Everyone is going to love Takeda.

[HeadlessKoko]

Until he punches them. Then they're going to love him more.

The story so far...
Takeda and Kagerou have just hit the road (Jack) en route to their first mission outside of the village. It hasn't been long since the Inka-lone incident.

The details are that it is an escort mission. They are to pick up their objectives at Takumi and then bring them back without a scratch to Kiri. The Mizukage has informed them that a certain individual known as Turtle will assist them once they reach Takumi.

The paper bag of goodies was relieved from Kagerou, who offered no resistance, and taken by Takeda. The action, which was unexpected, elicited a comment from Kagerou about how the tendrils were surprisingly precise with their movements and the amount of strength that they exerted, almost like they could be used as an extra set of hands. It was an off-hand comment, though, and nothing she would pursue very far even if responded to.

Instead of Takeda's tendrils, Kagerou would talk more about the mission they had been assigned to after the luggage exchange and short tendril exchange were finished. Reading off of the sheet of paper that the Mizukage provided her, Kagerou presented the information in a standard manner, reflecting her conventional ninja rearing. It would be an escort mission, and while no pictures of the objectives were provide, physical descriptions of those to be protected, the meeting place, and the mysterious "Turtle" that would be helping the two of them were all present. It was revealed in the process that part of the reason why Kagerou wasn't in a hurry to reveal it was because there was a low chance of danger so early in their travels. After all, in an escort mission, the hard part usually came after the escorting started, and it was going to be difficult indeed if anything happened. Kagerou even let out a bit that she wasn't looking forward to the whole "not a scratch" requirement if the group happened to run into any trouble on the way home, and recommended returning by boat simple to reduce the chances of running into any roadway bandits at the expense of being limited to an enclosed space on the very low chance that anyone would be specifically tailing and targeting their group. However, it was just a recommendation, and as Kagerou expected the bulk of the physical fighting to be done by Takeda, she relinquished the responsibility of the final decision to him.

Following the standard presentation of the mission information, Kagerou folded the document and stored it away, retaining it for now to show as proof of the Mizukage's trust. There was a short mention of how she had been given chuunin status just before in the Mizukage's office, just to update Takeda as a friend, and then she fell silent. If Takeda had any questions, then she answered them, but otherwise, she did not talk. She chose to bide her time for just a little longer, let the fresh air outside of the village do its work and such.

After a while, though, maybe about half an hour since leaving the village gates behind, Kagerou mentioned, "Iron. I smell iron," and turned to Takeda with that disarming smile of her's. In that half hour of walking, Takeda hadn't had to suffer her scrutinizing gaze except maybe once or twice while they looked at each other as they discussed the mission. This iron scent that Kagerou caught was why, sort of. Unlike with Inka in the Mizukage's office, Kagerou had a lot of time with Takeda just now, time to capture all the little hints, with smell just happening to be one of them this time. It was only the faintest of scents, but it was also one that she had been searching specifically for from Takeda. "You're bleeding, aren't you?" Kagerou asked, though she didn't need any confirmation. Her smile, no longer so disarming, implied it all. Takeda would not be able to convince Kagerou otherwise without showing her full proof. Her face, ever so honest to her emotions, shed the smile for a moment to reveal a pout. With one eye closed in disapproval, she sighed and complained, "You know that I'm a medic, right? If you feel like you need an excuse to bother me, then just tell yourself that having you hurt is as dangerous to me as it is to you." However, Kagerou wasn't so rude as to not give Takeda options. In this case, options meant a rather fake smile and the alternative, "Or, if you'd rather, just assume that the next time I find you hiding your injuries, I'll threaten to- No, that's too long, I mean... Gah... I messed up." RIP, and the fake smile made way for an honest grimace. Sticking her tongue out at her own failure, slouched Kagerou confessed, "I was trying too act out a threat, but that flopped," before bouncing back up with an "oh well" smile and an equivalent, "Heh."

Regardless of the flub, hopefully the message was passed. Whatever the case, Kagerou wanted to know when those around were hurt. The excuses and threats were only offered (or attempted in the case of the threat) because it was pretty clear after half an hour that just telling Takeda to tell her wasn't going to work. She could have also gone into a whole tirade about letting wounds sit for too long and how he had just been out of the hospital but... too long. Now wasn't the time for a lecture.

Standing back straight, Kagerou returned to the matter at hand. Her balls made a reappearance as she took off the glove of her right hand so that she could slip them onto her wrist from the projectile pouch they were stored in. She asked seriously while smiling, "Alright, jokes and practice aside, where are you hurt and how much? Should we stop for a short break? It'll be easier on me..." Again, too easy to read. The lingering last word revealed that, even if Kagerou wasn't lying about taking a break helping her, the offer was made more with Takeda in mind. For one, it'd be easier to strip if he wasn't walking like they were right now.  

[HeadlessKoko]

Title: Bonds
Information: Call it friendship, call it camaraderie, call it a legal obligation. The nurturing of relationships is one of the most fruitful types of narrative. Helping a friend out in a kitchen, helping keep their business alive, being there for them after a bad break up, building new friendships...building new rivals...building new nemesis's. Confronting those nemesis's and exchanging conflicting beliefs in fierce wholehearted heated debate and getting to know the other through their opposition on a new level.
Every paragraph made strengthening an existing relationship with an rpc, rewards XP equal to one's body rank plus [1], maximum . Those interacted with may also be considered to be running this narrative with you albeit their posts are separate from your own. The narrative is considered completed once the parties part ways for another day.

The paper bag of goodies was relieved from Kagerou, who offered no resistance, and taken by Takeda. The action, which was unexpected, elicited an inquisitive query from Kagerou, "You can be quite precise with your tendrils, huh? Especially considering how strong they can get," as she watched the tendril slip back under Takeda's skin. She knew first-hand the strength of the tendrils. Her body remembered their forceful shoving of her against and then through the hospital wall.

Even before then, she was interested in the strange anatomical, to her, mystery. She'd read a few texts on the matter, but it was repeatedly mentioned in most that circumstances were different for individual jiongus, while the others divided jiongus into multiple subsets. She didn't know which one Takeda fell under, but as his shinobi peer and teammate, she felt an obligation to know as much as she could about his unique medical needs. That way, she could make sure he remained safe, healthy, and protected.

Curiosity took the better of Kagerou as she walked alongside him. Still smiling at Takeda's arm, she wondered what it would feel like. Her hand extended to poke him in the arm, trying to see if she could feel something different in his muscular structure. A wealth of other questions waited right behind her lips, but alas, she knew she couldn't just treat this trip outside the gates as a walk in the park. She'd just wait for his reaction and response to what she was doing now, just have this one exchange, and then she would give the mission briefing as they walked.

[14 sentences]

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ஐ ♪~♫-~♫♪♫~~-♪♪♫ ❧ c h a k r a ☙ ♫♪♪-~~♫♪♫~-♫~♪ ஐ

Chakra Pool: 600/600
Stamina Pool: 200/200

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[Tenshuyami]

.xChakra: 500/500 xxxx Stamina: 400/400. xxxx Bloodline: Jiongu xxxx Classes: Nin/Tai xxxxProfile
Ｔａｋｅｄａ　皆殺し
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The motion wasn't particularly impressive, as far as Takeda was concerned. Seeing her interest only roused his own in return, and he wondered how she would fare if she had been born in the same way. "It's like breathing, Kagerou. Most people awaken their hidden talents after a certain age, right? Mine came in when I was very young." He explained simply. There was still plenty left to tell, but he wasn't sure if she wanted such a long-winded explanation. He continued walking, but it was impossible for him to not occasionally steal a glance out of the corner of his eye to see that she was thinking about something...and it probably involved his arm.

The culmination of all this time led to her doing something he didn't quite expect. She reached out to touch him, and the lack of hostility in her action led him to allowing the contact. She wouldn't feel much aside from the solid structure that was his body. No wriggling or squishy parts. Takeda stopped walking and he quirked an eyebrow at her, thinking of how exactly he should respond when the words finally escaped him. "If you're curious about me, I don't mind answering questions. I know that we're very different." He stated in a tone that was easily the closest she'd heard to amusement from him. His left hand was busy carrying the food she purchased so he raised his right arm so that she could watch clearly. "Do you want me to show you anything?" Pale red eyes blinked at her in a new, unfamiliar degree of interest that few could say they witnessed.

A slow exhale left him and his eyelids shut while he focused. Several ink black, ring-like markings appeared on the flesh of his arm, and the one on his wrist expanded to cover his entire hand in the dark void in an unusual display. It bore a striking resemblance to...what could only be described as a complex, powerful curse seal.

(16 Sentences)
 

[HeadlessKoko]

Title: Bonds
Information: Call it friendship, call it camaraderie, call it a legal obligation. The nurturing of relationships is one of the most fruitful types of narrative. Helping a friend out in a kitchen, helping keep their business alive, being there for them after a bad break up, building new friendships...building new rivals...building new nemesis's. Confronting those nemesis's and exchanging conflicting beliefs in fierce wholehearted heated debate and getting to know the other through their opposition on a new level.
Every paragraph made strengthening an existing relationship with an rpc, rewards XP equal to one's body rank plus [1], maximum . Those interacted with may also be considered to be running this narrative with you albeit their posts are separate from your own. The narrative is considered completed once the parties part ways for another day.

Green eyebrows raised at Takeda's nonchalant reveal of his own talents. Yes, people often awakened their hidden talents after a certain age, but it was rare to obtain such a level of control and then be able to compare it to something as simple as breathing. Though, she could also understand that if he had gained his abilities so young, then it wasn't an ability to him. It was, as he described, just a part of his body, his life. Kagerou's question, then, would have been like she was asking how his fingers could be so dexterous enough to hold a bottle of water.

When she touched him, just a poke, she could feel the firmness of muscle backed by bone. There was nothing abnormal to be felt. Though, of course, it was only a poke (it was only a poke). What surprised her more, though, was the way Takeda responded to her. Not only did he let her touch him, which had been completely unexpected, he didn't even sound offended. Amusement had been the last thing Kagerou had expected, and she looked at Takeda with surprise in her wide, wide eyes when she heard him offer that she could ask more questions. Soon, her smile grew as big as her eyes, matching the sunshine and happiness she felt inside with Takeda's acceptance. It didn't even bother her that half of Takeda's hair had suddenly changed color to bone white, the exact opposite of his prior black.

"Mm," she found herself agreeing without thinking to the prospect of Takeda showing her more, even though she really needed to get to the mission debriefing. Kagerou's eyelids lowered with Takeda's, but while his was to close, hers was to lower her gaze to his arm. She had been expecting more tendrils to appear and perform some sort of trick or technique. What she got instead, however, was ink-like markings. Tattoos, she would describe them as. She waited for the marks to rise out of Takeda's skin as tendrils at any moment, but that never came. It simply spread and grew darker. In some parts, it just became a solid black, losing all semblance of tendrils, and it was around this point that a light flashed through Kagerou's eyes.

"What does this remind me of?" she wondered as she looked upon the nearly complete picture. She recalled, "It had a negative connotation. Something dangerous," but despite that, she didn't stop smiling, so that also narrowed things down. The answer came out in a mutter, "A curse seal?" just as Kagerou wondered if this could be the answer she was thinking. "Yes, I think it's a curse seal?" she continued to think out loud, nodding.

Then it hit her, with a blink, she was frowning and had straightened up, having previously leaned over to survey Takeda's arm up close. Her eyes bored into his, tracking for any hints of a lie. "Wait, Takeda. Curse seals are volatile...," she began, concerned but also not in rejection of the idea of curse seals, despite their reputation and danger. Then she paused as she realized that he did have a powerful patron who could have safely give him the seal. Her eyes darted to the side then back and she continued what she was going to say earlier, "Was this seal appropriately applied by someone qualified? You have proper supervision for its growth and regular check-ups, right?" No matter how likely it was that she didn't need to worry at all, it was better to ask these questions than to not.

Only after she had blathered everything did she realize that she actually hadn't even confirmed if what Takeda had was a curse seal. Sheepishly, she pulled back, smiling in embarrassment. Quickly, before he could flat out deny her, she added, "Er... That is, if it is a curse seal. Sorry, I dunno, I could be wrong."

[44 sentences]

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ஐ ♪~♫-~♫♪♫~~-♪♪♫ ❧ c h a k r a ☙ ♫♪♪-~~♫♪♫~-♫~♪ ஐ

Chakra Pool: 600/600
Stamina Pool: 200/200

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Tenshuyami

 

[Tenshuyami]

.xChakra: 500/500 xxxx Stamina: 400/400. xxxx Bloodline: Jiongu xxxx Classes: Nin/Tai xxxxProfile
Ｔａｋｅｄａ　皆殺し
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Takeda pulled his hand back when she got too close, taking her intense curiosity and worry as strong judgement instead. "No, I-" he started, unable to finish due to her concerned ramblings. His eyes searched hers for what she may be thinking, not wanting to jump to conclusions, but it was like she was far too concerned with her own rampant thoughts to care about his response. He was just about to break away, tell her that enough was enough and continue on his way to Takumi when she pulled back. Her swift apology settled him, and he let out an agitated sigh. "Keep your worries in check." He said, not quite vehemently but with enough tension in his tone to indicate that it was more of a warning than it was friendly advice.

He took a moment to collect himself. Was it evident yet? Could she see that he was trying to create a connection? It didn't matter. Whether she did or not wouldn't change anything when he inevitably left the village. Him and Inka would disagree again. They'd never see things th-

Calm down. Explain.

Takeda's calm was quickly being overwritten by his pessimism, but his sudden thoughts pierced the darkness clouding his mind. "I...don't like it when you do that, Kagerou." He told her directly, though there was no anger lacing his tone. He wasn't scolding her. In fact, he eased up considerably since his last words.The way his gaze seemed to falter on her eyes for a moment would actually give the indication that he was embarrassed. After all, it was much more common for him to lash out. "Worrying is fine, I get it. It's hard for you to let things be. But if you don't give me a second to explain myself, I'm not going to want to do that anymore and we won't get anywhere." His explanation was as calm as he could possibly make it, but there was the hint of warmth on his cheeks. Not giving her time to respond to him, he raised his arm back up and spoke.

"Look again. A curse mark can't do this, I'm sure you know that." The black marks on his arm spread out to meld in with one other, turning his entire arm to that void-like darkness. From there he let out a mass of tendrils and took a step back, showing off an impressive amount of them. They were grouped together. Strong. Powerful. Then slowly, his flesh replaced the darkness and the tendrils thinned out, continuing until there was just a single band of it on his wrist. Multiple tendrils still, but they were thin and not nearly as powerful. "Remember. I was born with this. I can assure you that not a single person in my small tribe knew how to place a curse mark on a child. But these things...they're not just chakra or normal materials like the threads you'd find on a jiongu. They exist along with me. They make up my muscle and my bone structure. Which means that I pretty much don't have my own." Was it sad that he wasn't his own person? maybe. But all of it came together to create one whole Takeda.

In a display to clarify things further, he took one of the fruits in the bag and chucked it into the air. Not too far, but certainly high up. Hardly another moment passed before his other arm reached out and became covered in the void. It extended in a display that was certainly far from human, up to nearly twenty feet out before the tendrils shot from near his wrist and caught it. He brought his arm back to its normal position before it returned to its normal state. "That's why...look, Kagerou, I don't want to get too far into it and make you listen to sob stories. I'm done whining. I'm sure you can figure it all out."

(40 sentences)

HeadlessKoko

 

[HeadlessKoko]

Title: Bonds
Information: Call it friendship, call it camaraderie, call it a legal obligation. The nurturing of relationships is one of the most fruitful types of narrative. Helping a friend out in a kitchen, helping keep their business alive, being there for them after a bad break up, building new friendships...building new rivals...building new nemesis's. Confronting those nemesis's and exchanging conflicting beliefs in fierce wholehearted heated debate and getting to know the other through their opposition on a new level.
Every paragraph made strengthening an existing relationship with an rpc, rewards XP equal to one's body rank plus [1], maximum . Those interacted with may also be considered to be running this narrative with you albeit their posts are separate from your own. The narrative is considered completed once the parties part ways for another day.

Kagerou's eyes, turned away in shame, darted back to look at Takeda when he gave an agitated sigh. She smiled, apologetically, eyes turning down in self-disappointment as she felt the distance build back with the tension in his tone. She turned her eyes away again, couldn't help but kick the ground a bit in dejection, but was ready to turn and continue walking, in silence this time.

A kunoichi knew when to push and pull, and though her aim was not to manipulate Takeda, what that translated to now was that she was willing to stop pressing and further agitating Takeda. He had been nice enough to warn her directly. Even Kagerou could not come up with an excuse to ignore it.

However, luckily, she looked up at Takeda one more time before moving on. In that small amount of time that had passed, it looked like he had calmed down greatly. He no longer looked as agitated, and... It was hard to put what it was exactly into words, but it felt like he needed a little more time to do something. Kagerou smile brightened, and she was more than willing to give him the extra time that he needed.

Clasping her hands in front of her, Kagerou waited for as long as Takeda needed, and when he finally spoke, she listened. The first sentence alone hurt, but what she found more interesting that his tone sounded better than before. She maintained eye contact, steadily and keenly. When it was Takeda's that wavered, her head tilted to the side in a question unsaid before her head righted again and she listened even more keenly. Takeda was blunt and straightforward. Therefore, his reason for a wavering gaze would be... Kagerou wasn't sure, but he looked like speaking so much or in such a way was difficult for him. She wanted to repay his efforts, at least.

As he put it, she had spoken so much already, basically drowning out his own voice. It was Takeda's turn now, and she was genuinely hearing out what he had to say. "Had I been talking so much?" She self-reflected. "Could I be too oppressive?" "I never meant to not let someone explain themselves." "Do I worry too much?" "I don't want to worry less and regret, though." "Am I pompous b***h?"

There was one thing she knew for sure, however. Takeda had opened up for her. Well, maybe that wasn't his intention, but it didn't change that she benefited almost as much as he did by this confession. Perhaps she had benefited even more than he did. He didn't need to speak so frankly. He could have given up, clammed up, and decided Kagerou was but a lost case. He was telling her what his problems were. This was not a gift Kagerou would take lightly.

Determined to do better this time, the chastised kunoichi remained silent and learned from Takeda's demonstration. Being quiet for this long, the mute Kagerou certainly emitted a different feeling from her usual self. She had more of a demure presence as she contemplated the arm that had returned to normal after just elongating to catch a piece of fruit. Unfortunately, the rare image of stately elegance was effaced the very moment she felt like she was finally allowed to talk again.

"Do you mind if I hug you?"

It had come out innocuously, in Kagerou's standard, lilting voice. The point was that she had wanted to ask a question she had been holding back since Takeda described his unique anatomical structure. It was about touching him, trying to feel for herself what the difference he described was. Takeda did not want to present his life as something pitiful. Kagerou only cared about curse marks in the context of making sure Takeda was using them safely. Therefore, Kagerou avoiding what Takeda didn't like and naturally placing little importance on what she didn't find important, her interest naturally lay in Takeda's physical anatomy.

The question of interest had just come out wrong... Also in the wrong order. Probably because her desire for a physical examination had mixed up with her desire to provide emotional support. Hastily, Kagerou corrected herself, calmly and straightforwardly, "Ah, wait, no. I'm not trying to be creepy. Though, I do like hugs. Sorry, my thoughts are mixed up. What I mean is, thank you for being straight with me. I really do appreciate it, and I hope you can be patient. I just... I'm so used to talking straight through that it's not something I can just change immediately. Though, I'm glad you clarified and said that worrying wasn't a problem. We might have actually fought then." She gave an apologetic smile because of course fighting was bad.

There was more to say. She still had to ask him she could physically touch and examine at least a part of his body with her hands. However, he had also just warned Kagerou that he felt overrun with her large blocks of speech. It would be for the best, then, if she let him reply first then ask the rest.

Then, of course, the poor mission objective, which was being pushed back further and further.

Also, she was getting a whiff of a metallic scent. Iron, the kind in the blood. It came from Takeda's direction. Currently, all signs pointed to his giant hole in the shoulder being the culprit. Had it reopened? Then it needed to be seen.

Too much, there was just too much Kagerou needed to talk about. There was too much she worried about. This was why she had so much red in her posts.

[76 sentences]

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ஐ ♪~♫-~♫♪♫~~-♪♪♫ ❧ c h a k r a ☙ ♫♪♪-~~♫♪♫~-♫~♪ ஐ

Chakra Pool: 600/600
Stamina Pool: 200/200

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Tenshuyami

 

[Tenshuyami]

.xChakra: 500/500 xxxx Stamina: 600/600. xxxx Bloodline: Jiongu xxxx Classes: Nin/Tai xxxxProfile
Ｔａｋｅｄａ　皆殺し
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀

Right. She wanted a hug. Wait, what?

All he could do was stare at her in response to her request. Thankfully she managed to continue speaking soon after, otherwise, Takeda likely would have remained frozen for all eternity. Her words weren't easy for him to understand, but it got easier once he started to consider things from her perspective. She thought of things much differently than he did after all. "Sorry. I should have clarified more. I don't mind if you have a lot of things you want to ask me. All I want you to do is give me more time to talk when you...well, you kind of assault me with a lot of things at once when you're worried. If we're just talking normally it's fine. If you're concerned then just calm down and give me time to put you at ease. Okay?" He tried to explain it the best way he could. It wasn't like she talked too much or anything like that. He just wasn't sure if she knew just how overbearing she could be when she got concerned.

Despite that, his face was the one that ended up displaying concern. "Er...as for the other thing. If you're going to touch me or hug me or whatever just don't make it weird, Kagerou." It was no secret that the Uchiha had an unapologetically playful side. If Takeddy-bear didn't nail that in, her body flickering in to sit on his back (sword) mid-fight with the Mizukage was a definite home-run. He didn't know what a good "hugging position" was short of extending his arms out to her and he was too embarrassed for that. She'd need to figure that part out on her own.

If she did follow through with hugging him, there'd be some things of note. Any tightness she'd put on the hug would cause his body to tense up in a different way than a normal human would. His body would become more solid, especially towards his chest and midsection. An impact response. Looseness on the hold would lead to that going away, even up to the point where she could feel movement beneath his skin like a fish underwater. It wasn't often, but it definitely did happen. Then, of course, was the fact that one particular shoulder would not only smell of blood but it would also not solidify nearly as much as the rest of his body.

(26 sentences)

HeadlessKoko

 

[HeadlessKoko]

Title: Bonds
Information: Call it friendship, call it camaraderie, call it a legal obligation. The nurturing of relationships is one of the most fruitful types of narrative. Helping a friend out in a kitchen, helping keep their business alive, being there for them after a bad break up, building new friendships...building new rivals...building new nemesis's. Confronting those nemesis's and exchanging conflicting beliefs in fierce wholehearted heated debate and getting to know the other through their opposition on a new level.
Every paragraph made strengthening an existing relationship with an rpc, rewards XP equal to one's body rank plus [1], maximum . Those interacted with may also be considered to be running this narrative with you albeit their posts are separate from your own. The narrative is considered completed once the parties part ways for another day.

Takeda's concern was met with a sheepish smile. However, the sheepishness quickly disappeared. By the time it was her turn to talk, Kagerou chuckled, too happy from receiving permission to hug to keep her happiness contained, "Alright then, I'll remember that in a few moments." She turned around, but then looked back at Takeda. Eyes squinting gently with a large smile, the green-haired girl added, "Also, you're a lot kinder than I gave you credit for." Getting the permission to hug was nice, but hearing that last line from Takeda was even sweeter.

Taking the chance to hug Takeda immediately would have given Kagerou a great chance to assess his physical condition. However, somehow, she felt like it would be a bit too underhanded. Besides, she didn't want him to attribute hugging with something as annoying as nagging.

Whether they had paused in their travels at some point in this conversation or had been conversing as they walked, Kagerou would be walking now. "I should brief the mission to you before anything else," she finally reached the official topic of note and handed Takeda several pieces of folded documents, including the physical descriptions of their objectives, locations, etc., "We will be escorting performers from Takumi from the noted location to Kirigakure. An individual known as "Turtle" will be assisting us. Our escorts are to not suffer from a single scratch while within our protection." Giving Takeda the time to read and absorb the information, she walked silently by his side, enjoying the fresh air outside of the village and the views.

After sufficient time had passed by or it looked like Takeda was ready to continue, whichever came first, Kagerou would continue discussion of the mission. She started by revealing her promotion, "I was promoted to chuunin just before receiving this mission and was placed in charge," but ended up ceding the decision making to Takeda if he had any opinion, "but the fact is you'll be taking the brunt of the fighting, so if you have a preference in how we escort the performers back, then I'd like to hear it."

[17 sentences]

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ஐ ♪~♫-~♫♪♫~~-♪♪♫ ❧ c h a k r a ☙ ♫♪♪-~~♫♪♫~-♫~♪ ஐ

Chakra Pool: 600/600
Stamina Pool: 200/200

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Tenshuyami

 

[Tenshuyami]

.xChakra: 500/500 xxxx Stamina: 600/600. xxxx Bloodline: Jiongu xxxx Classes: Nin/Tai xxxxProfile
Ｔａｋｅｄａ　皆殺し
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It was a good thing she hadn't gone for the hug. The opportunity was given to her but that was before she commented on his kindness. He wasn't mad about it; no, it was the opposite. Her words were a definite confirmation that he was improving from his time in the hospital. Takeda didn't believe he wasn't a nice person but there was no ignoring his lack of friends. Making a better impression had become something important to him after his time in the hospital. Changing her opinion on him was a good first step. As for why the hug wasn't such a good idea anymore, it was because it would have only served to distract him from pondering what it was that gave off that kind disposition. Maybe it was only because he stopped distancing himself? There were several times that he could have fallen back into old habits and left Kagerou behind, but he decided against it. It'd take time to fully grasp what it meant to be an approachable, okay person but...he was a little closer.

She briefed him on the mission and casually revealed a promotion as well. Takeda didn't care for ranks ever since Jack died, but he understood it was likely an important milestone for a growing shinobi. He slowly brought a piece of bread from the bag of baked goods to his mouth while holding up the documents with his other hand. Two small tendrils from his wrist were doing their part in holding the bag up. Even once she finished speaking his eyes continued to scan the documents with some slight frustration, chewing into the bread with a pout on his lips. "I'd like it if we could just talk to them first. Whoever's going to be attacking, that is. I have some history with groups like these from before my clan came to the village." A grimace flashed across his features when he brought them up but it didn't impede him for long. Huffing in slight annoyance, he continued. "Usually they just want 'protection money.' It's a mugging without the violence but with the added benefit of unwanted company. The Daimyo used to give us free rein to just give them a cut of our pay from the actual guide-work or protective escort jobs to leave 'tourists' alone, but reading this..." He rubbed his fingers together to get rid of crumbs and lightly tapped the documents with the back of his hand. "It gives me the feeling that we're supposed to just beat down whoever gets in the way without asking questions. Now if they ambush us that's fine, but if we're stopped at the road I want you to let me do the talking. Is that something you're okay with?"

Put simply, Takeda wasn't going to just beat down highwaymen for trying to make a living. There was a code that existed outside of the villages and he was very aware of it. The mist village wasn't the only authority. Because his father fostered relations between clans to bolster supply lines, the Daimyo provided them with official support in the form of work and a voice in decisions made which effected their territory. While they hadn't met in some time, their last encounter was at his father's funeral. Knowing the kind of grip he had on Kirigakure, Takeda didn't imagine they'd get along well anymore.

(27 sentences)

HeadlessKoko

 

[HeadlessKoko]

Title: Bonds
Information: Call it friendship, call it camaraderie, call it a legal obligation. The nurturing of relationships is one of the most fruitful types of narrative. Helping a friend out in a kitchen, helping keep their business alive, being there for them after a bad break up, building new friendships...building new rivals...building new nemesis's. Confronting those nemesis's and exchanging conflicting beliefs in fierce wholehearted heated debate and getting to know the other through their opposition on a new level.
Every paragraph made strengthening an existing relationship with an rpc, rewards XP equal to one's body rank plus [1], maximum . Those interacted with may also be considered to be running this narrative with you albeit their posts are separate from your own. The narrative is considered completed once the parties part ways for another day.

A moment of silence. A long, long moment of silence. Kagerou had been looking at Takeda as he talked, catching everything from that flash of a grimace to the crumbs he rubbed off his finger. However now, she looked forwards, ahead in the direction she walked in. Though she was chewing seriously on the implications of what Takeda had revealed about herself, the resting expression of her face, a pleasing smile, was ill suited to lending any seriousness to her consideration. The trick was to look at her eyes, how they scanned side to side as they looked into the unfocused distance.

The answer was obvious from the start, though, so long as she trusted Takeda, which she did. She just... had never thought to trust him with talking, but he spoke well on the matter, she could only trust, as much as it seemed contrary to what she knew of him, that he knew what he was doing. Then, she was also afraid for him. If he was going up to speak to any bandits or highwaymen that demanded from them, then she doubted she would be allowed to stand next to him. He would be alone in front of people who could turn their weapons against him in an instant.

Nonetheless, if nonviolence was ever an option, she wasn't going to say no. "Mhm," Kagerou easily nodded and gave her assent after the mysterious silence, "Then what would you like me to do while you're doing the talking?". As unexpected as this new history on Takeda was, Kagerou was neither the type to let her preconceived notions of an individual take precedence over what the individual showed of themselves nor was she one to reel from shock and take long to recover. She still might need time to figure out this new side of Takeda, but in the meantime, it wasn't like she was talking to a different person. Takeda was Takeda after all. He was an even better Takeda, actually, since he had experience with this sort of task.

[19 sentences]

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ஐ ♪~♫-~♫♪♫~~-♪♪♫ ❧ c h a k r a ☙ ♫♪♪-~~♫♪♫~-♫~♪ ஐ

Chakra Pool: 600/600
Stamina Pool: 200/200

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Tenshuyami

 

[Tenshuyami]

.xChakra: 500/500 xxxx Stamina: 600/600. xxxx Bloodline: Jiongu xxxx Classes: Nin/Tai xxxxProfile
Ｔａｋｅｄａ　皆殺し
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He didn't waste much time thinking on her part of the plan, already having something in mind. "I want you to stay back with the group and keep an eye on the area around us. Even if I'm talking to them, it's a pretty common bandit trick to have someone sneak around and take someone hostage to get the upper hand on a deal. If you want to set traps or make any other plans to keep the performers safe that's fine by me." He said, handing both the bag of food and papers back to Kagerou if she wanted either of those things.

He'd continue regardless of whether or not she took them, taking another bite out of his bread. Even if he didn't need it for hunger purposes, food still provided a good amount of energy. "I know that...well...I know this is probably strange for you, Kagerou. Whenever I look back at anything else we've done together, I've always snapped at some point." Takeda said once he finished swallowing, using the back of his hand to wipe his mouth free of crumbs. "I made some dumb decisions before I wound up in the hospital. I was always angry. Then Jack died and I lost my reason for a lot of things. I'm trying to do things differently, so thanks for hearing me out on this." He wasn't going to apologize. That wasn't like him at all. She had his gratitude though, for sticking with him despite his tendency to lash out at things he didn't like.

He stopped walking then, figuring she'd catch on and do the same. "I was trying even when I fought the Mizukage. To be better. I want to learn from it, but I can't help but get angry whenever I think back on what happened. You weren't there for the whole thing, but from what you do know, what did you think about how that mess ended up?"

(15 sentences)

HeadlessKoko

 

[HeadlessKoko]

Title: Bonds
Information: Call it friendship, call it camaraderie, call it a legal obligation. The nurturing of relationships is one of the most fruitful types of narrative. Helping a friend out in a kitchen, helping keep their business alive, being there for them after a bad break up, building new friendships...building new rivals...building new nemesis's. Confronting those nemesis's and exchanging conflicting beliefs in fierce wholehearted heated debate and getting to know the other through their opposition on a new level.
Every paragraph made strengthening an existing relationship with an rpc, rewards XP equal to one's body rank plus [1], maximum . Those interacted with may also be considered to be running this narrative with you albeit their posts are separate from your own. The narrative is considered completed once the parties part ways for another day.

Just as Takeda didn't need much thought to give his answer, Kagerou accepted it without any questions, simply giving a nod. She was thinking something along the same lines. Though, she didn't know how many traps she could set up to protect their "cargo" considering they'll be moving. This will take some thought, but they had quite a bit of it moving forwards. Taking the bag offered to her, Kagerou hugged the food to her chest with one arm while she dug through its contents with the other. She was hungry, but before that, she pulled out a block of sliced cheese and another of meat, holding them out for Takeda to take and eat with his bread. Unfortunately, he had already finished, was wiping the crumbs even, and Kagerou was left blinking too late. Her arm retreated and she retrieved a fruit for herself instead.

She chomped into the juicy flesh with a crunch just as Takeda stopped. Kagerou, realizing immediately, stopped right alongside him and glanced up to see his reaction, if any, at whatever had stopped him. However, it didn't turn out to be a threat or anything of the sort. He kept on talking to her, about his struggles and what he had gone through. Likewise, she kept on listening, and though she continued to comfortably chew her bite of fruit before ultimately swallowing it, she gave off the air of someone who was seriously listening. Seriously thinking.

Takeda had asked for an answer, and Kagerou did want to give him a straightforward answer. Keep it simple. Keep it sweet. However, no matter how hard she racked her head, she couldn't think of one, so instead, she decided that if she couldn't give Takeda the answer he wanted, then she would at least give him honesty. Kagerou responded slowly, still trying to think the way Takeda would even as she spoke, "After hearing you out, I think I may have been thinking about that fight wrong... I didn't know what you were trying to do as you fought the Mizukage, and I'm sorry, but even now, I don't quite understand it. Could you tell me what you wanted to accomplish in that fight?". Takeda's motivations, the goals and desires that drove him. Even though she considered herself Takeda's friend, she knew none of these about him, but then again, it didn't take much for Kagerou to make a friend. However, that didn't make her want to learn about the other side any less, nor did that make her blind to how, on the other side, there were probably higher requirements than just having a good time.

[25 sentences]

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ஐ ♪~♫-~♫♪♫~~-♪♪♫ ❧ c h a k r a ☙ ♫♪♪-~~♫♪♫~-♫~♪ ஐ

Chakra Pool: 600/600
Stamina Pool: 200/200

❦❦❦❦❦❦❦ ❦❦❦❦❦❦

Tenshuyami

 

[Tenshuyami]

.xChakra: 500/500 xxxx Stamina: 600/600. xxxx Bloodline: Jiongu xxxx Classes: Nin/Tai xxxxProfile
Ｔａｋｅｄａ　皆殺し
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Takeda half expected Kagerou to just come to a safe conclusion to appease him and tell him that she understood. Her actual answer wasn't something he anticipated and he found himself appreciating her company more. All over such a little thing like direct honesty. "I wanted to gauge my strength and make sure I was ready to go on a mission. I've never fought anyone with a lack of experience so he was the perfect option." He bit the inside of his cheek, knowing that was only half of the reason. The rest of it would likely make him come off as more sensitive than he intended, but it was only fair to repay her honesty with his own. "With Jack dead it also felt like the right thing to do. Maybe I was just trying to salvage that connection again because Inka was another Mizukage. I don't know. I don't get to experience many...familiar things, but I didn't find anything I was looking for in that fight." He finished, letting out a long exhale after. It wasn't a topic he was comfortable exploring, but his therapist told him that keeping everything bottled up is what caused him to shove everything away so violently. He couldn't proceed through life like that.

"I kept trying to match him in the same way I was constantly trying to prove myself to our old Mizukage in our training. So when he stabbed me the first time I thought that I was doing something right to make him take things to the next level. That didn't happen though. I could see it in his eyes and his hesitation that he didn't want to do that, and he started panicking. That's why he did this to my shoulder." Takeda intended one keeping his wounds a secret. He wanted a scar to form to spite Inka after his rampant display of hypocrisy. It wasn't fair to Kagerou, though. Honesty begets honesty. That's always how it's been with Takeda. It'd reflect poorly on a medic if they proved unattentive of their teammates and he wasn't going to make things difficult for her.

Talking with her helped him calm down enough to realize that wounding himself over a petty spat was a stupid, rash idea that he'd later regret. She didn't say anything special that relaxed him, the secret was more in the things that she didn't say at all. Once the jacket and gauntlets came off the blood could easily be seen on the white shirt he wore underneath it all. "I've been keeping it closed with my tendrils but I won't act like it isn't exhausting. He blew a hole right through my shoulder and threatened to put me back in the hospital. That was right after you...interrupted. Then he had the nerve to say that I was taking advantage of your presence after he pulled that stunt. He told me that I could either fix my attitude or leave the village and I said that I wasn't going to change or apologize for anything brought on by issues that he's refusing to acknowledge." It was a bit long-winded and borderline ranting, but he'd been holding it back for a while. She was the only person he could talk to about it at the end of the day. He only hoped she wasn't overwhelmed with all the new things he brought up at once. She asked why he wanted to fight and he exposed just how deep the argument with Inka went while also making her aware of his injuries. Was his ranting a little hypocritical considering the topic he addressed earlier about giving someone room to respond? Maybe, but it wasn't every day that he let himself be read like an open book.
 

[HeadlessKoko]

Title: Bonds
Information: Call it friendship, call it camaraderie, call it a legal obligation. The nurturing of relationships is one of the most fruitful types of narrative. Helping a friend out in a kitchen, helping keep their business alive, being there for them after a bad break up, building new friendships...building new rivals...building new nemesis's. Confronting those nemesis's and exchanging conflicting beliefs in fierce wholehearted heated debate and getting to know the other through their opposition on a new level.
Every paragraph made strengthening an existing relationship with an rpc, rewards XP equal to one's body rank plus [1], maximum . Those interacted with may also be considered to be running this narrative with you albeit their posts are separate from your own. The narrative is considered completed once the parties part ways for another day.

At some point, the pair had stopped walking. Kagerou wasn't sure when, just that when she finally paid heed to her surroundings after engrossing herself in what Takeda had to say, she found that she was standing in place, scrutinizing the opening Takeda had just revealed: emotionally and eventually physically. She could hear and see his feelings play out through his voice and face. The way he seemed to relax over time, and over time opened up to explain even things Kagerou hadn't asked for. Therefore, without a sound, Kagerou waited and simply listened, not even giving small noises of assent. Only her eyes, wide and attentive at first, indicated her focus. Though, over time, her gaze drew away from Takeda's face, drifting down as her thoughts focused inwards. Less so on reading Takeda and more so on simply taking in what he said at face value, trying to understand him and his way of thinking. Her eyes closed, and with the faint smile that rested on her lips, she looked like she was paying deep attention to a musical composition, head nodding along to the rhythm of Takeda's voice. Only when Takeda revealed his shoulder wound did Kagerou reopen her eyes and lift her head up with a quick jerk, green hair bouncing like fresh spring sprigs with the suddenness of the movement.

She wanted to understand him. However, ensuring his health and safety came first. Concern traced through the lines of the rare frown that adorned her face as her eyes set about systematically diagnosing the haphazardly closed wound. Though, she made it a point to flick her gaze back up at Takeda when he started talking more about himself and his situation with Inka to show that she was listening. As soon as he finished talking, though, Kagerou flicked her gaze back to the wound. She was going to heal it without saying a word, the step forwards and raised hand an automatic reaction. Except, she stopped with hand held shoulder height and looked back to Takeda to ask, "May I heal your wound?".

Healing the physical wound was simple, easy, and equally straightforward to decide whether it needed to be done or not. It was good to get started on it first before tackling the more difficult, more important task.

[20 sentences]

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ஐ ♪~♫-~♫♪♫~~-♪♪♫ ❧ c h a k r a ☙ ♫♪♪-~~♫♪♫~-♫~♪ ஐ

Chakra Pool: 600/600
Stamina Pool: 200/200

❦❦❦❦❦❦❦ ❦❦❦❦❦❦

Tenshuyami

 

[Tenshuyami]

.xChakra: 500/500 xxxx Stamina: 600/600. xxxx Bloodline: Jiongu xxxx Classes: Nin/Tai xxxxProfile
Ｔａｋｅｄａ　皆殺し
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Takeda scoffed at her question, a small smile coming over him. Of course she'd ask that first, what else did he expect? It was so undeniably "Kagerou" to disregard even the world crumbling around her if there was someone she could take care of that he couldn't fault her. He wasn't asking her for a response to his ranting anyways. Closing his eyes, he huffed and nodded his head, that fleeting smile leaving just as quickly as it showed up. In its place was an expression of...cautious amusement? "You don't need me to take my clothes off to heal me, right?" The words were meant to make light of whatever heavy atmosphere he may have created with his ranting.

Then concern set in.

Did he need to remove his clothes for it? He'd been around the village long enough to feel some sense of privacy and dignity, especially around girls. She was a medic, yeah, but she was also his friend and former roommate.

"...Right?"

HeadlessKoko