Definitely Not A Date

It was late afternoon, about the time that the sun was setting. The weather wasn't dreary; it was quite lovely. The rays of the sun lay gently across the streets of Kumogakure as citizens bustled around, looking at different items and trying to beat the lunch rush of others who worked later. The city life wasn't one of craziness. It was very comforting and seemed surreal.

That same feeling matched the mood of the white-haired boy. Currently, he stared at himself in the mirror. The boy looked into his own eyes, wondering what he should wear for his not-date with Natsume. He had invited her to dinner to talk; it was pleasant when you didn't train all the time. Mainly since the reason he wanted to converse with her was directly related to it that subject.

Zyxis had a sent a note this morning, asking if she could dress up a bit. The place he wanted to take her wasn't a burger joint, nor was it a place to get ice cream. His mother had suggested that he take her out to a place that served steak, crab, sirloin, many great foods to eat. His mother had even bought him a new pair of clothes to wear out as if this was the most critical thing in the world. In his opinion, it wasn't; just something kind for a good friend.

He was worried that what his mother had got was too formal, but he would have to try it on to tell. The boy slid into a white dress shirt, adjusting it and tucking the shirt into a nice pair of dress pants. Over the dress-shirt was a solid black vest that matched his pants, and brought the whole thing together. He tied his little bow tie, finishing his attire. It wasn't bad by any means, but it may be overkill. If needed, he would remove the vest and bow.

"Zyxis!" The voice of a woman called, his mother. "Come downstairs, your father and I want to take a picture!" Zyxis had to stop himself from slapping his forehead.  He headed downstairs and frowned at them as they took a picture of him, "What are you two doing?" 

"We're taking your picture for your first ever date! We never thought it would happen!" His father said with a grin. Zyxis was disappointed in the fact that it was a proud smile. The white-haired boy shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose, "Mom, Dad. It's not a date. I'm taking a friend out to dinner. I view her as a little sister." 

Carilyn, his mother, shook her head, "Just because she's younger than you doesn't mean anything, Zyx. If you care for her, there is a possible chance that you develop romantic feelings. I did my research. Imagine, white-haired tan-skinned babies-"

"I'm gonna stop both of you right there. Mom, don't even start, I beg of you. Dad, stop being an idiot, please. I love you both, but I've got to go, so I'm not late," With those words, he disappeared from their view with only a few steps, a gust of wind the only thing to reciprocate their calls of "I love you!"

 Since Zyxis didn't know where Natsume lived, he decided that they could meet in the center of town and walk together to the restaurant. He would patiently wait for her to come. He reminded himself it wasn't a date.

Zyxis just had to keep reminding himself, and he'd be fine.

Zyxis smiled at the younger Genin as she came into view, her white-hair a dead give away just like his own. As she came closer, his smile widened. Once she was in a speaking distance, he spoke, "You look even more beautiful than you usually do, Natsume. Shall we? We can talk once we arrive at our destination, if you don't mind, of course."

He would walk with her towards the restaurant. Even though the two dressed up in semi-formal/formal attire, not many paid attention to them as they strolled the streets. It wasn't uncommon to see someone dress up nicer, especially in town. There were many activities clothes like these had called for, it was only common sense. He was appreciative of people for not looking too much, although, how could he blame them?

As the two were about to enter the restaurant, Natsume let her concerns be known. He fought back a frown and instead replaced that feeling with a smile, "No worries, Natsu. We can go somewhere cheaper if needed. I don't mind paying for dinner here though; I've been saving up some money." Ah, she dressed up and even did her hair just for them to not go in. If this is what she wanted, Zyxis wouldn't mind. The dinner was only a pleasantry and a way to show his appreciation for her, in all honesty, he just wanted to get to learn more about her and make sure that her life was okay.

"What I wanted to talk about was you, Natsume," Zyxis would say, gently nudging her shoulder with his hand to lead them into a walking pace if they didn't enter the restaurant, "We have known each other for a while now, but I suddenly realized I don't know much about you. If you don't mind me asking, what is your family dynamic? Why did you want to become a shinobi?"

Zyxis didn't spite her for not wanting to eat at the fancy restaurant. Hell, it made sure that he didn't have to pay so much money. Although, their beautiful looks shouldn't waste away tonight. Primarily for the reason of the night was young, there were still so many places they could go, so many things they could before it got too late. As they walked, Zyxis looked at her from the corner of his eyes as she answered his question. "Do you enjoy your little brother's company," He asked curiously and if she paid close attention, she could tell he said it somewhat nervously as well, "I don't have any siblings, it's just my mother, father, and me."

The white-haired boy frowned at Natsume's response for becoming a ninja, "There's nothing wrong with following family tradition, but you must have some muse and passion for picking the path of the shinobi. It's not a walk in the park. I won't get angry if you tell me to shut up, but I'm genuinely curious." His own goal was a mix of his wishes, goals, and passions all bunched up into one big ball.

Zyxis was slightly distracted as Natsume pointed out a teppanyaki restaurant. Now, the white-haired boy had never been to one of these before. He focused on the more Western-style eateries. He definitely wouldn't mind, refined cuisine could beat a good burger any day. "Let's go, Natsume. I don't mind paying, either. Give me a second before I answer that question if you don't mind." The Uchiha walked into the establishment; hopefully, Natsume trailing right behind him.

"Good afternoon, sir, ma'am," The man at the register said, "What can I help you with tonight?" Zyx cleared his throat, "Could we get a table for two please?" He nodded, "Follow me, and I'll seat you," The two sat back towards the end of the restaurant, it was quieter, and there was no chilly breeze from the door opening when new customers came inside. Zyxis pulled out a chair for her, and if she accepted it, he would push her in as well. His mother had taught him to be a gentleman at a younger age. Chivalry wasn't dead, nor did it need to die.

He sat opposite to her and smiled at her as he sat, "My ambitions for becoming a ninja? Well, I love learning and progressing through new things. There are many different fields in our culture today, but I felt the shinobi world was way more rewarding than citizen jobs. Don't get me wrong, being a doctor or lawyer would be great. It would most definitely be boring if I weren't in the profession I was today. Living a bland life doesn't fit me, nor my personality. Although, I am a bit quiet."

He chuckled a bit to himself before he went to look at the menu, "I haven't been here before. I think I'll get what you get, you have a nice form of judgment," Zyxis took a glance at the menu one again and then folded it on the table neatly. "So, being a shinobi. How difficult has it been for you so far? I seemed to catch on to it quickly, but I realized that I could've taken it slower and faced my problems more wisely."

As they sat down and got comfortable with each other, he would look down at his lap when she didn't talk and slightly tug at his collar. Had it just gotten hotter in here? Never having been to a restaurant with a girl, in such pleasant clothing, he was nervous. It was seen as ridiculous to himself as he dealt with dangerous threats on an everyday basis, but for some reason, he didn't feel confident. His cheeks flush, he slightly sweats, and he smiles awkwardly.

Everything would be fine. Zyxis wondered if deciding against writing what he should talk about on his hands was the most beneficial to him.

Zyxis would nod politely every time she answered his question. He felt awkward as he wasn't able to pull the chair out for her? Would his mother be disappointed if he told her that? He quickly sat down to avoid any confusion and worry from his peer. Zyxis smiled slightly once again and nodded at her answer; he didn't have much to say about it himself, his journey of being a Genin was hard enough on its own.

"Kobe beef sounds great," The white-haired male said, looking up at the waitress, "Could I get some water as well? With a lemon in it as well? Thank you." Once they ordered Natsume noted his shy behavior and took note of it. Leaning over the table to press her hand against his forehead didn't seem to make it better, it only served to make it worse. He gently moved back a bit in his chair, trying to hide the fact that his blush was even more pronounced, "I'm okay, I'm just-" Saying nervous would sound lame, he didn't want her to think different of him, "Sort of shy. I've never been to many restaurants before in my life." Nor had he been to one with a female, an attractive woman at that; he felt as if his smile was awkward. Why were killing and training easier than sitting here for a few minutes with her?

The boy would move to wipe the slight sweat that gathered at his forehead with one of his napkins, gently tucking it into his pants pockets for future use, "It's fine. Thanks for asking though. I don't know about you, but I'm excited to eat." As they waited for their food, Zyxis took a look around at the place. It seemed very cultural and welcoming, a place where he would hang out to get warm ramen when it was cold. 

Zyxis would steal looks at Natsume. He smiled slightly at her, "How were your days at the Academy? Did you have many friends?" He resisted the urge to scratch his head like he usually did when he was nervous. It wasn't the most sanitary thing to do right before eating dinner, "I usually focused on my ninja training and stuff like that. There was no time for friends back then, which is probably why I still view myself as quiet. It's different now, or else I wouldn't be here with you."

He would wait for her to respond. By the time she did the food would have arrived. As they placed the plate on the table, the charred beef made his stomach rumble. It looked delicious. They set many different vegetables on the plate with it as well, some his favorite. There were various sauces to dip it in as well. The inside wasn't too red, but it wasn't precisely well-done either. Just thinking about it made him hungry.

Zyxis took his chopsticks and broke them apart. He grasped a small slice of the beef and brought it to his mouth, placing it in and starting to chew it. He smiled, "This is excellent, Natsume. What a great choice." He took another piece and dipped it in a few sauces before piling it up with some vegetables before taking another bite. Grabbing his napkin, he dabbed at his face to make sure that no grease nor stains stayed around his mouth.

He waited for Natsume's opinion on the dish.

Zyxis nodded as she helped him prepare for dinner more appropriately. It was slightly embarrassing, but she was a friend, so it was less blush-inducing than if he went on a blind not-date. The white-haired boy watched as she put down her chopsticks. It seemed as if she enjoyed the food. He silently cheered himself on; he knew that going out to eat would be a good idea on his part. He finished up his food after hers and laid his chopsticks gently to the side on a napkin.

After everything settled, Natsume mentioned the Chuunin Exams. Zyxis gave her a grin, "I'm not only going to participate, but I'm also going to win the whole thing. Well, at least get an advancement to Chuunin. I don't know about others strengths and weaknesses in other villages, so I have to be careful. I'm going to do my best, Natsume. What about you?"

The Uchiha patiently waited for her to respond. He believed that she would do good in the Chuunin Exams, but he didn't want to see her or any of his other friends get hurt either. The village would prosper if many of them made it to Chuunin. He chose the latter. Hopefully, if they came, they would fight each other instead of more dangerous shinobi.

"Do you want to get dessert?" Zyxis asked her. He imagined that she would say no because of the price, "Again, I don't mind buying, Natsume." 

He hoped that she said yes.