Smells Like Team Spirit [Semi-Open: PM For Permission]

[Matsuno Hama]

Before the fountain sat a man. From this man, came music.

A simple way to describe the outrageously noisy get-up of the resting nin; a thick yukata decorated in psychedelic colors ranging from bright yellows to hot pinks, outlined by thick bands of a deeper blue and somehow meshed together in a fashion that was cohesive rather than abrasive to the eye lay pooled around him, a thin mat placed on the ground to keep the dirt from the silken fabric. His head was down, the stiff bamboo conical hat on his head hanging forward loosely enough that it covered the majority of his face, his lower lip and chin just barely discernible. Sticking down from between his lips was a poorly made cigarette, the thin paper crumpled slightly under the weight of the tabacco in it. It wasn't lit yet, and seemed at any moment about to fall as each movement of his head jostled it to and fro, his focus consumed by the shamisen in his hands. Handcrafted and worn over the years, it still played beautifully beneath his fingers as he strummed the chords at a lazy, relaxed pace, the pick he used about as old as the instrument itself, the source of the atmospheric ambience around him, more pronounced and easily drowning out the general sounds of the plaza whenever one came closer to him. His feet were tucked comfortably beneath him, and he'd caught the attention of some passersby as he played. There was another conical hat before him, and in it some few of the audience had actually thrown some money as if thinking he was performing rather than relaxing.

It was almost serene, despite the loud clothes.

But then.. there were the signs.

Two sticks held up a banner before him, framing the image of tranquility that was the Jounin, sloppy letters damn near shouting the title written on it: Ting Pao Pow Pow Pals. To his left and right, bright yellow 'wet floor' signs, large and loud, had over them draped white canvas sheets with the words 'Hiring!' and 'Recruiting!' written on them. Behind where the man sat, two smaller signs that fit conveniently above the banner as one approached read, when seen together, 'Genin and Below!' while before the upturned hat was a small banner that read, 'New Team in the Making!'

What?

[MFT for the week of 12/11 - 12-17]

 

[Eishi]

The last few months had been a hectic mess. I had been going all over the city of Kumo learning new things, and doing more missions then I knew what to do with. Even now, I was just getting assigned a team after a backlog of a couple months of waiting. I wondered if this was due to my recent boost up and out from the academy, but I was getting to the point of being slightly annoyed at being jerked around like a cheap handkerchief to a teenage boy. Whatever, I'll make a formal complaint some day I half-joked to myself still going as I was instructed. I was fast approaching the meeting spot for the first ever team meeting when I saw the name of the group written on a sign. When I read "Ting Pao Pow Pow Pals" the only thought that went through my head was Fucking kill me now.

When I got a look at the instructor, I couldn't help myself from speaking under my breath,

"Oh goddamnit, I got stuck with the hippie teacher." Noting his colorful attire and use of music. If I was being honest, I didn't so much as mind that he had a decent flow and rhythm going as much as I was letting my judgment of his personal attire paint my view of him. I contemplated what kind of Jounin leader he was going to end up being, but doubted he was the sadistic type of instructor if his colorful attire was any indication. As long as he didn't make it unbearable it didn't much matter. When I noticed his "recruiting" and "hiring" sign. I questioned his sanity or his seeming desire to negotiate because as far as I was aware neither we nor he had much choice in who was assigned to whom. Though maybe that was a wrong assumption and jounins could deny who they would mentor. I really kind of wish I read how the rules work in that case. Either way, unless we had some real conflict, I doubt he'd pass up on me.

I willed my spear out from behind me, using my magnetic aura to plant it deep into the ground. The spear acted as a poll to post myself up against. As we waited for the other two genin's whom we were expected to meet here today, I brought out some jerky and began to tear into it using my molars to get decent slices of the dried meat. I nodded my head to the old hippie and stated curtly with a dry smile,

"Eishi Isobe."

 

[Siu]

Susukino District was an area in which Siu was actually quite well familiar with. Before her busy and complicated life as a shinobi, she often used to visit the district with her parents, in order to eat or watch one of the many theater performances there together. It was a place vibrant with abundant culture and life; Though, sometimes, it held a little bit 'too much' life for the young Genin to quite handle.

Though she was well on her way to the designated location, the young shinobi actually hadn't received many details regarding what exactly she was getting herself into. All she knew was that she was to be suddenly meet somewhere, in order to be assigned to a team of some sort. Not having any background information, or even knowledge the actual appearance of her own to-be teammates, she was initially worried whether or not she would even be able to find them in the hustle and bustle of the busy district location or not.

"A team.." She mumbled lowly past the dumpling stick in her mouth, while holding the three other dumpling sticks in her hand. "But I am so weak..." She mused aloud, seeming troubled . "Why would anyone want me?"

Her deep worry concerning whether or not she'd find her teammates or not, however, would soon come to pass, as she eventually made to the central square of the district. There, in the midst of the districts casual surroundings, sat a bleedingly distinguished figure, playing a shamisen and dressed in psychedelic colored attire. Though, it wasn't even necessarily the man himself which caught the most of Siu's attention, but rather than the actual signs and banner's advertising all around him. 'Hiring!', 'Recruiting!, 'Ting Pao Pow Pow Pals'

"....Errm..." The young girl noised in response to the sight, rather startled, greatly surprised, and most of all perplexed. "What..? She mused to herself. "....Is this?"

Being distinguished as a shinobi by others, was not really something the young girl minded too much. Yet, to advertise such information so blatantly obvious, for everyone in the district to witness, was something that made the young girl rather startled and even unsettled. Furthermore, even the advertisement itself looked more like something out of a comical gag show, rather than a respectable and legitimate shinobi advertisement. The letters of the advertisement themselves looked like something sloppily put together by a young kid about her age. It was enough to make one ponder if they'd been sent there, because no one else would join..

Shaking her head free of her negative first impressions, the young Genin continued her approach towards the designated meeting location, where another figure could be observed leaning on his spear close by. "Ah!" She gasped with surprise, upon coming into close enough proximity to recognize the familiar young boy's face, "Eishiii!" She excitedly greeted, waving her free hand, her teeth visibly clasping against the dumpling stick as she pronounced the elongated, 'i' in his name.

"Are you here for the team meeting to?!" She excitedly inquired while approaching him. "Are we really going to be working together on the same team?!"

Giving the young boy a few moments to breathe and register her overjoyed greetings, she gazed at him, as if in deep thought for the time, before she suddenly noised, "Oh!" As if she'd suddenly forgotten something. Holding out a hand, in which held the three dumplings which she bought on her way to the meeting as presents for the group, she offered Eishi one of the sticks. "It's for you!" She offered enthusiatically with a smile.

The continuing tune of the instrument next to her, however, would eventually bring the enthusiastic young girl's focus back upon the oddly dressed older man sitting among the blatantly obvious array of advertisements. Siu gazed at him in silence for a time, seeming to observe him in great detail as he played his instrument.
"He's pretty good.." She mused herself, before eventually crouching down in front of the man. Reaching a hand in her pocket, she fished around for a bit, before looking downward in order to clarify the contents in her hand; a couple of yen notes(money bills). Reaching her arm out towards the other conical hat next to him, she generously placed her own money among the other yen bills and coins inside the hat, before finally standing back up in order to readdress Eishi.

"Hmmm, by the way. Have you seen our leader, yet? He appears a bit late I guess." She curiously inquired.

It appears she had no idea...

 

[Suika]

Conflicted.

It was a day like most, but all the events that led up to her recent Genin promotion shifted her moral compass every which way. Prior to her exam, she led a life unashamedly conning people to support he gypsy lifestyle. She didn't necessarily find pleasure in this, but it was a learned and reinforced method of survival that kept her alive throughout her young lifespan. This changed when she was recruited to Kumogakure’s shinobi forces and underwent Shieo’s illusory trials. Old dichotomies entered a limbo realm of gray when she confronted her deepest fears face-to-face. Her mistrusting and self-interested nature manifested her into a serpent-demon that consumed innocence and purity. Ultimately, that demon was fueled by fear itself, which Suika conquered in that illusion. She longed for a new, righteous path since that day, but that was soon shaken by the events in her exam. She hesitated to strike Shieo and was reprimanded for that. Normally, she would have without hesitance, but she refused to become what was in that dark and depraved vision. The girl made the decision to follow her own path, but she was unsure as to what that looked like.

Strapping on her kunoichi gear, Suika dashed off to her new team’s assigned meeting place at Susukino District. She was given news that she, along with two other Genin, were designated into a squad led by a Jounin. The gypsy girl felt indifference in the matter. Her last team, the gypsy troupe labeled ‘Ringo’s Emporium for Flavorful Fruits’, didn’t fare well with her. Her expectations for the next weren’t too great.

Suika strolled quietly down the marketplace past its hustle and bustle. She frequented the dessert shops there, so she remained unmoved by its loud and fast-paced tempo. As she made her way to the designated location, a serene melody pierced through the noisiness of the masses. Tunes were usually played by local struggling musicians, but this sound was different. Her ears perked and her magenta eyes glittered in curiosity. She moved toward it as if drawn, but that was also the direction of their meeting place. She approached its source and, as soon as she caught full sight of the flamboyantly-colorful figure and his elementary signs, her eye twitched.

“Oh god…” She swung her body into a complete 180 with a glued, forced smile on her face. He wouldn’t notice her, right? She casually walked away. “Suika, turn back.” sang a familiar voice that occasionally haunted her head. It was the same voice that ignited her spiritual awakening and aided her when she confronted a gluttonous demon. It appeared as if she attempted to guide the girl yet again. Normally, she’d ignore it, but she knew the whoever it was speaking would unrelentingly pester her until she caved. So she did. She turned back around.

She neared the musical peacock who, by glimpse of his cheesy signs, was most likely her leader. In front of him were two figures around her height. She instantly recognized them and blushed. “Siu…”<i></i> she called out awkwardly. She did feel embarrassed, but that was due to the fact that her last sight of Siu was the image of her getting swallowed whole. And even worse - this act was done by the illusion of her future, vile self. Suika shook it off. “Hello, Siu. It’s nice to see you.”<i></i> She shifted her body toward the one-armed boy. What was his name again? “It’s also nice to see you.”<i></i> The kunoichi then fixated her attention on the rainbow man in front of her. What would be his approach?

 

[Matsuno Hama]

A brief pause in the music, the wooden pick twirled about before the notes changed. The music was still relaxed and lazy, but the song was indeed a tiny bit different. Surely, it wasn't because of the muttered comment about a hippie teacher that had caused it, the motions too fluid to have been a hesitation. His lips did split into a half-grin, one side holding down the butt of that poor cigarette to prevent it from falling. The grin had faded by the time Eishi introduced himself, and for the moment the Jounin did not stop in his playing, intent on finishing the song. Still his head was bowed, face covered by the hat which shifted just slightly as his head moved to the music. It was as if he were intent on watching his fingers while he played, though again a half grin broke out as Siu added money to his hat.

Finally, the music stopped as the gypsy girl arrived, and left, and arrived yet again. With a subtle flick of his fingers the pick came to rest between his index and middle finger, and he drew the shamisen from his lap to rest beside him on the mat. He did not move the signs, though, despite the 'team's' arrival. Instead, he reached up, and pulled the hat from his head with a smooth maneuver, holding it upturned before him to reveal that it was full of money. His collection gathered throughout the day, perhaps? no matter. The lightly tanned shinobi's face was almost normal, a five o' clock shadow matching the unruly mess that was his hair, a loosely wrapped ribbon the only thing that seemed to keep it from spilling forward onto his shoulders. His eyes, however, were probably the most interesting part, if only because they.. weren't visible, neatly bound silken wrappings covering them entirely, the layered material looking thick enough that it was quite obvious he didn't see through them.

And yet still, over those, he wore a pair of raybans.

As if intent to add to the oddity that was his appearance, instead of taking money from the hat at his feet and adding it to the one he'd been wearing, he instead took money from the one he'd been wearing and tossed it into the one before him.

"Thanks for the donation." He grinned as he spoke, his voice a deep, rich sound as if his throat embraced the bass and let it flow fourth like a smooth river of water, rather than rumbling and scratchy, a slight nasal intonation only adding to what might be a relaxing volume. If the world had rednecks, his drawl would be best described as lightly southern, though his words were clear cut rather than cut off.

"So, it's gonna be the three'a you so far? Let's start with introductions." He leaned back against the low wall of the fountain, bringing a finger up charged with fire-based chakra at the tip to light the cigarette. Then, he relaxed with a slow exhale, head turning ever so slightly as if he were regarding each of them with his eyes rather than his ears. Some sort of instinct, perhaps. "The name's Pao. An' I'm gonna be your team leader." He motioned toward the signs. "In case you haven't noticed. My handwriting ain't what it used to be."

 

[Eishi]

As Siu showed up, food in hand, I was quick on the uptake to scoop up a skewer. I watched as she donated money to the dirty hippie, intent on getting him to continue playing as he nodded his head in response. I shook my head but didn't correct her mistake as I took a nice bite of the meaty substance. I cried internally at the nice and juicy spiciness. I was currently feeling rather content thanks to Siu. When she asked me for my opinion, I couldn't help myself.

"No Idea Siu, but you should have somewhat expected us to be on the same squad. It's like the bond meter on that Water Emblem game I showed you. They do basically the same thing at the academy when they set this all up. See who works well together and all that."

I said this in all serious as if it was a valid explanation. I wasn't actually naive enough to think that way, but fucking around with Siu was pretty neat. As long as I only did it every so often, I could usually fool her.

Regardless of whether I bluff checked fooled her or not, it was around that time that our third member showed up. I recalled her name was Suika. It was easy enough to remember with Siu having such a similar name, but the last time I saw this girl, she had been in the same class under the John known as Shieo. Suika seemed to struggle remembering my name. I chuckled and shrugged it off internally, though I didn't fault her for it. It was a brief interaction, in all honesty. I was still going to give her a hard time for it, regardless. Especially now that we were going to be teammates.

"Jeez, don't strain yourself, Suika. Wouldn't want to wrinkle your brain," placing my skewer in my mouth, I'd grab another one from Siu, handing it to Suika a bit forcibly before resuming my casual eating,

"It's Eishi. Good by the way." I lifted up my skewer for a moment before lowering it to my mouth once more.

It was the abrupt end of the music when our illustrious leader decided to finally talk to us plebians. I noticed this dude was straight blind pretty quickly. I questioned if they were pairing me up with him because we were both cripples, but that seemed unlikely. Seeing as he was seen fit to lead a group with such a condition, I decided to assume he was an abnormality. I could only relate to his last comment noting a similarity between the two of us.

"I know the feeling. I used to be right-handed." I lifted up my left hand with my skewer in it, wondering if he had some way to perceive my condition.

 

[Siu]

"Hrrm..." Siu hummed with deep thought, as she listened intently to Eishi's reply, taking his validation all too seriously. The shamisen playing man in his psychedelic colored clothing, had crossed Siu as a peculiar and unique individual, but far from the assumption of a capable shinobi. As far as she could tell, before the older man had actually made his official introductions, he was just a really good musician playing for generous donations.

"I see," She continued just as seriously, placing her free hand to her chin "Then I wonder who they set up as the third teammate."

“Siu…” Awkwardly greeted another voice, as if directly answering her inquiry.

Turning around, Siu curiously tilted her head to the side, in order to examine the new arrival. Blinking a few times, rather blank faced, Siu initially gazed at the younger girl as if she'd never encountered her before, attempting to register to youth's face with any familiar memories. It had been so long since the two had last met. Back then, all of them were still academy students, and even then Siu only had a single opportunity to actually interact with the younger girl. After that, they had both never seen each other again. Well, seen each other again in 'real life', anyways..

After adequate enough blank faced gazing, the young Genin's eyes suddenly dilated, revealing her recognition of the young girl. "Ah!" Siu suddenly exclaimed, verbally confirming her realization. "Sui.." She began, pausing a moment, in order to once again recollect her memory. "Suika! From our training with Instructor Shieo! Wow, it's been so long!"
Though Siu's memory had survived, it appeared Suika's memory of the one armed boy was not as fortunate. Watching as the two youths engaged in their own separate dialogue, the offering of the third team member's gift had slipped the young girl's mind. Fortunately, Eishi's assertive behavior would compensate for her distracted memory, as he was quick to forcefully offer Suika her own dumpling. Hearing Eishi's enjoyment his own share, brought a pleased smile to the young girl's face, and she additionally hoped that Suika would enjoy the snack the same.

And then, the music suddenly stopped. Noticing the once serene sound had suddenly come to an end, Siu curiously looked back at the the man who had once been the source of musical tranquility, observing as he suddenly placed his instrument next to him. Upon the removal of the conical hat, and revealing of his face, her eye's widened somewhat in response. "Blind?! Immediately screamed the realization in her mind.
Yet, though the man initially seemed blind, his behavior oddly suggested quite the opposite, which brought additional confusion to the young girl. His eyes were wrapped in silk, yet his movements and behavior seemed to communicate nothing of visual impairment. He seemed to move and act just as well as any other fully sighted individual.

In addition, the amount of donations he had accumulated aside from Siu's own donation, was surprisingly rather generous. It made one ponder how long he'd actually been outside playing, before the three members had arrived.

Thanks for the donation." Followed a uniquely distinguished, bassy voice. The young girl additionally pondered; Could he possibly be a singer in addition to a musician, as well?

Once he lit his cigarette with chakra, Siu instantly felt a wave of guilt. "He's.." Her thoughts began once again. No...way!"

"The name's Pao. An' I'm gonna be your team leader."

"A shinobi?!" She subconsciously exclaimed to herself. There was an awkward expression of guilt written upon the young girl's face, as she came to the realization of what exactly she had just previously done; how she had completely underrated the older man, immediately dismissing the potential of any shinobi capabilities, based off initial appearance.

"Sir, I..." She began, rather nervously. "I..didn't. Erm..I--" Bowing immediately, she held the full 90 degree bow for a few seconds, before rising back up, and offering the newly introduced man his own dumpling share. Whether the bow was completely out of guilt, or simply what she deemed as the appropriate respectful greeting, or even a mixture of both, was as good as anyone's guess.

As the man revealed his name, Siu eyes couldn't help but to stray back to the banner above him. The title began to make a bit more sense now...

 

[Suika]

“She remembers me...”

Suika's eyes glittered with subtle surprise. She didn't doubt Siu's memory, but their interaction was only once and brief. The gypsy had more reason to recall her fellow kunoichi, clearly, but the older girl was under no obligation to. She just did. For a reason unknown to her, their quick interaction gave her warmth inside. It wasn't a feeling she carried too often. Then Eishi popped in.

“Eishi, of course! Who could forget? Thank you.” she replied with a playful grin as she grasped the skewer. She took a bite. Instantly, her expression lit up like the sun in the sky. “Mmm.” she hummed. She exhibited a great like for the dumpling, but in actuality, she was not a fan. Suika wasn't huge on salty or meaty foods, but displayed the opposite purposefully and strategically. If she was going to be on a team with these two, it was best to build rapport pronto. As for her thoughts on Eishi... “He seems brash, but that is both a strength and a weakness. We'll see how this plays out.” she mused. The gypsy confronted her share of conman in the past, so his straightforward approach was more than welcomed; well, as long as that nature wasn't an interference in the near future.

Like her peers, her attention fixated on the colorful man before them, especially when he stopped emitting his serene, melodious tune. From this he transitioned to revealing his face. Suika's eyes widened. “So scruffy...” she mentally noted within that instant. She then grinned to herself. “Just kidding. Blindfolded man. That's a bit interesting.” Not only were his eyes covered with silk wrapping, but he sported a cheesy pair of sunglasses over them. It was a wacky display for sure, but she wasn't caught too off guard by it. Suika grew up with a caravan of performing gypsies and, among their ranks, freaks. She was numb to odd, eccentric displays. He then introduced himself as Pao. As expected, this guy was indeed their Jounin leader.

“Pleasure. I'm Suika.” she asserted simply after his introduction and her teammates chosen responses. He probably lacked sight, but the girl knew better to underestimate any shinobi. If Shieo was a Chuunin and possessed the strength he did, then this man was likely monstrous himself. She was unaware of his talents or powers, but she was definitely eager to find out.

 

[Matsuno Hama]

"I know the feeling, I used to be right handed."

Another flash of his half grin, as he put the hat back on his head, his elbows set up against the wall. Idly, coincidentally enough, with his right hand he was rolling the wooden pick between the tops of his fingers in a lazy pattern of left to right and back again, similar to the way some toyed with coins.

"And I used to have four eyes." His grin spread a little more around the cigarette. "Interestin' way'ah compensatin'." He said slowly, head tilted slightly as he seemed to take in the weapon that he had floated to it's current position with a nod. "Neat."

His attention shifted to Siu as she bowed, and his expression made up for the blink of surprise he couldn't do. He seemed a little taken aback by the sudden formality, though his grin returned easily as he took the offered dumpling and raised it in a brief gesture of thanks. Settling back once again, he used it as something of am instrument to indicate things going forward, every so often taking a bite. Yet still, the cigarette did not leave his lips,

"No need to be so formal. Relax, take a seat. We'll see if my signs catch anyone else's eye while we get to know each other. Though, havin' a guess here, but I'd say you're gonna be the more generous of the three." Dumpling gone, he flicked the stick at the three of them, "An' the pleasures all mine. Ain't had a team before, outside'ah me an' two'ah my old friends. Though, we were buddies more than we were teammates. You three, however.." He shrugged. "Might get a chance to be both, right?" For the third time, he grinned; the act seemed to come easy to him.

He paused as, behind the group, a man shuffled by looking somewhat worse for wear, the tattered state of his clothes suggesting more than just a temporary turn for the worse in luck. From beneath his robes a sandaled foot came out, and he used it to push the hat toward Suika, pointing at the man with his chin.

"Pass that on to him, will you?" His attention via the direction of his head as he did all this, even as he seemingly registered the guy's path and who would be best able to intercept him, off to the left as if he were observing something in the distance. He had probably just heard the guys steps, right?

 

[Eishi]

I noted Suika's response along with the fact that my teasing had seemingly got through Siu without her realizing much. I was slightly disappointed at her lack of much of a response, but I figured it was likely because she had her mind distracted by this whole affair. It was when Pao began to speak to all of us that I was willing to quiet down my bantering. As he made the comment or joke, I couldn't tell, about how he used to have four eyes, I was stuck there for half a moment trying to decipher the punchline. See, I was good with jokes and even the rare anti-joke, but I couldn't figure this one out. I was trying hard, but my memelord status was failing me.

"I don't get it. Lost your sight, I'm guessing? Sucks. Gotta say I'm the lucky one in that case. Doubt I could handle the lack of sight. Hey Siu, did you get the joke? Suika, you?"

I was going to ignore his comment about compensating using my metal bending. It was more or less true, but I still didn't want to acknowledge the crutch it had somewhat become in my everyday life. It had gotten to the point where if my utilities in my house didn't have some metal in it that I could bend to my will, I just didn't use them. I also realized I could actually have decent handwriting if I used metal pens, now that I thought about it. Hell doing it that way would probably make me a master calligraphist if I really thought about it. Something I'll have to go over later I decided as I continued to eat away at my Siu-delivered meal, absent-mindedly.

I was going to take a backseat and simply observe what happened next with the random act of charity. I was pretty desensitized to acts of mercy and giving after my own trouble in life, but I wasn't going to say anything as it both didn't bother me and I was, for the most part, content to just continue eating. I'll more than likely be done in the next minute anyway so I'll wait to see where this was leading in the meantime.

 

[Suika]

"Joke? Hmm." Suika definitely did not catch what Eishi was pitching. She transferred her attention to the Jounin leader before them.

“So strange.” she thought to herself as she listened to his extended introductory words. Of all the odd traits he carried, the gypsy found his accent to be the most intriguing. She traveled through at least three different countries with her troupe, but never had she heard an accent like his. The more the man spoke, the more it became noticeable to her. Where did it derive from? How did he form it? Why did she care? “Why do I care?” She side-stepped the dumpling stick flung at them. Her eyes glowed with faint curiosity. “Being strange aside, I wonder what capabilities as a leader he has? Only time will tell I suppose.”

It was then when her train of thought was interrupted by the sudden passing of his hat. He chose Suika, of the three, to give the headwear to a disheveled man located directly behind them. Naturally, she inwardly questioned why he picked her for this seemingly simple task. Was this some type of test, or was he just a nice guy performing a kind deed? Despite her caution, she knew better than to question orders. A team operated most efficiently on trust. “Not that it's going to be easy to do.” With what almost felt an instant, she nodded at her leader, grabbed the hat, and handed it to the designated person. “He wants you to have this.” she said simply as she held the hat out. Her demeanor was relaxed and her expression calm, but her eyes remained observant of the man in front of her and her surroundings. She'd be prepared to defend herself if he tried pulling any funny business. Her mistrust was a bit unwarranted in that moment, but her life on the road left her somewhat scarred. She couldn't help it.

 

[Siu]

The moment Suika had grabbed the dumpling skewer, Siu's eyes fixated upon her, carefully watching her movements and facial expressions with far too excessive shinobi like observance. As she brought to food her mouth, Siu's eyes widened with suspense, in preparation for the younger girl's reaction. What followed was a professionally feigned facial expression of delight, which caused Siu's eyes to sparkle in another wave of joy, pleased that both of her teammates has 'seemingly' enjoyed both of their gifted meals with great pleasure.

As the older man had spoke, the young girls eyes couldn't help but to follow the various movements of the dumpling stick in his hand, before he suddenly flicked the finished skewer at the three youths. Slightly moving aside in order to avoid contact, hey eyes had followed the skewer from it's dismissal, all the way to it's fall on the ground. Looking back up at the older shinobi, the young girl's facial expression seemed to communicate a look of deep curiosity. However, in actuality, she was observing him for the exact same reason she had previously observed Suika upon her acceptance of her own dumpling; to observe whether he was enjoying the meal or not. The difference was this, however, was that the older man's eyes were completely wrapped, making observance of his facial expressions of lot more difficult to interpret.

While the older shinobi had advised against strong formalities, his demeanor and behavior giving an impression as the more relaxed and laid-back type, the young girl still somehow found it difficult to put into practice. Despite his laid-back demeanor, in her mind he was still of higher rank, and furthermore of older age. Doing otherwise somehow felt awkward, even though it should have felt quite the opposite. It was simply something deeply embedded in her morals.
However, this had also not been the first the young Genin had been dismissed of performing such formal mannerisms. She'd heard the same quite often, from other shinobi. Therefore, a thought came to mind, that perhaps this was a habit and mindset she'd need to work on changing overtime.

Though the older man had grinned in conjunction with his four eyed comment, Siu's facial had shifted into one of great surprise upon hearing the statement, showing she'd accepted his words quite seriously and literally. Turning her attention back to Eishi, who also seemed perplexed by the older man's statement, she gazed at him somewhat blank faced upon hearing his own interpretation of the statement. "Joke..?" The young girl repeated back, blinking a few times, before turning her attention back towards the older man again with the newly interpreted meaning.

After a few moments are careful observation, she tilted her head to the side, displaying her bafflement. "Sir.." She began, "Errr..Sensei!" She quickly corrected, pausing a few moments after the statement, as if she were in deep thought concerning her next words. "..Did you really have four eyes before? What happened to your other two? Were they stolen?" She finally inquired, her young and naive mind obviously lost.

As if to further add to his peculiar nature, rather than taking the money for himself, he instead pushed his abundant savings towards the other younger girl, giving her the task of helping the needy man behind them. Turning to look at the indicated stranger behind the group, Siu found herself somewhat surprised by his rather pitiful appearance. Indeed, he seemed to be in far more need than the unusual instrument-playing blind man. "How kind.." She thought in response, although still somewhat perplexed and rather surprised by sudden action herself. It wasn't everyday such displays of kindness were observed; They were rare among general citizens, and seemed even more scarce among shinobi. Although, it was also possible that there was more to older shinobi's sudden request than meets the eye.

 

[Matsuno Hama]

As everything went on, he seemed to absently take up his shamisen, the pick returning to it's place against the strings. The way his hands moved while his attention seemed to be elsewhere, it was almost as if he were playing unconsciously. The notes were incoherent, not an actual song or melody yet each note did seem to flow from one to the other. It was as if, musically, he were crossing a creek-bed by jumping from rock to rock only the goal wasn't yet getting to the other side. Again, he grinned, as two of them spoke to him directly and the third did as he had instructed. Surprising, really, because he'd been expecting her to pocket some. Either Genin had become less crafty, or more honest. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing, or bad.

"Can't lose what I wasn't born with, Eishi. An' like you, I was able to.. compensate. Lack ain't what I'd describe what I have, when it comes to sight." He said first to the one-armed nin. "Gotta ask, though, what happens if someone were to seal your chakra in the middle of a fight?" He tilted his head briefly after asking, the grin gone and replaced with lips pursed slightly but thoughtfully. The bandages shifted as if he were furrowing his brow in thought, the angle he held his head suggesting he studied the nin after asking the question. Then he turned his head toward Siu and addressed her question.

"Actually, kid," His grin returned, but this time it was slow in forming. "Yes." He sniffed once, and then tilted his head back, spitting the finished cigarette up and away, letting it arc back behind him to land in the water. The hippie littered, apparently. then his attention turned to the third.

"Next time, Suika, try an' steal some so that I can catch ya on it. Woulda been much more fun for me that way." Now he seemed to bring at least a portion of his focus to the music, the notes becoming more or less connected than they were before, just a hint of an audial picture beginning to form as he worked through the beginning stages of creating a song.

 

[Eishi]

I looked at the older man like I would look at a bug. Likely, he couldn't see my face because it was filled with disgust.

"You can't..." I was trying to figure out how to explain why his joke was dumb as I circled my wrist up and down in a distracting motion, when I decided to just come out with it, "You can't be four-eyed if you never had sight. I feel somewhat insulted that that was your reply. If that's the best verbal sparing you can do, I'll have to start treating you like Siu, bless her heart."

I nodded my head towards her and almost as if on queue she began speaking. I was forced to listen to their conversation. Siu only verifying my point as I listened. I did a little presenting motion with my arm towards Siu as an example of what I was talking about. She may be one of my closest friends, but she was far too kind and in certain ways, far too stupid to not understand why what she just said was completely retarded.

"My affinity is more utilitarian than fighting strength. I lean towards the Tai and Gen side of things, anyway." I answered his second question before returning with, "What happens when someone deafens you? Do you try and smell them out?" The venom in my tone no longer present as I went back to my default teasing.

I breathed through my nostrils, my face staying neutral as I tossed my skewer at a trashcan. I was able to get it in, feeling somewhat relieved at that. Throwing with my left hand was still noticeably weaker than what I could do with my right even before my training. I couldn't get over that mental gap of changing my dominant hand. I did air pump, though. It was a childish gesture, sure, but it was a natural gesture.

I decided to continue ignoring whatever test he was performing with Suika, it held little interest to me. I did, however, wonder if this guy was being racist towards Suika with that comment about her being a thief. I recalled he was blind and wondered if that was even worse.

 

[Suika]

With subtle watchfulness, Suika transferred the hat full of money to the disgruntled man. He accepted it without any sign of ill intent. Feeling satisfied with his response, the girl nodded at the man and casually rejoined her group. What unfolded next, in her eyes, was a bunch of unneeded dialogue.

She picked up on some of Eishi's and Pao's banter as she performed her delegated task, but being directly subjected to it within a ten-to-fifteen foot radius felt a bit mundane to her. Her fellow Genin, one-armed Eishi, was straightforward and lacked a decent filter. It was tolerable enough to the kunoichi, but her leader's mirroring back only egged him further. Maybe the intent of Pao's previous question wasn't to warrant the response Eishi gave, but clearly he processed it differently. Though, the boy's mention of the man's capabilities did spark her interest. Suika's eyes glowed with curiosity.

“Isn't one of the aspects of stealing not getting caught? How can you be so sure?” she joked playfully with a slight grin. She kept face. Following her reply, the illustrious man entered the formation of a new tune. It sounded unlike his previous song. It was less flowy, for sure. Not paying too much mind to it, Suika calmly asserted herself. “If you don't mind it, what are your capabilities, Pao-sensei? I'm sure you're aware of ours.” Her tone hinted nothing more than genuine inquisitiveness. If they were to be a team, it was crucial for them to know each others' general strength and weaknesses. Not that she would be the first to share hers, but she valued being in the know and having a firm grasp of what she was getting into. After all, their leader remained a stranger to them at this point in most areas. His rank gave implication of his power, but it was nice to have a clear vision on who he was and how he was going to lead them.

 

[Siu]

The young girl gasped and brought a hand to her mouth, biting her fingernails nervously in response to at the older man's reply. "What cruel person.." She gravely inquired, seeming rather horrified, "Would steal your eyes?!"

There was additional dialogue between Suika and the older Jounin, concerning her assigned act of charity to the less fortunate stranger, yet Siu didn't seem to have as many words to say concerning the matter. In the midst of their dialogue, the young girl simply opted to curiously gaze at the two in silence. However, as Eishi began to explain his shinobi capabilities, and inquiries from both of her teammates were made towards the leader of the group concerning his own capabilities, Siu looked back up curiously at the older man, as if to be asking the very same question non-verbally herself with her eyes.

Placing her arms behind her back, her finished skewer still being held in one hand, her focus strayed back to the various banners and advertisements on display for teammate recruitment. It seemed she was suddenly beginning to contemplate more deeply about the matter.

"Sensei." the young Genin suddenly inquired after enough contemplative silence, a neutral expression upon her face, revealing that she was most likely in the midst of asking a rather serious question. "Why do you need teammates?"

 

[Matsuno Hama]

"You can't be four-eyed if you never had sight. I feel somewhat insulted that that was your reply. If that's the best verbal sparing you can do, I'll have to start treating you like Siu, bless her heart."<i></i>

A slight frown formed, and the music stopped. He cracked his knuckles with small pops and then he reached up, using a finger to lower his sunglasses as if wanting to look more clearly at the man.

With his bound eyes.

"Kid, you ain't called four-eyed for havin' sight. You're called four-eyed for havin' glasses." His deep tone had shifted to almost a concerned one, as if he thought Eishi might have missed a rather significant part of learning what jokes were.

"As for what I'll do if I get deafened.. well. I'll let that surprise you, if'n the day ever comes that I need to reveal my hand. Though, y'all ever catch me doin' that, you'll know I'm in trouble." Using his middle finger with the tiniest of half-grins, he pushed his sunglasses up properly onto his nose. That done, he sniffed and dropped his attention back to his instrument, though with his hands hovering over the tools of his trade he seemed to reconsider, and instead drew the shamisen into his lap and let it rest, instead leaning against the fountain wall while lazily spinning the pick between his fingers, every so often flicking it from one hand to the other.

“Isn't one of the aspects of stealing not getting caught? How can you be so sure?”<i></i>

"Ah, well. It is, see, but people try an' get away with more'n they should, when they're 'round a blind man. 'sides, it shows intiative, y'know?" His tone was back to its normal, relaxed and nonchalant cadence. "As for my capabilities, I'm just a handy-capable Jounin tryin' to make his way in the world, passin' on what he knows to those up an' comin' behind him. Y'know, possibly even teachin' 'em to learn how to fight when blind. Or left handed." That last bit was said in something of a deadpan, before he turned his attention to Siu.

Ah, Siu.

""What cruel person.. would steal your eyes?!"<i></i>

"Doctors." His tone was serious. "They always tell you it'll cost an' arm an' a leg. This one cost me my eyes." He seemed about to say more when she asked why he needed teammates, and without missing a beat continued with his dreadful narrative. "Well, that's what the cost was for. Losin' my last team."

[Marked For Training For the Week Of 12/18-12/24]

 

[Eishi]

I could only shake my head as he responded. It was still a bit disappointed that he didn't take a harder jab at me, but that was probably just his style. I'll take it upon myself to teach him in the ways of shit talking I nodded internally, responding with my default resting bitch face going strong.

"You're called four eyes for having terrible sight and needing the glasses. I very much doubt you've ever worn rimmed glasses that weren't tinted black. If you did, you should've expected your 'fashion choice' to be mocked," I took a moment before adding,

"If anything, I'd say it's more likely people have called you a douchebag under their breath for wearing sunglasses indoors. You don't hold yourself like an average blind man, after all". I wasn't as blind as he might have thought I was in his attempt at giving me the bird. Wasn't like the attempt was subtle, anyway. it did make me breathe heavily through my nose once, though. I was very good at verbally taking a dump on someone, so I appreciated the effort. Being a cripple gave lots of leeway to be a dick, even to other cripples.

listening in on his conversation with Suika and Siu. I could only sit there waiting for what I could assume was a bit of a turn order in speaking the Jounin leader. Funnily enough, we all knew each other fairly well at this point so the introductions to each other weren't really necessary. He was the only real point of interest, anyway, so whatever. Suika seemed a lot more capable than she appears. Her words were sharp and pointed. I noted to myself that we'd probably end up getting along simply by the fact that our personalities meshed well even if we didn't end up on the same team. Nothing draws two people together like a good deal of pessimism I figured letting that thought sit.

I chortled to myself as Siu simply glanced over my comment, only confirming her own simple nature. We were already good friends, but I still somewhat questioned if I hadn't fallen out of that tree, whether we would've ended up as friends. Whatever, she's capable, but I do hope she drops the retard act sooner than later.

When the Jounin began talking about his last team, I couldn't help myself. I asked him, keeping my face as neutral as I could, but internally laughing at my own joke,

"Why? Did you lose sight of them?"

 

[Suika]

And the banter continued.

As individual conversation spread, Suika's eyes flickered curiously to each of her teammate's as the blinded man responded to each of them. It was interesting to her, so far, to reflect on the personalities that were assembled here and how they meshed. Eishi was missing a limb, but wholly made up for it with his obvious talents and subsequent skill sets. Despite his gifts in combat, his handle on social situations were limited to his straightforward way of approach and his quick, brash tongue. Siu, on the other hand, held a type of kindness that many could easily misinterpret as naive and, admittedly, weak. "Anyone who makes the mistake of that assumption are going to kick themselves for it someday." she noted with certainty. Her fellow kunoichi, based off her own purposeful observation and keen intuition, possessed latent abilities that were sure to soon blossom. Lastly, there was their Jounin leader, Pao. He was definitely a man of mystery who only reinforced that idea with his smooth quips and vague assertions. Based off what he presently revealed to the Genin, it was safe to say he had quite the past. Whether that was a good thing, in her perspective, was yet to be determined.

As their leader finally shifted his attention toward the tan-skinned kunoichi, Suika's expression slanted a bit with his response. Again, his words revealed little-to-nothing useful. Her cynicism was not unwarranted; if there was someone assigned to lead her through the thick of a battle-field, it was crucial knowing their exact capabilities. He was a Jounin, so she wasn't dense enough to overlook his implied strength. But what could he do? How? “What are his strengths and shortcomings? She quietly sighed to herself as the Jounin engaged himself with Siu. "Perhaps the answers I want require more patience. Her reasoning diminished after his last utterance.

“...Lost his last team?”

Although most would gravitate toward a sentimental inquiry fueled by empathy, Suika's mentality drifted toward a more pragmatic realm. What happened to his last team? Her doubts grew, but her calm demeanor remained. Her unperturbed expression held strong as her mind flurried ever-so-slightly. She began the process to formulate a thoughtful response, but Eishi interceded with his own. His chosen speech was toned in sarcasm. Perhaps he yearned for a certain response? Suika was unmoved. Despite his jest, his words did carry substantial weight and significance, whether he meant for it or not.

“Pao-san...” she added immediately after the one-armed shinobi's comment. Her voice held a mix of both curiosity and practicality. “What did happen to your last team?” Suika was never one to pry, but, in her opinion, they were entitled to know this piece of info. Anything withheld from them, in her view, was a liability that had potential for costly circumstances.

 

[Siu]

As the banter between Eishi and Pao continued, Siu's eyes went back and forth between the two; gazing at the Jounin as he spoke, then back to Eishi as he spoke, then back to the Jounin leader again, and so on, and so forth. Her facial expression went from bafflement to a look of rather grave concern regarding the situation. This had not been the first time she'd witnessed this sort of situation. There had been a similar case between Eishi and a certain wild man of a shinobi with a ferocious dire-wolf. The young girl appeared as if she had a strong desire to intervene and say something concerning the matter, yet did not know exactly how to word her opinion

Additionally, like Suika, Siu had also found herself rather disappointed by their team leader's rather vague answers concerning his capabilities. Her own response to the case, manifested as a stuck out bottom lip, in a sort pouted expression. His answer had more to do concerning his purpose, rather than his actual capabilities.
Ironically, his answer 'did' cause the young Genin to contemplate something for a moment, though. Making his way in the world and teaching those behind him; didn't that remind her of a book she once read?

And then he finally addressed her own individual questions. The young girl's eyes widened at the older man's response, a number of thoughts racing through her little head. Had the losing of his eyes been punishment for a last team failure of his? And if it was..

The girl's thoughts paused a moment at the realization. "What about us?" She worrisome mused to herself.

Apparently, she hadn't been the only one with a concern for the answer. Eishi and Suika made sure to inquire the very same question going through Siu's mind, simply in different forms. At Eishi's final comment to the Jounin, however, she puffed her cheeks and turned red.

"Eishi!" She suddenly exclaimed with a sort of gasp, placing both her fist on her hips in great disapproval, almost as a mother would do a child. "That was not nice at all!" She continued rather sternly. "And he already said his eyes were stolen! Which means he had eyes before, which means he 'can' be four eyes." She finished with a matter-of-fact nod, before her own eyes could shortly after be seen looking up briefly in an expression which communicated a sudden moment deep thought, perhaps second guessing her own statement. "If he wears glasses instead of sunglasses anyways.." She concluded with another matter-of-fact nod, her stern tone softening into a deeply musing one.

Swiftly turning to the side, a audible 'swoosh' could be heard, as the young girl suddenly raised and pointed an accusatory finger towards the older Jounin. "And Sensei!" She additionally exclaimed. "You stop making bad jokes and giving Eishi the middle finger! I saw that!"