Catching Up (Hikari)

Salzem waited near the entrance of the Village Market place having sent his message to Hikari. He had completed his daily rounds, did his shift at the gates and all that was left was some r&r with a friend he hadn't seen in nearly a year and a half. The letter he sent asked her to come here so they could grab some food, talk about old times and, of course, catch up on what they both had missed when they were separated. Needless to say, Salzem was excited to spend time with his old friend. After meeting up with her at the graveyard and having their touching reunion, it was all he could really think about. As far as he was concerned, she was his family now with blood hardly being the binding factor. She treated him as a friend rather than a traitor the moment he returned, was kind and gentle when she didn't have to be, she accepted him back without a moment's hesitation and that was something the lycanthrope would never forget.

It was around 2 pm with the sun high in the sky and the birds chirping in the wind. It was a cool enough day, the breeze comfortable upon his pale skin. It was one of the things he still relished as a luxury despite having been back in Konoha for several days. He was still remembering where everything was and what had changed, sometimes shocked to find that something was still there or that the seat of power had been shifted. The new Hokage for example, Someone named Kurisu that Salzem had never heard of or even met before clearing his name. When he returned, he expected to see Jason, but it wasn't long before he found out that he was dead as well. It was scary, really. Not the man, no, he was reasonable, but that just everyone in Konoha he had interacted with before he left was either dead or missing. Hikari was one of the few exceptions and NOTHING was ever going to hurt her now that he was back and able to do something about it.

His intensely serious vow notwithstanding, Salzem was going to be casual for once in his life, spending a good few hours with his closest friend as if there wasn't a care in the world, as if the majority of people Salzem loved weren't dead. The sanguine-eyed ninja glanced around the village surrounding him (even the roofs) to see any sign of his friend. He wondered if she finished her work yet...

The Konohagakure Hospital was coming alive, filled with chatter from the nurses and doctors, as patients came in and out of the hospital having been thoroughly examined. The art of medical ninjutsu was mastered only by the most elite of shinobi, those who spend all their time caring for the rest of the village. They were the saviors during wars, and the heroes to children when they get hurt. 

A certain elitist, Hikari, was just clocking out, her shift for the day having ended, and pulled out a letter by her dear friend, Salzem. It told her to meet him at the entrance to the Village's Market place, as they were to have lunch and catch up on what the other has done since their last meeting over a year and a half ago. She was giddy with excitement to be able to reminisce with her old pal, although with every happy tale there was bound to be sorrowful times. Those moments she was not happy to recollect, even though they are a part of the shinobi life.

Hikari, with her black as night, red eyes glaring wolf companion by her side, made her way through the throng of civilians to the Market Place. With a gentle breeze keeping her cool from the afternoon sun, the Hyuuga spotted Sal, his crimson eyes scanning the vicinity for what she presumed to be herself.

"Sal!"  She exclaimed gleefully as she approached him, grinning from ear to ear at their second reunion since his return to Konoha. Kuro barked, his tail wagging just slightly, as his way of greeting.

"Hikari!" He greeted, pulling his friend into a hug. That was something that would never grow old... It was something he longed to do with the whole of his group before he got back. Now there was only her and she deserved every bit of his affection. He'd pull away after a few seconds, rubbing the wolf's head gently if it allowed. "So, Ready to go?" He asked and, if she agreed, they would make their way into the district. There were many places to eat today. Places ranging from Ramen Houses to grills to the occasional salad bar and Ice-cream stand. Maybe he'd hit one of those up after their main course. After passing a long line of stalls and such, they came to one of Salzem's old favorites: A Ramen-House/Grill combo, a place the lycan had frequented before he had left Konoha. Ah, the smells brought back memories... With Hikari's approval, they would head inside, ducking under the flags that served as a door on their way in. Upon entering the rather dark establishment, they would be greeted by a well-dressed young man, their waiter, a person Salzem had not seen the last time he was here. Perhaps he was one of those newer employees the shop hired while he was out.

Even though Salzem didn't know him, the man's face spoke volumes that he knew the Lycan. It was a sort of disdain that showed whenever they weren't in direct eye-contact, when the waiter knew he wasn't looking. It was.... disconcerting, to say the least. Nevertheless, hidden hatreds or no, Salzem's wallet was as good as any and he offered no resistance to showing them to their table, a small side booth for 2, illuminated by the glow of the hot coals in the center. The waiter passed each of them a menu to browse, pausing only a moment too long before returning to his post at the front. Salzem would look up at Hikari and sigh, offering a smile of apology before going through his menu. There were several dishes he hadn't noticed before or perhaps that were added, even some vegetarian dishes sprinkled in there. The grilled peppers especially caught his eye... Making a decision, he folded his menu back up and slipped it over to the edge of the table, signaling he was ready. He returned his gaze to Hikari across from him, a small grin on his face.

"So! Hows my former student been doing? Surely you have some exciting stories to tell in a year's time?"

The kunoichi happily embraced her dearest friend, her arms wrapped around him in a gentle hug. She still could not fathom him being there, in the flesh. Hikari felt like it was a dream, and that at any moment he would vanish once again. But the way he spoke, and the fiery look in his eyes, made her believe it to be false. They were family after all, in ever sense of the word; no matter what happened, they would be there for one another. Pulling away from their embrace, Salzem rubbed Kuro's head. Had it been any one else, the wolf would have quickly snapped at their hand, digging his razor sharp teeth into their flesh. Since it was Sal, however, the wolf sat there, enjoying his mini head massage as Salzem's fingers ran through his fur.

Hearing his question about if she was ready to go, Hikari smiled as she replied, "Yes I am!" Then they made their way into the district, Salzem taking the lead and guiding them through the throng of people. Having never taken in the view of the village district, she was amazed to see all the restaurants and stalls the district had to offer. There were ramen shops, bbq/grill restaurants, the occasional flower or jewelry shop, and many more. She could hardly think to herself over the roar of the crowd, and the aroma from the food stalls made her mouth salivate a little more than normal. Eventually they arrived at their destination, a ramen and grill shop restaurant. 

Ducking through the cloth "doors", Hikari gazed around the room, her eyes adjusting to the darkened environment. The servers were well dressed, elegant looking, just as the restaurant itself was. Their waiter, a young man who seemed kind, greeted them and lead them to a booth. As she settled into the leather seat, the waiter handed the menus and paused just a moment longer than necessarily. This puzzled Hikari, and what made it even worse was when he left, Salzem gave her an apologetic look and sighed. Then, as he picked up his menu, she did the same, not quite sure what to order, as this was her first appearance to this establishment. 

It took what seemed like seconds for Salzem to decide what he wanted, while Hikari still struggled. She could be quite indecisive sometimes, especially when it came to food. Everything appealed to her, from the ramen to the grilled steak or pork. A few seconds later, after finally making up her mind, she set her own menu down and was prepared to answer his question.

"I've been doing great! Been working at the hospital and enhancing my skills. I've learned a few new jutsu since we last saw each other, as well." She took a moment to pause, pondering on his second question. She wasn't sure if anything interesting had really happened, or if he would find them to be exciting. Scratching the back of her head, she laughed a little as she said, "Haha uhm...I don't really know if anything exciting has happened? What about you Sal, how have you been? And any exciting stories you'd like to share?"

Salzem nodded as he listened to Hikari explain her life in no great detail. She said that all was well (considering) and that she had been enhancing her skills and working at the hospital. Somehow, it wasn't that hard to imagine Hikari working with the medical ninja, helping along the wounded to recovery. He quietly imagined his friend in one of those uniforms the nurses would wear... The image made him smile in pure amusement. He doubted Hikari would actually dawn the uniform. Most ninja simply kept to their combat garbs on healing duty, but it was a laughable image nonetheless. He smiled a little wider when she remarked she had learned a few new jutsu since their last encounter. Sparring with Hikari was something he hadn't really done except for one time and since then surely her strength and power had increased dramatically. That... or she had been slacking on her actual training in which case, Salzem would need to take over as her teacher again. The thought made him smile, this one more of warmth and nostalgia. He remembered the days of his students when they were all alive, that they all had fun training together and learning... It seemed so long ago... They all seemed so young back then... Thats how one knew the world had taken it's toll: when one feels like 2 years was 20. Hikari seemed to contemplate Salzem's second question before she rubbed the back of her head in a sheepish manner. She laughed nervously as she confessed that she didn't have anything extremely interesting to tell. He chuckled at that, but the laugh eventually died on his lips before it reached its climax. At Hikari's question, he gave her somewhat of a weak grin before looking down at the table in front of them.

"I...... I've been better...." He confessed, the deaths of everyone still sent him reeling. No tears came to his eyes nor was there anything he could describe as "pain", rather, he still couldn't believe this is real. All he felt was something of a dull pressure in his lower chest, as if something were trying to push its way out. Strange. When Hikari asked if he had any interesting adventures to share, he chuckled a bit. The last two years were nothing but adventure and might be considered interesting to some. Hell, he might even write a book or something recounting his life, use that as his primary source of income instead of this ninja-ing business but right now, it was something he sorely wanted to forget. He just wanted the whole thing behind him so he didn't have to peer into the eyes of the dead with the self-blame he conjured to justify their deaths. Hikari was a curious one, though, and he'd hate to lie to her and say he had been through nothing interesting either. With a deep breath, he swallowed his hollow-self and summoned a grin.

"Sure!" He said, slapping his palms on the table for emphasis. "Have you ever seen a wolf-man? Nah, I don't mean those Inazuka who have dog-teeth... but a real live werewolf?" His eyes sparkled a little as he spoke adding a dramatic flare.

The waiter returned not a moment after Salzem spoke, his gentlemanly/professional smile plastered on his face. He would take both of their orders, first Hikari's, than Salzem's. The Lycan asked for 5 of the filled peppers, hot sauce on the side, and, with both their orders in place, the waiter disappeared again, this time to the kitchen. Salzem watched him go, curious why he didn't display his subtle distaste like he did before. Probably got chewed out by his boss or something. He turned his attention back to his friend, his smile widening before leaning back in his chair.

"Well.... lets just say I'm not the same guy as when I left." He said slyly.

Hearing Salzem chuckle and seeing him grin reminded Hikari of the times long ago, back when all of their friends were breathing. It hit them both tremendously hard to hear the news of their late friends. Hikari detected Salzem's grief quickly from his body language and tone, although it was a small relief to see he was not shedding any tears. She herself was till taken aback by their deaths, but she kept her emotions inside, under a tight lock and key. To make it in the harsh, cruel world, one had to be free of any bias' or emotional ties, lest they appear weak in front of those who are superior.

The moment fleeted, however, leaving Hikari with Salzem chuckling softly at his inner thoughts before taking a deep breath, as if he was conjuring up the courage to be strong, and he flashed her a grin. He told her that he did in fact have an interesting story to tell, prominently slamming his palms onto the table. He asked her if she had ever seen a true wolf-man, not just an Inuzuka. Before she could even blink, the waiter came by again and took their orders. Hikari ordered shrimp nigiri, kashmiri tea, grilled pork (for Kuro), and water (also for Kuro), while Salzem ordered five filled peppers with hot sauce on the side. The Hyuuga could not wrap her head around how he could enjoy all the spicy food, but to each their own she supposed.

With the waiter gone, Salzem smiled widely as he leaned back in his chair. He mentioned not being the same guy as when he left, and Hikari got the feeling he was referring to his earlier statement of a wolf-man. It was hard to hide the young girls excitement, as wolves were her favorite animal. Even Kuro perked his ears up to listen in on what was going on.

"Wait...are you saying you somehow became half..wolf while you were away? How?" She tried to keep her voice a little lower, in case he didn't want anyone around them to hear this private information.

Hikari leaned in close as if they were in the middle of a private conversation. Salzem could see the wonder in her eyes, the restrained excitement. He had expected her to be extremely dubious or even for her to question his credibility but it seemed that he had managed to get her hopes up with his statement. It was unexpected, but it only made him smile warmly. He was happy that someone harbored something other than horror or sarcasm towards his new form. It made him feel more.... welcome?

"Something like that." He agreed, glancing around the restaurant around them, making sure there was no one watching. Besides them, there seemed to be no one else here, at lease, none that he could see, hear or smell. "Here, let me demonstrate." Salzem reached out an arm, slightly upturned as if he were asking for Hikari's hand. A second later, his arm began to pulse, twitch and convulse, extending forward as his muscles began to swell. White fur sprouted over his arm as his nails arced from his fingers, sharpening into claws that could shred the table should he will it. Instead of a regular human arm, a limb that crossed man and wolf reached out towards Hikari, the back of his large pointer and middle fingers stroking her cheek gently. How such a twisted, gnarled perversion of humanity could be so gentle, it was hard to say. He was careful to keep his claws curled inward towards his palm, away from Hikari's cheeks or her soft white hair. Even running them up against her was a danger of cutting.

"I would show a bit more but... uh... people find me disturbing..." He smiled sheepishly, looking off to the side towards the interior of the restraint. To his surprise, there, beside the table, was the waiter, their dishes in hand without any indication of his being there. He wasn't staring at Salzem's arm, rather, he was once again staring at the man himself, that look of distaste on his face. The lycan didn't bother to even retract his arm in the face of this man. He was feeling rebellious. The lycan kept his hand where it was unless Hikari moved it, returning the silent glare. One could sense the tension between them grow, reaching its climax only for a second before he placed their respective dishes in front of them and disappeared back to his post.

"Weird guy..." Salzem grumbled, his arm returning back to it's normal size and length. "Usually they just throw stuff but him...." He appeared lost in thought, looking back in the direction the guy came from. It was only after his vision drifted back in Hikari's direction did he snap back into reality. He forced a laugh. "Uh... people still haven't gotten over me being gone..." He rolled his eyes, acting as if he couldn't care less. He picked his fork and knife up in his hands, holding them over his peppers. "People are weird sometimes." He smiled strangely and began to eat his peppers. Although it wasn't visibly obvious by how ravenously he ate, that little display had taken away his appetite. This was supposed to be his home now right? Why were people being this way?

Salzem confirmed her excited suspicions about being part wolf as as he smiled and said he was something of the sorts to her half wolf question. Hikari noted Salzem surveyed their surroundings, and she got the feeling he was about to show her exactly what he meant by 'something like that'. Once the coast was clear, he extended his arm out with the inner portion of it facing upward slightly. Her pupils dilated and her eyes widened as Salzem's arm started to pulse rhythmically, shifting and becoming covered in snow-white fur. His fingernails grew threateningly long and sharp, able to kill a man in one mighty swing of his wrist. His arm, neither that of a man nor wolf but of a lycan, reached out to her, gently caressing her cheek, his fur strikingly soft against her skin. It reminded her of how Kuro's own fur felt; fluffy, smooth, familiar. Hikari noted how delicate he was being, having tucked his dangerous claws in to not harm her fragile visage.

Before she could speak up, Salzem spoke, mentioning how he wished he could show her more but that people found him disturbing. At first she was quizzical as to why people who be disgusted at him, but then she remembered that she was unlike many people. Most would have shuttered away at his touch, even just the thought of him sending them to the edge. As was the case with the waiter it seemed, with his blank stare burning through Salzem. The aforementioned lycan stared daggers at the waiter, challenging him to say something, his hand still outstretched on her cheek. The tension between the two males grew heavy, and she momentarily thought about cutting in and talking but the waiter ended his staring to set down their dishes before briskly walking away. 

Salzem fluttered off into his own mind, the event having taken some effect on the young man. He muttered to himself, reliving previous encounters and how the people reacted there. Hikari reached her hand out to his, a warm glow in her eyes and a gentle, reassuring smile gracing her lips. If he allowed her, she would give his hand a gentle squeeze while she spoke.

"Don't worry about him, Salzem." Her tone was light as she tried to reason with her friend, and to get his mind off of the strange stare down that took place. "He's probably just out of it from his shift, anyways. Besides, we are together again! We can't let some stranger ruin our reunion!" If he had allowed her to take his hand, she would then retract it so he could enjoy his meal. Once he started to dine, she would set the plate of pork and the glass of water on the floor for Kuro to consume. Afterwards, she would start eating her own  food, the shrimp nigiri, with chopsticks, dipping it ever so lightly in soy sauce from time to time.

As he retracted his arm, Hikari took it in hers, giving him the softest, gentlest smile he had ever seen. It nearly melted his being with the warmth that radiated off it. He didn't quite know how to respond to that look, glancing between their hands intertwined to her reassuring smile, confused and... flustered to say the least. Between the look she was giving him and the sensation of her hand on his, Salzem was starting to feel more uncomfortable than he had with that waiter, though in a different way. She assured him that the waiter was just burned out from his shift and that they shouldn't let some guy ruin their time together after 2 years of separation. Salzem smiled at that. He was starting to wonder how he had gotten along without Hikari's reassurance, her gentle nudging towards the bright side of things. He wondered how he managed to stay on top of things without his friend backing him up, keeping him grounded in the moment as she was now. He supposed the old saying was right: He didn't realize what he lost until it was gone. Now that they were back together, he wasn't going to leave her again. The thought of losing her again was... unbearable. At Hikari's comment, Salzem chuckled, shaking his head softly. He knew the real reason the man was acting htis way, the way all the villagers acted. No one liked someone who tossed away the rules to come back, especially alive. She was right about one thing, though. Letting his aggravation ruin the moment was foolish indeed. He squeezed her hand softly in response, their grip lingering for a moment before she pulled her hand away.

"You're right." He murmured, almost to himself. "You're right." With that, he went about eating. He munched through his food casually, slowly, enjoying the new combination of flavors. They seemed to come in waves, the spice, the savory, the sweet.... It was a strange mixture of textures and tastes that really made this entree a real treat. The sanguine-eyed ninja was sure he was coming around here more often. He'd finish his meal in a few minutes, popping the last bit of pepper into his mouth with a casual flick of his wrist. He'd watch as Hikari finished hers, glancing down at her wolf as he munched on the steak she had given him. She must have gotten him while Salzem was away, the wolf. Somehow, it seemed appropriate Hikari would have a wolven companion and a werewolven companion at the same time. He was unsure how... It just seemed to fit. Once they were both done, The lycanthrope would pop the question that had plagued him since he'd first stepped foot outside the walls:

"Hikari...? What did you think of me when I didn't come home....?"

After she spoke, there was a brief pause between the two of them, Salzem taking into consideration what she just said and she herself awaiting his response. he did not verbally respond to her, but he chuckled and gently squeezed her hand, with that she knew they understood one another. It made her happy that her attempts to keep Salzem cheery were working, she hated to see people down, especially those she cared about. Hikari knew the true reasons for people being shifty and agitated with Salzem, he had gone rogue from the village for over a year, then came back with seemingly no repercussions. But she didn't want to remind the young man of his excursion, as it would lead to his thoughts about their deceased friends, the ones he still felt blame at not being able to protect. That path lead to even darker thoughts, ones the Hyuuga believed would only do more harm than good.

With their small talk over, their hands parted, and they went about munching on the food in front of them. Hikari enjoyed her shrimp nigiri, the way the shrimp tasted with the rice was always a favorite of hers. It was not traditional sushi, per se, but it was shrimp on top of sticky rice. Nothing else to it than that. Her favorite thing about their meal was her kashmiri tea. It had a nice pink hue to it, and tasted creamy with hints of saltiness. She herself finished rather quickly, a minute or so after Salzem had finished off his last pepper. Kuro savored his meat, the predator coming out whenever he ate. He was, after all, still a dangerous beast- to anyone but Hikari of course. They had grown tremendously since their first encounter, when Hikari healed the poor guy back to health after having found him injured in the woods. Ironically as it may seem, that was also the same day she had found out she had a long lost brother and sister.

Her ears perked up at the words Salzem had asked, wondering what the kunoichi had thought of him when he didn't return home. She figured this question had been on his mind for a while, and with good reason too. Most people, like Kouse, would have felt hurt, betrayed even, at his sudden disappearance. But the Hyuuga had a different response when he left without any notice.

"I'm sure you are expecting me to say I hated you, or felt betrayed by you suddenly leaving. And that might have been true, if you were speaking to anyone else." Her tone was sincere, all the words leaving her mouth as true as the sun rising every day. "However, I felt you had a good reason for leaving, so I didn't feel any resentment towards you. I just hoped you would come back safely, whenever that might have been."