[Kojima Daisuke]

DO NOT MISTAKE MY KINDNESS FOR WEAKNESS

The sage apprentice had been in the Land of Grass for a full day now and was beginning to warm up to the place. He’d be returning to Kumogakure in the morning to resume his sage training with Kaede, before likely being thrust back out into the field depending on who had been available and at the disposal of the village. For now, though, he might as well enjoy the day off, and see more of what field country had to offer.

"So what is on the agenda today, dear friend?” The large black wolf growled up at him as the two took to the streets.

"Well,” Daisuke said, taking the last bite of a granola bar. "Why not go for a run around the city? Hayabusa said there was a hot spring around here, right? Maybe we could check that out and get a little relaxation in before going back to training in the morning.”

The wolf slowly nodded his head, passively in agreement with the young sage as the two took off. Before Daisuke nodded his head, bolting off down the street. The two would draw considerable attention to themselves as they raced about, ducking between townsfolk at speeds any non-shinobi would only dream to achieve. Not to mention the fact that Kota was a sizable creature, running through the town right next to him. The way people looked at him was almost as if they had never seen a wolf before in their entire lives!

Eventually, their race would finish, the two of them ending up right before the Lord of Kusagakure’s main office.

"Wanna head inside?” Daisuke asked his wolf companion mischievously, before griping the door handle and stepping inside.

^{FOR THE BEAST IN ME IS BUT SLEEPING}

---

^@yamo

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It was a typical day at the office for the most part. Everything was going according to plan, which meant everything was extremely boring! Ugh. From filing paperwork, retrieving tea and snacks for Yamato, and various mundane tasks - Koume seemed to be worn out as the day continued to drag on.

The teen looked at the clock closely watching as each tick would come and go. "Almost…there..” The pink haired teen mumbled softly to herself as she rested her head gently onto the surface of her work area - letting out a tired sigh as emerald eyes traced around the room trying to find anything that may be interesting that could help her last few minutes at the office fly by.

You should take a walk around. Occupy your mind, maybe that’ll put an end to the constant waiting. The voice spoke out to her, and for once Koume wholeheartedly listened and agreed with that the beast within her had to say. "That doesn’t sound too bad..” Koume spoke out loud. Lifting her head from the desk, the genin would make her way towards the front which seemed fairly empty.

"Hello?”

The girl called out as she looked around. Hmm…everyone must be out to lunch or they might’ve finished their workload earlier than usual. Sigh. Despite the fact that the office was mostly empty - Koume continued to wander around the building looking at random things and even grabbing herself some tea as well. Once she finally bored herself with searching, the girl decided it’d be best to start wrapping up her work so that she could head home. Walking past the entrance however, the girl would see two figures out of the corner of her vision. It was enough to startle the girl - causing her to stumble back a bit as she noticed that the shorter figure was a wolf! Had it not been for the man standing next to it, Koume probably would have ran and screamed at the top of her lungs. Instead however, the pinkette simply greeted the two - albeit taken aback if only for a second.

You’re such a scaredy-cat. The slug poked fun at the girl as her hand rested lightly across her chest.

"H-Hiii….” She spoke with a slight chuckle behind her still trembling tone. "Uh..what brings you guys in? She asked..looking over her shoulder to see if anyone else may have been present, however Koume was still the only one there at the moment

"Also…um..I don’t think the dog would be allowed any further.” The pink haired genin stated. "Sorry.” As much as she wanted to pet the wolf however, she was a bit afraid to do so. She didn’t see many of them, in fact this was the first wolf she’s seen in person.

"What’s his name?” Koume asked?

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[Kojima Daisuke]

DO NOT MISTAKE MY KINDNESS FOR WEAKNESS

Admittedly, Daisuke was a bit surprised to see someone as soon as he walked inside the building. He figured, of course, that they would run into someone eventually, but he had hardly taken more than ten steps inside before he heard someone call hello.

His brow raised, and both Daisuke and Kota would turn their heads in the direction of the voice. "Hello there,” he’d say as a smirk shifted across his face. She was a pretty young thing, for certain, but Daisuke would try to stay on his best behavior knowing full well he’d receive an earful from his companion if he made the slightest attempt at flirting with her.

"Well, if I see any dogs, I’ll be sure to let ‘em know.” Daisuke said with a small chuckle, his eyes shifting from the pink-haired woman back over to Kota.

The wolf took a seat at Daisuke’s said, curiously looking over the girl. He wasn’t quite sure what was up with Kota, but he noticed a slight furrowing of the fur on his neck, almost as if he was on edge in the girl’s presence. He’d sniff the air, a small, hardly audible growl falling from the creature before he’d speak up at the mention of his name.

"Kota.” The wolf said plainly before Daisuke’s eyes drifted back to the young woman.

"And I’m Kojima Daisuke.” Daisuke said, crossing his arms against his chest and spreading his feet slightly as he stood in place.

"Not often that Kota gets so riled up from meeting someone new. ” Daisuke turned his gaze down to the wolf, noticing his fur seemed to ease up slightly, though it still seemed Kota was a little more tense than usual. "What’s up with you, man?”

The wolf growled slightly, his gaze never wavering from the woman as he tried, and failed, to relax. "I’m sure it’s nothing.” He said, shaking his head slightly as he finally broke away from the young woman. "Just an odd scent, is all. My apologies, young miss.”

Daisuke raised his brow, his smirk turning to something of a frown before he’d look back to the woman who greeted them. "Funny, usually Kota’s all formalities and I’m the one who doesn’t seem to play well with others. Wonder why a pretty young thing like you’s got him all riled up?” Daisuke said with a small laugh.

"Daisuke!” Kota turned to the sage with a tightened brow.

"What, it was a compliment! Just trying to be nice, lighten up.” Daisuke scoffed, shaking his head slightly before both of them once more turned to the woman across from them. "Anyway,” he’d say, drawing out the word as he was clearly a bit frustrated himself with their little back and forth. "What’s your name, sweetheart?”

^{FOR THE BEAST IN ME IS BUT SLEEPING}

---

^@yamo

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Emerald eyes shifted from the wolf, to the man, and back to the wolf as the guy explained that it wasn’t a dog. "Ohhh..okay.” Koume said softly as she rested her hand gently beneath her chin and looked at the four legged dog-like animal as she began to sense a bit of animosity and tension in the air. "Hmm well the wolf won’t be able to go any further!” She said with a giggle before scratching her head and looking back up towards the man that accompanied the canine.

"Well it’s nice to meet you, Daisuke.” She offered her hand for a shake before her attention returned to the pup at his side. "It’s also nice to meet you as well, Kota.” The pinkette wanted to pet the wolf so desperately but her fears didn’t allow her to even take the chance. Instead, Koume stood and waved at the animal.

"It’s not every day you see someone traveling with a giant wolf, it’s pretty cool actually.” The girl spoke with a smile on her face as she nodded. Look at you, always making new friends, it’s truly impressive, I don’t see how you do it. The beast spoke to the pink haired genin through his confined cage, not worried much about the wolf getting a funny feeling from the young teen’s presence.

It’s actually easy, just sit back and take notes.

Koume replied, focusing on her new guests. It was nice however to sort of get along with the slug every once and awhile - the two could learn a lot from one another and that was fairly evident. Now where was I..oh right back to Daisuke. …And Kota, remember? Yes, and Kota.. Koume replied to the bijuu with a soft giggle. It was clear to the slug however just where Koume’s thoughts lied.

"It’s alright Kota, I completely understand.” She didn’t actually understand, but she didn’t want the wolf to feel bad and bite her. Regardless, she forgave Kota and that’s all that matters. Listening to the two of them talk sort of reminded the girl of herself and the beast sealed within her. It was pretty cute, however one word stood out to Koume above the rest…Pretty.

The girl began to cheese wholeheartedly, even blushing a bit as she replied to Daisuke’s question. What was her name? "Well everyone calls me Koume, but you can call me pretty..again.” She said with the same smile and giggle as always.

Ughhh. The Rokubi wasn’t a fan, but was more or less used to Koume’s nature. Oh, lighten up. There was no need for the slug to be such a downer all the time.

"So what brings you guys here anyway?” The girl asked, somewhat leaning her hips against one of the desks as she awaited the stranger’s response.

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[Kojima Daisuke]

DO NOT MISTAKE MY KINDNESS FOR WEAKNESS

The corner of Daisuke’s lips spiked upward, a small smirk making it’s appearance over the young sages face when the young girl seemed to admire being called ‘pretty.’ Of course, Daisuke always seemed to hope for such results. His pride and ego always reminded him that he was fairly easy on the eyes himself, but self-doubt did have its trickery weaved into his thoughts from time to time. Though part of him wanted nothing more than to continue with the flirtatious flaunt, Daisuke figured there would be time for it if he played his cards right. For now, best to keep things simple and answer honestly.

"Well pretty little Koume,” (so much for that) the chunin started, before he’d be interrupted with a small scoff from Kota beside him. Daisuke would dart his eyes to Kota, both of their body languages holding an entire conversation in the brief second of interaction before he’d continue.

"As far as what brought us here, I guess it was just instinct. But, in the broader sense, coming to Nohara no Kuni was at the request and advice of my sensei.” Daisuke paused a moment, his head a bit on a swivel as he looked around to absorb more of the buildings architecture, the differences he could both see and feel for his surroundings before resting his attention back on the pink-haired woman.

"Kaede wants us to travel a bit. Part of finding a better feeling with the world, nature, all that. Might sound dumb, but its been a bit more revealing than I expected so far. The differences in the people and places, the culture, the way the animals commune and interact with their surroundings… It’s pretty wild when you really pay attention. N-no pun intended.” He said with a small shake of his head. "Hi no Kuni is next on the list, I think.”

^{FOR THE BEAST IN ME IS BUT SLEEPING}

---

^@yamo

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Koume’s smile remained persistent as emerald hues glanced over the guy standing before her. She would giggle at his words, hearing the word pretty escape from his lips for a second time, giving the girl a breath of fresh air much like the first time he spoke it, and Kota’s reaction made it all truly better. "I suppose so. Nohara no Kuni is definitely a place everyone should visit at least once in their lifetime.” As for them wandering into the office, well the pinkette just assumed they were there to ask a question, but that didn’t seem to be the case.

"Your sensei seems like a fairly wise shinobi. Kaede you say his name was, hm?” She spoke softly. It sounded a bit familiar but Koume couldn’t quite put a face to the name. Maybe this guy knew of Kiho. I mean wouldn’t know of her, she’s so cool! Nevertheless, the teen would stand up straight, turning to look towards the clock before returning her attention back to Daisuke. It was about time for her to call it a day.

"Hey, I should be free in a few minutes. Perhaps I can help show you guys around Kusagakure?” She offered genuinely. The amount of love she holds for her village is insurmountable, and whenever a new person comes across her it’s only right that she shows them around and keeps them company.

You just want to be around this guy, huh?
Hear me out. One date wouldn’t hurt.

The girl explained to the slug, who didn’t seem to be too fond of Daisuke or Kota. She’d draw in a breath before refocusing on her guests. "Soo..what do you say?”

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[Kojima Daisuke]

DO NOT MISTAKE MY KINDNESS FOR WEAKNESS

Daisuke could begin to feel his more typical resolve beginning to crumble being around the pink-haired girl. Of course, it was simply a first impression at this point, but he wouldn’t deny the small feeling of electricity beginning to build. Normally, the young sage held himself to a much higher standard compared to those he’d meet, regardless of whatever position or ranking they’d held in comparison. He’d bark, nipping at their heels until things almost inevitably came to a push or shove. With other males it felt especially prevalent, always wanting to establish a more dominant position. But, as Kota had come to learn very quickly that when it came to women in a social setting, Daisuke was always a bit softer.

Daisuke’s head would tilt slightly, his smirk shifting to a much more expressive grin as a hand rested at his hip.

"Well, what d’ya think, Kota? Might be nice to have a local show us around a little, hm?” Daisuke said, his eyes bouncing from Koume to his companion.

"Well, that is what we’re here for, is it not? Learn the traditions and culture of the locals? Master Kaede wanted us to feel the energy of the people too, not just the land.”

"Well there you have it.”

The Chunin offered a friendly smile to the Kusagakure native, his piercing blue eyes beginning to blaze with small intrigue. Getting to know her a little would be a nice bonus, too. "We’ll wait for you outside, then, cutie.” Daisuke said with a not-so-subtle wink, which thankfully for him Kota hadn’t seemed to notice. The two would turn, Daisuke tossing back a small wave as he and the wolf made for the exit.

"Don’t think I can’t see what you’re trying, Daisuke.” Kota said under his breath once the two made their way outside the building. The wolf would sit as Daisuke raised his brow at his companion, the small exchange possibly saying more than words really could.

"Ah, come on, poopy pants, I’m just lookin’ for a little fun. Life can’t be all training and dedication. Gotta let loose every once in a while, right?”

"I told you to stop calling me that.” The wolf growled, his ears pinning back for a split second before he continued. "Besides, doesn’t she seem a bit young? You can’t just try to take advantage because she might not know any better.”

Daisuke would roll his eyes, and although he couldn’t deny that she did seem a few years younger than he was, it wouldn’t seem to phase him too much. "Whatever. I’m sure she’s old enough to make her own decisions. It’s not like I was gonna try and get her alone in a bedroom, anyway. Just maybe share a few drinks as the night goes on.”

"If she’s even old enough to drink.” The wolf said with disapproval.

Daisuke would simply scoff, waving his hand to Kota as if to brush away the subject before a few moments later Koume would meet the two outside. "Alright then, little miss, where to first? Lead the way.” Daisuke said smiling.

^{FOR THE BEAST IN ME IS BUT SLEEPING}

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^@yamo

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Koume looked to her guest as the two tried to finalize their decision. A smile tugged at the corners of her lips as Kota thought it would be best if she showed them around the village. She couldn’t help but to admire their companionship, the two were kind of similar to her and her own companion so to say, except there didn’t to seem to be as much at stake between the two, a more natural relationship - whereas Koume and her companion were forced to endure each other’s company.

Nevertheless, Koume giggled, gently pressing her hands together in excitement.

"Awesome! We’re going to have a blast!” She’d say before taking a quick glance back towards the office. There were a few things that she had to collect, and if she didn’t get them now then they’d probably end up locked in the office for the remainder of the night.

"Hehe. Okay, I’ll be right out.”

She spoke softly as she watched the man and his wolf exit the building. Once the door closed behind them however, Koume would quickly scram to her belongings, packing her things as quickly as she possibly could. From beneath her desk, the girl would retrieve her sandals, stepping out of her heels, she’d replace them with the more comfortable pair of the two. Tossing her light green backpack over her shoulders, the pinkette would quickly make her way through the office, only stopping in front of a mirror to make sure her hair looked nice.

Deep within, the Rokubi would huff and puff. He’d much rather be out training or fighting, though at this point he understood that Koume was still young and had a great social life - so there had to be a balance if they truly wanted to gain one another’s trust.

You look fine just go.
Heh. Sorry.

Making her way through the front, Koume would look to the side and see her guests, giving them both a big smile. "Hm, I’m not too sure yet. Do you have any hobbies?” The girl asked as she walked forward. She wasn’t too sure where to start, Kusagakure had a lot to offer.

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[Kojima Daisuke]

DO NOT MISTAKE MY KINDNESS FOR WEAKNESS

Daisuke would mirror the smile from Koume, albeit, not quite as warm as the one offered to him. It wasn’t so much that h meant it less, but the young Chunin still wasn’t exactly the greatest at showing his feelings around others.

"Hobbies? Well…” Daisuke turned his attention to Kota, thinking on the simple question and seeming to come up with next to nothing in his mind. All he ever did lately was train, or run the odd mission here or there. If he was given free time, he’d either spend it in "solitude” with Kota, trying to get more practice in where they could, or he’d distract himself with food, drink, or the occasional carnal desire. None of which sounded like anything he might care to share with a young woman he just met.

"Honestly, hobbies for me are a bit few and far between.” Daisuke said with a light chuckle. "Don’t really have time for much outside of training y’know? But, it’d be hard to go wrong with a bite to eat, or a nice cold drink. I’m simple enough, even just a walk around town for some site seeing would be fine by me.”

In all honesty, Daisukes really just wanted to spend more time around his new lady friend. Of course, his duties as a sage apprentice still wavered in the back of his mind, but this was almost a two birds one stone sort of deal, right? He was told to get to know the people and the surroundings, so chatting up this little pink haired cutie just made the "getting to know the people” bit more tolerable.

"Or you could just show me what you do for fun around here, hmm? We could make it a little date.”

Daisuke smirked at the comment, openly flirtatious in his words, but he couldn’t help to notice how Kota rolled his eyes with his little display. Always so serious, that wolf.

^{FOR THE BEAST IN ME IS BUT SLEEPING}

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^@yamo

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Just as soon as she began to walk ahead, Koume would find herself stopped right in her tracks, looking to her guest with a thoughtful expression worn over her features. Most of the people she asked for their hobbies often told her that they didn’t have any, or that they’re only hobby was training or work, it never failed. So boring! Koume rolled her eyes playfully and giggled gently beneath her breath. "Everyone trains and works all the time, it wouldn’t hurt to relax sometimes!” She explained jokingly. Her mind raced, many ideas coming to her thoughts, but none really fitting what she felt was best.

There was a ton to be seen and not a lot of time for them to explore them all - honestly if they tried to do everything that Koume was interested in then they’d be there for days on end. Perhaps just a simple walk would do best for them. Though she did enjoy the thought of the two going on a date. Maybe they could save that for later.

"I suppose we can just walk around the village. I’ll show you guys all the cool places, and maybe next time you guys are here we can check them out even further!”

Yeah, that was the plan! Continuing forwards however, Koume would turn onto a stone path which led back towards the part of the village where all the shops and cool events were often held. The place was fairly busy, but there was plenty of room for comfort.

"Believe it or not, you’re like..my second friend from Kumogakure. Do you know of Mibōjin Kiho? She’s pretty badass.” The pinkette said with a laugh. Badass was an understatement though, Koume truly looked up to her in a way. Come to think of it, the girl wished she would’ve gotten Kiho a gift for her troubles of teaching. She should also get something for Daisuke as well, just because of his genuineness.

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[newclass=.kikan]width: 65px; height: 65px; border: 1px solid #e3e3e3; transform: rotate(45deg); z-index: 2; margin-top: -27px; margin-bottom: -39px; filter: grayscale(100%);-webkit-filter: grayscale(100%);-moz-filter: grayscale(100%);[/newclass][newclass=.ig:hover .kikan]filter: grayscale(0%);-webkit-filter: grayscale(0%);-moz-filter: grayscale(0%); transition: 0.6s; transition-timing-function: linear;[/newclass][googlefont=Roboto][googlefont=Open+Sans]

[Kojima Daisuke]

DO NOT MISTAKE MY KINDNESS FOR WEAKNESS

"A little easier said than done with my sensei. Doing as he says and not as he does. Guy is a sloth if we aren’t actively working together. Lazing around the village, drinking, smoking…” Chasing women… Ironic, wasn’t it? "All we do is train, but I’ve still only barely scratched the surface when it comes to using natural chakra.” Daisuke’s head dropped a moment, wincing slightly at the mention of natural chakra. Despite Kusagakure and Kumogakure being allies, speaking so opening on his practices, and his apprenticeship in sagehood was not something he did lightly. Though, if the woman did catch his little slip, it was not something he’d openly lie about either. At least she seemed she could be trusted with something like that.

"Daisuke does have a few hobbies, you know.” Kota spoke up, he and Daisuke closely trailing with Koume as they began to make their way down the stone path. Of course, the comment itself was enough to make a pit in Daisuke’s own stomach, his thoughts immediately running to the thought that his companion might give away a bit more than Daisuke felt comfortable with.

"And what hobbies do I have that you know about that I don’t, huh wise-guy?” The young sage’s brow peaked up as the wolf beside him smirked, closing his eyes lightly while he spoke.

"You simply failed to mention them because you always do them by yourself. Rock climbing, swimming, running. Those are hobbies you know.” Kota peered up at his companion with a grin on his face that spoke much more than Kota really needed to. Something that said ‘of course I could go on, but I’ll let her figure out the rest when Daisuke feels ready to show it.’ A bit surprised that Kota didn’t give him away, Daisuke let out a small hum, nodding his head lightly in recognition of the large wolf. He was thankful, of course, that the wolf didn’t spill everything about his drinking habits, or his tendency to chase tail.

He’d take in a deep breath with that last thought, though his attention would be pulled back to the present at the mention of Kiho, the name bringing a small smirk to his face.

"Ah, you know her?” Daisuke questioned rhetorically. "Yeah, we’ve run into each other once or twice. I don’t think she was my biggest fan when we first met, but we warmed up to each other enough to call each other friends. Ran a mission with her not too long ago actually. Girl has quite the potent kit, I gotta say.” While Daisuke may not have gotten to know Kiho as well as he might have liked in their work together, he could not deny that she was indeed a badass, even if he’d never admit it to her face. She was much stronger than she let on, and she had a very level-headed approach to her actions. It was admirable, and even something Daisuke wanted to implement in his own behavior. It was easy to see how someone like Koume would have looked up to her.

"Yes, Miss Kiho is a true asset to Kumogakure. Dedicated, hard-working, passionate. And she knows when to let go, and apply restraint. Not something that comes easy for everyone, wouldn’t you say, Daisuke?” The wolf asked with a small chuckle.

"Yeah, yeah, rub it in bud, I know I got shit to work on, alright?” Daisuke turned his head away from the wolf, blowing a raspberry with his lips in a small pouty display as he rolled his eyes. After a brief moment, though, he would turn his attention back to the pink-haired woman with a request. "Hey, you think we can stop somewhere to get a drink? I’d love a lavender milk tea right about now.”

^{FOR THE BEAST IN ME IS BUT SLEEPING}

---

^@yamo

Temp By: A

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for @tagsomeonehere
notes here

[attr="class","kikan"]

It seemed as if Daisuke and his sensei were like two peas in a pod, enjoying one another’s company every chance that they got while also making sure to make progress with their training. That was the type of relationship Koume yearned for, at least during this period of her life. Instead, most of it was just office life and hanging out with whoever could tolerate her enough for that day - which was usually Ichi.

However, part of the guy’s explanation caught both Koume’s and the Rokubi’s attention. She rested her hand beneath her chin and hummed. "Hmm.”

So, that’s what they are, tch.

Rokubi spoke within the girl, but Koume had no clue what he was going on about. "Natural chakra? What’s that? It sounds so cool! Is it like a special kekkai genkai or something?” The pinkette questioned as they continued through the village. So he had a cool wolf and bloodline abilities? That was definitely worth some brownie points in Koume’s book. Nevertheless if he decided not to answer then, the genin would simply just run with her original thoughts.

Nevertheless, it seemed as if Kota was willing to reveal some of Daisuke’s hobbies. Interested, Koume would look over her shoulder towards the two. "Oh is that so?” She giggled at the interaction between the two. Koume was all ears and actually wanted to hear what the wolf had to say, but when pressed for clarification it seemed as if the hobbies were nothing more than the average or typical hobby - which was fine of course!

"Ooh. That’s so cool. Well, you probably know we don’t do a lot of rock climbing here. Perhaps you can show me one day?” Koume suggested.

---

The pinkette couldn’t help but notice that Daisuke seemed to have a bit of trouble when he first met Kiho, she wondered why that was. They both seemed so nice and genuine, it just didn’t make sense to her, but Koume wouldn’t press the issue any further - she would just laugh as Kota poked fun at the man.

They seem like you and I, Roku!
Ugh. Please don’t compare me to either of them.
Hehe.

Whether he liked it or not, Koume was adamant on thinking the couples were alike in more ways than one, and believed that the slug was just being grumpy, which was usually the case 99% of the time.

Regardless, Koume continued through the village distracted by her guests prodding and poking fun at one another. She was supposed to be showing them all the cool spots, but it seemed she had already passed a few that were worthy of mention. It wasn’t until Daisuke spoke up that the girl would come to a stop and pay complete attention to her surroundings.

"Oh uh yeah! Of course!” Koume said as she ran her fingers through her hair. "I’ll be sitting on the bench over here!” She informed the man before splitting away from the two. At the moment the girl needed to save her money, so she would skip out on the drink, but wouldn’t mind waiting around for Daisuke to return.

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[Kojima Daisuke]

DO NOT MISTAKE MY KINDNESS FOR WEAKNESS

Well, the wolf cat was out of the bag now. Daisuke took in a sharp breath at the girl's question, and he noticed Kota's gaze turn up to him with an all too familiar expression. "Not exactly,” Daisuke said, dragging the words out slightly as the wolf beside him seemed to turn his gaze to the ground. "It's uhh... A sage thing. Learning to become a sage requires you to absorb chakra from the world around you and balance it in yourself. I'm still an apprentice, so I'm not exactly proficient at it yet. Kaede said it took him around two decades to learn to do it without thinking. And even then, it takes some people longer to do.”

"Under the tutelage of Masters Kaede and Don'yokuna, we are to learn the ways of natural chakra and senjutsu, and train the next generation in their sacred ways. As Daisuke said, it takes years to master, but the power, and wisdom of being a sage is nearly without parallel. It is an honor to learn.”

The chuunin would slowly nod his head after Kota spoke, and while Kota was a bit more formal in his statement, his words did not ring any less true within Daisuke himself. It was and honor to learn from Kaede and Don'yokuna, and it was not something either of them had taken lightly. While becoming a sage was a tall order in and of itself, Daisuke knew he still had a long way to go. And according to Don'yokuna at least, much of Daisuke's further training needed to be of the mind, rather than of the body. It wasn't exactly something he was too keen on taking the time to do, but he would be wise not to ignore the alpha wolf's advice. Deep down, Daisuke knew it was true anyway. His mental needed far more training than his physical self. Spirituality and mindfulness were key parts of being a sage, and Daisuke was lacking in both respects to say the least.

As they walked, Koume was happy to let Daisuke wander a moment to get himself a refreshment. He'd take some time in getting his drink, his head on a bit of a swivel as he looked around the village and tried to get a sense for the culture. Before too long, though, he'd find a stall and place his order, getting himself a lavender milk tea, and a similar plum flavored tea for his "date."

"Well she seems cute.” Kota said in a slightly mocking tone. "Anyone who's willing to tolerate you for this long must have a fairly good head on their shoulders.” Daisuke raised his brow as the wolf chuckled slightly, but before he had time to give the wolf a piece of his mind it seemed his order was ready. "Oh shut it, you.” was all he could manage before the two found themselves making their way back to the pink-haired girl.

"Here you go, cutie,” Daisuke said with a small smile, the wolf looking up to him with another tired expression. 'Laying it on a little thick, aren't we?' The wolf thought, knowing by Daisuke's own expression that his thought had landed. The sage would seem to brush it off, though, as he handed the plum tea to Koume. "So what about you then? There's gotta be more to you than just a pretty face, eh?” Daisuke said, as his eyes looked the girl up and down. He couldn't help but notice some of her more prominent features as his eyes began to wander. The curve of her hips, how soft her skin looked in the sunlight, and how, despite her younger age, how well she seemed to fill out her outfit. Before his mind began to wander too far down the gutter, though, he'd eventually lock eyes with her once more, offering a small grin and chuckle. Hopefully, she at least didn't catch him staring.

^{FOR THE BEAST IN ME IS BUT SLEEPING}

---

^@yamo

Temp By: A

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[attr="class","ig"]

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for @tagsomeonehere
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[attr="class","kikan"]

Being a sage and Senjutsu as a whole was a concept far beyond Koume’s scope of knowledge, so much that even as Daisuke and his companion both explained it to the girl, she simply gave them a puzzled and confused look before following with an even more uncertain Ahhh. She scratched at her pink hair for a brief second as everything the two said took a minute to register in her mind, before being stuffed away in the forgotten memory bank in the back of her mind because she couldn’t understand it and didn’t want to bother them. "That sounds pretty cool, and strong. Though, is it really worth that amount of time?” The girl replied, that being the only way she could properly respond to them without embarrassing herself. Nevertheless, Koume wouldn’t press the issue any further as they continue onward. Though she couldn’t help but find herself thinking on the topic more and more, with little to no progress being made on her understanding.

Regardless, Koume accepted that Daisuke wished to grab himself a drink before they continued any further. Part of her wanted to tag along, but she didn’t want to be too intrusive and she couldn’t afford to waste her money on things she didn’t exactly need. Living alone was tough.

They don’t seem like terrible people, so to say. They’re just annoying.

Rokubi explained bluntly. The slug wasn’t a fan of anyone, and was only barely able to tolerate Koume’s shenanigans - though honestly that in itself was a lot to have on one’s plate. Oh come on Roku, no need to be rude. The girl replied.

It didn’t take long for Daisuke to retrieve his drink, but upon further inspection Koume noticed that he had two drinks in his hands as he and his wolf returned to the bench. A smile curled on her face as her cheeks turned a rosy color. "You didn’t have to.” She said with a laugh. "Thank you!”

Taking a sip of tea Koume listened to Daisuke’s question, laughing at his choice of words. "Well, I wouldn’t say that. Honestly, I’m just a little assistant. I train whenever I get the chance, but outside of that I don’t think there’s anything special to note. Not anything comparable to what you two have going, that’s for sure.” The girl replied as her emerald eyes shot towards the dark blue sky, slowly fading into darkness. People weren’t fond of who, or better yet, what she was. And the girl was enjoying her time with Daisuke, so much so that she decided to lie out of fear of telling him her secret would only drive him away from her. She didn’t want to spoil their day.

Quickly though her emerald eyes returned to the guy, only to find his eyes wandering more than a wayfaring merchant. Koume ignored it for the most part, but smiled deeply inside, only because it was funny. Her eyes darted towards the grass beneath their feet, and she’d begin kicking her legs back and forth.

"Sooo…” The girl started. "Do you want to relax here? Or do you want to keep moving?” She asked.

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[newclass=.kikan]width: 65px; height: 65px; border: 1px solid #e3e3e3; transform: rotate(45deg); z-index: 2; margin-top: -27px; margin-bottom: -39px; filter: grayscale(100%);-webkit-filter: grayscale(100%);-moz-filter: grayscale(100%);[/newclass][newclass=.ig:hover .kikan]filter: grayscale(0%);-webkit-filter: grayscale(0%);-moz-filter: grayscale(0%); transition: 0.6s; transition-timing-function: linear;[/newclass][googlefont=Roboto][googlefont=Open+Sans]

[Kojima Daisuke]

IF YOU ALWAYS WORRY ABOUT CRUSHING ANTS BENEATH YOUR FEET

Daisuke would take a small sip of his drink, his brow and expression contorting slightly with Koume’s words. While Kota seemed to sit patiently, happily willing to simply relax as the pink-haired girl suggested, Daisuke seemed to want nothing of it.

"I thought you were gonna show us ‘all the cool places,’” Daisuke said with a chuckle. "There’s gotta be more than this bench, ey? Come on, let’s keep it movin’.”

Daisuke would take another sip of his tea after nodding his head off to the side in a motion to encourage Koume and Kota to follow. He of course had no idea where exactly he was going, so they began to wander, happy to take the lead to nowhere.

As they walked, Daisuke would take in a deep breath, his head on a bit of a swivel trying to take in their surroundings as best he could. It was all so different from what he was used to back home. The cloudy gray skies were replaced with clear blues, there were vibrant colors all around them going from the shops and homes, the flowers that bloomed and budded in the central gardens, and there wasn’t a mountain in sight. It was all so open, too, the only trees around that he could really see being more decorative, lining the village streets.

Admittedly, there was a small part of him that felt homesick at the thought. Kaminari no kuni was so much a part of what made him who he was, even more so since he began his sage training. The forests and mountains that made up the country-side made him feel like he was home, and despite how many people felt, he loved the weather there. He loved the cool temperatures, the gray skies, the thunder and rain. Nohara no Kuni was nothing like that.

"So I guess you work pretty often with the Kusa lord, being the assistant and all. What’s he like? All I really know is the guy’s name.”

^{THEN YOU'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO WALK}

---

^@yamo

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