[Deleted]

the less I see the sun the brighter I'll become

Inoyami had had a busy morning. She'd made her way across the village several different times delivering messages and picking up tools--clan errands--and at last she finally had the rest of the day free. It wasn't exactly a hard decision, figuring out where she needed to go next: breakfast.

There was a new restaurant that had opened in Konoha the week before. Katsei's even had an outdoor dining area underneath a large wooden pavilion positioned alongside one of the side streets of the main part of the village. Its location was great and had already drawn in numerous customers on curiosity alone. Except Ino had known about its grand opening ahead of time--the benefits of talking to practically everyone--and with her hands and day free, this was the only logical place to go. Her reservation was for an outside seat, a table for three. It was cloudy and breezy today, but that just meant less of a crowd out there.

And she was right. All of four other tables were taken, and Inoyami was left to her own a distance away from them. She ordered two entrees to start, thinking it'd be a reasonable portion and she would have room for dessert. The sizes of them, though, were crazy huge and she knew as soon as she'd dove into the first plate--glazed ribs and veggies--that she was going to need to take some home.

The other bowls and plates of various side dishes, dipping sauces, and rice made her table look more like a small buffet-for-one than anything else. But the blonde was nothing if not voracious, especially after a busy morning tending to clan errands--and clan stresses. And she was totally in her element, humming happily as she worked her way through her meal (well, several meals), trying everything one after another, experimenting with different sauces, mixing things together. The stories were right about this place: it was definitely worth the hype. Everything was fabulous.

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[Yusaku Hyūga]

Yusaku made his way around town early in the morning. Another day in Konoha. The village, as usual, was bursting with life left right and center. Everyone was already busy running errands and working on this or that. The weather was nice as well. Thankfully, that day he would not have to be confined in an office.

Well time to find someplace to get a nice breakfast and some hot chocolate. He knew just the place, he just needed to take a shortcut here-oh?

Well that was new. He hadn't been in that restaurant before. It must have been new. They even had some tables outside.

Walking closer, the red and blue wearing shinobi looked at the various people around there enjoying their food. It would then be at that moment that his milky white eyes noticed a young blonde lady absolutely going at it with alot of different stuff on her table. Her appetite was monstrous...hell he was pretty sure she could rival an Akimichi.

He quietly walked closer, his padded tabi boots producing almost no sound.

"Excuse me, miss?" He would softly call for her attention. Once he was sure she was looking at him, he bowed in respect. "My name is Hyūga Yusaku. I couldn't help but notice that this restaurant seems new around here...would you be able to point me out to what in your view are their delicacies? I was curious about trying their cooking out..."

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[Deleted]

the less I see the sun the brighter I'll become

Her meal interrupted, but politely. Inoyami turned to the stranger. He wanted to know about their food, did he? The blonde finished chewing and swallowed her food, quickly taking a sip of water before clearing her throat. Oh gosh, she hoped she didn't have food in her teeth or anything...

"Hey, Yusaku," she greeted, ever the face of cheer. "The food here is actually super great! This is my first visit. They opened recently and I just had to come try it. Everyone really talked the place up and they were not lying." She chuckled, wondering how odd it must have looked to him for one person of her size to be sitting in front of so much food. This was normal to her but far from it to others.

"I'm Inoyami, by the way," she told him, offering a small wave from her place at the table. There was some distance between them and with the small partition dividing the dining area and the street, she wasn't in a position to shake his hand or bow. "You said you were from the Hyuuga clan? I hail from the Yamanaka. Nice to meet you." She smiled brightly. Her list of acquaintances in other clans grew by the day, it seemed.

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[Yusaku Hyūga]

Well, it sure seemed like the lass enjoyed the food she had been served quite a lot, considering she spoke so highly about a place she had just visited for the very first time.

Cheerful little gal, she was. And not just any gal. She was a member of the Yamanaka clan. Now that was something rather interesting.

"It's an honour to make your acquaintance, Inoyami-san." The young Hyuga jounin would reply. "One of my old team members back in my genin days was a Yamanaka. He was incredibly skilled in all things Genjutsu and Chakra Sensory. I dare say your family is truly gifted in the Sensory arts."

Well, now that he knew the stuff there was good, he could perhaps indulge with something.

"Would you mind if I join you for a quick breakfast? Your opinion's of this restaurant's cooking has me curious to try out some of their dishes for myself."

He sure would not mind some company. Considering his line of work always had him cut ties with everyone, it was nice to relate with people from time to time. If Myobu couldn't, Yusaku sure could.

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the less I see the sun the brighter I'll become

An honor to make her acquaintance? "Aw, likewise!" she chirped back. She didn't really know him well enough to make that assumption but it was the kind thing to toss back. Yusaku spoke on a previous teammate from her clan. Not everyone in her clan was skilled in genjutsu and sensory specifically. Inoyami wasn't one for illusions. But her brother was a magnificent sensor. Actually, a magnificent everything.

"We sure try!" she told him, happy for the compliment but wanting to be modest. And he wanted to join her? The blonde looked down at her table. There were three seats, though her whole half of the table was adorned with plates and bowls. "If you don't mind sharing a table, you're welcome to join me, sure." She gestured to a side entrance into the partitioned dining area. "Can get in over that way."

One of the staff noticed their interaction and was headed this way, now, as well. Yusaku could either place his order inside or wait for the server to meet him at the table. Inoyami hadn't expected she'd be talking over breakfast with one of the Hyuuga clan, but it was a happy surprise. She hoped. He seemed nice enough so far. And Ino was all about the friendship between clans.

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[Yusaku Hyūga]

The young Hyuga would quickly walk inside to place his order, following the blond haired girl's directions, which kind of meant him pointing at the Yamanaka and going "Same thing at her, but smaller portions please."

He would then take his place on the opposite side of the table, making sure to leave as much room he could to the Yamanaka. "Thank you for having me, Inoyami-san. If you don't mind me asking, do you work in a flower shop like most of your Clanmates?" He asked, punctuating his earlier sentence with yet another respectful bow. He had always been curious about the other clans residing within Konoha, but he had hardly ever had the time to get in touch with any of them...or at least have time to meet and befriend some of the representatives. His duty as Myobu took priority on everything.

Once his order had arrived, the Hyuga would thank the waitress there and begin to taste his breakfast. From the look on his face it seemed he was enjoying it. He would finish up his first dish in a flash, neatly and carefully settling the porcellain dish aside while his other arm moved to pick the second one without him even looking at it.

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the less I see the sun the brighter I'll become

Did she work in a flower shop? A reasonable question with how lovely the Yamanaka's flower gardens were. There were plenty that specialized in flower arrangements and gardening who weren't shinobi, those that had chosen civilian careers. She also knew of a few medics at the hospital that were part of her clan.

"I don't work at one, no. Sometimes I help out my family with their various businesses or run errands for them or the elders, though. My work as a kunoichi takes priority over that type of thing." Maybe if she retired, though? If she even got that far.

The blonde was surprised at how quickly Yusaku devoured his own breakfast. Had he not eaten for three days, or something? He put her to shame with his speed. Yet between the two of them, her appetite was definitely larger.

"Where are you situated within your own clan?" she asked. "Do you enjoy the work you do?" It was a vague, open-ended question, and he could respond to it however he liked without offending her. She wasn't fishing for something specific.

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[Yusaku Hyūga]

Oh man, if she only knew. He could not tell her of course, but if there was one thing he always would have liked to know would be people faces when he told them he was Myobu of the ANBU.

So, what to tell her what to tell her. She wanted to know about his work and his position in the clan. She was curious, but still kind enough to make sure she was not prying into personal matters. The milky white eyed man made sure to swallow his last bite, drink and clean his face before giving the young Yamanaka a definitive answer. 

"With the risk of sounding overly arrogant for one reason or another..." He spoke. "I am within the best of the Hyuga Clan's Main Branch. Well, as far as Gentle Fist goes anyway.

As per my work, I do enjoy it quite a lot. I have worked very very very hard to be able to get where I am. I trained till my back broke almost. Though that is over now and I can happily reap all the rewards of my hard labor."

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the less I see the sun the brighter I'll become

Within the best of the main branch? She was surprised to hear this--it wasn't something she'd expected him to open with--but that surprise never made it onto her face. She gave a nod, seeming to acknowledge what he said, before taking a drink. Her eyes remained on him as he went to mention his training. Working until he nearly broke his own back. A feeling shared among many.

"Sounds like you've come a long way," she said kindly, glancing down to cut up some of her food. "To me, duty is more important than anything. If you give your all for your clan and your home, there's no greater honor and you have every right to be proud." Even if she hadn't become a kunoichi herself, Inoyami was certain she would've found some other skilled trade with which to occupy her time. As long as she spent her hours bettering the village in some way, that's all she needed.

"You know I've had a very rare few chances to see the gentle fist style in action. Maybe some day you could show me a few things?" she suggested, looking up at him again. "Just a demonstration, of course. I've long admired how fluid and graceful your clan fights. It's like ballet, but deadly." She chuckled at this. It seemed an accurate comparison in her mind. Ino didn't have the capacity to learn ballet despite liking dance. She just wasn't balanced enough for it. Or light enough, so she assumed. Her diet would have to be cut in half for her to even consider moving about like some metaphorical swan. Luckily her own clan's techniques didn't require a huge devotion to strength or grace. Just good aim and better planning.

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[Yusaku Hyūga]

Yusaku chuckled, taking another bite off of his order. "I would be delighted to demonstrate some of the Gentle Fist techniques if you are so curious about them." He answered, now taking a sip of his drink and cleaning his mouth.

"It's as much a matter of athletics as it a matter of mind." The young Hyuga would add. "My clan's taijutsu techniques do require fluidity and flexibility in movements with varying levels of focus required to perform them, depending on difficulty. I do admit that the advantage of being able to strike a target with not much but a grazing blow does mean we can afford trading raw strenght in favour of speed and flexibility, which might make our attack seem more graceful and dance like to everyone else."

It was a fun thought, beating foes by dancing. If only it would actually be that easy. "Still, Gentle Fist does indeed carry impact and power, just not in the way most people are used to when they think or speak about hand to hand combat." 

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Graceful and dance-like, that's how she'd have liked her own fighting style to be. "Yeah, I can throw a decent punch but taijutsu isn't really where I shine." Inoyami didn't actually know a lot of Yamanaka to be super focused on the physical arts. Not that it was unheard of, but it was so much more of a boon to have people who could manipulate minds versus being spread all over the place.

"What do you think of the food here?" she asked. "It's great, right?" She worked down more of her own dish--well, dishes. She was probably going to get something to-go for the house. New restaurants opening up was sort of a big deal. Not just because it meant a fun trip out for lunch to give them a try, but because new business was good for the village. It was for that same reason Inoyami enjoyed festivals so much, getting to see the population thrive and be happy.

"This what you do on your time off? Join strangers for lunch?" she asked with a chuckle. She hoped he wouldn't read too much into the question and think she was prodding. Humor opened many avenues, though.

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[Yusaku Hyūga]

"No not really. To be fair, this is actually quite out of the norm. I am always so busy I hardly ever have the time to sit down at a restaurant and stuff my face full of super nice food." He replied, chuckling. If only she knew she was speaking with an Anbu. He was telling te truth tho. Between his normal life and Myobu work, he was busy more days than most others. 

The young Hyuga finished his eating before answering the other question. "Oh yeah, the food here is nice. I am no expert when it comes to these things but I can at least tell these dishes are prepared with skill and passion" He spoke, firm but friendly. "How about you, is this how you usually spend your noon?" He inquired. "I wouldn't mind it at all to be honest. Being able to eat nice all the time sounds like a super nice dream." And let's not talk about MREs and all the other gunk stuff he had to stuff himself full of during some missions...

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This was a rare occasion for him? What a shame. This was exactly how Ino liked spending her free time. Finding nice little niche places for lunch and dinner. Either that or doing things with her brother. But food--there was always time made for food. And snacks.

"I mean...yeah," she said with a sheepish smile. "It could be a hobby for me at this point, finding all the unique little places that pop up in town, choosing favorite dishes... That makes it sound like I don't have a military career but I swear I do." She laughed and took a sip of water.

"I'm only a chuunin, though. So I do have more time than some others. Where are you at with your career, if you don't mind me asking?" If she was to guess based on a variety of tells in his personality, Ino would've placed the Hyuuga at chuunin or maybe special jounin. He didn't give the same vibe as some of the elites in the village did--at least, not to her. She knew some people were good actors, but she usually had a keen sense with these things.

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[Yusaku Hyūga]

"Ansatsu Senjutsu Tokushu Butai" is what he would have really wanted to say. It was really a shame he couldn't permit himself that indiscretion. Even then, secrecy was for a good cause. He didn't need no praise. The fact that he could sit there enjoying good food with a lovely Yamanaka was precisely why he was who he was.

"Jounin." He replied, simply, instead.

He took a sip out of his drink before continuing. "There's nothing wrong in layin low for a while and enjoy the simple things life can offer us when we can. We are really lucky that despite one or two political scuffles we live in a time of relative peace." 

 "Rank itself ain't everything though." He casually stated. "The real thing is the skill you display in just about anything your do. And I am not talking about my white eyes nor the Yamanaka's mind jutsu. I mean the stuff you can do by your lonesome without special powers or kekkei genkai. Though you know...bloodline limits can be quite powerful. I always wondered: How does it feel to be in someone else's head?" He asked. "Like, when you do that mind thingy I saw you guys do. How does it feel to be another person?"

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Nothing wrong with enjoying the simple things...wasn't that the truth. Inoyami was all about the simple things--caring for her flowers in the garden, taking Kiyoriki on walks, slowly adding to the list of songs she didn't butcher during karaoke...

Her breakfast partner would tell her he was a jounin, and while she was curious for more details--if there were any--she didn't ask. He said it himself, that rank wasn't everything. And in this scenario, it didn't matter to her at all. Breakfast was breakfast, and small talk was just that.

But how it felt to be in someone else's head? "That's a tough one," she said, eyes roaming the establishment behind him as she took a drink to ponder it. The mental tax on doing what her clan did took its own unique toll on everyone over time, but the actual experience of sharing consciousness with someone else varied with each target. "It depends on the person, I guess," she said. "Everyone's a little different in their psyche, and the glimpse of that will be unique to every person and animal." Beyond that, it wasn't as if she could give any details on the mechanics of the techniques themselves--as to what she gained access to and what she didn't. That, too, was dependent upon the technique.

By this point, Inoyami had finished the bulk of her food, between shoveling in more and random bits of small talk, it wasn't long before her breakfast was no more. A few more bites and her plates would be clear. She looked across the table to Yusaku. "What do you think?" she asked. "Good enough for a second visit, huh? This place is great." She smiled, though she was also hinting at the fact she planned to leave soon. It was only breakfast, after all, and she still had so much to do with her day now that she'd fueled up for it!

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