A Stroll Through the Leaf

The morning sun would peak its head over the horizon, light filling the area and piercing through the trees in various places. Shin watched as this all happened, sleep eluding him this night. No matter how hard he tried, he found nothing but restlessness and nightmares waking him abruptly those few times he did manage to nod off. Despite this, he still found the sight of daybreak a beautiful thing, the silver lining to this night.

Shin would lift himself from his seated position, dusting himself off as quick pats removed debris from his pants. The park that he found himself in was devoid of people, though he expected traffic to increase now that the morning light had been here. He would slowly walk his way towards the inn where he took up a room. He didn't have his own place to live just yet, but he was able to work out an agreement with the owner to trade labor for a room to stay at night.

Shin still didn't know many of his peers, unsure if he would be assigned a team or not. Lost in thought, he would continue his walk. Perhaps he would bump into someone?

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The hustle and bustle of the village quickly took over with the rising of the sun. It was interesting noting the sheer difference only a small window of time could make, each person quickly starting their days in whatever manner they needed to. It was almost like a choreographed dance, each of the villages busy little bees moving in unison without even knowing it. As Shin was walking, lost in these thoughts as he made his way to his room, managed to bump right into another person. This startled Shin back into the moment and out of his own head in time to witness the damage his carelessness had caused, the bowl of what he imagined to be a ramen dish splattering across the ground and his elder quickly turning around to see the culprit that had caused this unpleasant situation.

The young man had a few years on Shin, and despite a momentary quick flash of annoyance in his face as he turned to witness Shin, that quickly vanished and was replaced with kind eyes and a polite conversation starter. Shin, gazing directly into the mint-green eyes of the young man felt his chest tighten, words not wanting to come up despite his repeated attempts. There was no real reason for it, but a nervousness overtook him, stripping away his ability to formulate words. All he could manage was a quick nod of his head, suggesting that he would accept the offer of tea.

Once seated, the person taking their order would approach the pair and ask for their orders. Some of his nervousness had passed, allowing Shin to manage speaking to Zunair, "Since it was my fault you lost your soup, please allow me the opportunity to replace it." If Zunair had agreed to this proposal, Shin would order a kettle of tea for the table, a replacement bowl of ramen, and an order of toast with jam. Of course should Zunair not want the soup the order would still be made, minus the ramen. The person taking the order would look over to Zunair, in case they wanted to add anything.

Once the waiter had left, Shin felt himself easing into this new setting with these new people he would look over to his senior. "My name is Shin. I am new around here, and don't know many people yet."


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twc: 592

Zunair gave Shin a warm smile as it was a nice, peaceful day, perfect for leisure activities. Activities that Zunair typically didn't partake in, well, he never really had the chance. Still, it was a nice day, and Zunair decided to eat out for once and maybe meet some people; however, with luck had it , his ramen is spilled upon the ground. Heading back into the wonderful eatery in the village. Once upon a time, it was a very small ramen stand, but over the generations of various important people eating there, it expanded and grew. This was still the old ramen bar, but there were plenty of tables and chairs to sit and eat as well. Zunair even helped the old man when he first started doing missions.

Entering Ichiraku, his ears were once again filled with loud calls to the chef with the background noise of the few groups of people talking. He looked around the room and decided on where they was gonna sit, well, since this was their first interaction and "hanging out' moment, maybe a table would be better. Maybe some sake to will get him out of his comfort zone and make him talk-ish. He took a seat at one of the tables next to the window, looking out into the sunrise.

“I’ll just have a bottle of sake and some beef ramen,” Zunair said, the server nodded and then handed him the bottle and started making his order. Zunair hoped this stuff was good, as he then took his first drink of alcohol, ever. Well, it burned as Zunair started coughing, hoping Shin or anyone else hadn't noticed as he then looked around the room to see if anyone was watching him. 

"My name is Zunair Hyuuga and you don't have to pay, I offered you in the first place; so, it's my due diligence to pay." The mint-eyed Hyuuga said with a smile. "So, where are you from since you're not around here? Pretty young to be traveling to villages don't you think?" He asked as he took another sip of the sake, getting used to the burning sensation.

[TWC: 922]

The restaurant was busy with several groups of people all eating their morning meals. The pair would find a seat at a table by a window, the Hyuuga looking out at the sunrise creeping its way up into the sky. The smells of the food being prepared went a long way in making the appetite of Shin really kick into gear, his stomach giving a low grumble as the server worked on making the pairs orders. Shin was opening sugar packets to pour into his teacup, the sounds of his new acquaintance coughing and seemingly choking would cause Shin to look up from what he was doing to make sure the Hyuuga was alright. None of the others in the restaurant seemed to pay much mind to the pair, and Shin would offer a quick statement as to his thoughts. "I hate it when my drink goes down the wrong pipe, too." Of course, that isn't exactly what happened but the young man just assumed that must have been the cause.

Zunair would introduce themselves, the small pale youth mentally noting the noble lineage of the young man sitting across from him. It wasn't everyday that you stumbled into a Hyuuga, though Shin wasn't entirely familiar with what all that surname actually meant. He just knew that the Hyuuga family name here in Konoha was held with high esteem. Zunair politely declined the offer of Shin, noting that it would be his due diligence to pay since he offered. Shin would nod, accepting the kindness offered.

Zunair would then ask where Shin was from, which caused a painful look to appear on the young boys face. "I'm not really sure. I just recall that I woke up in the hospital." It was then that the server would bring the pair their food, the ramen being place in front of Zunair and the toast with jam placed in front of Shin. He would take a knife and spread the jam on the toast before taking a single bite to help curb his hunger. "I wish that I could offer you more, I truly do. Perhaps travelling unprepared is why I found myself in the hospital."

"So, being a Hyuuga I imagine that you count yourself among the leaf shinobi?" Shin would ask, hoping to shift the conversation. "How long have you been at it? I'd think that you were born for this sort of life."

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"Haha, yeah. Right." Zunair said, raising his right eyebrow up.

Zunair gave a stoic expression as Shin told him he doesn't remember anything besides waking up in the hospital. Interesting. Zunair didn't recall hearing anything about a patient with amnesia while working there; but, safe to assume that was because he was working at the morgue in the basement. The topic also made Zunair question as to what would make him have amnesia, why did he leave his other village, did he commit a crime and now hiding in this village? So many questions flooded the mint eyed Hyūga's mind, but he figured he keep them to himself.

"Well, maybe you should put a hold on travelling, don't you think?" Zunair gave a light giggle as the server brought his ramen to him. Positioning the chopsticks between his fingers, he swirled the noodles around them and took a bite. "Mmm," Zunair moaned as he savored the taste. He really loved beef ramen.

"Ai, that's right. Although, I'm just a lowly Genin, nothing really spectacular. I do side work at the hospital though, guess that counts for something," the Hyūga stated as swirled his noodles around. "I've been at it for most of, if not, all my life." It was true, he has been raised up in the art of fighting all his life, especially when his family started quickly dying off. Zunair really didn't want to think about that and bring up the past. "So, anything you're looking forward to in the future? Maybe getting your memory?" Zunair laughed as he took another shot of his sake, getting used to the burning sensation as it past his lips.

The comment to put a hold on traveling made Shin offer up a light smile, "That is the plan. I just hope that my village duties don't interfere with it." It was a good idea, especially since whatever harmed him in the first place was still out there somewhere. Still, if the village asked it of him, he would do whatever was needed. "The meal really is good!" He would say in response to Zunair enjoying their meal and he took another bite of the toast slathered with jam. The server would just give the odd boy a strange look, probably questioning why the young man would come to a ramen shop and just order toast. Shin would then sip at his tea, washing it all down nicely. 

"Genin status isn't a very high rank, but it allows us to truly get an idea of what this lifestyle entails and is still a respectable position to have." Shin would offer, hoping that his words didn't come off in a way to offend. He was really trying to raise the spirits of his ally with his words. Perhaps graduating from the academy didn't mean as much to a Hyuuga born and raised to be a shinobi for the village. Maybe such was simply expected of them. "You work in the hospital? That's amazing!" Shin would exclaim, thinking that Zunair must have been some sort of medical genius. Of course, the young man held in his mind the idea of the Hyuuga dressed in scrubs performing surgery and saving lives. That might not actually be the case, but Shin gave a wide eyed look of admiration. "Thanks to wonderful people like you, I lived to enjoy this meal and conversation. Thank you!" 

When questioned about what he was looking forward to, he placed a finger on his chin and gave it some serious thought. "Well I would definitely like to get my memory back. Perhaps finding out who or what attacked me would prove beneficial to the village. Wouldn't want dangerous things so close to home. Remembering might also let me know where my siblings are... I know that I have them, but cannot recall much beyond that." He would take another bite of his toast, "Other than that I just hope that I can help better the village in whatever big or small ways that I can."

"How about you? Between your heritage and clearly impressive skillset I've no doubt that your family has great expectations for you. Do you want to be the worlds best doctor? Or do you have other plans?" These questions were from a very innocent, almost childlike place. What do you want to be when you grow up? 


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Zunair let out a small giggle as the boy exclaimed how great the meal was. Interesting that he enjoys toast and jam to that extreme. To him, Shin's food was a little too bland for him. However, he was raised to enjoy all foods as his family ate more traditional things. Well, raised should be used loosely when it came to people in the Hyūga clan. "Maybe once you're up to travelling again, maybe I can come with. Kinda wants to see what it's like outside of the village, you know?" Zunair said with a smile as he turned his gave towards the outside.

Next came a couple of compliments towards the mint eyed Hyūga. A scarlet blush formed on Zunair's checks. He wasn't used to compliments of any kind, especially when he considers himself a failure and unfit to be a shinobi. A nervous laugh almost forced itself out of Zunair's throat as he scratched his cheek, "I...um, well, thank you. I really appreciate you saying that but I'm not that great," he said with a smile as his blush subsided with taking another bite of his ramen.

"Ha, maybe. I recently took the Chuunin exams but didn't pass. I lost to my cousin who is a few years younger than me. So, that tells you about how much skill I actually have. Which is not very much. Well, medical ninjutsu is what I excel in, but unlike the regular Hyūga, not much of a threat up close. So, if you need someone who can support you in battle, I'm your guy." Zunair laughed, but the laugh hid his thoughts about how weak he really was. If he couldn't even beat Onabi, how would he fair outside of the village. On top of that, home life has gotten much worse. Since the loss, Zunair's father has become stricter and forced harsher punishments upon the young Zunair. Thanks to Hyūga's healing capabilities, the bruises that were inflicted upon his body has since disappeared.

"I just want to help people to the best of my capabilities. I become a medical nin because my mother was one, but she died from an unknown illness. I don't want anyone else to die like that," Zunair said while hiding his sadness behind a smile. "Also, I hope you find your siblings, such a tragic thing to have lost memory of them. If you need any help, I can have some assistance. Because you know, my Byakugan has great capabilities on finding lost things," Zunair laughed, offering to help Shin.

[TWC: 1,624]

Shin offered a pleasant smile to Zunair when he mentioned wanting to see what there was outside of the village. The pale youth had no recollection of the wonders that lie beyond the village gates, having only memories of the pain endured. He would simply take another bite of his toast as his comrade fixed his gaze outside, wonder lust seemingly overtaking him even if only for the briefest of moments. 

It would seem as though the compliments caught the Hyuuga off guard, the flush of his face making that apparent. It would fade quickly, although Shin didn't mean to make his ally feel uneasy. Zunair would then explain how he hadn't actually been all that impressive, having lost to his younger cousin in some sort of Chuunin Exam. "I imagine that with all of your time and work down at the hospital you couldn't focus solely on your natural Hyuuga combat talents. If your younger cousin dedicates their whole life to solely train for combat, I could understand how they would develop more in that direction." He would flash a smile, "Though having such a talented medic in my corner would be something much more preferred than just a skilled martial artist. I do have a record of needing such talents." Shin would offer a light chuckle, hoping that the lighthearted nature of his silly comment would help take Zunair's focus off of his shortcomings against his cousin. 

Zunair seemed to hold a certain sadness carried in his voice as he talked about his mother's death, despite covering it up with a smile. "I am sorry to hear that about your mother... but that is an incredible noble goal." It would seem that both of their pasts were stained with pain and suffering, leaving painful scars that they cannot hide from. "I think that I may just take you up on that offer one day." Shin would offer back, giving a smile of his own. This one was genuine, though, as he was glad that he had encountered this Hyuuga. Even if their first interaction was not what one would expect, Shin was grateful to have found someone that he felt a bond with, the seeds of friendship planted. All that would be left now would be to tend to them, and hopefully see them bloom. 

Shin would finish his toast and tea, standing up and offering a bow. "It was a pleasure to meet you this day, and I am very thankful for the meal." Shin would rise, "But I have to get back to my room. Hopefully I'll be able to catch a few moments of peaceful sleep before my duties." He would begin to head towards the door, stopping and giving a half turn back to the Hyuuga, "I look forward to our next meeting. I hope that it is as pleasant as this one had been. Next time, the meal will be on me." And with that said, the pale boy would walk out, heading towards where he stayed. He really did hope that he could catch at least a little rest before having to do his missions for the day. 

On his walk, he wouldn't be able to help but think about Zunair. His first meeting with another Genin, and a truly talented one at that. Shin could only hope that when he was assigned a team that he would have someone as skilled as the Hyuuga medic covering his back. 

---Potential Exit---

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Zunair begin to unconsciously tap his finger on the table as Shin spoke to him, "Ai, much appreciated," he said, offering a simple yet sweet smile. In the Hyūga lineage, most of, if not all, members stick to mainly their taijutsu. While it was not unheard of, but it still was rare for members to practice other types of techniques outside their gentle fist. Zunair was one of those members. While being able to heal and simultaneously striking tenketsu to disrupt the enemy's chakra flow, he was a force to be reckon with. "Well, I hope I don't have to use any of my healing techniques on you. That means we'll probably be in the face of danger," Zunair laughed.

Finishing his ramen, he watched the younger shinobi rise up from his seat to leave. "Thanks, and I'll hold you to it," the mint eyed Hyūga gave a subtle nod towards the leaving Genin. Turning his gaze back outside, his thoughts wondered to the topic of fate. Was it fate or coincidence that brought this newfound friendship upon them? Zunair had many friends but most of them seemingly disappeared. Unlike most of his family, he didn't know if they were dead or alive. He didn't know which was worse. If they were dead, would he like to know. Or would it better if it remained a mystery. One thing for certain, even though he just met Shin, he didn't want him to end up like the others. Zunair will do everything he can to try and help the youngster. With those thoughts, Zunair then paid his tab and exited the store to wonder the streets aimlessly.

[TWC: 1,900]

Claiming
+38 AP
1,233 to Yin Injury Dismantling
667 to Creation Rebirth