Not-So Pleasant Stroll (Open RP)

[Inuzuka Yasei]

The sun passed slowly over Kumogakure's central business square. The weather was reasonably sunny but the ground was damp; a nasty rainstorm had not long passed over but now it had finally let up. The wind blew swiftly through the streets, becoming more tame from it's wild outburst about an hour ago. Yasei had been walking through the streets rather boredly with Kuro, his familiar who seemed oddly content with the tedious walking. "Nothing, nothing, nothing," he muttered, passing by many shops and theatres, seeing nothing of any particular interest. The young Inuzuka took a brief pause to kneel down to his nin-dog, "Kuro....how even....How even are you always this cheerful?" he questioned him, his response being an uncomfortable glare and a few murmurs, "Really set in your ways, huh?" he retorted, standing himself up once more and scratching at the back of his head, glancing around and scanning his environment.

It had really been a while since he got out to do something but now that he had, he kind of felt like he had forgotten how dull it often was without all of the intense training and his instructors constantly blurting orders into his face. Yasei and Kuro found their resting points at a small bench, one that was a part of the outside seating section of a small family run restaurant, something he clearly did not have the money for. It wasn't long before Kuro reminded him of this with a bark, "I know, I know.....hey, maybe we'll just dine and dash or something?" he thought, shuffling around in his seat, but the idea was becoming increasingly more enticing. The young shinobi looked around the street, trying to spot a familiar face amidst the vast crowds of shoppers.

 

[Yaban Hito]

Having been walking around the area doing shopping for himself, Hito seemed to run into the guy from the last night or the one before. It had been raining then. But now that it wasn't, Hito wasn't as cheerful or nice. His mask not on this time, Hito walked by them at first - the boy and his dog. It wasn't until his mind shot the comparison to the front of his brain that he turned around.

"Yo. Seems we meet again, Yasei." He looked down to the dog, kneeling down to pet him. "And Kuro."
Giving the dog a few pets, he stood back up. He had overheard Yasei talking of dining and dashing. He disapproved of such a thing. "Seems you are hungry. What would you like? My treat." Pulling out his pocket pouch, he counted his money. He had enough to feed all of them plus one or two more and still have the money he needed for the month.

 

[Inuzuka Yasei]

Yasei was stopped, mid thought, as he was approached by an acquaintance. He looked surprised at first, "Fancy meeting you here...er....Wait...it'll come to me...." he said, trying to think. It wasn't long before Kuro was having another 'what an idiot' moment as he looked at his master, mumbling to him the thought he was looking for, "Hito, yes, I knew I'd get it," he said, leading Kuro to roll his eyes.
A few sniffs from Kuro allowed him to confirm that he was a friend, he gave his hand a few affectionate licks as well before looking back to Yasei. The young Inuzuka knelt down to his dog, looking up at Hito, "Whoa, you'd really do that for us?" he said in disbelief, thinking it would be nice not to have to stalk the woods for hours to find something to eat, "That's a pretty fat purse, there," smiling, he stood back up, "We'll take anything at all," he said, not even giving the menu board a glance. Kuro seemed to like Hito and his attitude, it seemed to put his mind at ease too, being around friendly faces. "So, Hito," he began, "what've you been up to? How's life and all?" Kuro seemed interested in knowing too, as he jumped up and sat himself on the bench that was close by, giving a friendly bark in the other's direction.

 

[Yaban Hito]

"Yea, sure, no problem. It's a better alternative than what I heard you mention." His face wasn't smiling when he said that. He actually seemed mad about it. "Any thing you want to eat around here, is on me. Just take a pick and we will go." As he was asked what he had been up to, Hito couldn't really think much about.

"Not much. Life.. Not much. All in all, I haven't been up to much, I suppose." And that was it. A ridiculously stupid answer, but that was what had happened. Nothing worth mentioning. "What about yourself? You're an academy student, yeh? What classes have you taken? What class do you want to take? And how close are you to becoming a Genin?" Looking down at the dog, he wondered. "what happened to your friend, the girl? Is she right?" He couldn't remember her name right off hand this time, but maybe when he saw her he'd remember.

 

[Inuzuka Yasei]

Yasei was pretty grateful at his offer, if only to keep him from thieving, "It's all good, lighten up a little, Hito," he chuckled, awkwardly patting his shoulder, seeing his annoyance at the idea. Kuro stuck close to his master still, uncomfortable with the large crowds but he seemed more receptive to Hito's responses than Yasei did, he sounded like he was barking a question at Hito which Yasei translated for him, "Right, yeah. So you've not been hunting at all? Getting more pelts or trophies of your hunts? I mean, I'd have thought you'd be the sorta person, your clothes seem all made out of the stuff," he asked as he picked out some slices of pork and fish for himself and for Kuro, allowing Hito to pay.

He had to think for a moment about the next question as he never really paid much attention in class but he responded swiftly, "Well....I'm almost ready to be Genin....I think? Yeah, it'll be any day now," he looked to Kuro for a moment who seemed to turn his nose up at the mention of the mysterious girl, "I hadn't long met her....I guess she'll be around, I dunno really..." he admitted with a shrug, after all it would be nice to see her again, although Kuro didn't seem to much like her after what she did.

 

[Yaban Hito]

"If I lighten up on you, then I have to lighten up on everyone. Think of it this way; say you snatch some food. And then someone else snatches food somewhere else. And the chain keeps going. That creates two things," Hito began to say. "First, it creates a loss of income to the village, therefor, our monetary value lowers and our crime rate rises. Secondly, it makes me look bad for allowing people to commit those acts." The role of leader was coming out of him, telling the other how it would be more of a liability for him to allow it to have happened. "That aside, I'd rather keep you in line and make you into a rather strong, honest individual. I plan on making a group of people to teach and follow the ways that I follow. I wish to better that group as a whole, and as each individual grows, to become a force the village will want to have around for protection... Or otherwise." He let the last bit sink in. A group that could be used for the dirty work of the village, while holding the morals of protectors and making themselves the future of the village. "As for hunting and such... I no longer have time to perform my hobby, nor my old way of life. These clothes will be changed out to something much more reliable to my line of work within a few days. As for trophies, I believe the only trophy I have ever had was the head of a bear that I made into a hat." He chuckled, remembering that hat. He still had it, back in his ANBU boarding room. "When you become a Genin, come find me. I will test you, to test your strength and knowledge of battle. If you pass, I will have you join my group aforementioned, if you are willing." Paying for Yasei's food, Hito also got a milk bone from a local street shop. Handing the old man the amount owed, he walked back over to the others, and gave Kuro the bone. "Well, when you see her... Give her the same message I just passed to you."

 

[Inuzuka Yasei]

The massive lecture about not thieving actually made him feel a little guilty, looking down, he looked at the pork slices in his hand, "Yeah, I understand. I'm sorry, man," he said, smiling in his direction. Kuro immediately attack the bone as it was given to him, gnawing on it like nobody's business. Yasei listened to his rather inspirational speech about being the defending force of the village, and it was really nice to hear someone who was so patriotic but it made him wonder if Hito was always like this. The lack of hunting made Yasei a bit disappointed, "That's a shame.....we could of gone huntin' together sometime," he chuckled, nodding as the other spoke, "So what exactly is your 'line of work'?" he asked Hito curiously as the matter was brought up. As for himself, he looked down at his paid for food, being unable to examine it well with his eyes due to having very poor eyesight, he gave it a few sniffs with his nose to identify it. What came next was not a pleasant sight at all; he face went straight into the pork, violently tearing at it with his teeth and quickly scarping it down, it was kind of like watching an animal go nuts on their favourite sheep or deer. Kuro seemed preoccupied than to listen to what Hito was saying, he was getting too into his bone, wildly chomping away on it. "Whoa, whoa, a test?" he retorted in surprise, he thought his only test was going to be his Genin exam, "so what is this group you keep talking about....and I guess, who are they?" it seemed all so mysterious, the way Hito was talking, it made him feel a little bit nervous about what he had in store.

 

[Kazu]

"The hell are you talking about?" Ko had been keeping quiet for a while now. The two had seated themselves right behind the young grey haired boy, as these were two-sided benches. Ko had been sitting there, peacefully writing in his little black journal when these two decided to strike up a conversation behind him. As the conversation went on, Ko began to realize that they were students his age. They kept talking about the Academy, classes, the whole nine yards. In fact, now that he thought about it, he might actually know one of them. Was he that crazy wolf-man guy from that class he took a while ago? Either way, the kid he didn't know—he was pretty sure his name was Hito—was saying something about becoming the leader of some sort of group. What was crazier, though, was that the kid Yasei was listening to him. Ko couldn't keep quiet anymore, he had to say something. "Sorry, but you've piqued my curiosity. Why, out of all the people around, should people be listening to you?" Ko had turned fully around to face these two, wanting to get a good look at these two. Now that he was properly looking, he could say with confidence that he definitely recognized Yasei. This kid Hito, though, he didn't know much about. That's why he'd pay close attention to this one, watching his every move.

Ko was wearing his usual kind of clothing: a warm jacket, warm pants, a scarf, and a small gourd—its lid tied shut with a piece of braided rope—hanging by his side. His gray hair and eyes weren't the most common color around, but that's what helped to set the child apart from the rest. Besides, those eyes had a sort of hunger to them that made those in their gaze feel, possibly, a slight but uncomfortable from being watched so thoroughly. He was a bit taller than Hito, standing at a reasonable 4'9", which meant he had to look down at the kid to see his eyes. Ko's stance was aloof, yet powerful and confident. His voice was calm as could be. "You seem to have some sort of ideology that you'd like to, apparently, share with everyone who's willing to follow you and listen to you. So, tell me, what would you like people to know? What are the 'ways that you follow', hm?" Ko was curious to hear this boy's answer. If he had a good one, Ko might give him some more of his time. If he didn't have a good one, then the young boy supposed he'd go back to his book or maybe he'd even go practice his ninjutsu a bit. He didn't have time to wait for people to impress him all the time—he sought out those who did.

 

[Yaban Hito]

"When I have time, and you have time from your training and classes, I will take you hunting Yasei. I know of a good place. As for my line of work, I'm training to become a better ANBU member." As Yasei began to pretty much ravage his food, Hito would raise an eyebrow. That... Was a really intense way to eat some food, Hito thought. As he mentioned the test, and about the group, Hito knew he had his interest. "Yes, a test. In strength and in judgement. I will see if you have grown to become strong and a little wiser. As for a name for the group, I've no name for them. Until the time I am ready to bring the group before the Raikage or Council, we will be nameless."

Shifting his weight, he stood slack; relaxed. Having bought a snack of his own somewhere earlier, he pulled out the chips and opened them. A crisp chip flew into his mouth, a loud crunching sound coming his his mouth.

As the other kid nearby turned and butted into their conversation rudely, Hito merely turned his head, and looked up at him. "Who are you, to ask questions of me? Before butting into a conversation so rudely, you should at least introduce yourself first. As for me piquing your interest..." Hito looked the other boy over. He was roughly around the same age as Yasei. "I will lead this group as protectors of the village, or assassins when the ANBU cannot be spared. Why should they listen to me? Leadership is an intangible asset that usually cannot be showcased through medals or plaques, as athleticism or aesthetic talent can. However, it is essential for the operations of any organization and corporation as well as for the successful completion of any mission. To be a leader, you need to master the two basic steps that make you into the leader you aim to become, or are. The first step is that you need to know what kind of a leader you are before you can prove to others that you can head a team or mission. This requires that you understand your dominant personality traits, relative strengths and weaknesses, and core values. Think about what the other complimentary personalities you work well with. This, in turn, should reflect your individual role in missions. Knowing your weaknesses also helps you realize what other personalities you should keep around to fill in those holes in a group. Think about what your go-to strategies for motivating others are. How hands-on or hands-off are you in managing progress? How would you resolve disputes and conflicts? Now. Step two is to think about how your skills and past experiences will allow you to uniquely contribute to the group as a whole."

Hito took a few seconds to let that sink in before the other asked yet more questions. "My ideals are simple. Become the Village's strongest, strictest group in the Village. We will become the best in the ANBU. A special task force that is solely ANBU's finest shinobi, if you will. To follow my ideals, you have to believe in the same goals as I. You want only the best for the village and its inhabitants. You must want to become stronger, no matter what. You must possess a strong will to make the Village stronger, to improve lives here by giving your own life to become the best of the best; the elite. Coming from nothing, no parents, no family, no friends.... My goal is to make this village prosper and grow from my help....No matter what the cost. My ideals for the group are for the group to strive to become the village's most elite task group, who isn't afraid to go above and beyond."

Letting that sink in, he took in a breathe, ate a few chips, and began again; wiping his hand that had been grabbing the chips on his pants. "As to answer your last bit of your question... I follow an extremely strict training regime. I test myself as a very being to see if I am worthy to live. I climb the very face of The Spine of the World. I test my will to survive by spending weeks outside of the village, with nothing but the weapons I carry on my being. I train no matter what the weather, no matter how strenuous. I don't take steps, I make strides. I improve myself, and my body to forge myself into what I want myself and my body to become; the greatest shinobi this village has ever, and will ever see. And to accomplish that, the training I partake in cuts no slack for someone not dedicated enough. I expect the same of those who wish to join the group, later, when it is formed. If they are not dedicated to the group, or if they slack in their training, it will cost them their life. But, if they do not give up.. And if they train not only their body, but their mind... I believe not only myself, but others can become what I am aiming to become. Is that to your satisfaction?"

Hito had given the other his honest answer, as well as an extremely in depth look into Hito's ideals and beliefs. It gave the two something to think about, and something to know about Hito. If the two reflected on his words, and dedicated themselves to the same training regime as him, Hito believed the two could become as strong as he.... And he believed they both had potential, even as he had just seen the other boy. Hito had sharp, piercing eyes. He took in a lot, and analyzed it. Another great quality in a leader. Or it was possibly due to his many battles, and his way of life. Who knew?

 

[Inuzuka Yasei]

After he finished his food, Yasei too raised an eyebrow, "ANBU, eh? That sounds important, you got a lotta work ahead of you.....So you want to form a group?" he asked, nodding at the anticipated answer, "My training will become more strict, in that case. I'll be ready for that test, and so will Kuro, we won't disappoint....right, Kuro?" he said, looking down at the young, black dog, who gave a joyful bark in response which earned him a pat on the head. Yasei watched as Hito opened his crisps and ate them....to him, it seemed like such an odd way to slowly eat the food, that's all he ever knew growing up, otherwise he wouldn't eat. Kuro, however, still seemed engrossed with that bone, gnawing on it as violently as he could. The wind blew gently through the alleyways of the village, not with a bite but with a nudge as the sun saw to taking the chill off the breeze quite nicely.

Before long, another kid came along, a stranger. He seemed like he was trying to insert himself into the group or at least the conversation by some means. Yasei didn't seem to want to take kindly to the other, who seemed to be dressed in what could only be described as 'winter wear'. The young Inuzuka tried to make himself look big, though being slightly taller than the both of them at 5"0', it wasn't that hard. Recognition did kick in, however; he was that kid from the forest class who always seemed distracted by nothing in particular, or perpetually thinking about something. Kuro recognised him too but didn't seem to want to trust him, the little dog didn't like people who pried too much so to that end, the only thing Ko received from Kuro was a threatening growl in his direction. However, before much could be said, Hito erupted into speech about his values and ideals which was quite interesting on the whole. Yasei listened to him for the full five minutes it took to say it all, everything he said was inspirational and made him want to strive for more and get on his new friend's level, even Kuro seemed whisked away into the speech. "Burrrn....." was Yasei's only response, seeming how Hito just verbally undressed Ko and made himself quite known to the other.

The boy's intentions were hard to understand for Yasei, having no means of reading his facial gestures clearly. A step forward ensued , grabbing Ko by his shoulders and sniffing around his being for a few seconds before stepping back. Kuro continued to growl at him, so Yasei piped up, "What do you even want, little dog?" he asked Ko harshly, "You spying on us?" maybe he was being too suspicious, he just didn't want anything to go wrong at the moment.

 

[Mihane Karasuba]

Just as the argument was about to pick between Yasei, Hito and the new ninja a shiver would be felt up Kuro's spine as a dark presence began to fill the alleyway they were standing in as if the dog was being stalked. Turns out it was worse than being stalked as the young and insane ball of energy known as Karasuba dropped down from a nearby roof right over Yasei and if the feral ninja didn't move he would most likely get Kara's foot planted right in his head. However she landed Karasuba used her conservative motion to spin and scoop Kuro up into a cuddle from which he would not be able to escape as everyone knows that when it comes to small cute animals girls become freakishly strong in order to cuddle them to death. After a minute the dog was dropped as she spun around to her friends. "Hello Hito, Yasei, cute little Kuro and stranger I only barely remember from class." Kara exclaimed excitedly as she waved at the people who were less then a foot away.

After a minute she stopped and looked up at the roof she had come from. "Oh and I got a friend with me. Oh sir Worthington over here!!!!" Soon After she shouted a fairly large clay spider with a badly painted on moustache, a monocle over one of it's many eyes and a clay top hat came over the edge of the roof and quickly crawled down the wall. Now most people would freak at the thing but to make matters worse, the statue was packed with enough explosive chakra to level the building on either side of them. Once down the wall the spider cuddled up to Kara who just cooed at the large arachnid. "Isn't he the cutest explosive ever." Kara almost squealed as she smiled at her friends.

 

[Kazu]

Rude? Him? What the heck? Ko didn't think he'd been that rude, simply asking some questions. They were legitimate, too, so it's not as if the young boy was asking absurd questions. These were questions Hito would need proper answers to if he ever intended on convincing anyone else to recognize his group officially. It seemed like he did have answers, but, well...

"You talk way too much." Ko gave Hito a sort of sideways look that spoke volumes more than his words. His peer had a very long winded answer to relatively simple questions. Looking further into these novels of an answer, it became a little more obvious that they were mostly just theoretical speculation on what made a good shinobi. That, and it was him explaining that he had a tough training regimen. So? They all did, or at least were supposed to. They were Kumogakure shinobi, after all. His eyes still fixed on the would-be leader, Ko's expression hadn't changed in the slightest. "While that's all good and such, you never answered my question. I don't give a damn what 'makes a good leader'. We could talk semantics and definitions all day, but words are just words—and yours are flowery, at best." Short and concise. That was Ko's style. He didn't bother to waste a breath, getting straight to the point. He and Hito were different in that way, he supposed. He imagined Hito talking his enemies to death, which based on this display might not be the worst strategy in the world. "You're basically saying we all just need to get stronger, and then we'll be amazing shinobi. That's not how this works. Strength does not translate into leadership or wisdom." Ko was a determined individual, whose respect was not easily earned. He was polite to strangers and superiors, but rarely did he truly respect someone on a very guttural level. It was the kind of respect that made you want to follow someone, share their dreams, and go out of your way to impress them. As of yet, Hito had yet to come even close to gaining the young boy's respect. "I'll ask you again: why should people be listening to you?"

The other boy, though, seemed to be more easily persuaded than Ko was. From the sound of things, he thought Hito had properly schooled Ko with his response. Furthermore, his method of introduction and conversation was a little unorthodox—the kid was even more like a wolf than Ko initially thought, as he suddenly stepped forward and began to sniff Ko for a few moments. He was from the Inuzuka Clan, Ko remembered, but he hadn't imagined their similarities to their animal brethren would have been so striking. Waiting for the boy to finish, Ko stood resolute and unwavering in the face of such an awkward greeting. When the wolf-boy stood back, and practically barked his question out at Ko, he could tell he wasn't well liked with this kid. Or his dog, for that matter. "I want to learn. I want to sate my curiosity, and so I ask questions. Is that a crime?" Ko didn't want this to turn into a fight, but he wasn't unprepared if that's what this would become. His hand dropped, rather innocuously, towards his hip where the gourd was fastened. He was prepared to undo the seal, at any moment, should he feel that he would need to enter combat against these two.

Before he could, though, he felt the rush of wind as a young blonde haired woman came crashing down out of nowhere. She had seemingly face tackled the dog who, just moments before, had been growling at Ko with dislike and distrust. As the two of them spun for a moment or two, Ko looked over to her with confusion and a tad bit of shock. He realized quickly that she was the woman from that class he had with wolf-boy on contracts, the one who had exploded that huge explosive in the forest right in front of the whole class. What the heck was her deal? Was she actually insane? It didn't take long before his question was answered, though, as she pointed towards what could only be described as the most ridiculous thing he'd ever seen. Was that a daper-looking spider bomb? Ko had no words. None, whatsoever. He could only look on with an expression of exasperation, mixed with caution and disbelief. She was so unstable, Ko wasn't sure whether he should try to get away from the area or not. Then again, this thing was so large its blast radius might have been too large to properly get away from. Was she about to explode a bomb in their faces? Perhaps he'd need to be prepared for combat not against the two boys, but against this girl.

 

[Yaban Hito]

Hito turned his head from the conversation as Karasuba landed from above. "A grand entrance, perhaps, for a grand person?" Hito raised an eyebrow at Yasei's "burn" comment, and shook his head. "That wasn't necessary, Yasei.." , then turned his head back to Ko; This boy brought more words out of Hito than most anyone else. He wasn't one for many words... Usually. "I am only answering your questions in a logical manner. As to why the group should follow me is simple. I am committed to developing and making other better; to... maximize their gifts. I earn respect from others, not demand it. And, in return.. I offer compassion, stability (or strength), and direction. But, if you do not believe my words, I feel confident that us crossing fighting styles will show you what you are seeking."

Resting a hand on his smaller sword, bound behind his back, he had a quick way to draw his blade with ease, and with fast timing. But, Hito's challenge was only if the other didn't see the example he wanted to be for others to follow; for others to become shinobi loyal to the village, and to become the strongest group within the village. With great strength came great pride, and with great pride would come even greater opportunities for the group to become a close-knit group of friends that would become the village's pride and joy. Hito's ideals were grand... But they were also something that would take time. He knew it wouldn't be something that would happen right away. Allowing Yasei, Ko, and Kara time to let his latest words sink in, he also gave them something else to think about.

Returning his attention back to Ko, he ended his speech with "Besides, what leader cannot take any criticism? Why should someone listen to me if I can't remain calm and take advise from others? Hito let that set in, turning his head back to Kara's clay spider. It seemed she had been working on her newly developed bloodline. A small smile appeared at the corner of his lips. "Now, Kara.... Why would you forget the little cane of his, eh? Joking, of course. How well are you developing your skill, so far?" It seemed she had developed quite nicely, only having been a day or two since he had last seen her... Had she come along that far since then? Hmm.. She has improved rather well, yes..

 

[Inuzuka Yasei]

Yasei didn't like the small amounts of tension that seemed to be growing in the area, Hito's words turned his head, "Well.....I just thought it was kinda cool...." he stepped back a little, gesturing for Kuro to come back. The young Inuzuka listened to his friend a little more, he still didn't know what he thought about Ko, not having spoken to him at all during class. Kuro looked back up to his master, expressing to him in a soft bark that there was a new scent in the area. Yasei could detect her as well, but the scent was familiar. Swiftly, he jumped back so as to avoid her entrance toward him after detecting her presence, now he could recognize her; he finally got a good look and he remembered. Kuro struggled as he was scooped up, even letting out a loud yelp and attempted to nip and the girl's arm until he was finally released.

Behind Yasei's leg, Kuro hid himself, all the while glaring at the young blonde whom he had grown a great dislike of over the small few days he had known her. Yasei seemed more tolerant or her though so, naturally, he was happy to great her, "You missed me, Kara," he gloated.

Back to different matters, however, he had since grown fond of the promises Hito had made and this mention of becoming something much bigger. Having only known Kara and Hito for three or four days, he already felt a friendship for the two which Kuro seemed to share with him.

A yelp was given by Kuro, a loud one at that upon seeing the gigantic spidery explosive. Yasei knelt down to Kuro, not understanding what he was so upset about. "Whoa....That's awesome! How do you make a thing like that....?" he seemed impressed by the quick access she had to her Kekkei Genkai. Kuro was frightened by the object, having the ability to detect chakra levels, he could comprehend the raw explosive chakra inside the beast and it made him feel increasingly unsafe. Yasei kept an arm around his little 'brother', staring in awe at the impressive jutsu. "That is the poshest thing I have ever seen, ever...."

 

[Kazu]

Ko raised an eyebrow—this Hito guy seemed like he could be reasonable after all. Ko had, possibly, been a tad bit terse with the two of them—and by extension, he could have been seen as a slight bit rude—but he didn't exactly regret that. That's just who Ko was. He wanted to get straight to the facts with it, and he didn't mind being a little impatient in doing so. Ko's questions were met, this time, with proper answers. Hito was essentially saying that he was a good leader, due in part to his dedication. He was driven, and that was what made him lead. Ko could understand that line of thinking. He also understood the way in which the boy's hand dropped down to his own sword. The two of them were primed, Ko and Hito. Ko's hand on his gourd, and Hito's on his sword—they were ready to do battle right then and there. Ko stared into this boy's eyes and saw the level of determination and motivation, compelling the young leader to do what he felt was the right course of action. Ko, however, saw things differently. "I will tell you now, I'm still not convinced." Instead of clenching up for battle, though, the young Sasaki boy removed his hand from his side, crossing his arms together instead. "I appreciate your offer to spar, but I have something else in mind." Ko allowed his eyes to wander, drifting onto the wolf-boy and his 'brother.' Those two were interesting. They certainly were as loyal as dogs, Ko would give him that. Exhaling as he held himself tall, Ko returned his gaze to the grizzled boy.

"Your proposition is interesting. I, too, seek entrance into the ANBU corps. It's always been a dream of mine, I suppose you could call it. A goal might be a better way to put it though..." Ko was starting to ramble. He knew that. Clearing his throat, he forced himself back onto the subject at hand. "I'm not interested in following you as a leader. I'm not convinced of your skill, nor do I think I will be for a long, long time. However, as equals, we may be able to go somewhere." Ko looked Hito straight in the eyes. He wasn't backing down, and it wasn't like he was offering them a choice in it either. Ko was legitimately interested in befriending the rest of the people whom he might be competing against for the position of ANBU. It would probably work better if they all knew each other going into it. That's why, despite this boy's big and mighty words, he had attracted Ko's attention. As he stood there, watching Hito's and Yasei's reactions, his jaw looked like it was chewing on something really tough. Ko was deep in thought right now about this situation. "What do you say?"

[ooc: Skipping Karasuba.]

 

[Yaban Hito]

[Kara is unavailable for a few days]

Being as Kara was busy, Hito spoke ahead of her, his attention still focused on Ko. As the other spoke his views, and his goal, Hito understood that he had a similar goal in this short life that Hito had adopted. "I see. Not convinced yet, eh? I will not push it upon you. If you have your own path in life that you feel so compelled to follow, i commend you on that." Hito recognized the other for that, and gave a nod. As he removed his hand from his gourd, crossed his arms, and spoke again, Hito could only muster a small smirk. "So you want to join as well. Fair enough. The Sennin is my mentor. I will pass your name to him, if you so wish?" Following his gaze to the others, the boy viewed his surroundings, making note at how relaxed and laid back the rest were. That put a smile on Hito's face, rather than the smirk.

Keeping his view on the dog, Hito saw out of the corner of his eye, how Ko's vision returned to him. "Equals, you say..." Hito looked up, towards the deep blue heavens. "Suppose you listened to my words; Suppose you had the determination and perseverance to follow your goal, obtain it, and maintain that goal no matter what. Then I will acknowledge you as a true equal." Lowering his gaze back down to Ko's, Hito had a peaceful face. He meant no dishonor, nor did he mean any disrespect. But he himself was in that same position, so he himself could not consider anyone an equal on that footing. "But, for now, I will consider you a friend, with a possibly bright future. And not only that, but I hope you will come to become as close to this small group as I wish the rest of us, in hopes that you will change your mind."

Looking back up into the sky, Hito could only smile. Something about these people gave him the feeling the village had a bright future ahead of it. The youth of today would become the guardians of tomorrow.

 

[Inuzuka Yasei]

At this point, the young, crazy girl seemed to drift of into the distance as she just vanished and was forgotten before very long. Yasei turned his attention back to the other two to hear what they were saying. "The ANBU, again?" he said, turning his nose up, that area had never really been for him, personally, he wasn't exactly the 'law and order' type that seemed to be required for the position. Hito's words seem quite inspirational to Yasei, even if only because he hadn't really heard much different before but he could see himself becoming stronger with the people that he followed.

Kuro's attitude toward Ko seemed to change quite drastically here as he realised the other was relatively harmless - in the sense that he was choosing to remain passive. The young, black-furred dog approached Ko for a moment to give his hand a brief lick, it was as if he was trying to say, 'sorry I doubted you...' but without any verbal communication.

The young Inuzuka seemed very little affected by the two, unsure of his attitude toward the other, he was zoning in and out of the present conversation. He watched the two star at each other, he couldn't tell if a battle would come of it or not and it was getting annoying, "Come on, guys, just make out already," he called sarcastically.

(Sorry for the short post, just had no clue what to do...)

 

[Kazu]

Ko let out a small sigh. His words were met relatively well, which took a weight off of Ko's shoulders. He had been afraid that they might not have been on-board with his proposals, but things had seemed to work themselves out quite well. The tension in the air was dropping—the canine, Kuro, even felt comfortable enough to come up to the gray haired child and give his hand a lick. Ko smiled, and bent down towards the dog. Holding his hand out for him to sniff, Ko would then try to pet his head, if he would allow him. If not, the young boy would simply withdraw his hand and give a quick apology. Looking up from the dog, Ko listened to Hito's hypothetical words. Suppose this, suppose that. At the end of the day, he was telling Ko that he'd have to do a lot more in order for Hito to consider the boy his equal. That was fine with the young man, he probably would be thinking the same way. "A friend it is. I'm happy to start there." Standing back up, Ko looked to the two of them, wondering what they would do from here. The future of this little organization was uncharted, and they had a lot to work on. Who were they? What did they do? All questions to be answered.

"If this group is to become official, then, we'll all need to become ANBU. One of us..." It was painfully obvious who he was referring to. "...already has that down. The rest of us, and whoever else may be joining this group, need to work on that prerequisite." Ko would allow all of that to sink in. They had a lot to do on their plates, and though Ko was no sort of leader, he knew what kind of structure would be necessary for a group like this to operate. He stopped himself, thinking of another thing. "Speaking of, what is the group even called?" He wondered if perhaps he should be writing this information down somewhere. He pulled out a small black journal and began to scribble down some notes with a pen. It wouldn't do to keep all of his thoughts in his head, where he might forget them. "On that note, we may need to get this group sanctioned with the ANBU. Hito, you said the ANBU Sennin was your mentor? Do you think we could get a meeting with him on this matter?" Ko was no leader. Maybe an organizer and a bookkeeper, but never a leader. He saw himself as equals with others, and usually worked better alone. In this case, however, he was willing to work with others in order to achieve a common goal: justice and order.

 

[Yaban Hito]

Hito chuckled at the two gathered beside him. "A friend it is then." Placing his hands on his lower back, he placed a small bit of pressure and stretched, bending backwards while pushing his lower back forward. Ko was talking about if the group was to become official, how everyone would have to become ANBU. Allowing Ko to finish before correcting him, the time allowed Hito to gather his thoughts on what the other was reasoning and talking about.

"First thing first... A correction on both of us. Not everyone will become ANBU. Who would be the medical support for us, if none of us have the correct training? Sure, I have limited training, but nothing to really work to the benefit of others.. No, we will need a medical ninja... But it doesn't have to be one of us as of yet. As for joining the ANBU... Good luck. I can pass along your names, if you please.. Or you can seek out old gramps Saito yourself." Coughing, his hand covering his mouth, Hito relayed more information. "As for being sanctioned, leave that to me. I believe he and I will have something worked out soon enough. I am visiting him soon enough anyways, so I will run it by him when the time comes. As for a meeting, I believe we can work that out at the same time...."

Now all that was left was the name. Something Hito had already said he didn't have, mainly because he was terrible with names.. But that was a small detail.

(Mft)

 

[Inuzuka Yasei]

The prospect of becoming ANBU was a little overbearing and put him on edge a little. Yasei was not really the utter 'law-abiding' type and would probably drag a lot of his fellow officers down if he were to travel down that route so, after Hito and finished, he felt he had to voice his opinion, "Yeah, I mean....I don't think I'm all 'cut-out' for ANBU....I think the main branch is the right kind of gig for me," he explained, glad that he could stay where he was and not have it affect things too badly. The young Inuzuka heeled his companion to his side as he was getting kind of tired now.

"Maybe we should hold off on a name for a bit, huh? Surely it'd be wiser to see what we will stand for and see how we all function together and base an idea off of that? Name's aren't everything, you know, we need foundations first," he explained, kneeling down to Kuro to make him feel a little more included. "You think maybe we should wrap this up, guys? This is getting a little dull," he admitted, almost yawning out his words, "I am not all too sure what is going on anymore, guys...."

((Again, short post....))