Cats & Dragons (Requesting Neko)

[Raizo]

Confusion. That would be the the feeling that seemed to encompass him as he looked around a set of alleyways within the heart of the commercial district.

"Ok, Raizo, think. That shop, the one you love, you know it's around here... you've been so many times..."

But Yukina would always lead the way...

He would shake his head, clearing out the thought that attempted to creepy in, and instead would grow determined that he could figure this out. Now there is a chance you might be inclined to think, "well, why doesn't he just ask for help", but the reality is that he found himself at a precarious point in his life. He was in his early twenties, had been given leadership, and was at the peak of feeling infallible. Now, it would seem silly to some, but within his mind there would be some reason that asking for help, or just admitting he was lost in the village, would come with an amount of pride being destroyed.

"No! I. Can. Do. This!"

With the lack of Yukina, he would have to become his own hype man. In the process of hyping himself up, he would accidently kick over a trash can, causing it to crash into the alleyway and setting off a series of loud, attention drawing noises.

Thankfully... no one was around...right?

Tanatsu Neko

 

[Tanatsu Neko]

"ahhhh!" Neko shot up swinging wildly as she awoke from the clattering. She pulled her kunai and jumped away from the source looking as if absolutely feral in that moment. Last time this happened she got beaten up by a Genin, now someone else had entered her space.

"Who are you, what do you want." The oddly timid and soft voice came from this frail girl. While she'd been working on her training and certainly eating better, the years of malnutrition were not disappearing over night. Her hands and neck were wrapped in bandages, none of which could've been all too clean given the surrounding environment. But in contrast the her demeanor, her form was perfect. She stood ready to block and or attack in a moments notice, the wrong move and she'd lunge forward or backward.

Her outfit was clearly a school uniform, with a headband tied to her sleeve. Her hair was certainly short for a girl her age and clearly cut by herself. Maybe with a kunai or some other similar tool. The point was, she was in fact a street cat at this point.

 

[Raizo]

The figure would shoot up wildly with a yell as he would return the favor.

"Ahhhhhh!"

Jumping back he would snap into a fighting stance as he would take an assessment of the figure before him. First, the voice that spoke to him would immediately soften not only his nerves but his stance. Before him was a girl, who looked hungry, but was prepared for hell. As someone who had been trained since he was a child to be a fighter, he immediately understood the look of someone who had 'fight or flight' heavily ingrained within them. He was a survivor of harsh training and discipline, he did not assume she shared that with him, but it was clear that she had seen some hardships to be at this point.

"Oh, hey, wait, let's just put the kunai down, okay?"

As he spoke his body would begin to give off an aura, one that would fill up the alleyway and embrace the young female. Upon contact, this aura would feel like, or at least how he liked to describe it once he realized he had been doing it unconsciously, as a warm hug. The sensation would not be superficial or an illusion and would provide a calming vibe to those it made contact with, as long as he viewed them as an ally [White Blessing]. Hopefully this would help him and his attempt to put the girl at ease, but he also found that this innate ability of his also seemed to increase the fighting abilities of those he bestowed it upon. So technically, he might have made this girl, should she want to attack, an even better attacker in this moment.

"My name is Raizo, that's one heck of reflex time you got there... what's your name?"

It wasn't every day he found feral children in a random alley...

 

[Tanatsu Neko]

Neko was still dazed from her sudden startle up, but feeling the warmth wash over her made her even more tired. She rubbed her eyes and lowered her kunai, the lesson learned from Kureji running through her mind. "Mm.. my name is kurayami"

She didn't know this man, and wasn't about to provide her full name. The lie was obvious. Should never been put on a spot before this point. So it left an awful taste in her mouth, but at least anything that went wrong was Kurayami's fault from here on.

She cleared her throat, "wh..who are you and what do you want? You startled me." She felt there was no shame in admitting when something caught you off guard. After all they were in the safety of the city, which was far different from her upcoming exam or missions. This was the one place they were able to feel at home, so why not admit when you are startled.

 

[Raizo]

"Kura...yami... huh"

He would look at the little figure before him with a large amount of suspicion plastered on his face.

"Well, nice to meet you, Kurayami, and like I said earlier I am Ryuzaki Raizo... I don't know what they teach in the Academy nowadays," he would start to drift off into thinking about how he might have been taught about in the schooling system... and then would feel a wave of embarrassment if that was the case... and frustration if that wasn't the case. Either way, openly admitting what he was thinking would probably be the wrong move. So he would deflect.

"Hey, no, you startled me! What are you even doing out here..."

It would be in this moment a couple of thoughts would flash within his mind, but there would be one thought that would stand out above all; she is a child.

"--playing hide and seek? Performing some prank? Training for some mission or class? Sleeping?"

He had given her multiple choices, and a freedom to establish for herself why she was there. He already had an idea within his mind what she was doing. He did not wish to make to open what he thought, nor did he wish to insult her for whatever her reasoning may be.

"Either way, I suppose I should be a responsible adult, huh? Need me to bring you back to your folks before you get into any trouble for rabble-rousing, and if we are being honest surprising and scary poor little ole me because you totally startled me first and not the other way around, out in the alleys?"

Again, he had already formulated his own interpretation of what was happening, he just wanted to see where she chose to walk on this matter herself. Also, young people were goofy. He enjoyed leading a pack of them out in the desert expanse and wished he had more time to see the youth of the village.

 

[Tanatsu Neko]

Neko's eyes started to water a bit at the warmth of the aura, she hadn't actually felt something like that in a long time at this point and found it overwhelming to say the least. She looked him over and ther realization of who he was washed over her face. She immediately went wide eyed, allowing the wells to drain down her face, and went into a deep bow. Choking on her tongue as she began to speak, "Lord Kaze.. Kaze.." The small leaks began to speckle the sidewalk causing small rings to form in the dirt. She couldn't finish the sentence, she needed to but the words couldn't form. Instead what came out of her mouth was a jumbled and tearful blabber of words that only a child could truly produce.

"I'm sorry, I lied.. My name's Neko.. I live here, there.. everywhere.. I .. I don't.. My mom's.. I'm..." She stayed in her bow as the words became nonsense, her hands tightening into balled fists, but never once did she leave that bow. She couldn't, she hadn't the heart to acknowledge herself as a person in this moment. She was totally and completely broken, having just felt the first true act of warmth and kindness in years aside from one meal. That aura broke her simply by its nature, and she was failing to recover from that feeling of actual touch and kindness.

 

[Raizo]

"Oh, wow, hey, Neko... like a cat, huh?... hey, listen--"

This was not his strong suit, emotions were a lot harder to punch away than physical obstructions. He would plead as he would lower himself down to a knee to try and meet the gaze of the bowing and crying girl.

"Look, let's pivot a bit--you can call me Raizo if I can call you Neko; deal?"

People always bent over backwards with formalities, and while he always tried not to crush that, because there wasn't a reason to hinder someone from showing respect, it wasn't also something he demanded. Especially at this moment.

"Oh, I know! Let's play a little game" A mischievous grin would begin to unfurl as he stood back up and stretched his back, "You show me something that you think is cool, it can be absolutely anything that you want, and then I will show you something cool--like, for example, I'd bet that you know this area better than me. Any cool views, interesting landmarks, fun places to gawk at... come on, show me something, lil Neko!"

His words would gradually begin to morph in tone, fading from an empathetic one to a more jovial one. Yukina would always harp on him being too childish at times, but he honestly never saw it as a bad thing. There was already so much in this world that sought to destroy what innocence was left, why willingly give that up?

"Additionally, you hungry? I originally came out here because I was looking for a place, but-- I kinda got a little lost" he would say with a much more prideful look on his face than a man who just admitted to getting lost should have, "and then, of course, the whole business of you startling me first and setting off this whole mess of shenanigans."

What would follow would be a deep and hearty laugh.

 

[Tanatsu Neko]

Neko would slowly rise out of her bow and look to him, her eyes still filled with tears. She wiped her face and with a sniffle she nodded, "Okay, Raizo.. I uh.. I have something I think is neat." She swallowed her spit and took a breath, this was a big deal and she was being treated so casually that it almost had her forgetting exactly who this man was. She headed deeper into the alleyway, picking up some of her things before turning back and waving for him to follow.

As Raizo passed the spot she had appeared from, he'd see a pile of loose papers tucked around what was a bag and sleeping pack. Clearly her attempt at casually hiding her belongings while they were away. It became clear in that moment that she had been sleeping on the street, while the village had orphanages she for some reason was not in one. As a shinobi she could afford a home or at least a room somewhere, but until she became one this is where she could afford.

She lead them through a maze of alleyways in the back part of the district until a light washed over them, the light of many signs and lanterns. She would hold her arm out showing that behind the two manger roads a small encampment had been established by some locals that had fallen on hard times. While normally this would be an upsetting result, there was more to it than that. This encampment had windows and doors leading to many of the local restaurants and taverns, as well as a few other shops.

On these window ledges an assortment of food that had been 'messed up' would be seen. if the locals ordered something not up to taste, it came here and was given to those in the camp. If the clothing was mismarked or had a defect, it came here. All that would be unwanted in the eyes of a customer, was traded in this camp for something far more simple, time. The occasional a shop owner would pop in and ask someone for a favor and in exchange they would offer something in return, accompanied by some yen of course. This was a place the city helped its own and in it people were surprisingly chipper.

"Welcome to the sub-city Kazeka.. Raizo.."

 

[Raizo]

He would give her a salute, and feign a military "at attention" stance, as she requested him to follow. Watching as she would grab and move some things, he would not attempt to pry. Again, it might have been hard to understand, or even for him to fully explain if openly asked, but there was an understanding that he felt he had in this moment. The path Neko was traveling, it was different than his own, but there was still empathy, and within that empathy was a knowingness not to push too hard. It would be very offensive to call her a stray cat, but he felt that she was. She wanted things, but it had to be on her own terms. If he tried to outright cage her, he would be clawed and as soon as she could escape she would, and how would that benefit her? Fleeing and holding an even deeper resentment, and resentment towards the leader of the village no less. She would never feel comfortable here again in that situation. So he had to be smart, emotionally smart, about what it was he wanted to do with Neko.

As he moved forward, it would become even more apparent that his assumptions were correct. Passing by, he would see what was clearly her belongings and the place where she laid her head, or at least might have been currently. It was heartbreaking, but his expression would not change. Inwardly, he felt a sadness that would want to push him towards a loud outburst, but outwardly he kept an expression of interest and curiosity on his face. It was also a genuine outward expression, as he was legitimately interested in what Neko was going to show him.

Upon holding her arms out, he would let out an "Oh... wow..." as he scanned her presentation. This was not a sarcastic or belittling sentiment either, again he was rather childish himself. Through his eyes he wanted to see what this world looked like through hers, and before him, there was a display of color and perseverance. There was a community.

"Sub-city Kazeka, huh? The way the lights, both outside and through the windows, especially at night... just, wow. Who would have known such a gem was hidden here..."

His tone was full of amazement and would drift along as he spoke.

"Do you have a favorite thing to do in Kazeka" he would ask as his face would turn to her with excitement plastered upon it.

Yes, he wasn't oblivious to the reality at play here, but again he also understood there had to be nuance to it all. Before that, he was focused on his primary target, Neko. He had plenty of bridges to cross, but first, he wanted to give her the attention she deserved at this moment.

 

[Tanatsu Neko]

Neko smiled brightly and turned to face him, "to be honest with you my favorite thing to do is study. It doesn't matter where I am I just like to know things." She stopped smiling and had an inquisitive look on her face for a minute. "You um.. You don't.. Seem as bad as I thought you would be.."

She had assumed, given who she had met from the other side, that he would be some evil business oriented man. But upon meeting and chatting, she felt nothing of the sort. She was beginning to feel like maybe she was too young to fully understand the greys of the world. Maybe the black and white of everything was just not true. But either way she felt awful for having judged him before she had met him.

She quickly thought to change the subject, "oh and eat.. I love food."

 

[Raizo]

"Ah, the studious type... boy, do I wish I had that sort of fire when I was younger, would have saved me some harsh lessons" he would follow with a little chuckle as he caught the expression of Neko change.

"You um.. You don't.. Seem as bad as I thought you would be.."

He would pause for a moment, and his own expression would change as well, "I'm really glad to hear that. You know, it's tough, this village, this role, this title, and I know I'm far from perfect, and I hope what I do is for the best of the people, but you are always left wondering at the end of the day; did I do everything I could?"

His response was clearly to her words but he completely misunderstood her reasoning for saying what she said. Instead, he saw this as commentary on things like her current living arrangements and the community of Kazeka. For him, he felt this was a polite, but biting criticism, of 'allowing' such things to happen. Whether she realized it or not, her little words were both cutting and affirming. It gave him the impression, even if it was not quite hitting the mark she had actually been drawing, that maybe the way to better understand and help Suna was to take more time to meet the people. All of the people.

"I really do appreciate your words, Neko..." his tone was still a bit down, but like a switch, his expression and mood would instantly change upon hearing the words "food".

"Well... let's go get something to eat--" his face would morph into that of an excited child ready to show their friend something that they thought was really cool, "AND I will show you something cool."

He would then squat down, turn around so his back was facing Neko, and say, "Piggyback ride time... with a twist..."

His boisterous laugh would either be infectious or ominous, either way, he was having fun.

 

[Tanatsu Neko]

Neko's eyes followed him as he lowered himself down, she'd heard about these but.. was he really offering her one? She slowly moved over and hopped onto his back, once again feeling that warm kindness from him. She was in confusion but.. she couldn't risk losing the chance to just feel like a kid for a minute. She hadn't been old enough to remember her father or brother, and her mom had never done something like this. She tried her best to not get sentimental about it but, how could she not?

She was feeling not only what it was like to have a person who cared about them for no gain but also, in a way, what it must have been like to have a parent again. She looked down trying to ignore it, ignore that feeling and swelling in her chest. Just leave it be and enjoy the piggy back, she thought. But, she was still a kid, and it wasn't going away no matter how much she was trying to pretend she was fine.

"Okay.. I could eat, what's the twist though? you said twist.."

 

[Raizo]

"Ok, so hold on, this first thing isn't the twist..." He would say as chakra pooled into his legs and feet, "I just need to get out of Kazeka... this would be easier and less damaging to do higher up."

And with that, his body and the child upon his back would jump up. With the added force created from the chakra, he would easily jump a distance that would far exceed human stands, allowing him to bound to a nearby rooftop effortlessly [Chakra Jumping].

"Ok, so now here is the twist..." he would say, his wonders sort of wondering off as he began to pace around and look at not only the rooftop, but the surrounding area, and lastly, the sky above.

"I want to give a word of warning.--" the words would begin to grow strained as it appeared he was concentrating very hard. The strain would begin to appear on his face as veins would begin to appear and engorge. The muscles along his body would begin to constrict as chakra rushed all throughout his body. A visible smoke would begin to emanate from him, but Neko would not feel any heat or burning sensation, this was all happening internally for him. "--this is my first time trying this, to this extent..."

His dark hair would suddenly begin to fade to white as if the color was being sapped from it, and instead of being straight, it would begin to curl and look like a flame upon his head. His clothing, for whatever reason, would also change, as the very chakra coming from his body began to subtly warp his appearance and clothing. Lastly, his eyes would turn wild and red.

"I haven't thought of a name yet, I've just sort of been messing around with this in my free time... but during that, I realized I could do some cool things in this form, and one of them was--"

Before he could finish, a scarf-like creation of white clouds wrapped around himself and Neko behind him, they would both lift off the rooftop and begin to drift up into the air. Unlike his previous jump, this was more controlled and free, he wasn't jumping. He was levitating... or better yet...

"--flight, so I think I can fly now!"

He would say, once more dropping some weird absurd line and finishing it with a belly laugh.

"Don't let go, Neko... next comes the faster part!"

[Dragon Flight - Dragonheart Kinjutsu Ability]

 

[Tanatsu Neko]

Neko would instinctively grip him tightly as he jumped up, burying her face at first but calming as they came back to solid footing. She furrowed her brows as he spoke. If this wasn't the twist then what was? Her mind pondered ideas on what this surprise could be as it slowly revealed itself.



"Umm your hair.. it's.. eeeep" she sqealed as the pair began lift off the ground her grip on him once again tightening into a bear hug at this point. But while her body language was a little panicked, her eyes told a different story. The lit up with marvel and curiosity as they began to float. Every kid dreams of flight, and here she was doing it with the Kazekage of all people. She was ecstatic, a smile beaming across her face now as she heard him speak about what came next.



"You got it." She braces herself for the next bit looking a mix of determined and excited all at once. This was probably the first time, in years, she's had fun. Longer still since she could just be a kid for a moment. So she'd soak up every minute of it, until it was inevitably gone.

[Mft]
[WC 200]

 

[Raizo]

"My hair? We all have hair... silly, Neko!" he would say, and for a moment he would feel a modicum of regret as he wasn't actually sure if Sousuke had hair.

Oh, and of course, bald people don't have hair... but maybe on their body... actually, no, let's not clarify and just keep rolling with it.

At first, he would merely move forward through the sky in a standing upright pose, not the normal horizontal pose that most take when flying.

"Is it weird to fly like this? And don't even ask how I can fly, I think it's the chakra or something, but for me, I just get this funny feeling... and, I dunno, I guess I took that as 'fly you fool' and... well, so I did."

He would chuckle as he was sure there was something more scientific to it all, but he also didn't care. Sometimes, things just worked. Sometimes, magic was just magic. For him, this was one of those instances.

His pace through the sky would still be rather slow and steady, with this speed slightly increasing, but nothing super fast.

"Before we take off at any sort of speed, I haven't had the chance to just look down and view the village."

By this point, he and Neko would notice that they were high enough up in the air that they could see all of the village below them. Raising his left hand, a small flame would produce within it providing some heat for them as they looked down.

"When I was a kid, I once found a book on dragons. I didn't know if they actually existed, I didn't care, honestly, I just thought they were cool. A big powerful creature that could fly, see all of their treasure from a vantage point, and protect it... it's kinda silly, and I don't ever talk about it, but I kind of still want to see myself become that dragon one day. I can already see the treasure--" his eyes would linger on the village as he would take a small pause, "-and I would do anything to protect it with all my might."

It was goofy, the idea of being some mythical creature, or maybe some real-life creature, but either way he was a human. And still, now that he was actually flying over the village, he couldn't help but think of those days as a kid pretending to be a dragon around the clan's estate.

"So what sort of food are you in the mood for and/or what else you wanna do while we are up in the air?"

He was having fun with this, again it was his first time actually going this far with the skill he had recently discovered.

 

[Tanatsu Neko]

Neko's eyes would light up once again with pure wonder and amazement. The city looked so beautiful from here, she had never seen anything quite like it. To add to the amazement, his words hit her in a way none had before. She had never had anyone explain the why of it all in a way that resonated with her on such a fundamental level. But today, in this moment, she felt like she had been making all the correct decisions and now felt a connection with Raizo. Not only because she was being treated so kindly, but also because she took wanted nothing more than to see people in the village safe, successful, and free.

She smiled and looked around for a moment, thinking. "I..I want to protect it too.. one day.. I'll be like you then." She laughed lightly, "I'll be strong enough to be like you, maybe even be the kazekage someday too.. but I.. I want to help people like me.."

She'd take a moment soaking it all in, "have you tried Mr. Tatsu's ramen stand? I go there a lot because he always gives me an extra egg or some pork belly. It's really good too."

[Mft]
[WC 200]

 

[Raizo]

His large smile would only grow bigger the more he listened to Neko. He wasn't sure if she could see it or not, and honestly, that wasn't important. This is what he wanted to do within the village, this is how he wanted to be a leader. It was a difficult process, Suna and Wind Country seemed to have an abnormal amount of obstacles, but he had hoped that day by day he could win the hearts of its people. The bigger obstacles, he had hoped, he could carry the full burden in the future, that this military state didn't always have to be so, or at least there would be more freedom so it wasn't necessary for all to become a shinobi if they didn't so desire. And even if they did, they would find it lackluster as he would do his best to shield them from the coming storms. Alone. No more sacrifices. He was enough.

He was still in his twenties, he knew that such a belief was mildly silly, but was still young enough to believe he could carry such a cross. Only time would tell if that lesson would be one to humble him...

"Honestly, Neko... you had me at ramen!"

He would begin to prep himself to fly a bit faster, but before he took off he would pause.

"Hey, Neko, see that tower?" he would point to the Kazekage Tower, "I happen to live there, and I was thinking, for no specific reason, about turning an old office on the third floor into a guest room... like a bedroom of sorts. If you ever wanted, and I am not saying you have to, but if you ever wanted to... you are always welcome to it." He would pause for a moment again, this time because he wasn't sure how to word this. "Look, I guess what I am trying to say is that... I plan on leaving that window open if some little cat happens to crawl in... and I happen to offer them food... and then they happen to stay... I don't think there would be a problem in that... and you could stay for as long as you like... but you know this isn't me telling you to do anything you don't wanna do... and you are totally fine doing whatever makes you happy... and I totally am starting to feel like I am talking just a little too much... and I really am not sure how to end this sentence anymore... I think what I was trying to say..."

He would pause, tap his fist to his forehead, and shake his head, as if shaking off whatever he was poorly going through.

"Neko, I'm bad at this... let's go get some ramen and after my tummy is full maybe I can explain what I mean a little bit better..."

He was some random person that just met her, he was obviously saying something that would be overwhelming, not only for her but for him if he truly thought about it. He was no father, yet he did listen to his heart when it spoke. While his head had questions, his heart told him this was the right thing to do.

"Point to the direction of the ramen shop, hold tight... because I'm gonna go fast!"

He was now in the more horizontal flying pose, a traditional touch, and he would go in the direction she pointed. They would have dinner and it would be hopefully less awkward than the few moments beforehand.

OOC: Topic Left (unless there is more you want to play out first) so Neko can go age up and get scars.

 

[Tanatsu Neko]

Neko would point them in the direction. The offer was a kind one, and made her think for a long while. After landing she'd happily enjoy the meal with him and talk about how excited she was for the Genin exam. Afterwards she'd make her way off to get her last night sleep before the exams.

[Topic left]