[Deleted]

There was usually no problem when Inoyami shared the occasional treat with Kiyoriki at home. So it'd seemed all right to give the little furball one of the peanuts from her trail-mix while they walked through the heart of the village. Kiyo's instincts kicked in, however, and she hopped down off her master's shoulder, darting in the direction of the nearest patch of trees.

A few minutes of chasing later, the blonde found herself standing at the base of a tall oak tree, hands on her hips, a scowl on her face, staring up at her familiar. The squirrel had found a cozy crook in the tree from which to nibble on the peanut, and she wouldn't be coming down any time soon.

"Really, Riki?" she said with a tired sigh. "We have shopping to do! Get down here." She pointed to the ground with a thumb jutted toward the dirt, blue eyes daring the animal to defy her. But Kiyoriki wasn't smart enough to understand the urgency in the woman's tone--and kept right on eating.

"Don't make me come up there," she warned, now crossing her arms over the front of the green dress she'd picked out. She had been hoping to get her errands finished by 3 p.m. That was when her roommate and dearest sibling was supposed to get back home. But they were going to be late, because her pet loved a snack more than being on time.

Inoyami had noticed a couple passersby giving her looks, wondering who she was talking to up in the tree. But it didn't matter! Kiyo would come down. Eventually...

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Utsuki Yurako ❤ HEX: #db9320 ❤ No notes!

[Utsuki Yurako]

Yurako was doing something a bit more simple today, being told, if not forced to take it easier today. Her adoptive mother, Nomi was getting worried about her constantly ending up near hospitalized or scratched up. Or just coming home so exhausted and bruised up. While she was glad about her progress, she did demand her to take a day off. While Yurako wasn't happy about it, she did find something good that could come out of it.

About a week or two ago, maybe three, she discovered a white female rabbit whom she bestowed the unclever name of Shiroi because it was practically made of fluffy white fur. She was cute as a button though! She liked to play with it a lot, the rabbit somehow able to put up with her. Which was great. She'd usually take it around the village, as one would their pet dog, and play with it by chasing it and letting it hop around.

Which she was doing right now for a little bit, which wasn't saying much as she was faster. Shiroi would run one direction, Yurako would seemingly appear in front of the creature. Rinse and repeat until the rabbit was defeated and decided to lazily munch on grass. After a little bit, she seemed tired, so Yurako picked her up, placing her in her jacket and started to walk either to grab something to eat or go back home.

She didn't decide yet. She wasn't too used to having free days without training. It was slightly uncomfortable, to be honest. She was just getting so used to it. As she marched on, she passed by from behind a tree that a shorter girl with blonde hair was pointing and talking at, making Yurako cock her head to the side as she walked up next to her to get an idea of what she was doing.

"Hey! Is everything okay? Did you need help? Why are you talking to the tree? Do you require to be taken to the hospital? Maybe you're dehydrated? I'm confused!" Yurako asked in her usual loud rapid-fire pace, making sure to smile as Shiroi's ears flopped down and she gave Yurako a look.
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Tag: @inoyami

[Deleted]

It really shouldn't have come as a surprise that someone would check up on her. People didn't just go around talking to trees. And that's definitely how it looked. But it was the squirrel's fault--all her fault! The rabbit girl who strolled over probably thought she was nuts.

"No, no, no," Inoyami assured, waving her hands in front of her. "I'm fine! Really. My pet, she went up into the tree and doesn't want to come back down." She smiled and would point upwards toward the furball herself, drawing attention to the fact Kiyo was still munching away on the last tiny remnants of trail mix.

Noticing the animal in tow of the other woman, Inoyami gestured to the rabbit. "You have a pet too?" she asked. "What's its name?" The blonde would turn back to her familiar, pointing once again to the ground near her feet.

"Hurry up and come down! You're making me look crazy the longer you stay!" She really didn't want to have to walk up the tree and fetch her, because odds were pretty good that Kiyo would just bolt to a different tree within the canopy.

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Utsuki Yurako ❤ HEX: #db9320 ❤ No notes!

[Utsuki Yurako]

Yurako gave a heavy sigh of relief and smiled. 'Thank the Rabbit Goddess she's not insane, I would've had to find an adult to help out a crazy person. It would've been a tragedy!' She thought as the girl explained herself, telling her about her squirrel, as Yurako mindlessly got to her side while petting Shiroi. She was tired so she wasn't doing too much as the young Utsuki wore her out.

When the kunoichi turned to her, Yurako was able to get a better look at the short but older woman. She seemed nice and she was pretty. Especially in the hair department, especially in comparison to her slightly spiky blonde hair and fur that was unkempt and thrown into a ponytail that stuck out from her Konoha genin headband. It also made room for her long ears, allowing them to stick out through two holes cut into it.

When the other woman was done explaining she asked about her pet rabbit Yurako gave a bright smile showing off her teeth as she held up Shiroi practically in the blonde's face. "Mhmm! Yeah! Behold! Her name is Shiroi! Isn't she cute?! I found her around my clan's compound! I believe she's an escaped domestic rabbit mean for becoming shinobi companions! I think someone in my clan breeds them." She explained.

She spoke swiftly and babbled with rapid mouth moment and syllable formation. Then she watched quietly for a moment as the girl yelled at her squirrel a little bit more. "So what's your name? I'm Yurako from the Utsuki clan!" She said, giving her name while also asking the older shinobi for her name.

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Tag: @inoyami

[Deleted]

The rabbit girl had come up with a pretty predictable name for the rabbit she was toting around, but it was still pretty cute. Inoyami flashed a smile. "Aww. Very cute," she agreed, giving a tiny wave to the animal. The rabbit girl's clan potentially breeding pet rabbits didn't come as a shock. It was a relief to hear the creature was domesticated, though. Better than picking up some random rabbit out of the forest and hoping for the best.

The other, Yurako, was a bit hyperactive but seemed to have a good heart. "I'm Inoyami from the Yamanaka clan," she said with a smile. The blonde turned away from the tree and gave a slight bow. "It's nice to meet you, Yurako." Her blues fell upon the rabbit. "You too, Shiroi."

Like a bullet, the red squirrel within the tree came flying down, landing smack dab in the middle of the blonde's face, clinging to her cheek and jaw, its beady eyes taking in the newcomer.

"Gah--" The blonde staggered sideways, her left hand flying up to steady the animal painfully clinging to her face. Kiyoriki nuzzled against her palm and worked her way down, coming to rest more comfortably against the woman's shoulder. The animal's tail twitched obnoxiously behind her. She didn't care for strangers.

"So, uh, this is Kiyoriki," she introduced, and cleared her throat, straightening her posture. "I'd offer you to pet her but she's wary of new people." She shrugged. "You said the Utsuki clan?" The blonde thought for a moment, her one hand still idly petting her familiar. "I've always thought I was pretty quick when I wanted to be, but I've probably got nothing on you," she said with a chuckle.

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Utsuki Yurako ❤ HEX: #db9320 ❤ No notes!

[Utsuki Yurako]

Yurako wasn't that good with coming up names for animals, not like she was when naming her jutsu. But at least Shiroi was cute, which the Yamanaka agreed on that as well. She placed him back inside of her jacket, zipping it up just enough to hold him in place without the need of her hands. He just ended up curled up and was snoozing off a bit due to growing tired from her owner's chasing earlier.

"Aww. She's tired..." She said petting her a little before she gained the blonde girl's name as she said she was happy to meet the both of them. "Nice to meet you Yamanaka Inoyami. I don't think I've met anyone from the Yamanaka clan before." She said only a moment later after noticing her rabbit falling asleep. Not a second after that, the red squirrel finally came down, clinging to Inoyami's face before running up to her shoulder.

Yurako just giggled at the antics of the shinobi squirrel, getting slightly closer to the squirrel about to poke it on the forehead before pulling her arm back as Inoyami said that the red critter wasn't too fond of new people. "You're just adorable Kiyoriki, aren't you?" She stated before she was commented on her clan's known speed. Looking down at her legs she stretched one out so Inoyami could potentially touch the legwarmers with the weights strapped under them.

"Yeah, but now you'd probably be able to keep up. These six hundred pound weights kinda keep me slowed down for the most part." Yurako bragged slightly as she balanced herself on one leg, before letting her it down gently down.

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Tag: @inoyami

[Deleted]

Kiyoriki was usually a hit with people. Yurako was a fellow animal lover so it only made sense that she'd think the squirrel pretty cute, too. Kiyo was twitching nervously but she was also staying put, now, and that's what Ino cared about.

Yurako commented on her weights. Inoyami didn't need to know the specific weight to know they must have been heavy, but the rabbit girl provided it anyway. It seemed a source of pride for her. Ino flashed a smile. "That's impressive. I'm not one for the physical arts, myself. Most exercise I get in the day is usually just chasing this girl around." She gestured to the squirrel on her shoulder, laughing.

"Were you training with your rabbit?" she asked. "Or just out for a walk?" Inoyami wasn't sure if the other would go into detail on any training she was doing, since she seemed so proud of her progress with the weights. The blonde was all ears, though. Of course, she was also paying attention to the time. She did have other errands to run and Kiyo's antics had already delayed them. A few minutes of chatter wouldn't hurt anything, though.

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Utsuki Yurako ❤ HEX: #db9320 ❤ No notes!

[Utsuki Yurako]

Getting slightly closer to Inoyami to get a better look at the squirrel, she was oh so very tempted to reach out and pet Kiyoriki, but didn't want to be bitten either, so she decided to pet Shiroi instead, taking a couple of steps back. 'So cute! And she is one of those familiars or whatever, the type of pets that can aid one in combat. I've only heard about them from the Inuzuka clan, but not many people I've met otherwise have one... I should look into that...' Yurako thought for a moment.

When the Yamanaka woman commented on her physical potential, she gave her a thumbs up and a wide grin with her eyes closed for a moment, only to reopen them and look into Inoyami's blue ones. "Thanks! I wear them even when I'm asleep, only occasionally taking them off when I need to! You should train your physical abilities, they're useful! I use mine because I want to be the fastest woman in all five nations! Just wait and you'll see! Maybe I can help you out sometime!" She stated proudly before offering to help a fellow kunoichi out.

When she asked about Shiroi, the Utsuki looked down at the snoozing furball before shaking her head. "Nah, my mom said I had to take it easy for a couple of days. Kinda ended in the hospital for overworking myself or something... So I decided to play with Shiroi, but now he's sleepy." She stated, rubbing the back of her head while looking a little frustrated and slightly embarrassed at the same time. She hated the idea that she ended up in the hospital for doing what a growing kunoichi or any shinobi should if they wanted to progress.

"How 'bout you? If you want to! We could hang out! I'm completely free to join whatever you're doing, maybe we can grab something to eat or I dunno, up to you." She said with a look of desperation, hoping someone could help her day go by faster.

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Tag: @inoyami

[Deleted]

This girl had enough energy to power a small city. But that wasn't so bad. Listening to her, it sounded like her enthusiasm had gotten the better of her and she'd ended up in a bad way from pushing herself too hard. A few days of rest was probably just what she needed.

"I appreciate it," she said with a smile. Inoyami wasn't sure what the other woman was offering to help her with exactly. But she'd accept the kindness anyway.

As for hanging out, what would they do? Inoyami was in the middle of running errands--or at least, she had been until Kiyo decided she wanted a break. "I'm in the middle of errands," she explained. "But if you want to tag along for those, it's nothing sensitive. Just some shopping, dropping things off here or there." She also had a letter in her pocket that needed to go out, so the post office was now first on her list.

"Oh, I've got to pick out a new set of decorations for the entryway at home," she added, thinking over what was on her shopping list. "You could help with that?" She didn't want the other woman to just follow her around like some lost puppy because she had nothing better to do. A second set of eyes to help her make a judgement on decor might be nice...

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Utsuki Yurako ❤ HEX: #db9320 ❤ No notes!

[Utsuki Yurako]

Yurako would grin when she said she'd appreciate her helping her train her physical abilities at some point. "Yeah! It's useful to have a few, I think it's useful to use a little of everything!" She replied with excitement and confidence, not realizing Inoyami wasn't sure that she was offering to help her with some taijutsu and physical training. Though she was primarily ninjutsu and also a taijutsu user to a lesser degree, she did genuinely think developing skills in other areas was always a good plan to keep on opponent's toes.

Then she would explain she was only doing errands, but wouldn't mind her tagging along making her bounce in place a little, now that she had someone to hang out with. The sudden extreme movements somehow didn't wake Shiroi up, the tired white rabbit probably too used to her owner's movements at this point to really be bothered too much by her hyperactiveness and such. She would put a flat hand to her head and give the Yamanaka a salute. "Aye! Just lead the way, I'm down to help you with anything!" She stated.

Inoyami also would tell her she needed to pick up and get some decorations, so Yurako could help her with that. "Sure! I don't mind helping with that!" Yurako said with eagerness, now that she had something to do and was also helping what could very well be a potential new friend. Moving next to the blonde she just gave her a thumbs up. "I'm ready when you are, Inoyami!"

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Tag: @inoyami

[Deleted]

Down to help with anything? Well, at least she was willing to go the distance, even if that meant trekking back and forth across town half a dozen times. Actually, Yurako would be in better shape than she would be, if they did. Inoyami flashed a smile at the other's thumbs-up. "Right then. First is the post office." It was a short walk away from where they stood now.

"I usually offer to get my brother's mail sent out because I'm on the go so much," she commented with a shrug, not really expecting the other woman to answer, more just making small talk to fill the void as they walked.

"You have any siblings, too, Yurako?" she asked, turning to glance at the other. Kiyoriki began hopping between her shoulders, darting under the woman's hair and generally being a menace to her focus. Every now and again the creature's bushy tail would hit Ino in the face, but she pretended not to notice.

They'd reach the post office and Inoyami would drop off the letter, verifying that postage was paid properly before bidding the attendant goodbye. Turning to face Yurako on the front steps of the building, she'd pause. "You wanna grab a snack before we head over to buy decorations?" There was never a bad time for snacks.

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Utsuki Yurako ❤ HEX: #db9320 ❤ No notes!

[Utsuki Yurako]

Yurako followed the woman to the post office, deciding to place Shiroi on her head and hold her there for a little bit as she proudly marched on to deliver some mail. "Okay~! Mail time!" She exclaimed with delight. She listened to Inoyami explained that she had a brother and was helping him out, bore asking her if she had any siblings herself. She shook her head, but not before placing holding the white rabbit in her arms.

"Nah, unlike most people, I'm an only child. I have a lot of cousins and friends of the family though. There's a girl in my clan named Maharu, who I see as an older sister tho!" She'd explain. She would also watch Kiyoriki scamper between the blonde's shoulders a little bit, at a couple of points, the tail would hit Inoyami in the face a couple of times. It didn't seem to bother the Yamanaka much though, so she wouldn't question it. It was adorable, to be frank.

After dropping off the letter at the post office, she would hold Shiroi in one arm, the rabbit now awake but somehow still calm even with the girl's energy. "Hooray! That's done, now what's next! I'm down for anything still!" She would blurt out with excitement. But just then the girl offered up to go get snacks. "Yeeess! I love food, so I'm always ready to eat! I think we may have two different ideas on what's a snack though." She would say in joy at the idea of grabbing something to eat with another new friend.

Once they would begin walking, a question would pop into her head. "So, what's your brother like? Is he fun?" She would ask, Shiroi still in her arms.

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Tag: @inoyami

[Deleted]

Hearing Yurako say she was an only child was somewhat sad, though it did explain her energy. She had no one to really tire her out and was left to her own a lot of the time. That meant no where to channel her hyperactive habits. The rabbit mentioned someone in her clan named Maharu and Inoyami gave a nod. "Right? Someone doesn't need to be direct blood to be family."

After leaving the post office, Yurako seemed eager for basically whatever was next thrown at her. Inoyami chuckled at her comment on snacks, though. Did they really differ so much? This woman hadn't seen her eat, but if she did, it was possible she'd change her mind. Still, any fellow food lover was instantly in the blonde's better graces. "Oh, we're going to get along just fine," she said with a smile, gesturing for the rabbit to follow. "There's a sushi shop not far from here. We'll go there." It'd be a strange follow up to trail mix but it still sounded perfect.

As they walked, Yurako asked about her brother, and Inoyami had to keep her mouth forced shut for a few seconds to keep from blurting out exactly how "fun" he was. She cleared her throat, reminding herself that she shouldn't scare away someone new, and reached up to pet the squirrel on her shoulder. "He's just about perfect in my eyes. Very fun." But the proud smile came and she really couldn't help herself at that point. "He's a master of my clan's hijutsu. Crazy intelligent. Strong. Clever. Sometimes he's a total smartass, but I love him to bits. We do karaoke once a week. Sometimes dinners. He's like my other half." The woman sighed--a happy, dreamy sound.

Kiyoriki's tail hit her in the face again, though, and she snapped her focus back to Yurako. "Uh, what's Maharu like? You guys hang out a lot?"

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Utsuki Yurako ❤ HEX: #db9320 ❤ No notes!

[Utsuki Yurako]

Yurako nodded when she agreed with how despite Maharu being a distant cousin, she was still family, even more so than other Utsuki. "Mhmm~! I agree! She's the best, to be honest!" She said as they walked, taking a moment to pet the soft fur of Shiroi. She grinned when she mentioned that they'll get along great then, her mouth salivating slightly at the idea of sushi, her stomach letting out a loud grumble in agreement to the suggestion. "I think we will be good friends then!" She explained in excitement.

"My clan is known to eat a lot. Also because I work out so much, I have like four meals a day. Though I lose track sometimes..." She explained, rubbing one hand on the back of her head as she held her rabbit in her other arm, as she followed the Yamanaka to the sushi shop she mentioned. She would think about all of the different types of sushi she would devour as she would also listen to her talk about what her older brother was like. 'He sounds amazing! I wish I had a sibling!' She would think to herself.

"So cool! He's like Maharu then in some ways! She's patient, pretty smart if not an overachiever, and has stuck by me for a long time! Not a smart ass though, she's pretty calm now that I think about it. Though, sadly. she's kinda skilled so she goes a lot of missions, so I don't get to see her as much as I used to..." She said thinking about the older Utsuki a little bit. She would carry her rabbit in her arms again, holding him to her chest. "So, what does the Yamanaka clan do anyways?" She questioned, wanting to find out more about the clan.

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Tag: @inoyami

[Deleted]

Her whole clan was known to eat a lot? Well, Ino couldn't have said the same for the Yamanaka. She was probably an outlier. And compared to most others in their field, she definitely ate more. But it wasn't such a bad thing. Life was precious and she enjoyed every extra helping of rice that her routine allowed.

"Nothing wrong with that," she told the other. It was better to eat a bit too much than not eat enough. And if Yurako really was as active as she implied, she probably just burned most of it off anyway.

Maharu sounded to Yurako what Inoyami's brother was like to her. Well, almost. There were definitely similarities. Apparently Yurako didn't get to see the woman as much as she wanted, though. "Sometimes is better than never," she pointed out. "She sounds nice. Level-headedness is such a boon in our line of work, you know?" Panic only served to stress and kill.

The two arrived at the sushi shop. It was a small place that was one of the few on this street having only an indoor seating area. Inoyami walked in, holding the door for Yurako and then pointing to one of the tables near a window. "How about that one?" she said, and would follow the Utsuki to their seats, taking a place across from her. There were already menus situated on the table and the general service in the rest of the place would imply that they'd be approached shortly by the staff for their orders.

It was now that she answered the other's question. "Ah, well, we manipulate the mind and memories. Our techniques let us control different parts of the brain and hijack others' bodies." Hm, that probably made it sound too dark. "It's really fascinating to study," she added in a chipper tone. "I've learned a lot about people from my work with the clan."

One of the staff approached their table with a small notepad and would proceed to take their orders. The menu wasn't all that large so choosing an item didn't take her long. "I'll have the summer sushi combo," she said. "With green tea, please." There was a section for sushi made with specific cuts of fish designated by the seasons they were popular in, and the summer set sounded perfect. There were other shaved cuts of meat available, too, but fresh fish was what she'd decided on before they'd got here.

"Your clan's gifted with rabbit physiology, right?" she said. "What does that all afford you? Are there certain areas of study your clansmen are more inclined to choose based on your unique genes?" She was asking for a general answer, of course, knowing that clans safeguarded their secrets and techniques fairly close.

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Utsuki Yurako ❤ HEX: #db9320 ❤ No notes!