him something sturdier than her clothes to cling to.

“Not really, what are you two in the mood for tonight?” she answered his query about what cuisine they’d prefer for both of them. She was not a picky eater, and Wataru would not be eating regardless of where they went. Now that he was able to hunt for himself once more, he preferred to take his meals from living hosts, cattle was a favorite of his which had ended up being at the root of his colony’s troubles with the local farmer. Even if that was not the case, although almost all restaurants in a hidden village welcomed a shinobi’s animal companion, it would be awkward to be ordering up a bowl of blood. If they even had such a thing handy in the kitchen, it made so many people uncomfortable, that it would cause more trouble than it was worth.

As Yuudai began taking the path back to the village, Tsuneko easily fell into step with him, the pace he considerately set accommodated her shorter leg length. Although she had grown a few inches since they had last met, he still had atleast six inches of height over her. They were enough alike in mannerisms that she found herself feeling very at ease in his company and was content to simply follow along wherever he led them. Wataru was another story. While he had stopped muttering complaints in her ear once it was clear that she was going to ‘make’ him spend time with this man, he had taken it upon himself to keep an eye on the Sannin and make sure that he didn't make any aggressive movements towards them. Occasionally his furry head would swivel to keep track of Suichi, but he clearly regarded Yuudai as the bigger threat to his Tsuneko.

Perhaps today was a good day when he compared it to all the other days in the past few months he had. Everything had been monotonous; nothing truly happening that would change from a day to day basis. Yet all it took was a walk outside and a chance meeting for Yuudai to rediscover that there could be various changes to his day if he did something other than just the tasks he needed to complete as the days went on. Glancing over to his companion, Tsuneko – and Wataru by association, Yuudai smiled faintly. It wasn’t often that he spent his free time with someone other than Suichi or his mother, thus he enjoyed this change of pace that life provided for him at the current time.

His steps remained slow, not out of hesitance but rather wanting to enjoy the day for what it was. He pondered as to what they could eat, as he hadn’t had the faintest clue on where to go. Not having to worry about the specifics as to what Wataru would need to eat, Yuudai’s main concern went to the specifics of what Tsuneko would enjoy or not enjoy when it came to food. Having limited meetings with the white-haired female, Yuudai was a bit lost as to where to go. His solution arrived in his constant companion, Suichi. Knowing exactly what Suichi would want, like most days, Yuudai had decided it best to appease a sole party instead of disappointing everyone. Yuudai was fine with most foods, thus his choice of going to a sushi restaurant was fine with himself. As for Tsuneko, that was a question mark entirely. He supposed, living in a village surrounded by water with an abundant amount of fish available, that sushi would be something she found enjoyable. As for Wataru, well Yuudai was still at a loss, for he wasn’t well versed in the knowledge of the different species of bats and their specific diets.

As they would continue to walk, Yuudai would turn his head to look towards Tsuneko, briefly taking a glance towards Wataru, he stated where they would be going, knowing full well that it would please Suichi. “I suppose we’ll be getting sushi then.” As he said this, he noticed Suichi change his steps from his usual waddle to have a bit more of a jump, as if he was skipping – if penguins of his stature could truly skip. His eyes trailed back to Suichi, glad that he could make the penguin happy for the time being, even if Suichi’s mood changed far too much during the day. Having to take his eyes off Suichi to get back on to the path ahead, Yuudai kept walking in line with Tsuneko, though know he’d have to guide them to the specific place itself, as he hadn’t stated which restaurant they would be going to. “I hope you don’t object to sushi. As you can see,” Yuudai gestured towards Suichi’s general direction as the penguin began to speed up a bit, almost caught up between Yuudai and Tsuneko’s heels, “Suichi really wants sushi.” Reading a penguins expressions could be a bit difficult, but the aura radiating off Suichi was more than enough for the untrained eye to notice that the creature was rather excited.

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