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Post by foxx on Jul 9, 2010 15:46:25 GMT -6
Hiromi shrugged, scratching the back of his head and grinning. "Thanks," he replied to the praise, his arm dropping back to his side; "I guess it's not really that big of a deal, though. I'm in no rush to complete it, 'cause I can still hear well enough to make due." He tapped the side of his head near an ear, still grinning stupidly. "As for the rest of my training, like I said: I'm pretty in tune with my fuuton chakra now. But, man, it took some training..."
Hiromi paused, his smile fading a bit as he recalled the intensity of his work. A few seconds passed, though, and he was back to another smile, his hands sliding into his pockets. "Anyway... How is everything since I've been gone? Actually, how's..." he paused again, seeming a bit concerned; "Not meaning to get back to that, but...Keiji's alright now, right?" The question had been itching in the man since Naruto had brought the subject up; it pained him to think that his nephew was still having a hard time after so much. "I'd go ask them myself, but...I'm not sure how touchy of a subject it is."
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"Sayuri, isn't that your brother? What's he doing here?" one of the girls asked, looking from Takashi to Sayuri curiously. She shrugged, eyeing her brother across the room as well. "I...don't know," she said in a low tone under Konohamaru's talking; "I guess he's going to be a squad leader." A few of the girls laughed a bit, and Sayuri smiled slightly, turning her attention to the front of the room again.
Sayuri stiffened a bit in anticipation as she heard her name, listening intently for the names following her own, and finally for the name of her team's jounin.
"Takeru Lee..." Sayuri sighed slightly, though a few of her friends laughed quietly; this would be fun.
"...and Nara Shikakazu." "Oh, he's...that kid that kinda keeps to himself," one of the girls muttered; "But I hear he's really smart." Maybe him being on her team wouldn't be so bad, thought Sayuri.
The girl turned her attention back to Konohamaru again, listening wordlessly. "You will be under the leadership of...Akisaka Takashi." Sayuri blinked, and her friends giggled again as she turned her gaze to her brother, giving him a nervous smile and a small wave; ohhhh boy. Yes, this would definately be 'fun'. Sighing lightly, she turned and scanned the room for her other teammates, and immediately she saw the Lee boy as he bounced up, waving ecstatically. With a disgruntled look Sayuri turned her gaze elsewhere, her eyes falling upon a brown-headed boy near the back--Shikakazu. He was leaned back in his seat, his feet propped up on the desk in front of him.
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Sakura nodded, her attention still on the dark tea in the cup; the sides of it warmed her hands, still clasped around the sides of the cup. "I guess you're right," she said, feeling a small smile pull at her lips; "Just empty-nest-syndrome starting to kick in, I suppose."
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Post by Luke on Jul 9, 2010 23:40:45 GMT -6
on this night... LIGHTNING STRIKES TWICE. Naruto listened to the man speak of his training. It was definitely good to hear that it had done him a great deal of good. His mind drifted off to years ago when he had left to go train. He smiled a bit as he remembered how strong he had gotten in those two years thanks to Jiraiya. Surely Hiromi's improvement was just as impressive! Naruto nodded. "That's great! Mastering your chakra nature is definitely tough to do." He stopped as Keiji asked how everything was going. He paused for a moment before slightly lightly. "Everything is perfectly fine. The whole Orochimaru thing was a blessing in a way." he said. His small smile turned into a grin. "Things have changed quite a bit between Sasuke and Keiji...not to mention Keiji is turning out to be a great ninja." he added. He nodded. "All in all, things are great." --- Konohamaru sighed slightly as he watched Lee sit back down. He looked around the room yet again as he finished the list. Setting the scroll down again, he started to speak again. "This is your first day as official leaf shinobi. You are a reflection of the Hidden Leaf Village...so you must act accordingly. Carry yourselves with honor and be responsible." He sighed. "I've had you all in this class for four years now. I know a great deal of you a whole lot less than I would have liked to...but I know that you're going to do great things." Konohamaru smiled. "Class dismissed. Now get the heck out of here and meet your sensei..." Lee immediately jumped out his seat and made his way over to Takashi, who was now walking out of the room and out the academy doors. He made his way over to the old tree, who's branch supported the old swing that the Hokage used to spend time at. Lee continued to follow him, determined to catch up and introduce himself. Finally he caught up. "Hello, Akisaka-sensei!" Takashi smiled at the boy and gestured for him to take a seat. After the Genin had done so, Takashi stood and waited for the other two to show up. Then they would begin the introductions and all that jazz. --- Toshiro smiled. "Don't worry about that." he said before shaking his head. "No point in worrying about it until she decides to move out, eh?" he asked after a moment. With a small sigh he leaned back in his chair and yawned. He glanced around the room. "Anyway...it's not as if it will be the end of our lives when the house is devoid of children. We managed for a while before they were around, didn't we?"
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Post by foxx on Jul 10, 2010 1:04:51 GMT -6
Hiromi seemed content at the answer, and another smile rose to his face. "Alright, thanks..." he said, his hands still tucked away in his pockets as he nodded; "Sorry to bug you about it; it was just bothering me, and I'm wary to talk about it to them."
The man let out a small sigh, stepping forward and removing a hand from its pocket, placing it on Naruto's shoulder; it was amazing how accurate the movement was, as if he could see what he was doing. Hiromi smiled yet again. "It was great talking to you again," he said, his hand dropping back into his pocket; "But I don't wanna keep you from all that...fun work you must be dealing with, yes?"
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Sayuri's attention turned once more to Konohamaru as he finished off naming the rest of the teams, then left them all with his heartfelt speech, only to rush them out "lovingly". The girl sighed lightly as she stood, waving to her friends as all the girls split away to their groups. She made her way toward the door, keeping her pace level as she progressed down the hallway; she was excited before, but now it was a bit uncertain--her team consisted of an introvert she'd never talked to, a hyper boy in a green getup, and her brother. Glancing upward, she noticed Shikakazu walking a bit ahead of her; pulling a small smile onto her face she picked her pace up until she was level with him. He looked over at her wordlessly, an eyebrow raised. Sayuri smiled again, though it was merely cordial. "I'm---" "Sayuri, right?" he interrupted, his gaze turning ahead again; "Heard it when Konohamaru-sensei read it off the list, and you looked around and made it obvious that it was you. Your hair's kinda hard to miss."
Sayuri blinked, tugging at one of the pinkwhite locks and sighing lightly. "Nice to meet you, too," she said, though when the two fell into an awkward silence, they walked out the doors wordlessly, making their way in unison to the tree where Takashi and Takeru waited.
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Sakura nodded, her gaze lifting from the cup of tea finally. "Yeah," she agreed with a small smile; "That's what I meant when I mentioned our own missions; we are still shinobi of Konoha--and I didn't train under Tsunade-shishou for nothing."
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Post by Luke on Jul 10, 2010 1:50:50 GMT -6
on this night... LIGHTNING STRIKES TWICE. Naruto smiled slightly before shaking his head. "Nah. It's no problem. I think you're allowed at least that." he said. He was surprised when the man actually placed a hand on his shoulder on the first try--things had changed quite a bit. He paused as Hiromi brought up the subject of his work, causing him to glance at the stack of paperwork with a less than enthused expression. He sighed. "Oh yeeeah. It's so much fun that I can't take it." With another small sigh, he patted the man on the shoulder before he made to move back to his desk. "Where are you off to next, eh? To see your sister?" he asked. He sat back down in his chair and glanced over at the paperwork again before mentally cursing. He looked back up at Hiromi and smiled. "At any rate, it's great to see you again. Thank you for stopping by..." --- Takashi waited until they finally reached the area before he decided to start speaking. He had gone through the speech in his head over a thousand times. Though, he wondered how his students would take to him--it was apparent that the one in spandex would be easy to get along with, but he wasn't so sure of his sister and the Nara kid. He shrugged off the question before giving the group a large smile. "Good morning. I am your Jonin sensei, Akisaka Takashi." he said. He paused for a moment. "Before we begin introductions, I need to lay down a couple of ground rules. Number one: There will be no fighting amongst your teammates. Sparring is an exception--but fighting for something stupid will result in you being kicked from this team." he stated. "Rule number two: learn to act as a team. Failure to do so will lead to your expulsion." he added. He paused for a moment. "Now...I'll start the introductions. I am Akisaka Takashi. My likes include training, storms, and the satisfaction of a hard days work. I detest bullies, traitors, and oversleeping; My goal in life? To someday unite the shinobi world." he said. He looked to Takeru and smiled. "You're up, Takeru." The boy nodded vigorously. "My name is Takeru Lee. I am twelve years old and my likes include training and spending time with my family. My dislikes are people who don't show respect, junk food, and people who make fun of my father." he stated. He looked up at Takashi and continued speaking. "My goal is to become the greatest shinobi in the world and bring honor to my family." Takashi smiled and patted the boys shoulder. "I'm sure you'll do just that, Takeru!" he said before looking over. "Now, who's going next?" he asked with a grin.
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Post by foxx on Jul 10, 2010 2:55:17 GMT -6
Hiromi stepped back from Naruto, wordless as he waited for the man to settle back into his desk; it amused him at how enthusiastic he was about the work he had before him--it wasn't hard for Hiromi to pick up the blurred stacks of paper he'd seen before through his jutsu. He felt sorry for Naruto, but it came with the job, and he was sure Naruto was up for the title.
Hiromi nodded at the question, a small smile lighting up his face again at the mention. "Yeah," he answered; "She'll be mad that I didn't come to her first, but...I had to check on the Hokage first, right?" He laughed. "She'll get over it. But I should get going before she gets wind that I'm here; I wanna surprise her." With that said, Hiromi turned on a heel and started back toward the doors, pushing one open with one hand while the other lifted in a wave. "See you later. Wish me luck with my Sasuke reunion." The door shut with a laugh, and Hiromi picked up his bags from the wall and left. --- "...Okay, what?" "Just do it, it's funny how he reacts." "You've done this before...? He's gonna get so mad." "...And?" "And I'm gonna blame you when he does." Ashitaka fought a fit of laughter as Keiji crept into the living room, peering in before he entered completely. He inched toward Sasuke's favorite chair near the window, and although a smile was present on his face, his anxiety was also visible, for the man could walk in at any minute. Keiji crouched down, slipping something rounded and rubbery beneath the seat cushion. "Get back, I hear footsteps!" he heard Ashitaka whisper; the young man had dashed to the couch and sat down quietly, and Keiji quickly followed suit, falling into the seat beside his brother and propping his feet up on the table, his best attempt at feigning casual.
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Shikakazu remained silent, glancing at Sayuri as though expecting her to speak. She looked between them all, her gaze settling on Takashi for a bit. "You know about me well enough," she pointed out, arms folding; "But I guess the others can hear." She paused, gathering her thoughts for a few moments: "I'm Akisaka Sayuri. I like dango, and birds singing on sunny days. My dislikes aaaare...being belittled, and grouchy people. As for a dream...I guess it's to show that I'm not puny because I'm a girl--to be kinda like my mom."
As she fell silent, she looked to Shikakazu, who had settled himself in the swing as the others were talking. He let out an inaudible sigh, his hands wrapping around the ropes as he thought. "Nara Shikakazu, at your service... I like taking care of my family's deer, lounging in trees, and playing games of shougi with my dad." He paused. "I'm not sure if I have a huge dream like all of you guys... I guess I wanna just live life as it comes to me."
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Post by Luke on Jul 10, 2010 4:42:50 GMT -6
on this night... LIGHTNING STRIKES TWICE. Sasuke yawned as he walked into the room. He looked around for a few moments before he made his way over to his chair. He stopped for a moment and glanced around the room and wondered where everyone was. With a small sigh he sat down on the chair without looking down. What happened next was the funniest thing that had ever happened in the Uchiha household. PFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFRT! Sasuke's eyes widened as he heard the embarrassing noise. He looked around the room for the culprit, only to realize that the sound came from under him. He glanced from side to side before sighing. Had he really farted without realizing it? After a second it finally hit him. He stood up out of his seat and lifted to the cushion to reveal the culprit. "....that....is not funny." --- Takashi smiled as he listened to his team speak about themselves. After Shikakazu had finished, the Jonin nodded. "Very good." he said. He paused for a moment or two to think of something. "....before we start any real training or anything, I need to know where you guys stand now." he said before rummaging around in his pocket. After a second, he pulled out three slips of paper with directions on them. He handed them over. "Meet me at that area so we can begin your test." A split second later, the man was consumed in a plume of smoke. And just like that, he was gone. Takeru looked over at his teammates and grinned before he took off toward the designated area. --- In the distance, Akisaka Sojiro ran the large path toward Konoha. He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and continued on his trek toward the village. As he came to the check in, he quickly pulled out his ID and was let in. Wasting no time, the man looked to the Jonin standing watch with a worried expression. "Akisaka Toshiro, have you seen him?" The man looked at him for a moment or two. "I haven't seen him today...why?" he asked. Sojiro didn't have time to waste explaining his reasoning--he just needed to find his brother. He shook his head. "I just need to speak to him. Do you know where he lives?" he asked. The man nodded and quickly pointed him in the direction of the house. "You won't be able to miss it." he said. With a nod, Sojiro took off toward his brother's home. Within minutes, the man had reached a house with a large sign in the front yard that read, 'Akisaka'. He hopped over the fence and walked to the front door. A split second later the man knocked loudly on the door.
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Post by foxx on Jul 11, 2010 1:34:24 GMT -6
Ashitaka and Keiji contained themselves as they sat across from Sasuke on the couch, though their faces were strained as they tried their best at holding back their amusement. Both sets of eyes slowly wavered toward the man as he slowly made his way to the chair, and they held their breath in unison as they watched the man ease down into his chair.
PFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFRT! "...That...is not funny."
Obviously it had been, for both his sons exploded into uproarious laughter at once, and Keiji nearly fell off the couch, doubled over from laughing. Akane wandered into the room at the sudden noise, her eyebrows lifted in curiosity at her husband. "...Really, Sasuke?" she said simply, hiding a smile as she eyed her sons.
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Sayuri handled her slip of paper carefully, an eyebrow raised. "Why didn't he just lead us to the place...?" she asked aloud, though it was to no one in particular; "Oh, well..." "It's probably to test our..." Shikakazu began, pausing briefly to choose a set of words," ...our location skills, for lack of a better word." With a small sigh, he scanned the paper quickly and stood, folding it and stuffing it into his pocket, his hands remaining there. "Guess we should go, then." With that said, he and Sayuri followed after Takeru, Shikakazu trailing behind casually.
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Sakura had finally gone to take a sip of the tea Toshiro had given her earlier, but paused as a sudden knock came at the front door, a loud and hurried sound. She blinked as she looked up from the tea, her eyebrows furrowing. "Company this early in the day?" she asked aloud, setting down the cup and standing, the chair legs screeching dully across the wooden floor.
She made her way into the front room, stopping once she reached the door and turning the knob, opening it and looking questioningly at the man standing there. He looked oddly familiar, but she shook it off, her face curious.
"...Can I help you?"
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Post by Luke on Jul 11, 2010 2:57:22 GMT -6
on this night... LIGHTNING STRIKES TWICE. Sasuke scratched the back of his head as he looked around the room at his family. He sighed slightly at the premeditated attack on his sanity. He quickly dropped back down into his chair and shrugged slightly before looking over at Akane who had apparently...thought.... "...I didn't do that. I swear." He waved his hands in the air to add emphasis to his words. "It was them! They did it!" ---- Takeru grinned slightly as he turned to look at the two of them. "I know just where we are going! This is an old training area that I use--it seems as though we're in luck!" he said. With that, he turned around and sped up--he didn't want to be late for their first test! As he ran, Takeru paid no attention to the ground below him...which was a mistake. He ended up running right into a trip wire and by the time he realized, it was too late. A branch with a large amount of padding at the end was cut loose and ended up swinging forward, knocking the Genin to the ground. "Ahhhh...that's no good." Takeru looked around for the source of the voice, and finally found it up in the tree. Takashi was standing on one of the tree limbs with a hand on his head, looking down at the group. "A shinobi must always be careful of where they are walking." he said. He paused for a moment, attempting to make sure that Takeru was okay. After that, he let his hands drop to his sides. "Try not to get caught up in anymore traps!" With that, he was gone again. Takeru quickly jumped to his feet and nodded. "He is right! I will have to be more careful!" he said with a nod. Without any hesitation, the Genin took off yet again toward their destination. ---- Sojiro waited semi-patiently for the door to be answered. When it had, he was expecting his brother to answer...but that wasn't the case at all. He looked around for a few moments, wondering if this was indeed the right house. He quickly threw that thought away...because there could only be one Akisaka family in Konoha. But no matter--that wasn't the point! He quickly looked back over to the woman standing at the door. He moved his glasses up the bridge of his nose, not saying saying anything. He had heard stories from Raidon about Toshiro having a lady friend that he spent a great deal of time trying to woo. Apparently things had worked out for him... "So this is Toshiro's wife, huh? He didn't do too bad for himself it looks like." This was all kept in his head of course, for such talk to get him into trouble...and that wasn't what he wanted at all. No way! His eyes fixated upon the woman's hair, which was an odd color--though...it wasn't a bad thing. "...don't say anything about it. Don't say anything rude to big brother's pretty wife..." he thought to himself as he started to sweat bullets. Why was he so nervous!? "...Can I help you?""GAH, PINK!" Sojiro clapped a hand to his mouth, looking absolutely ridiculous. He glanced around, hoping maybe there were at least a few witnesses around to possibly stop a beatdown if it happened. When he noticed that none were around he gave an inaudible sigh. He moved the hand and scratched the back of his head before clearing his throat. "....I-is Akisaka Toshiro around? His little brother has quite a bit to tell him..."
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Post by foxx on Jul 11, 2010 19:11:22 GMT -6
Akane lifted a single eyebrow at the man, though once she caught sight of how hard her sons were laughing, it was obvious Sasuke was telling she truth; they'd obviously done something. The woman shook her head, laughing lightly. "Guys..." she began, but paused when there came a quick few knocks at the door. "It's awfully early..." she mused aloud, walking toward it and opening it, peering outside wordlessly.
"...Hiromi?" she said, and immediately, a smile spread across her face as she stepped back, allowing her brother to enter in and shutting the door behind him. Quickly she wrapped her arms around the man in a tight hug, and he returned it, smiling widely. "Oneechan, not so much," he said in a strained voice; "I can't breathe properly..."
"Ojisan!" both boys exclaimed in unison, their laughter subsiding as they spotted their uncle enter through the front door. "You've been gone a while," Keiji pointed out, smiling widely. Hiromi blinked, turning his head in the boy's direction. "...That voice sounds familiar," he began, his face growing thoughtful, "but at the same time..." "Keiji," Keiji replied, amused. Hiromi smiled crookedly. "I figured. Wooow, you sound different. You guys get old too quick."
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Shikakazu watched Takeru, an eyebrow lifted as the boy sped forward, moments later catching his foot upon a hidden wire. He had lifted a hand and opened his mouth to speak, but too late--Takeru had been slapped backward by a limb, Takashi scolding him from high up in the tree. He's so ecstatic that he hadn't paid attention... the Nara thought, eyeing the shining wire, now hanging loosely after being triggered; I thought I saw something glint in the light; he confirmed it for me at least. Heh.
Sayuri blinked, looking from the befuddled Takeru to Takashi up in the tree; she hadn't even thought that a wire would be hidden on the way to a test. He sure was taking this seriously, she thought. Both the genin sighed as Takeru sped off again, still in his state of elation as though nothing had just happened. "He's gonna get hit again, I bet," Shikakazu mused aloud, his hands stuffed back into his pockets, and he walked onward; "C'mon. Just watch where you step; and around you, if you can help it."
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Sakura blinked, an eyebrow raising seconds later. She turned her gaze to her hair, a lock of it twirled around her finger. "Well...you're obviously not colorblind," she said, her voice flat as she turned back to the man, repeating her question: "Can I help you?"
She paused, listening to him speak of Toshiro, as his...brother? That was strange; Sakura had never thought of asking of Toshiro's relatives much, yet here was a supposed one--it explained why he seemed so familiar. She held up a finger, shutting the door and turning, walking toward the kitchen; she would have to clear this stranger with Toshiro first. Peering around the kitchen door,
"Toshiro, someone's at the door looking for you... He...says he's your brother? He seemed...strange, so I left him outside until you saw him."
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Post by Luke on Jul 11, 2010 22:29:15 GMT -6
on this night... LIGHTNING STRIKES TWICE. Sasuke who was shaking his fist angrily at his children turned his head quickly to look at the door with a puzzled expression. Who could it be knocking at their door this early in the morning? He sighed heavily when Hiromi came into sight, wishing that he had slept in this morning. He looked at the man for a few moments before he turned back around and gazed at the floor. He sighed inaudibly. Maybe if he pretended he wasn't there, he wouldn't say anything to him. Yeah...that seemed like the best course of action--though it wasn't like there were many other things he could have done. Most of them would have gotten him in trouble with his wife. With another small sigh, he turned his head and looked out the window and continued to pretend that nothing was there. "You guys get old too quick.""....too true." SHIT! HE TALKED! ---- Takeru continued on, this time paying attention to where he was stepping. He glanced at his surroundings, taking note of how close they were to their destination. He jumped over another trip wire and sped onward, determined to make it there without setting off another trap--he wasn't going to let his sensei down! "Akisaka-sensei certainly wasted no time in attempting to prepare us!" He grinned slightly as he spotted a large open space in the distance with a figure gesturing for them to hurry. Little did Takeru know that right before they'd reach the clearing, a net had been been laid on the ground before them, covered in leaves, with a hole dug under it. If they somehow not managed to figure it out, they'd fall into the hole and get trapped in the net, leaving them suspended in the air a few feet above the bottom of the hole. "We are on our way, Akisaka-sensei!" Takeru sped onward. Takashi waited in the opening with a small frown on his face, wondering if they'd get caught up in the trap. "If they can manage to avoid that...I will be surprised." ---- "Wai-" The door was shut in the man's face as if he were some kind of nuisance--like a Jehovah's Witness or Tax Collector! His eye twitched slightly as he stood at the closed door and waited. Was this woman aware of who he was!? He was an Akisaka--practically ROYALTY! His clan was known far and wide throughout the shinobi world as a fearsome force that struck fear into the hearts of shinobi across the lands! He folded his arms across his chest and sighed, waiting for the woman to return and beckon him into the house. "...ridiculous! I've never been treated with such disrespect in my life!" ....except when his clan leader tried to kill him. Toshiro raised an eyebrow as he heard the door close and wondered who it could have been that early in the morning. He looked at her for a moment as she poked her head through the kitchen door, though he was halfway tuned into what she was about to say. He seemed to pay a bit more attention when she stated that someone was outside looking for him. Who could it be? "He...says he's your brother?"Toshiro's eyes widened as he jumped out of his seat and made his way toward the door, grabbing his wakizashi on the way out. "...go to the kitchen and stay there..." he said, turning to look at her for a moment. "Chances are...this may get ugly." With that, he made his way toward the door, his hand on the hilt of his sword. Sojiro's frown turned to a smile as he watched the door open. "Ahh...big brothe-" The man's greeting was cut off by Toshiro, who pointed his blade to the man's throat. "...What business do you have here?" he asked. Sojiro frowned. "...is that anyway to treat a guest?" the man asked. He sighed when the blade didn't move from it's position. He scratched his head and thought for a moment. "I'm not here to cause trouble...the Raikage sent me." Toshiro's eyes widened as he heard the man speak of the Raikage. He lowered his blade and sheathed it, though he kept his eyes on the man. He looked at him for a great deal of time, noting how similar they looked to eachother. The same blonde hair and green eyes--he wore the Akisaka family crest...the OLD one on his coat just like Toshiro. His expression softened. "Who are you?" Sojiro pointed to the crest on his coat. "I am Akisaka Sojiro...your brother." Toshiro's eyes widened as the man replied. The words rang through his head for a great deal of time. He was brought back to a time when he was younger. In his mid 20's. He had received letters from a little boy in Kumo named Sojiro who often said that he wanted to meet him. It sickened him how easily he had forgotten his own brother. What kind of person was he? "I'm....sorry, Sojiro. I...." he started after a moment. Sojiro sighed slightly and lifted a finger as if to say, 'first things first'. He smacked Toshiro upside the head and gave him an angry look. "Why the hell would you point a sword at someone who KNOCKED on your door!? I didn't kick it the hell down or threaten to kill you!" He breathed deeply for a few seconds while Toshiro stared at him. "Ah...sorry. Got carried away. Come inside...we'll talk in the living room." he said before gesturing for the man to follow him inside. Toshiro looked to Sakura and pointed at the man. "...this is my brother, Sojiro. Raidon-sensei sent him here...though I don't know why." he said. He sat down and motioned for the man to do the same. "Now...what's going on?" Sojiro sighed as he sat down and cast his gaze down at the floor. "...what is it, Sojiro? What happened?" And suddenly the weight of the situation crashed down on the man yet again. He fought back tears as he tried to find the words to explain what had happened. Finally, Sojiro's eyes narrowed and he gripped the arms on the chair tightly. A single tear fell from his eye and landed on his knee. "...Raidon-sensei...has passed away." He paused. "....that's a stupid way to put it. Raidon-sensei was killed...by our clan leader. Right before he died...he sent me to find you and warn you about what was happening." Sojiro looked up at the Toshiro, his expression couldn't have been more serious. "The Akisaka have taken over Kumo! They plan to start another Shinobi War!" Toshiro's eyes widened as the news hit him like a sack of bricks. He said nothing as the information sunk in--his sensei had been killed...and the Akisaka had taken over Kumo. Only one thing came to mind. "....no...."
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Post by foxx on Jul 12, 2010 1:15:41 GMT -6
Ashitaka and Keiji looked to Sasuke as he spoke, both seeming as surprised at the man's sudden input; usually he didn't talk much when Hiromi was around, and they knew neither of the men really appreciated one another. Their mother was that frail link between the two--every bit of tolerance Sasuke and Hiromi put forth was simply due to love for Akane.
Hiromi turned his head briefly toward the voice, seeming surprised that Sasuke had spoken as well, and so casually. He raised an eyebrow, lifting a single hand and waving it before letting it drop back to his side again; a slight smile crossed his face. "Hello to you, too, Sasuke," he said, pausing for only a brief moment; "Nothing to say to your brother-in-law that's been gone for four years?"
Akane looked over toward Sasuke, mouthing two simple words: Be nice.
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Doing their best to keep up with Takeru, Sayuri and Shikakazu sped up their pace a bit, keeping behind the boy at a close jog. Shikakazu kept his eyes scanning along the ground, Sayuri glancing left and right every so often; the two were definately on the alert, though the girl began to grow a bit more comfortable once she saw no more trip wires--comfortable of the ground at least.
They continued on for a few more minutes, still jogging behind Takeru, when Shikakazu looked a bit ahead, his eyes still trailing the ground, which, strangely, went suddenly from dirt to leaves--and very few trees around. He began to slow his pace, though as he waved a hand at the others, he was unsure if Takeru had noticed--Sayuri had not. Shikakazu sighed, trotting a few more feet, his arm still outstretched. "Sayuri-san, wait a---...whoa! Kagemane no Jutsu!" With the sign of the rat, Shikakazu's shadow darted forward toward Sayuri's, linking to the shade of her foot. Sayuri felt a sudden pressure over her entire body, and she felt inclined to freeze, one foot lifted over the spread of leaves; a few of them fell away, revealing a piece of the net. Sayuri, unable to move, looked down at the piece of netting, then turning her gaze to the side, curious as to what was holding her back. "What... Who did this?!" she asked irritably, though it was more out of anxiety than irritation. She felt her limbs pull herself back seemingly of their own accord, and seconds later, the pressure on her body was lifted, and she had control again. Quickly she turned to Shikakazu, an eyebrow raised. "...You're welcome," said the boy, his hands in his pockets again as he walked around the pile of strewn leaves and toward Takashi; "Remember when I said 'be careful' before? Great job."
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At Toshiro's reaction, Sakura could only frown slightly, worry creasing her brow, and slight defense burrowing into her mind as he told her to stay out of the situation; she wasn't some fragile porcelain, and she figured he knew that by now.
Denying his request, she wandered out of the kitchen, standing back a ways and watching the two curiously at the door. The voices were too low for her to hear, and she remained silent as Toshiro allowed the strange man into the house, where the two sat down. As she was briefly introduced, she dipped her head slightly, offering a small apologetic smile. "Forgive me for shutting the door in your face," she said; "We just aren't used to strangers. I'm Sakura, Toshiro's wife. Pleased to meet you, Sojiro-san."
After speaking, Sakura made her way to the seat near Toshiro, curious still as to why the man seemed to be in such a tizzy--and curious as to the situation at hand itself. His sudden brother randomly appearing at their doorstep was enough to get anyone's mind stirred. She lifted a slow hand to her mouth as they both listened to Sojiro's words, and she looked to Toshiro; he had to have been distraught--it was horrid news.
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Post by Luke on Jul 12, 2010 3:13:52 GMT -6
on this night... LIGHTNING STRIKES TWICE. Sasuke silently cursed himself for speaking out. He turned to see the look on Akane's face and let out another inaudible sigh before he turned to look at the man. There were a thousand things that he would have rather been doing, but he decided to open his mouth and acknowledge his existance...for Akane. "...welcome back." He nodded slightly before he turned back around and sighed. "I suppose the training....went well?" he asked after a long and awkward silence. He looked up at the ceiling, waiting for the smart remarks to start flying. --- Takeru, though he was going fast, managed to see through the trap. Right before he reached the leaves, he leapt into the air and over them, landing on the other side. He quickly looked back to see Sayuri being saved by Shikakazu's jutsu. He turned around sped forward toward Takashi with a large smile on his face. "Well, we managed to not get caught in your trap!" Takashi nodded and smiled back. "Very good job. That goes to you too, Shikakazu! Very quick thinking!" he said. He paused for a moment, thinking about something. "Well, I suppose now that we're here...I should see how you all fair as a team." he said. He jumped back a few meters before grinning, wondering if they knew what was coming next. "I want the three of you to come at me at once. This will show me where you are at when it comes to combat." He gestured for them to attack. "Don't hold back!" ---- Sojiro looked over as Sakura apologized for shutting the door in his face. He shook his head, "No need to apologize for that. It's fine." he said before he sighed and dried his eyes. "It's nice meeting you as well, Sakura-san." he replied. Pausing for a moment, he looked to Toshiro, who was staring at the ground with a horrified look on his face. "I'm sorry, Toshiro....." When the man didn't reply, Sojiro sighed and looked around the room for a moment. He looked back over at Toshiro. "...I know how much pain you're in right now." he said. He placed a hand on his shoulder and looked at him for a moment or two. He planned on consoling his brother--the only sane family member he had. "But Raidon-sensei....is in a better place." His eyes widened as Toshiro looked to him and smiled. "I know that." he said. Sojiro looked at him, furrowing his brow. "Toshiro...are you okay?" he asked. The man nodded, the large smile still on his face. "Of course! I always knew the old man wasn't going to be with me forever...it's just good that he got to go on his own terms." he said. "I'm fine, really!" Sojiro looked to Sakura with a concerned expression. His turned his gaze back to Toshiro before he stood up himself. "...bottling up your feelings won't make them go away, Toshiro." he said. The Akisaka laughed. "Who said I'm bottling up my feelings? I'm perfectly fine." he replied.
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Post by foxx on Jul 12, 2010 23:46:54 GMT -6
Hiromi's mouth pulled into a more sly smile; he could feel the annoyance emanating from Sasuke, just because Hiromi was there, and speaking to him, of all the things. "Yeah," he answered, dumbly making a fist at his side; "You can't tell? Oh, right... It's 'hard work', I forgot it's something you're not used--ITAI!" Hiromi stopped abruptly, yelping in pain as he felt a sharp pinch on the side of his arm. It had obviously been Akane, interrupting his teasing before it even had a chance to sprout. She glared at her brother, sighing inaudibly; she was going to get these two to be civil to one another if it killed her.
Ashitaka and Keiji remained on the couch, both restraining their laughter; it was always amusing when their uncle came around, especially if Sasuke was present--life turned into a miniature sitcom.
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Sayuri's face turned a light shade similar to the hue of her hair, and she followed Shikakazu around the trap, more leaves blowing away from it and revealing more of the net. The girl tore her gaze away from the hole, still a bit embarrassed that she hadn't noticed it in the first place--and it made matters worse that she had been the only one who hadn't. Shrugging it off, she stopped near Takeru and Shikakazu, listening quietly to the jounin as he spoke of their task. Her eyebrows lifted, but only vaguely; he wanted them, a trio of genin, to fight him, a jounin? Was he serious?
Shikakazu seemed slightly surprised as well, but took no time in preparing himself, stepping back a few feet from Takashi and glancing at the others; he stood casually still, but his hands were no longer in his pockets, a sign that he would be moving soon. He probably won't go full force on us... the Nara thought, his eyebrows knitting together over his dark eyes; But he's sure not going to go easy on us, either, I can guarantee that. We just have to... He looked over at his teammates. "Guys, we gotta focus," he said in a low tone, hopefully so they could hear; "If we can coordinate our attacks, we might be able to get near enough to him." Sayuri nodded lightly. "Hacking and slashing isn't gonna do us any good..." she said in response, her tone low as well; "I've seen my brother practice before; he's fast."
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Sakura looked to Toshiro, sharing the expression with Sojiro. He seemed...cheerful and chipper all of a sudden. It was such a random change of emotion that it easily arose cause for concern with his brother, as well as herself. Did anyone honestly change this suddenly...?
She tilted her head a bit, eyebrows furrowing concern onto her face. "Toshiro..." she began, pausing briefly; "That is bottling up. You don't go from a state of shock like that to chipper again...not that quickly."
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Post by Luke on Jul 13, 2010 12:18:14 GMT -6
on this night... LIGHTNING STRIKES TWICE. Sasuke sighed as Hiromi started one of his many insults. He stared out the window, tuning out most of the noises that followed. He turned his head when the man yelped and smirked slightly at his brother in law. He would have said something, but he knew that he would have been next if he attempted to retaliate--and he wasn't in the mood to get hit. And so he sat for a few moments, attempting to be as civil as possible. Though it proved to be just too hard. "Sounds like someone's annoyed that even after four years of training, they still couldn't beat their brother-in-law." He turned back around and smiled smugly to himself. Another successful comeback....to a joke that hadn't even been finished. Though, that didn't make any difference. He had the intent to finish the insult--it was on like Donkey Kong. --- Takashi watched as the group stood and whispered amongst themselves. He rubbed the back of his neck for a moment, looking at them expectantly. He glanced over at Takeru who was standing as well, seeming to be attempting to come up with a plan. The Jonin took a step forward and smiled at them. Looks like it was showtime. "Well, I guess if you won't attack-" Takeru's eyes widened as he watched the man seemingly disappear into thin air. He glanced around, wondering just what had happened. "-I will." Takeru turned around to see that Takashi had somehow manage to wind up in the middle of the group. His eyes widened as he watched Takashi rear back and throw a punch directly toward him. He barely had time to duck under the attack and retaliate with a straight punch. The Jonin grinned as he simply caught the boys arm and flung him around, attempting to slam him into the two other Genin. As Takeru flung forward, a single thought came to mind. "...in the span of several seconds...he managed to turn me into a weapon...." ---- Toshiro sighed as his smile faded quickly. He looked over to the two of them and shrugged. "Okay, so maybe the stupid smile was a little too much. But I mean it--I'm okay." he said. He started toward the kitchen, only to be stopped by Sojiro. His brow furrowed slightly as he looked at him for a moment. "...Toshiro, it's okay to be sad about this..." he said. "...you don't have to put on an act for your family." Toshiro looked away. "...just drop it, Sojiro." It was easy for the man to say. He didn't have a family of his own to take care of--he didn't have to carry such weight on his shoulders. He hadn't spent his life crying at every minor inconvenience that presented itself. At this point in time, Toshiro felt as though he had to be strong for his family. He wouldn't cry--he couldn't. With such a threat looming over them...he couldn't afford to. Sojiro nodded slightly. "If you say so, brother." he replied before he let go of his shoulder and sighed. He ran a hand through his hair before letting it drop to his side. "...so what do we do about Kumo?" he asked after a moment. Toshiro continued to the kitchen without looking back. "...we stop them."
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Post by foxx on Jul 18, 2010 21:54:19 GMT -6
Hiromi lifted an eyebrow, his head turned toward Sasuke's voice. Though before he could even open his mouth to retort, he felt air rush by his face, and he stepped sideways, narrowly avoiding a harshly thrown pillow. Akane had snatched one off the couch beside Keiji and chucked it toward Sasuke's head, her eyes narrowed. "You either!" she said, her arms falling back to her sides; she would get these two to be civil if it killed her. The two sons sat quietly on the couch, their hands covering their mouths as they struggled to contain their laughter.
Hiromi's arms folded, steadied now that the pillow had already been thrown; the danger had passed for now. His eyebrow lifted again, and his head tilted somewhat. "Yeah, right..." he said, pausing, seeming to consider whether he should stop speaking now--he wasn't able to stop himself, a slow smirk spreading across his face:
"You don't want to eat those words, so can it."
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Shikakazu's eyes widened, as well as Sayuri's, when Takeru was suddenly turned into an attack that needed to be avoided. Instinctively, Shikakazu buckled his own knees, dropping low to avoid the boy's body, but as Sayuri made to, she was a second too late. Shikakazu sighed scoffingly, reaching his arm out and hitting her in the back of the knees; with a yelp the girl fell as well, her hair whipping upward as Takeru whizzed over them both, a very narrow miss. She looked over to Shikakazu, spitting grass from her mouth. "You really don't pay attention, do you?" he asked, standing and dusting himself off, turning his attention to Takashi and Takeru. Sayuri, disgruntled and angry-looking, stood up as well, turning her eyes on her brother with Takeru. "I was moving," she retorted, though she remained unanswered. Gotta wait til he lets go of the Lee kid, Shikakazu thought, planning on his own; Then I'll go at him when he's not paying attention.
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Sakura was silent as Toshiro stood, watching him go with a heavy sigh. She shook her head, running a hand through her pink hair. "Okay..." she muttered, her words seeming directed at no one in particular; "Just let him be..."
She stood, watching Toshiro walk toward the kitchen, speaking of simply stopping the goings on in Kumogakure; but would it really be that simple? She sighed another time, folding her arms and moving toward the window, watching passerby outside on the dirt streets.
Words were so easy.
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