Tournament Showcase[The Party!]-Open-

[Kimi]

All the commotion from the party caused Kimi to be slightly distracted. As such, she heard the
approaching footsteps a moment too late. The foreign presence brushed against her arm,
causing her to spin on her toes. She searched through the sounds, the tell-tale signs of Souji
standing out among them. It was he who managed to bump into her. "Oh!" she exclaimed
in surprise, balancing herself. She took in what he said, and nodded quickly. "No problem!
I just ran into Shujinko over..." she turned towards where the host-student had been,
momentarily confused as another was in between the two of them. A moment later, she realized
her mistake, and continued her comment. "...there" it probably sounded
strange to him. The way she drifted in and out of speech was slightly un-Kimi-like, though it
was most likely just a byproduct of the crazy company. "It seems she's got a few other
students with her. Your brother?..." she paused again, still not completely sure of their \
relationship "...Oyochi. Kei. Some boy I don't think I know, but seems to know me...Kyo
or somethin like that. And Sabaku." she rattled off the names of all the students in the small
group by the fire. "As for Chi and the others...I haven't seen..." she nearly laughed
at her own mis-speach. Of course she hadn't seen them. "...them anywhere. I don't know
if they're here or not." she finished with another nod. "C'mon!" with that, she half
ran over to the others, leaving Souji to follow. Let nobody say the blind girl couldn't be useful.​

 

[Kamaru]

Kamaru listened and watched as the young people mingled and interacted. ”Oddly enough students where they choose for branchese may or maynot be where they’re most needed or where they want to be. Sometimes you just have to look to see where things go as it happens changing with the tempo of operations. The simple plan that’s rough is sometimes more readily completed and available then the long drawn out elaborate one. Besides they seem to mostly be on good terms with one another. If any area is lacking or needs assistance they don’t look prideful enough yet to not ask for help when needed. You may not be in charge… but sometimes… well you never know.” Kamaru would ramble watching the kids around the bon fire.

Kamaru chuckled a bit since it was a meeting in a sense in regards to such things ”I guess in a way it does. Those who don’t say that much though usually put more thought into what they do offer up, they usually have more to offer in the ways of insight and wisdom to those who will listen. I think the main branch in general will probably have something like that soon on a smaller scale at least with peers if I can arrange it. If it’s a direct order people just follow orders, sooner or later you might be need to look around the order to why they were given and what is really trying to be accomplished. Sometimes you loose things in the name of safety when it comes to others. Other times it’s supporting them when they don’t ask for help when you know… knowing your peers, those above you and those under you. Sometimes simply knowing things ensures the safety of the village and those there in.” Kamaru spouted off cryptically again thinking of other times. Other things that could have happened or been done that weren’t.

”We are who we are, and where are how we are. We don’t need to apologize for what we are, protecting the village and those there-in as you put sometimes means protecting the person we often over look.” Kamaru said his thumb jabbing back into his chest implying looking out for one’s self was also part of protecting the village.

A side glance at the man next to him got Kamaru smirking and shoving his hands into his pants pockets. ”You’re a good man Kazehi. You seem like the type that speaks your mind and there something on it. Since you throw from the hip if you have question don’t hesitate over things like politeness or formalities… unless you’ve just noticed your jug of wine has gone bad or something.” Kamaru offered back.

 

[Tomomi]

Now was not the best time to be at this party, it was mostly the competitors in the fights and very few adults which made the Uchiha Jounin very uncomfortable. He looked at the Hostess's parents and bowed his head before heading out from the party. Hopefully he would be able to some day attend the party when some of the students were his rank or at least Jounin at the very least. But for now, the students needed to get stronger first before Katsu would even consider that. What would the Medical Shinobi do since he had left the party where most of the action of the village was occurring? He would just go home and probably sleep the rest of the time until he was called upon later in the week to do what he was trained to do, medical stuff.

[Topic Left Due to Real Life Busyness]

 

[Kiriyama Sadako]

Kyo would be surprised by the hug Shujinko gave him, smiling as he returned it to her. "Hey, not at all. It's pretty much what I expected! You've gotten a lot stronger, I was really surprised by it." He would say with a smile as he looked down at Shujinko, a hand moving to rest on her shoulder. "You really did a number on me though, I think I'm going to be sore for a week! It was worth it though...in the end I had an exciting match AND I got my Byakugan, so things could definitely be worse. Though...that reminds me there was something else I was supposed to give you..." He would say as he leaned in towards her, returning that kiss to her cheek like the one she had given him after their match, the boy apparently having been conscious enough to remember it.

 

[Kazehi Ryu]

This man had a good head on his shoulders; it was clear why he was in charge of the branch with how he managed to dance about in conversation with cryptic prods and questions to get a slip of what someone was actually thinking. Ryu had almost done so himself a couple times, if he hadn't recognized the phrasing he'd have said more than the few words he did; but he would rather have the conversation dominated by someone who was looking for pointed information and attempting a slight bit more than someone trying to squeeze for information and attempting just small talk. Thus far, their conversation had been about the children while Kamaru tried to get a feel for Ryu's personality, mentality, and just how he settled into the Main Branch; and all of it done rather tastefully if not a bit awkwardly at some points. "Orders are good for giving directive, but the life comes from the pride of those following the order; choosing how to complete the objective in the best means possible." If Ryu had been ordered to sit down and meet with those of his rank, well, there would be a bar in the village that was very happy and several jounin either drunk or laughing at those that were.

Regardless! The man shook his head slightly with a bit of a rumble bubbling up from his chest; the man was chuckling. "Merely wondering what drew here, beyond congratulating the contestants." Quite frankly, if that was all that was intended he could have done so by now and merely walked off just as the way he came. Instead he brought jugs of drink and had shown his willingness to participate in conversation and stick around a little bit; though it seemed the kids were more interested in being around each other than the adults in the area, which was a bit understandable. "No matter. What will come, will." He merely took another swig out of his jug and pointed his pinky finger at the other jug that had yet to be disturbed on the table, motioning that it was there for Kamaru to have a drink of if he so chose to join the tall juggernaut in a bit of a sip.

((I appologize for the lateness, was giving everyone a chance to get posts in and such))

 

[Kamaru]

(OoC: No worries I figure you were just busy)

Kamaru nodded, orders had objectives, the how they were accomplished was in truth up to those following them. Realization there was the fact he needed insight to give orders now besides simply following them had been on his mind for a while. ”We are more than the sum of the actions or the perceptions thereof.” Kamaru seemed to quote in response to Ryu’s comments of orders.

”As to why I’m here… I guess I could be vague and say it’s to get to know people but I think I’m really just here to understand them and start to figure out how they work.” explained looking at the students milling among themselves. ”They won’t be children if they graduate and become shinobi someday. Once that happens the blinders are off and they’d need to perform and follow orders.” Kamaru continued as he people watched out around the fire as people mingled, ”Orders can be given and either followed or not. Knowing why someone would follow an order or refuse to obey or carry out an objective is something I think about now... Getting into the mind set to know how to phrase something to get them to do things a certain way… That’s different from person to person. What motivates them, what saddens them, what angers them… what drives them to do what needs to be done or if they’d step up or back down when they are by themselves or on a team when they fall short, those are all unknown.” he commented.

”So I look for insight into how I can know.” he concluded looking at the larger man. ”That’s not just with the students though.” he added seeing where the man was pointing.

A bitter smile danced over his face briefly as he shook his head to decline the offer, ”Only time I drink is when I need to forget my sorrows… currently I still need to remember them to stay focused.” Kamaru commented cryptically again staring back out into the crowd.

”So anyone in the Main Branch you liked working with so far?” Kamaru asked out of nowhere changing the subject.

 

[Chikara]

[[Topic left due to inactivity]]

 

[Keigo Oen]

[Same - Souji just stands in the corner and drifts away We'll do my little thing next time.]

 

[Kaen]

[[Topic left due to inactivity]] This was supposed to be fun...and everyone ruined it...shame on you all for inactivity!!!

 

[Kazehi Ryu]

((OOC: Little bit, doing the work/living thing and I have no internets at home so...means blargh for getting replies. That and I was trying not to swarm the topic XD))

Nodding quietly, the towering man had nothing to add; it was a good way to get to know the future of your forces, catch them when they were at the most vulnerable so that when their guards were up you still knew their social tells. Oblivious prey were easy to mark. For a second, Ryu's brain stopped functioning while he tried to figure out where that part of the thought came from, he tried to keep the flicker of confusion off his face but it still managed to show for a fraction of a second with a twitch of his eyebrow; something that Kamaru was likely to pick up since he was in active observation mode. Guy had good eyes and a sound mind, he could put pieces together of a puzzle that Ryu could only guess at even while knowing what was going on. After filing the moment of confusion away under 'to be evaluated', his eyes turned to Kamaru beside him and the man gave an approving nod. "Checking for cracks in the weapons. Performance testing before putting them out for the real thing. Forward thinking." Ryu thought it was a great idea, really; you put them into a taste of what was real then observe the after effects; to the kids it was just a tournament, they knew it was to test their skills. But there were always ulterior motives for things like that, maybe they'd be able to see that in a few years when they stood far above where they were now and were able to look at other students put into the same position.

One moment longer, the conversation continued on a roll; and Kamaru provoked a thought in the man who had to turn his eyes away so that the pain was less obvious. Ryu wondered what it would be like to forget sorrow by merely drinking; maybe it would have helped with some of the pain through the years. But each to their own; the towering man took the pain as a learning experience, hammered it down, refined it, and it made him stronger. Sorrow was just a different kind of pain, he supposed. "Fair enough." He digressed from the point and then thought about the question posed. He was blunt honest. "Haven't worked with anyone closely enough to tell. Mission here or there, don't remember names; possibly faces. Cooperated and got what needed to be done accomplished, then went our ways." Because he had to. Because he needed to keep others safe from what had invaded and taken a portion of his body with the threat that someday...it would get out and do as it pleased.

Like hell it would. Over his dead body.

But of course...that was likely the idea anyway.

Turning to Kamaru a bit more, instead of just the sidelong view, he showed the full width of his shoulders; his broad, strong chest and the very obvious sling that held his arm. "Perhaps in the future, we shall see how this weapon functions with others. But for now, I do not have an answer." The last few words were measured into a cadence, punctuating the words softly to put the fact that he was telling the truth; he had been around for a while sure, but he was more in the background of what people were doing; his presence only finally surfacing in the village as he made himself more obviously known for a change. They would have to see just what the future held while he did so; and ponder the results of it in the years after he was gone to see the effects. But that was for what ever god or some such that determined these things, and who really had time to sit down and go over the 'paperwork' of one's life when there were things to be done anyway?

 

[Kamaru]

(OoC: No worries. Thought I posted in here… whoops guess I didn’t hit submit a while back XP)

”Even a cracked or broken weapon might still be used depending on the situation and how desperate one is at the time, sometimes anything is better than nothing. The wielder trusts in the weapon being designed to do what it was designed to do and the weapon has to trust in the wielder’s ability to use it. But to do that you really gotta look at the weapon so you know what you’re wielding. No one wants to stab someone with a bow.” Kamaru shot back. It was an odd analogy and probably slightly cryptic but he had been speaking in partial riddles for most of the conversation.

Lose of eye contact made Kamaru wonder though about the drinking comment he made and the offer the man had given, some used it to drown sorrow, others for the euphoric state it got them into, others out of boredom. Whatever the man’s reasons to drink or not they seemed different to Kamaru’s but the two seemed to come to an understanding and respected the others views and reasons behind their choices.

Kamaru nodded to statement about working with others. It was a neutral position really to Kamaru the man neither had a preference to missions that were solo or team based. He focused on the mission and the objectives. It wasn’t a bad mind set to have. On one hand it was a professional style of thinking to not get emotionally attached to team members that may die on a mission, steeling oneself to do such things wasn’t easy for some while remaining detached fell into place for others like water flowing in streams, naturally. Being one of the first people Kamaru got a chance to talk to from the Main Branch he still didn’t know if this was a personal preference or the wider opinion of the entire group, he’d keep that in mind when assigning work as he got to research more.

”Every asset is valuable, not just as a weapon.” Kamaru replied as he began stretching his back a bit noticing the thinning of the crowd. ”Having an answer or not is fine. We don’t know all the possibilities usually until after the fact. For the most part I just want to see as many opportunities as I can…” he continued stretching his arms his hands spreading out, ”But at times it feels like grasping at the starts… Guess it’s getting closer to their bedtime maybe. I’ll be seeing you around the village Kazehi.” Kamaru admitted as he looked around.

If the chatting was done he'd move to the parents and thank them before saying good night and being on his way.
[Topic Left unless stopped]