Bottoms up! (Kaito)

"Bloody hell, I need a drink." Wise words from a man in desperate need of something refreshing. All day long he had been running back and forth, dividing his time between helping out at his father's shop and getting groceries for his mother. Ever since his father fell ill he had to step up in order to keep their household functioning properly. His old man, a blacksmith with his own shop couldn't take care of it any longer due to his weakened health. And of course he couldn't just leave his mother alone to take care of everything. It would be his new found form of motivation, to take responsibilty for his parents.

Ichigo had finally found some free time inbetween and what better way to celebrate than to go pay a visit to his favorite bar? He was a strong man, so it would only make sense for him to go with an equally powerful drink. He tried to say no to alcohol but it just didn't listen. People told him to watch his drinking, so he tried to find a bar with a mirror. But alas, there were none to be found. In his defense, he had done some pretty dumb shit while being sober too. He was quite the reckless fellow, his three scars being the prime example of that. Reminiscing about the past had made him even more thirsty than he already was, so he was more than happy when he arrived at the bar.

As he entered he quickly made his way to the same old spot he'd always sit in. Ichigo would nod to his favorite bartender as he was about to place his order. "The usual please." While he waited for his drink to arrive he noticed things around the village were more lively than they used to be. Some changes had been made, some new faces had arrived. Some others had been lost. He wasn't one to get involved in these matters but he felt that these things might change sooner or later. If it was going to be for the better or worse was something that would be decided on its own eventually.

He didn't have to wait too long before his beverage would arrive. "Just leave the bottle, cheers." A single glass wouldn't suffice to quench his thirst. Always buy a bigger bottle than you think you'll need. Better to be safe than sober. He wasn't really an alcoholic, he just liked to think of himself as an advanced drinker. A drinking problem? It's not a problem if you're the best at it. Ichigo would put the glass to his lips as the sake entered his mouth and made its way down his troath. "Ah, that hits the spot." His thoughts wandering over to the state of Kumogakure once more as he started thinking about what was up ahead.

Taking another sip he figured it might not be a bad idea to take a look at the upcoming Chunin Exams once they would take place. Figuring it might be a good way to find out just how promising the new generation was. And to witness how his fellow shinobi would fare in their fights, maybe even see how big the gap would be between them and Ichigo himself. And who knew, maybe they would discover one or two prodigies who would prove themselves worthy of playing a part in Kumogakure's future. Someone who would guide them to the glorious path of success. But for now he would empty his glass as he already had begun to fill the second one.

(WC: 600)

Having already made his way through half of his bottle, Ichigo noticed something was missing. Hanging around in the bar was a certain feel of depression, often brought in by those looking to drink away their sorrows, hoping the alcohol would take those troubles away. It was a situation he could relate to. More often than not had he found himself at the same place he was right now, with a glass or bottle in his hand trying to forget his problems knowing all too well they would return once he had sobered up. If only he had brought his guitar with him, Ichigo figured. The atmopshere could use some music. 

As he started to feel the effects of alcohol certain lyrics came to his mind. "The whole world’s a bottle. A life’s but a dram. When the bottle gets empty. It sure ain’t worth a damn." For a moment he imagined himself as a participant on The Voice Kumo as he started singing with an angelic voice, but in reality he was producing the sound of an angel being tortured. No chairs turned, only the nasty looks of others in the bar who couldn't appreciate Ichigo's singing. "Their loss" he mumbled as he quickly returned to his bottle of sake. At least his drink wouldn't judge him. "Bloody idiots" he swore once more before emptying his glass.

At the same time Ichigo noticed how a man with a build similar to his had entered the bar. It took the redhead some time before he realised where he was before he would finally make his way to the counter. While he was keeping an eye on the man he wasn't able to recognize his face, which caused Ichigo to think the redhead wasn't a regular customer. Rubbing his chin while watching the other man's behavior, the scarred man got the feeling that he might already be in a state of intoxication. Well, at least he came to the right place if his aim was to get even more drunk. 

Ichigo witnessed how the stranger placed his order, took out a sigar while he waited for his beverage to arrive. He wasn't sure who this new face was, but what he did know was that he definitely seemed to know his liquor. Well under the influence of the sake Ichigo decided to stand up as he started to walk over to the counter where the stranger was sitting. "I see you're a man of culture as well." With the bottle in his hand he would sit down next to the stranger whose order of sake had just arrived. Placing his own bottle on the counter he noticed the Kumogakure headband around the stranger's neck, showing that he wasn't just any drunk but a fellow shinobi of the village. 

His own headband firmly placed around his left bicep as a proof of being a Kumogakure shinobi. The three scars straight over his right eye that led down his cheek and the number "69" tattooed on his left cheek as well as a blue-striped tattoo running across his left cheek and over the bridge of his nose were more than enough accessories on his face. Which is why he decided to keep the headband simply around his arm. Ichigo would direct his attention towards the redhead once more as he tried to find out what brought him there. "Something troubling you good sir?" 

(WC: 570, TWC: 1170)

Ichigo would wait for a response while he kept an eye on the red haired Kumogakure shinobi who was about to knock back his well needed glass of sake. He would watch the redhead as the liquor was being poured from the bottle into the glass before he would bring it to his lips. In one go the drink would be emptied inside, the sound of the process causing Ichigo to follow the man's example as he grabbed his own bottle to fill his empty glass with sake. In a single, swift action the alcohol would find its way into his mouth followed by a loud sigh of relief indicating the amount of pleasure he received by the tast of the liquor he so enjoyed. 

Next, the red haired shinobi reached into his pockets to grab some matches as he would then use one of them to light up his cigar. The smoke and smell would start to engulf the two men as it surrounded and covered the area the both of them were sitting in. Ichigo wasn't much of a smoker himself but he knew how well it goes with a strong drink. Together, the combination of those two would be able to bring satisfaction to whoever was in need of some enjoyment. The Drunk would wait until the smoke had cleared up a bit before he would reply to the redhead. "That serious, huh?" It seemed that whatever was troubling him had to be kept secret.

The stranger then asked more about Ichigo's tattoos, to which he would reply. "Oh, these things? The number is a remembrance of an old friend." Usually when people would notice the 69 tattooed on his face they would immediately think about something else. The tattoo had a far more deeper meaning than that, but it's not something a child could ask a parent about. "And the blue stripe is just something I had added during one of my less sober moments, of which there have been plenty." Once he had answered the question he would meet the stranger's glass with his own. "Cheers." He would then empty the liquid after he had it refilled not too long ago. 

Ichigo would respect the man's decision of not sharing whatever was troubling him, but he figured another question wouldn't hurt. "So, what's your story? Who's the man I'm sharing my drink with?" He wasn't looking for the red haired shinobi's life story but a name would be nice. 

(WC: 414, TWC: 1584)

Ichigo was relieved when the man met his glass of sake with his own. For a moment he was afraid his questions had caused the stranger to become annoyed with the Drunk. It wouldn't have been the first time he got on someone else's nerves by talking too much. Whenever he had too much to drink the words just kept flowing out of his mouth. Ichigo would empty his glass, the liquor running down his troath before his gaze was directed towards the redhead's tattoos. This time the man sitting next to him would tell more about how he got his back in the day, claiming them to have personal value. Usually people would go with these kind of decorations either because they liked how they look, or because there's a meaning behind them. Anyway, Ichigo would have asked about them but he wasn't too sure how he'd feel looking at another man's chest.

Grabbing the bottle on the counter to pour him, as a certain DJ would say, another one. By now his mind and thoughts had started to become blurry, not remembering why he came to the bar in the first place. Was he in need of a way to escape from the struggles he was battling with lately, or was he just looking to spend some time which was how he ended up in this fine establishment? All of it wouldn't matter as he had found himself a new best friend in .. He had trouble coming up with the stranger's name until he realized he was yet to receive it. "Ah, nice to meet you Noboru Kaito." The man sitting next to him introduced himself as a Jounin of Kumogakure. "I guess it's too late now to start with the formalities" he would say to the man higher in rank than him. 

Ichigo, twenty-seven years old and his biggest accomplishment as a shinobi was graduating from the Academy. "I'm still learning how to walk, and it isn't the alcohol speaking." He would of course be referring to the fact that he was still trying to find his way amongst the far more talented people in Kumogakure. "Ichigo Sato, Genin of Kumogakure, impressive right?" he would reply in a sarcastic tone as he was holding out his glass towards the man who was no longer a stranger. "A toast, to learn how to walk again!" The Drunk was about to say he'd drink to that, but honestly he would drink to just about anything. 

(WC: 416, TWC: 2000)

Emptying both his glass and mind Ichigo listened attentively to the words of his superior. Everything Kaito said was holding truth. Life wasn't a sprint but a marathon, a long and arduous ordeal so he would need to pace himself. The Drunk wasn't one to compare himself to others but he couldn't help but feel a certain uneasiness whenever he thought about those far more talented than him. "What you say is true but part of me is afraid that I won't be much use to Kumogakure in my current state." His gaze at the empty glass in front of him Ichigo hoped he would be able to protect everyone when the time came.

Life is about growth. People are not perfect when they're 21 years old. Granted, he was already twenty-seven but you're never too old to learn. Only after he decided to step outside his comfort zone would it be that he would begin to change, grow, and transform into the man he wanted to be. The only way that he could grow is if he changed and he could only change if he learned. The process of learning is more important than the often intangible result. But it was just as the red haired Jounin said, the process had to be taken at your own pace. Kaito was right, there was no use in trying to keep up with those of extraordinary talent.

Ichigo then witnessed how his superior stood up, claiming to teach him a thing or two. A bit confused the tattooed Drunk put away his glass as he followed the redhead's example of standing up. The effect of alcohol was taking its toll on his body as his legs weren't as steady as they should be. Shaking and wobbling from side to side he was moving unsteadily before he would smack his face with both hands, leaving a red color on his cheeks in an attempt to sober up at least a bit. He wasn't sure if it was due to the slap to his face or if he heard him correctly but it seemed that Kaito told him to hit him. 

Maybe it was one of those drinking games he had heard of so he decided to go along with the request. "Here goes nothing." Ichigo, now standing around one meter in front of Kaito, would prepare before throwing a punch. Placing his left leg up front he would stretch out his left arm to gauge the distance between the two of them. Once he was done estimating he would place his feet so they were shoulder-width apart, left foot forward and slightly to the left, his right foot back and slightly to the right. His knees slightly bent, his left shoulder facing Kaito. The Drunk's elbows would be resting on his pectoral muscles, hands right in front of his mouth and clenched both into fists. His chin tucked down into his chest but not too much to sacrifice his field of vision.

Once he had the stance down he would use the rotational momentum to drive his fist forward at a right angle to his body, sending his fist into Kaito's jaw. The punch would explode from his legs and through his core to his hand before connecting with the redhead's face.

(WC: 550, TWC: 2550)