Food Brings Us Together

Evening was falling over the shinobi world and Yazui had just settled in an abandoned shack some few kilometres away from Yugakure no Sato. The place came with everything he needed; a moldy bed, a roof with only a few holes in it and a fireplace complete with cooking pot. All things considered, it was one of the more luxurious hideouts Yazui had enjoyed the last few months. He could settle in the tavern in the village, but it was only a day ago since his previous escapade with the poker night. While no one had seen his face and thus could link him to the theft of the prize money, the villages were mistrusting enough as it was. A complete stranger showing up one day later with a stack of money on him would arouse suspicion.

Also, by the look of the village whatever the tavern could offer him wasn’t much better than where he was now.

The only thing the tavern had to offer him was food. But Yazui’s was quite the cook himself and by now was well-experienced with creating mouth-watering and nutritious dishes from ingredients found in the wild.

Opening his bag, he looked at what he had gathered. A fresh fish caught from a nearby pond only an hour ago, some fresh herbs and mushrooms he had picked in River Country, milk and potatoes the farmer Oburi had gifted him back in Fire Country and a handful of carrots he had stocked up on some time ago. Yazui threw some junk off the dusty old table in the center of the room, blew off some of the dust, laid out his ingredients and began chopping with a large knife he had found in the kitchen area.

---

The fire under the cooking pot gave off a comfortable warmth and basked the abandoned one-room shack in a cozy, orange glow. The scent of fresh fish stew wafted from the pot in which it simmered, sure to make the mouth of anyone in the near vicinity water. Interesting how some good food and a warm fire could even make a run-down cabin in the middle of an eerie forest seem inviting.

Yazui had just added the mushrooms to the simmering stew and sat himself down in front of the pot cross-legged. His sunglasses were folded on the table nearby, revealing his blue eyes.  He basked in the warmth and the smell, yet didn’t allow himself to get too comfortable. There was always a chance the light and scent would attract unwanted visitors like wild animals or bandits. Neither of these would present much of a threat to a shinobi, but Yazui kept his eyes peeled as to not get caught off-guard.

There was of course chance that the food would attract the attention of the so-called cultists that were supposed to roam the area, but Yazui hadn’t noticed anything of that sort during his stay in this country so far. He was beginning to suspect the rumours were only the result of a paranoid and xenophobic village whose people needed an explanation for their misery.

---

WC: 518

Rising from the ground, mayfly having taken her out of the entrance to the temple of Jashin - and raised her to a spot on a less traveled road some great distance away. The moon was hung high in the sky, waning to a point that a third of it was already missing from its face - but the light it provided was more than enough for her well adjusted eyes. She stood there for a moment, taking stock of her mental state and physical presence - all with one key component missing; Ohta was officially ridded of her. The other half of her created to get her through the initial decades of her life had finally been laid to rest… and the hollowness in her body was new to her now. Lifting her face to the sky, her wide brimmed straw hat staying situated on her head as she did so, she took in the leaves of the trees that filtered in some of the dim light of the moon - and she smiled. 


For the first time in so long she was finally awake - finally alive; and the time of the Kyuketsuki was finally seeping into the world. Not a dawning of a new age, but the dusk of one long ago abandoned and forgotten. Stretching her arms across her body she began to move along the road, only the bounty of nature at her sides as she went. It was some time - perhaps an hour - before a scent of burning wood hit her nose. Not recently burned and put out, but an active burning - narrowing her eyes slightly she suppressed her chakra and melted into the ground once more with Mayfly as she traveled toward the direction she had smelled the strongest scent; popping her face out of trees here and there to keep her path accurate. 


Finally reaching her destination she slid out of the tree closest to a dilapidated hut that held a glowing light that flickered out between the cracks in the walls and the cracked window. Moving silently she crept to the window and peered in - on the other side she could also hear the heartbeat of the person her eyes landed on; wearing common enough clothes and sitting in front of the crackling fire was a man. It had been some time since she had eaten… and while the food he was making wasn’t exactly what she needed perhaps he could be of some use for information. Skirting around the building to his back she melted through the wall until she stood at the farthest point she could be from him, 6 meters apart - his back still to her and her back pressed to the wall. 

She had yet to make a sound, and her presence wasn’t something he could sense just yet as she was suppressing it. Taking in the entire room made her nose wrinkle in disgust - it was a grave sight to see; disgusting and moldy. Tilting her head though she stared at his back for a second longer - activating her Byakugan to better check for an oncoming threat - before clearing her throat lightly. He was already on edge, having seemed vigilant enough but she knew she held the upper hand in this approach - and while she loved the dramatics she knew reaching out to touch him was not the best introduction. “Traveling? Or is this… your home.” Her voice was sure, almost commanding but so light and airy it sounded like a feather quill writing on rough paper.

WC 586
Jutsu Used:
Starting AP 2000
Mayfly [V7] 100 to use and 50 to upkeep
Byakugan [v7] 10
ending AP 1840

The crisp sound of flickering paper faded within the forest line as Kinko hiked down the road; this road was clearly active at one point but no longer.  There was a lack of maintenance that only neglect, and abandonment would produce, this must be the road.  It used to be active but the overgrowth from the sides of the creeping to reclaim territory that it once owned.  Kinko's piercing crimson eyes double checked the route of the map with the route in front of him.  
The young vampire placed his outdated map back into his back pocket, he should be expecting a hut soon.  The reason for his trip would soon be over, at least he thought.  This hut was the sole purpose as to why he traveled so far.  It took too long for him to come; he was hoping for forgiveness and that the hut would still produce the fruit of its promises.  Truly, a valiant effort was required to even track this place down.  Simply navigating this country is dangerous, let alone getting involved in the local politics.  He was certain with the amount of innkeepers, tavernkeepers, and those needing some coin, his presence was certainly known within the region.

…

It did not take long but it certainly was a journey.  So much so that Kinko believed he must have gone down the wrong route.  Though, a flicker through the fog of night alerted his attention.  Ah, a smile broke through his face.  His body was renewed with energy, adrenaline, hope.  He did not want to get too excited, as he knew this was the beginning of an event that he would remember forever.  An ambush would be best here, while Kinko was not the assassination type, he would certainly utilize the advantage of surprise.  His body slithered through the front line of bush and dissolved within the night, only leaving glaring crimson eyes to anything that glanced his way.  His heart slowed down, he breathe was intentional, and his movements were smooth as he swiftly glissaded towards the abandoned hut.

His eyes intruded through any sense of security as he examined the man he was to kill.  An instant internal conflict of self clouded his judgment as he took only a moment to perceive and suppress his feelings.  This whole time, he envisioned a despicable, worthless, savage that was only worth killing.  Yet, this person seemed like a normal person, someone cooking in this hut.  It couldn’t have been, can it?  His feet brought him closer and closer, it was not a window that he got glimpses but through the cracks of the breaking wood.  ‘Who is he talking to?’  The young vampire thought as he could not sense any other heartbeat.  He sensed a spike in his heartbeat, was it a spirit? A ghost?  Kinko could not see from his angle.  “Ugh.”  An audible response of discontent and disappointment overcame his body.  This was not the person, this was someone else, just some indolent, destitute, loser.  He wanted to leave but something in his body was telling him to knock on that door.  The idea crossed his mind, he could always pretend it was his home, they would never know.  He spent a moment to think of the best plan, should he just leave?...BUT THE FOOD.  Would that make him look like an indolent, destitute, loser.  

No!  He needed to speak to this spirit.  He ran without haste and blasted the door open.  Paying no mind to the man, his eyes went to this spirit. His jaw dropped, eyes widen in confusion.  The beauty and grace from this lady radiating around him. Wa…was she Kyuketsuki?  Why would he not feel her presence?  He did not know how to respond, his eyes were attracted, his mind was allured, and his chakra was in admiration.  “Who are you…?”  He said as if he saw a deity, nevermind the other person.

[WC:654]

He moved fairly well for someone surprised - could she have out sped his actions and caused his death? That wasn’t in question, it was in fact his reaction that kept her so enthralled. In a full two heart beats he was up and a kunai held in a defensive stance at his chest, the tip angled out facing her. The face that now bore into her own was hard and cold with the shadows of previous 
endeavors, the face that stared back at him though was hollow of emotion. The fabricated heterochromia of crimson laced violet and pale white activated Byakugan staring back in a deadpan - not an ounce of fear or reaction, maybe some approval but that was barely noticeable given the circumstances. 

His words caused her eyes to scan the hovel of place he deemed a shack with contempt - at what point would anyone want to claim such a pla- the thought was cut short as she recalled her own early years of scrounging; this place would do just nicely for someone who was alone in the world with only themselves to rely on. She was about to respond to his words of question when a new sensation entered her being, a being with chakra higher than the world around, and a missing heartbeat, was approaching and resting outside of the window to her right; the outline of his chakra network outlined like a ghostly outline. The window itself wasn’t giving away her exact location, but the interactive voice of the man was doing enough to negate that point. Internally she groaned at the interruption but outwardly she continued to play as though nothing had affected her - the mask of Kyuketsuki would not crack for this.

Taking a few conservative steps forward, she closed the gap of 6 meters to 3 meters, only moving because she felt the chakra of whatever was outside approaching from her back. In the last moment she had with this stranger she employed him, in a command rather than a request, “Assume correctly twice in a row and live to see another day.” As the words were out of her mouth she spun, the door now in front of the two bursting open and creaking threateningly on its hinges before settling into the sight of the newcomer. Her right hand was bent behind her back in what seemed a protective stance - though Tenka’s view would see the nails draw out into 4 inch long sharp points - while Kinko would watch the woman’s face contort into an expression of disappointment as she laid eyes on another missing Kyuketsuki… another one of her brethren so lacking in composure. 

Her right hand lay slack at her side as she had no reason for defense, truly the hand at her back toward the man was something more akin to a warning to not interact with this being. “Be silent.” The word was whispered but it came to Kinko like an unalienable command, knowing her word was law in this instance - missing heartbeat and recognition meant only one thing to her now and she would be a fool not to use it. Turning once more to a foe she redirected her attention to the man she had initially protected, her gaze was not nearly as harsh as it was to Kinko but it held some of its ferocity. “Put the blade down, I am not your enemy, by the looks of things I am your salvation. So attend to your meal before I make you mine, and I will attend to our intruder. Deal? Deal.” The last two words were the only that came with an influx in her voice, an offering tone immediately followed by an order. 

Once more turning to the man who burst the door in she would raise to her full height of 5 foot 4 and approach him with a scowl. “And, you.” At the ‘you’ she would poke her forefinger into his chest, pressing with enough force to let him know she wasn’t happy, but also wasn’t attacking. “Who do you think you are talking to in such a manner? Your parents fail you too when it comes to decorum or is it just an outer ring Kyuketsuki thing. Sit down and introduce yourself like you have some manners.” Finally she would release her finger from his chest and step aside, allowing him proper entry as she turned her body sideways - only slamming the door closed when he passed her. If both had followed her direction she would fold her arms across her chest and stare at both with a hard line expression - what was her thing with attracting such company. “Speak your names and I will do the same.”

wc 788

As Yazui continued to point the edge of his blade at the mysterious woman, her face revealed fear nor anger. The Tenka´s mind was still hard at work processing this new situation and any new information that would help him better understand his part in it. Right now, he was trying to decide what her eerie calmness meant for him, which meant she was either completely fearless and in control of this situation or had one helluva good poker face. Considering she was carrying the Byakugan and could sneak up to Yazui as unnoticed as she had, the former option seemed the most likely. The next crucial step would be to find out what this meant for the Tenka.

Suddenly, the audible vocalisation of a male voice outside one of the shack´s windows filled the building. Yazui´s eyes would quickly dart into the direction of the sound, then back to the woman. The voice was followed by footsteps through the dirt and grass leading from the location of the sound to the cabin’s only door. Around this time, the woman also began closing the distance between her and Yazui.

The missing-nin would react to this by shuffling diagonally backwards at 2 o´clock away from both the door and the woman while keeping his upper body in the same position and his eyes and blade pointed at her. He came to a stop at one meter from his previous destination. He was close to a corner in the building where the wall was particularly rotten and moldy. It looked like it would fall apart if anyone as much as leaned on it. Should he need to make an escape, Yazui would be able to barrel through this wall with no issue. It was one of the potential escape routes he had registered and memorized as soon as he had decided to make this cabin his nightly home.

The woman came to a standstill in between Yazui and the door and then confirmed his previous assumption. This was good information, but not something Yazui was ready to take at face-value. The world was full of liars after all. Regardless, there was no time to dwell on her words as she spun around and the third person came bursting through the door, most likely the owner of the voice he had heard outside.

This new person was a male who appeared similar in age to Yazui. He looked pale, with hair that had the same deep, black quality to it than that of the woman. His crimson eyes were also a point of interest and were possibly an indication of yet another doujutsu or other ocular power. Perhaps even more curious were his first actions when he entered; stare slack-jawed at the woman like she was the first fine-looking lady he’d ever seen and ask her who she was like she was the first fine-looking lady he’d ever seen. Despite the situation, Yazui had to suppress a chuckle at the various jabs and insults he could make at the man.

The woman’s face was now turned away from Yazui, but he could hear by the tone of her voice that she was less than impressed. He also took note of the hand she held behind her back. Four of her nails now resembled keratin-based senbon.

After silencing the man, she turned to Yazui and began ordering him around in his own temporary house.

“Put the blade down, I am not your enemy, by the looks of things I am your salvation. So attend to your meal before I make you mine, and I will attend to our intruder. Deal? Deal.”

It wasn’t really a deal if the other person didn’t have a say in it, was it? And what did she mean by making him his meal? Was she some sort of cannibal? There was a lot to unpack here, but for now the best course of action seemed to be going along with the woman. For now, she really did seem on Yazui’s side and seemed more than capable of dealing with the new intruder (who hadn’t even acknowledged Yazui’s existence anyway). And given her authoritative energy, going against her looked like more trouble than it was worth.

Also, the stew was getting overcooked.

Yazui would do as the woman said and lower his blade. He would move to his previous position near the pot, grabbed the bucket of water standing next to it and used it to put out the flames. He would then move towards the kitchen cabinet in the corner to the cooking pot’s right and took out three bowls. Next, he grabbed three and put them in the top bowl and hung a ladle around his arm by its handel. He then walked over to the pot, put the bowls on the small table in front of it and divided the steaming food over three bowls until each was nearly full. In spite of everything that was happening, the smell of the food made his mouth water.

While he was doing all of this, he never truly let his guard down. His steps were small and measured. His back was never fully turned towards the two strangers and his head was always positioned so that he could still observe the conversation from his peripheral vision. And while the kunai was no longer pointing at anyone, it never really left his hand either.

Despite his annoyance at being ordered around and feeling like a bit of a third wheel, Yazui felt more comfortable now that the woman had directed her attention to the newcomer. The fact that both parties were more occupied with each other gave him more room to observe and gather information. While he was doing his things to serve the food, the woman’s harsh words directed at the man told Yazui several new things. The first thing is that the two were in some way connected. The way she spoke of some sort of “outer-ring” implied there was some sort of group of organisation that they both had ties with and the way she scolded him implied she held a position of authority within this group.

And yet, despite being linked in this way, the two seemed complete strangers.

By the time the man had entered the building properly and the woman had slammed the door behind him, Yazui was standing by the table with a steaming bowl in his hand and his body turned diagonally. Wherever the man would come to a standstill in the shack, Yazui would turn his body and assume a position that allowed him to keep an eyes on both strangers. The woman then demanded their names and promised to give hers in return. She was still authoritative about it and judging by her face and body language, something about the man had put her in a worse mood than before.

Yazui would be the first to react. Going along with the woman seemed the smart thing to do, but he didn’t trust either of them with his full name yet. He was a wanted man after all.

“My name is Yazui.”, he replied with a voice that betrayed no emotion.

---

WC: 1200
TWC: 2358

…Be Silent.  The words struck through the air and stunned Kinko, halted his position as he stood frozen.  Paralyzed by the commanding power, it was only a moment before she attended to the other in the room.  It seemed as the two did not know each other.  AND a brief roll of the eyes flashed over his face as he was labelled an ‘intruder’.  How could anyone intrude upon this dwindling asylum.  If anyone, it was these two who were also intruding.  He knew this was not their home…it belonged to the man he was hunting.  The one who disgraced the temple of Jashin.  His eyebrow rose and heart pumped in nervousness, he crossed his arms with a face of indifference to combat his nerves and challenge the authority that this lady has given herself…has taken for herself.

‘Your parents fail you.’ The words danced in his head; he had the perfect comeback.  It came to him immediately, though he was completely taken aback, he was right.  She was Kyuketsuki.  Though, who was she, where was she from?  Surely, not from here. He had not met another Kyuketsuki from outside the Lightning Country.  She acted different than what he had known, what he grew up with.  His eyes looked down on to the lady who had her finger in his chest, and his arms uncrossed at this point.  “First, I DON’T HAVE PARENTS.  And second, there is nothing redeeming, elegant, or classy about the Kyuketsuki in the Lightning Country.  They may dress dapper, posh, and act sophisticated but the only thing sophisticated about them is their system of corruption and abuse.  The Kyuketsuki in the Lightning Country is a criminal syndicate.”  Kinko realizing, he went on a minor rant, particularity from the frustrations he has back at home, to another Kyuketsuki.  In a lower and more relax toned, “So, yes, it is an ‘outer ring’ thing.”  He calmed himself down.  His frustration was clear, but it was not a source of anger.  More like, a defensive mechanism.  Perhaps deflecting and not taking full responsibility for his actions but there certainly was a cultural gap between the Kyuketsuki from the Lightning Country and where ever this vampire was from.

Kinko would watch the vampire in front of him step back and the cook to introduce himself.  ‘Yazui…the cook, name does not sound familiar.  I wonder what his story is.’ His eyes gazed at Yazui once last time, simply to perceive him.  Yazui did not match the person he was looking for.  Kinko spoke clearly but refusing to sit down.  “I am Kinko Kyuketsuki from the Lightning Country.  I have been given directions to this…” He looked around for dramatic effect, “shack…to find a man who has been disgracing a temple nearby.” He said looking over to the unnamed Kyuketsuki, but surely, she must have known the temple he was talking about.  “I meant no disrespect.”  Even though, there really is no way to respectfully barge into a...place of shelter.  Despite this, he spoke the words true.  Nothing about his posture or body language suggested that he was aggressive or a threat.  His gaze followed the young vampire in front of him, it seemed that she was calling the shots.  Certainly, he had much more to learn about the Kyuketsuki and hopefully, Kinko would be able to teach this vampire something as well.  Without asking for her name, he simply waited to hear it.  There did not seem to be any tension, mainly diffused, at least, that is what Kinko felt.

[WC: 593/1247]

Seeing the man go to tend to his food released a bit of tension in her body that she had begin to hold, granted his unwilling obedience made her skin crawl. She wasn’t one for forcing others outside of her clan but this was a command to stop combat. The moment of his coercion and acceptance into her plan allowed her to let out a sigh of relief - finally someone who knew how to take direction when the situation met its needs. Feeling the general motion behind her of food tending she turned her full attention to the boy in front of her - and her face would harden even more than it had before. There was no doubt to it, he was of her clan - the lack of heartbeat was the only proof she needed. 

The hardness in her eyes glazed over with suspicion as his words were shot at her with force and anger, and the fact that there were more Kyuketsuki in the lightning country of all places. Shaking her head slightly she glanced at the ground and let out a sigh, were all Kyuketsuki so emotional at a young age? “Whatever mission you are on you are far from finding the right man to hold accountable." The man behind her was now stationed with his food at the small table the room supplied, angled in a way that he faced the two while remaining as relaxed as possible. 

Closing her eyes finally she leaned her head back against the closed door at her back, was she being too harsh and demanding? Possibly. How else was one to react to such an entrance and explosion of information. Addressing the room at large, her eyes still shut to the sights of the hovel she would give her name, “I am Mizuki Oht-”, clearing her throat she would try again, “Mizuki Kyuketsuki. Sorry to have walked in on your meal Yazui but I must admit the smell was something that no one could ignore. As for Kinko, you and I have much more to discuss but now is not the time.” Finally opening her eyes she would try for a gentle smile before taking the few careful steps over to the table and taking a seat opposite Yazui and leaning back in her chair with her hands on the table top to show she was non-hostile. “I can’t help but wonder what you are doing out here… don’t you have a home you should be at? Why are you alone."

The male intruder proved to be a blessing in disguise. Upon being scolded by the woman, he unleashed a frustration-filled rant of his own, providing a lot of context on his presence and backstory. As he did this, Yazui had to suppress a condescending smirk while he was serving up the food. He was puzzled at how anyone could possess such a careless attitude. Not only did this man wildly barge into an unknown situation, but without any provocation provided two complete strangers with information they had no business possessing. From just his rant alone, Yazui knew where this man was from, why he was here and what his relationship with his family was.

No wonder he hadn’t tracked down his target yet.

Going into the rant itself, two parts stood out to the Tenka. The first was that he was dealing with someone who was also from the Lightning Country. The second was the name Kyuketsuki. The woman had mentioned it earlier. Now that it was mentioned in conjunction with the Lightning Country, it had finally started to ring a bell.

”Kyuketsuki….. those vampires, huh?”

They had been one of the many clans Yazui had fought alongside with back in the day. He wasn’t intimately familiar with any individual members, but he knew enough about the clan and their unique physiology to understand what he was dealing with here. The woman then introduced herself as one of them. Yazui made a mental note about the way she was about to use a different surname, though he was unsure whether the information was relevant for now. With Kinko being as unsubtle about his intentions as he was and Mizuki having made it known she meant Yazui no harm, the missing-nin finally felt himself become a bit more relaxed. He exhaled deeply and audibly before taking a bite from his stew.

Heaven.

He would suck up the succulent fluids before slowly chewing on the piece of fish, squishing it between his jaws and sucking up the juices from that as well. Then, when Mizuki complimented the scent of his cooking, for the first time since this encounter Yazui would drop his composure. A broad, genuine smile would form across his face. He would then raise his spoon-holding hand to cover his mouth, sparing Kinko and Mizuki from the sight of a mouth full of half-chewed fish and carrot, before replying.

“It tastes even better than it smells. Help yourself if you’re hungry.” His tone of voice would have changed from a measured monotone to a casual tenor, almost like the three of them were friends checking out a new restaurant. He would then use the hand that was previously used to cover his mouth to gesture at one of the two other steaming bowls on the table. He would then make eye contact with Kinko and do the same for him. Realizing how stupid it may have looked, he cursed himself before recomposing himself. He would dial back the smile, although his voice still retained a casual quality that indicated he was more comfortable with the situation. “Consider it a peace offering.”

Mizuki would then make her way towards the table and sit down opposite Yazui before questioning why he was here. Yazui would stay at his position and take in another large spoonful of stew, slowly chewing on the food and buying himself some precious seconds to think about how to respond. Trying to figure out how stringent he had to be with information about his person. Neither Mizuki nor Kinko seemed to be hunter-nin, and Kinko himself wasn’t on the best of terms with Kumogakure judging by his words. It was a gamble, but it seemed safe to open up just a little bit.

Yazui would make sure to swallow his food before replying.

“I hope I’m not going to regret telling you this..”, he would say as he put the bowl back on the table for now. “But right now, I don’t have a home.” He would pause for a second, letting the words settle before motioning towards Kinko. “Like you, I come from the Lightning Country. I am a former shinobi from Kumogakure no Sato’s Tenka clan. However, for personal reasons, I left the village on bad terms.” This should tell Mizuki and Kinko enough about his status as a missing-nin. He was also curious whether or not Kinko would recognize the name Tenka. The clan was well-known within the Lightning Country for its genjutsu prowess. It seemed more unlikely for Mizuki to recognize the name, though there could be branches of the clan wherever she originally came from.

“That was a long time ago, however....”, he decided with a sigh. By now his gaze was on neither Mizuki nor Kinko, instead fixating on the moldy floor in between them. “And for the last few years, well.. I’ve felt more like a tramp than a trained soldier.” Recounting the last few years of his life out loud made the weight of it all crash into him. He had noticed how the woman had sneered at this hovel, no matter how well she tried to hide it. The truth was, this place had been among Yazui’s finer homes the last few years. It was pathetic really. He’d gone from a proud shinobi and an up-and-coming war hero… to this. All because when the war went south, he bailed. He had seen the poverty-stricken hellhole that Kumogakure was turning into and considered fleeing the smart thing to do. But now, standing here, weary and filthy, he wasn’t so sure.

It was all because of that damn Youka Tau!

Yazui sighed. Suddenly he felt tired. So tired. What was he living for? Each day just struggling to see the next. That wasn’t life. Just eating and hiding and sleeping. God, he missed the thrill of battle and the rush of capturing a large group of enemies in illusions. Setting them up to become mincemeat..

Suddenly, he realized he was with company. And he had been staring at the ground for a good few moments. As if awakening from a stupor, he would perch up and meet the woman’s gaze again. “So yeah, I guess I’m just waiting for my luck to turn around.” A wry smile would form on his face. It was an attempt to hide his true feelings on the matter and not appear too vulnerable, but even with Yazui’s acting skills there was only so much he could do to hide what had bubbled to the surface.

---

WC: 1090
TWC: 3448

Kinko agreed with the body language in front of him. His eyes would shift over, she had no space to judge him. She did not know him; he waived her and her body language off. While not hostile, there may have been a break in communication. Surely, the two would get to know each other better. His eyebrow rose but then his eyes shifted again, visibly. Anyone looking at him would have gathered his facial reaction. ‘Mizuki Oht…a?’ The thought fumbled in his mind. He tried to rationalize and gather evidence to support his theory of who this person might be but it would never make sense. He was suspicious but he would not raise alarm to say anything. He would look entirely foolish of he was wrong. But, he can not be right, right ? There is no way, right ? His body posture shot up in attention, as he heard Mizuki speak his name. He nodded in respect, while thinking…’Yes we do, Mizuki Oht…a.’ A smile appeared on his face, he was intrigued by Mizuki, he appreciated her confidence. There was something different about her, and this chef too.

He watched her drip closer to the table. Kinko would follow only by taking several casual feet closer, just enough to stay engaged in the conversation without anyone needing to speak louder. Yet, he would not interrupt. Kinko would return eye contact to Yazui, looking at him rather blankly. It was clear that Kinko had thoughts but was not willing to say them. Of course, caution would need to be exercised, especially accepting food. He knew nothing much of these people, nor of the preparation of the food. Sure, the food smelled good but his eyes peered over to Mizuki. He wondered if she would berate him for not serving the soup, manners. The Kyuketsuki in Lightning Country did practice manners but only when it served them. All were taught manners, norms, and rules. How to eat, where to seat, how to dress, all the rules they choose to follow – but they have a different approach to laws.

Kinko’s eyes reverted back to Yazui. He seemed like he had something to say, while this time, taking the time to finish chewing before talking. Kinko listened to Yazui speak and tried to hold in any reaction, more looking to Mizuki to determine any response. Though, Kinko had a lot to think about. Without any investigation or provocation, Yazui provided two – almost strangers- with information that was none of their business. From this confession alone, Kinko knew where this man was from, why he was here, and his relationship with his village- former village-. He wondered how anyone could be so careless with that information. Though, on the other hand, shows honesty. But he did seem to overplay it, almost pathetically. He wondered what he was supposed to do with the information. Though, most shinobi don’t get away from Kumogakure, he must have killed some people to escape. Kumo was not easy to escape from, let alone Lightning Country. He wondered more of what happened, how did he get away. Kinko could sense of sort of regret, maybe regret from leaving the village or telling two shinobi that he is a missing ninja without any support or home. Kinko was not willing to show any support to the man. He was not that person, he was not great with emotions, or helping people through them. More so, his eyes started to wander, not only to avoid the emotional vulnerability that Yazui was showing but for clues to suggest where the former inhabitant had gone. Kinko tried to keep his reactions and facial expressions to a minimum, but surely, the duo would be able to tell that he was thinking, almost lost in thought, but clearly processing the information.

[WC: 637/1884]