[Okada Adachi]

'Why couldn't I do it? '

The sun had only just broken through the horizon, casting a great shadow over the hills of Iwagakure. There was little to be heard on mornings like these; civilians were still some hours away from waking, and experienced ninja were too quiet to be heard, dashing through the village like leaves in the wind. Even at the best of times, Iwagakure wasn't too crowded; the rocky terrain didn't bode well for large gatherings. Yet even by those standards, the streets were empty. At this ungodly hour, the entirety of Iwagakure was asleep, save for a determined, angry genin—

WHAM!

...and the weights that she was carrying hitting the floor like a sack of noodles.

'I should have got in. Why didn't I get in? What am I doing wrong?'

Adachi loved to hone and polish practically any skill that she had: whether it was something as mundane as cooking, or as important as performing, she saw it fit to master that art. At the top of the list, of course, was her taijutsu training, and this was something that she took to the extreme. She was already more than determined for goals and activities that affected her and her alone, but her work as a shinobi was for the entire village. Every mission generated revenue for the Daimyo, every soldier helped make her nation more self-sufficient, every victory made her family more proud—

'I wasn't accepted to become a chuunin—no, I didn't even qualify for a chance to become one. Wasn't good enough. I didn't try hard enough. Gotta try harder.'

She had quite a few places where she liked to hone her abilities, as Iwagakure's militaristic nature meant there was an abundance of fields, but...she just didn't care, and stomped off in the middle of the night to shake off the all-consuming feeling of inadequacy. Her usual routine was to try and use weights while practicing taijutsu techniques, increasing her speed and taxing her muscles, but Adachi had tossed the weights aside in a fit of rage, feeling nothing despite the stress of the activity...

"More." she wheezed. "I can do more than that."

As a result of the naturally rocky biome that she called home, there were plenty of rocks and boulders that were laid around the village, either from mountain-slides or stone quarries. In a fit of inspiration, Adachi tossed away her weights and started hauling some of the rocks towards her impromptu training area. It must've been a bewildering sight—a random genin carrying rocks at the crack of dawn, tossing them into a small ring.

"A few more of these rocks should do it."

Word Count: 446.

[Himishi Jou]

There was a lot on Jou's mind today...Part of the reason why he was out this early, taking a walk. The Chunin Exams had come and gone, with a lot of things happening during it. One of the things that Jou couldn't get over was that he passed. It was barely...but he still qualifies to become a Chunin. But after a bit of thinking it over, Jou ultimately decided to hold off on the promotion. After all that he went through during the Exams, it opened the young Himishi's eyes, showing him that he wasn't truly ready yet despite what the scores said. The teen does not doubt himself, nor is lacking in any confidence. He purely made this choice from a logical perspective and is content with it. Jou felt that he still had some work to do before he was truly ready.

This meant that Jou was still a genin...and wouldn't be Haruka's equal which was actually made painfully clear during the Exams. Though, Jou is no longer worried about that. He had his own path to follow, and that no longer meant following in the footsteps of others.

How Jou wanted to pursue this path he wasn't exactly sure on yet, part of the reason why he found himself walking the streets of Iwagakure today. With how early it was, barely anyone was out, meaning that the area was mostly quiet, great for being alone with one's thoughts. Jou also enjoyed how peaceful everything felt at this time.

These weren't the only things on Jou's mind though. During the exams, the young Himishi had also been given a new opportunity. Jou had signed a contract with thee Okada Jisa, head of the Shinobi Shoot Wrestling Association, and was endorsed by Okada Taki herself to participate...and become a wrestler. A perfect example of a dream come true. It was something Jou was really looking forward to. He still needed things to figure out like costume and title...as well as perfecting his moves, but he was honestly pumped all the same.

But then Jou was brought back down from his daydreaming at the sound of a very loud...

WHAM!

It honestly made Jou jump a little, his hand also almost going to where he kept his combat knife but stopped. Jou looked over to where that loud noise came from and slowly started to make his way in that general direction.

Jou would then notice a girl...carrying rocks off somewhere. He overheard the words she uttered, causing im to tilt his head a bit. This was certainly...odd, especially around this time.

"U-uh...P-Pardon me but.." Jou finally spoke up towards the white-haired girl, rubbing the back of his head. "...what are you doing...with those rocks?" he asked, blinking a few times. Little did Jou know that this girl was his new squadmate...something that he was a bit informed of after returning to the village.

Okada Adachi

[Okada Adachi]

On any other day, she'd have seen Jou coming from a mile away. With how quiet and empty the streets were, the footsteps of a wandering genin should been easy to pick out, especially with all the practice she had in stealthiness, and yet she was far too mad to notice that she wasn't alone. So when her attempts to carry more rocks were cut short by a sudden introduction, Adachi's heart practically cane to a stop.

'WHAT THE HELL? Is that an enemy?!' Of course it wasn't, but she was taken so off-guard by Jou that Adachi's muscles bought the lie; within mere moments, both hands dived into the sides of her pants and unsheathed a pair of kunai, her whole body tensing up as the genin prepared for a fight...only to actually face the person that she was brandishing a kunai towards. With her emerald eyes staring daggers at Jou, Adachi quickly realized that the person she was staring at wasn't just a civilian...

He was a teammate!

'OHMYGODOHMYGOD. NO! NO!' Despite being ready to brawl only a moment ago, Adachi's current expression was pure, unfiltered terror; her face was a tremendous mix of mortification and embarrassment, mouth hanging open, as Adachi had been preparing for a long, long time to introduce herself to her teammates, yet here she was, stupid-looking and tired and unfocused, mistaking her most important ally with an enemy! It must've been quite odd to Jou; sure, people could have harsh reactions to being surprised, but Adachi looked like she had discovered the bodies of her parents. It took everything Adachi had to not devolve into a screaming fit and just run away from the scene; she desperately wanted to, but her desire to impress Jou was even stronger. Plus, running away could be considered giving up, and she was under-performing already!

Fortunately for Adachi, stomaching immense amounts of social duress was her specialty, and so she was actually able to attempt a recovery; after scooping her kunai off the ground, the genin shook off her perturbed expression, wiped the dust from the rocks off her face and—in a somewhat desperate bid to look cool—Adachi bent over to lean on the rocks on one arm while placing a hand on her hip with the other, forcing a confident, yet shaky grin towards Jou. 'This is cool, I think. Wait, the question, he asked a question.'

"What am I doing with these rocks, you asked?" Adachi finally responded in a obviously exhausted, yet forcibly happy manner. Her voice was a mixture between immense timidness and a surprising firmness; she spoke like she had the experience of a jonin, despite being a very flustered genin...even if it was just a lot of acting. "I'm trying to improve my taijutsu skills by using these heavy rocks in my practice. And yeah, I should usually train in the afternoons or with a tutor but..."

Her voice trailed off a bit, and she stopped resting on that rock. "G-gotta get as much practice as possible, haha...but, that's not what's important now. I can tell that y-you don't know who I am, so I guess it's my job to set things straight. My name is Adachi Okada and I am...your squad-mate. Surprised!"

'This must be the worst surprise in the world...'

Word Count: 557

[Himishi Jou]

Jou felt that he approached this girl calmly enough as usually does with most people...but it looked like she was so in the zone with...whatever it was she was doing, that Jou not only startled her...but caused her to sink into some battle stance...with freaking kunai! "W-Woah, hey!" Instead of reacting with a battle stance as well, Jou held his hands up to try and indicate that he meant no harm, all with a surprised expression on his features. She was clearly not an enemy...at least he hopes not, so a fight was not needed.

The young Himishi then took notice of the shift in the girl's expression. "U-Ummm..." Jou slowly lowered his hands, head tilting a wee bit at the look of...terror on the strange girl's face. Was there...something else happening? Jou then looked behind him, and even on the ground. Nothing worth noting. He couldn't figure out what seemingly got this person so...disturbed? Jou was then pondering if he did something wrong...honestly worrying the teen a little. But such a thought was quickly pushed to the back of his head the moment he turned back around to look at the girl.

"O-Oh." All of a sudden, she was leaning against one of those rocks, looking a little more...honestly hard for Jou to describe. The young Himishi couldn't help but just blink a few times in visual confusion. Now he just felt a little more concerned for the girl...and for his own safety.

Fortunately, the subject of Jou's question was brought up again...before things could get even more awkward. "Th-That's what I asked, yes." Jou nodded a bit, his own tone still hesitant with a hint of uncertainty still trying to figure this person out. Se claimed that this was for bettering her taijutsu, causing Jou to glance at the seemingly heavy rocks. "I...See." Was all Jou could really think of to say. Jou was more of a ninjutsu user so he couldn't really say if whatever she was doing was going a little overboard or not...if this was the whole training that is. Admittedly, Jou needed to get better with taijutsu as well, or at least to the best of his abilities for multiple reasons...but carrying large rocks wouldn't have been the first thing to come to mind.

Jou could relate to wanting to get enough training in as possible though, so there was no real protest for that. "Huh?" What really got Jou's attention were her next words though. Was he... supposed to know her? Jou looked straight back at the girl, still looking puzzled...until she revealed her name...and her status as his new squadmates!

At first, Jou was at a loss for words, looking like he was still trying to process everything that has happened and not just this. "A-Adachi...?" For a second, that didn't ring any bells, but then his eyebrows rose in realization. "Oh!" Jou does recall being told about having a new teammate, and the name Adachi does ring a bell..."It's nice to meet you! I-I'm Himishi Jou." Jou quickly bowed a bit, not wanting to come off as rude.

But then comes her last name....

"Wait, I'm sorry but did you say...O-Okada?" Jou claimed, his surprised expression forming a bit into one that resembles pondering, placing a hand under his chin. "You don't...look like an Okada." he added, his tone having traits of wonder instead of skepticism. His crimson eyes were locked on the teen's emerald own. Without really noticing...Jou got a little closer to her, but not ridiculously close. Certainly close enough that Jou would at least be flustered...if he weren't distracted by his own curiosity. Having a cousin who looks nothing like a Himishi, Jou should know better than this...But his inner Okada fanboy wasn't letting him see things logically...

Okada Adachi

[Okada Adachi]

Despite the immense amount of effort that Adachi was pouring into looking cool, she couldn't help but...notice something while she was talking to Jou. This game of trying her best to make good impressions was nothing new to genin; she'd spent her whole life trying to impress everyone she could meet, be it ninjas, civilians or family, yet she'd come to notice something. Pretty much everyone had the same looks on their faces when they witnessed this-embarrassment for her sake, laughter at her awkwardness, sheer disappointment. She was plenty used to that, and fought like hell to overcome it, but there were a precious few-limited entirely to her closest relatives-whose faces were always a little different. As opposed to the mockery or the shame, these people only seemed to feel...worried for her sake? As ridiculous as it seemed, some people seemed to hold precious little malice for the genin, and only wanted her to be alright. And unless Adachi wasn't seeing things correctly..

Jou was looking at her like that, too?

But it made no sense. She'd known for her entire life that she was different; a freak at best, a let down at worst. The stupid introductions she always tried to make, her sickly-sweet politeness, the eternal, infinite , nigh-endless training--everyone knew that she was awful. People weren't supposed to worry about her. This was Jou's cue to laugh, or get frustrated, or anything other than feel bad for her! Without meaning to or noticing, she began to shuffle towards Jou, the genin trying to make sure that she was seeing and hearing things correctly. Adachi was staring intently in Jou's eyes, and for a moment they were startlingly close...

"N-nice to meet you, Himishi-"

"You don't...look like an Okada."

Adachi sighed heavily before taking multiple steps away from Jou. 'Yeah, that's more like it.'

While it seemed that the genin wasn't used to that comment, the opposite couldn't have been more true; practically everyone who'd ever heard of an Okada thought she didn't fit the part. Or act it, or seem like it at all. Of course, most people didn't do it out of malice, mere curiosity at how much she stood out, yet Adachi...she just took it as a challenge. If nobody would ever guess her clan from a glance, then she would prove it to them with the best damn perfomances they've ever seen! The genin knew damn well that he'd say this at some point or another, but--for some reason, it hurt. She didn't start sulking or pouting, but she put her arms behind her back and fixated on the ground; suddenly, her voice became twice and tired. "Oh yeah? Yeah. I...I know I don't. Pinkish skin, black clothes. Not exactly bombastic, haha."

'Ugh,' she thought with a very slightly scowl. 'I should've known better. Stared into his eyes too long...'

'...but I won't let that stop me.'

After taking another deep breath, Adachi practically exploded with confidence, going from a mildly depressed stance to an uber-determined won, with her grimace becoming a smirk. "Sure, I don't really look like an Okada, but you shouldn't judge books by their cover! And if you don't believe me," she taunted, grinning, "then how about this?"

Cracking her knuckles in preparation for her stunt, the genin promptly back flipped towards one of the boulders, landing flawlessly next to the largest one. Then, in a burst of inspiration, she wrapped her arms around the rock, gave a little laugh, and in the blink of an eye...

Suplexed it?

Strange as it seemed, Adachi managed to perform one of the most fundamental wrestling moves (and a staple of Okada techniques) on an extremely heavy rock, all with an impressive flip and no apparent mistakes! While she began to heave heavily after that short little technique ('Jeez...I picked a really heavy one, didn't I?'), the genin was far from over. She'd set her mind to proving that she was an Okada, and what better way to believe that than for Jou to experience a technique...firsthand?

'This is really, really stupid.'

Without any warning, she slid across the ground to meet Jou, hoping that he'd be too surprised by the rock suplex to see this coming. She'd practiced relentlessly on carrying and immobilizing targets, and got even more training through her missions; it shouldn't have been too hard to lock Jou in some sort of hold or tackle. But, unfortunately, she hadn't anticipated just how embarrassing it would be. The moment she wrapped herself around Jou like a bandage, Adachi became extremely self-aware of just how close they were and instantly lost the nerve, with her half-hearted attempt at a technique deforming into the world's strangest hug.

Word Count: 791.

[Himishi Jou]

For someone who comes from one of if not the most intelligent clans in Iwakagure...Jou still has his moments of ignorance. The sigh Adachi let out caught Jou off guard, but it didn't seem like he completely registered what got the girl so upset all of a sudden. All he did was say that she does not...look like an...Okada....

It was at that moment that Jou's puzzled look had shifted into something a little more regretful. The young Himishi didn't even get to utter a word before seeing the shift in Adachi's stance and the obvious change in her tune. Jou really should've known better than to say something like this...

"W-Wait no. I-I didn't mean t-" Jou immediately grabbed the side of his own arm, rubbing it a bit as he found himself looking down as well. "I-It's not a bad thi-" Before he could finish with his muttering, Jou's words were put to a halt but yet another change in the Okada girl's tune! "Wh-huh....?" Jou quickly looked back up, dropping his arm back to his side. Where did this burst of confidence come from all of a sudden!? Surely Jou was not imagining that earlier reaction...right? But now Adachi looked like she was more than ready to prove she's an Okada!

"H-Hold on, I don't think that's necessa-" Jou held his hands up in protest, but it was useless. Just then, Adachi performed a backflip and any attempts from Jou to stop her were put to an end...the moment he witnessed her suplex a freaking boulder!

Jou's mouth was practically wide open in complete surprise at what he has just seen. A perfectly executed suplex...and on something as heavy as a boulder no less. Jou's looks of guilt and worry were swept away by the wave of excitement Jou was now feeling. "Woah..." he whispered, his eyes practically sparkling with joy. His hands balled into fists as well, pumping them a bit at the awesome display of grappling. "She's...so strong." Jou muttered once more. Any doubts of her being an Okada was quickly eliminated...but she didn't seem to be done proving herself yet....

While Jou was still busy processing this...he did not realize that Adachi had slid behind him until the last minute. The moment she wrapped her arms around the young Himishi, he blinked a few times. Was she about to suplex him as well!? Part of Jou accepted this and even closed his eyes in anticipation...with a bit of a grin on his face. This was so cool right now in the teen's head!

But....nothing happened?

After a few seconds, Jou's grin would slowly vanish, and he would open his eyes. "U-Ummm...." Jou was now just as frozen as Adachi...unsure of what was even happening anymore. Wait...was this supposed to be...a hug!?!

"A-Adachi...?" The thought of that caused Jou's face to get a little red. He was freaking out on the inside..but perfectly stiff on the outside. Things started to grow more awkward with each passing second....But fortunately, Jou may have figured out a way to save this.

The helpless look on Jou's face then formed into a little smile as he decided to show that he wasn't completely clueless when it comes to wrestling techniques. As a way to counter this, Jou attempted to roll frontwards, attempting to roll right out of Adachi's grasp while also potentially flipping her back first onto the ground! "Wah!" Of course, Jou was far from an expert at this, only knowing what he knows from taking notes and watching wrestling so instead of landing right back on his feet...he tumbled face-first onto the ground, not knowing where he might land.

Okada Adachi

[Okada Adachi]

"Did that actually...work?" In the seconds between her suplexing the rock and attempting to grab Jou, Adachi couldn't help but notice just how energized he was-she was hoping to impress him, but Jou seemed positively dazzled. And Adachi-the genin swore that she'd botched it, that dad would've been faster, or Taki would've been flashier, but here Jou was, happy all the same. Without knowing it, this spurred her into taking further action...and led to the two of them being joint at the hip. Any joy the two of them might've felt was long gone; all Adachi could think about was how the hell she'd escape this without being more embarrassed. 'M-maybe I could say that I was trying to crush him as a wrestling move? N-no, he'll see right through that!' While she was outwardly just as stiff as Jou, Adachi was going through a meltdown on the inside-

"Wait, uh, Jou, what are you doin-WOAH!"

Out of all the things that she thought Jou would do, Adachi hadn't even considered a counter-attack, never-mind an attempt at a wrestling move! And it wasn't a pretend one, either; she quickly recognized what he was doing as a half-baked attempt at a fireman's carry! Adachi hadn't even the time to think, expecting nothing more than cold, hard dirt...but upon opening her eyes, she was greeted with a good look at Jou's back, almost as if he'd fallen flat unto the floor. 'Th-the flip didn't work...!' Adachi thought. Except it very much did; she hadn't realized it, but amidst the whirlwind of confusion and force, her sense of balance had gone to the winds. And unfortunately for Adachi, when she stepped forward to check on Jou, the genin ended up tripping on her feet and promptly fell down. Right on top of Jou!

Adachi landed on the genin with a loud thud; while the fall was a bit painful, the embarrassment was scarring Adachi with every moment that passed. At the very least she made a quick recovery, rolling a feet or two away from him, but nothing she could do masked the fact that her somewhat pink-ish complexion was now tomato-red. 'WhywhyWHY did he do that?! I mean, okay, I did the same thing, and that counterattack was REALLY cool, but-fuuuck!' This is a nightmare!' She clasped her face in her hands and sighed heavily, thinking about what she could possibly do next...

"You know, Jou," she said in an oddly cold voice, "you shouldn't have done that. Trying to flip me over and roll over like nothing happened? That's really, really stupid. But it's not because it was rude," she explained while her tone began to swell in both confidence and volume, "and it's not because it was a surprise. It's because trying to wrestle with an Okada practically GUARANTEES a counter-attack of their own!" Adachi yelled with both arms raised high.

She was a bit grateful that they were so close together already; it made this next move a little bit easier! The kunoichi immediately rolled trough the dirt and landed on top of Jou, except this time it was on purpose. Then, after striking a nervous, yet bold grin, Adachi grabbed both of his arms, wrapped her legs around his, and tried to briefly tumble both of them through the floor (while also making sure she didn't break his nose)! It was an elementary 'technique', one that was only ever used to gain the crowd's fancy, so it was a perfect fit here! To close off this act, Adachi would try to stop their chaotic spinning right as she was on top of him: ending where they had started, except now she was confidently pinning him down, not flailing on his back.

Whether any part of that went ahead like she'd imagined was pure luck; it was an almost completely improvised technique, and she allowed herself to use a bit of force. But right at that moment, Adachi underwent a strange phenomenon: not quite caring how perfect the roll was. Because for as terrible as this entire situation was, she couldn't help but admit that this was the first training session in months that felt even the least bit fun!

Wordcount: 704

[Himishi Jou]

And there Jou was face down on the ground. His attempt clearly didn't go the way he wanted, revealing just how much of an amateur he was at wrestling. He had no idea what might be going through Adachi's head right now, but if he had to guess, she was probably thinking less of Jou at this point. He did not even dare to try and look up at her, and was just about to try pushing himself up until....THUD!

"Ngh...!" Jou found himself being pressed against the ground once more, this time by the added weight of a certain Okada. Jou couldn't see...but he could sure feel Adachi and despite the pain from the sudden fall, Jou's face was lighting up as well similar to Adachi's, suffering from one embarrassing moment to another! Jou mumbled a bit, his words hard to make out due to obvious reasons...and it was probably a good thing that he couldn't speak now...because the last thing he needed was to sound like a nervous wreck in this situation. Oh, how was JOu going to recover from this blunder!? Little did he know that Adachi was suffering from similar internal troubles...

The moment Jou felt his new teammate roll off of him, Jou immediately pushed himself up with his hands, remaining in that push up position as he was just about ready to apologize to her. "I-I am really sor-" but he claimed up the moment he heard that cold tone. Geez, now he's really done it!

"you shouldn't have done that. Trying to flip me over and roll over like nothing happened? That's really, really stupid."

"I-I know I know, I-I didn't know what came over m-"

"But it's not because it was rude,"

Once again Jou's attempt at an apology was halted. He noticed the shift and increase in the girl's tone...making Jou wonder what was really going on. His apologetic expression had gone away, being replaced with confusion. "H-Huh...?" It was finally after hearing Adachi's last comment that Jou would piece together what was going on...but it was too late for him to react properly. Jou had made it back to his feet...only to be toppled over again with Adachi now on top! The grin she made at Jou wasn't helping either, causing the poor Himishi's face to light up like a tomato at the insanity that was happening! What was even happening anymore...and what if somebody saw!? It was just now that Jou remembered that they were in the middle of the village...

But before Jou could point this out...."Wooaahh!!" he was being rolled around while his limbs were locked by the Okada's own. This went on for a bit, Jou starting to get dizzy as he was at the mercy of a true wrestler! Eventually, it stopped and Jou's vision was a little blurry...but soon it would refocus...and on Adachi's face. Jou's face was still lit up as he remained quiet. He just looked at her for a few seconds....until he started to laugh, his face returning to normal.

"I tap out, I tap out!" Jou claimed in the middle of his laughing, despite not being able to physically tap out at the moment. "That was so cool! You really are an Okada....N-Not that I doubted you." he added. It was clear from not only the laughter but his tone that Adachi wasn't the only one oddly having....fun.

Okada Adachi

[Okada Adachi]

"Hah! Only a few seconds and you've already given up!" Adachi boasted with a fiery look in her eyes before undoing the limb-lock she'd performed on Jou. The genin didn't quite stand up yet, though. Instead, she chose to sit next to Jou on the ground with crossed legs and a smug, yet highly amused look on her face, yet her thoughts were anything but. 'Not even a wrestler and he's trying to imitate some moves....just like I did, as a kid,' she thought warmly. 'But I guess I gotta actually introduce properly myself now, heh.' "Alright, so, let's try again-"

"That was so cool! You really are an Okada....N-Not that I doubted you."

"O-oh." While it was probably just an off-hand compliment to Jou, Adachi—against all of her better wishes—couldn't even properly respond to it, tripping over her words while very slowly forming a huge smile. Realizing how flustered she looked, the Okada tried to save face by diving her hands behind her back and looking at the floor, but she couldn't do much to mask the incredibly annoying shade of red creeping up her cheeks. 'It was nothing,' she swore, but little things like that...all the genin wanted was to feel like a part of the clan, to be an Okada.

"Which is why I'm out here," she mused terribly, suddenly remembering her actual purpose in these rocky fields. She wasn't a true ninja, much less an Okada. To Adachi, that word wasn't a surname, it was a title, something she had to earn...something she was doing a terrible job at earning. "Sorry. I just-that's a very nice thing you said. Like, very very nice. But it's only technically true, because I haven't quite earned the right to be an Okada, and I never will, and nothing's working-"

"..."

"Ah," Adachi muttered very awkwardly, only now noticing how her voice had become ten times drearier. She was still embarrassed, yes, but now more at herself than at Jou. "Forget that, alright? I just came out here to feel like I'm making a difference. But nevertheless...I'm Adachi Okada, your new genin squadmate. And...I think we'll be friends." For as miserable as the genin sounded during her sudden rant, she lightened up a little for her last sentence. Out of all the things that would make her feel even a little better, fun wasn't what came to mind, but it was working shockingly well, thanks to Jou.

Word Count: 414.

[Himishi Jou]

Jou was not the type to be a sore loser so he didn't take any real offense to Adachi's boasting. In fact, he was laughing a little when she did so. Jou still needed to work on his wrestling techniques, but it didn't stop him from enjoying himself at this very moment. The young Himishi complimented Adachi, and he wasn't exactly sure what to expect from her after saying those words...but he didn't really think that she'd go all quiet after it.

Jou's joyful expression slowly morphed into a sheepish one as he sat up next to Adachi with his legs crossed...hoping that he didn't offend her. It wouldn't be the first time one of Jou's compliments was taken as an insult...which really made the poor Himishi consider just keeping that dumb mouth of his shut. Jou was once again about to apologize for thinking he done something wrong, but as he placed his hands on his knees and tilted his head a bit to peek at Adachi's face, he'd noticed that she was...smiling? She was looking a little red too...and Jou honestly couldn't help but smile lightly. She looked happy behind that flustered look and in return that just made the young Himishi feel a little good as well.

But then the tone shifted...and Jou's smile vanished, slightly confused by this. She then started to ramble a bit, but Jou was fortunately able to follow along, remaining quiet the whole time. He didn't realize how much being an Okada meant to her...as well as her own self-doubts of being worthy of the clan's name. Jou's eyes rose slightly from the realization before turning his head to look forward after his new teammate paused. She sounded a bit like...him. He continued to listen as Adachi tried changing the subject, giving a proper introduction. He then nodded a bit before speaking. "I know what it's like...That feeling of not being able to live up to your clan's expectations." Jou would say before looking at the ground. He then picked up a pebble and started to idly roll it around in his hand.

"Even with the abilities I possess, I still pale in comparison to most of my kin." He added, giving a bitter-sweet smile as he looked at the rock. "But I can still improve...I know I will...and you will too." Jou would then look over at Adachi, and smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Okada Adachi. My name is Himishi Jou." Jou added, not forgetting about the introduction. "I think we'll be great friends too...Let's work together, and show both our clans that we're more than worthy to bear their names...okay?" he added, his sweet smile turning into a confident grin. He then rose a pinky up towards her, an attempt to seal this partnership down with an old fashioned pinky promise.

Okada Adachi

[Okada Adachi]

[nospaces]

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[attr="class","ltr-tags"]for Himishi Jou

[attr="class","ltr-lyrics"]got what it takes? [break] 'cause I got no choice

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'Ugh.'[break][break]

Despite her weary and sad expression, the genin was more frustrated than anything on the inside, having been enraged by that moment of vulnerability. This was her first introduction to her team-mate, this was the time to make the damn clan proud...and yet, for a few seconds, all those pressures slid off Adachi like butter. 'Jou deserves better than hearing about your sob stories, Adachi...' "S-so sorry about that ramble, Jou—" [break][break]

'Wait, what's he talking about? He...he doesn't think...he understands?!' [break][break]

Adachi stared at Jou with a bewildered, yet incredibly intrigued expression, keeping silent while Jou delivered his impromptu speech. She couldn't help but start staring into Jou's eyes again, practically peering into his soul, trying to figure out whether he was planning some elaborate joke, or said it only to get on her good side, because there was just no way he was telling the truth. 'Shut up,' she thought angrily, 'shut UP, shut UP, SHUT UP.' Near the end of it all, Adachi even looked somewhat angry and annoyed, as if Jou had ticked her off... [break][break]

"Let's work together, and show both our clans that we're more than worthy to bear their names...okay?" All with a cocky grin to boot. [break][break]

The genin...couldn't really take this, at least not at first. While Jou had outstretched a pink finger towards Jou in an attempt to cement their friendship in stone, Adachi dived headfirst into her arms and groaned horribly, having no idea what to make of his...kindness? No, it couldn't be that. This was what Taki and Goro and her parents were for, people who say nice things, but Jou didn't have any reason to. Maybe it was just a big ol' pity party because she seemed so pathetic. Maybe it was a cruel trick, one straight out of the ninja academy... [break][break]

'Or maybe he just likes you, Adachi...he literally said so, didn't he? JOU LIKES YOU. You're stupid and dumb and bad at wrestling but—well—he called you a friend.' [break[break]

Despite the fact that Adachi was on the verge of cutting their conversation short and running back to her bed, an insufferably loud voice in her head wouldn't let her do it. In spite of all of her suspicions and paranoia, Jou was fun, and at this moment, she liked him more than she hated herself. And so, with a great effort, she snapped out of it and sat up straight to look at her team-mate. [break][break]

"Absolutely," she finally said, beaming at Jou in spite of all her previous doubt. "You're really good at speeches, Jou. Although if this is a trick," Adachi warned, "I'll suplex you into your grave." But when she leaned in closer to seal the deal, Adachi couldn't help but burst out laughing. "A pinky promise?" she asked while rolling her eyes. Adachi did lock fingers with him anyways-but as soon as she did, Adachi leaned forward heavily and wrapped her arms around Jou. [break][break]

"I'm a wrestler, remember? I hug people for the hell of it. It's better than a pinky promise, that's for sure..." [break][break]

It was a pretty warm hug, too. [break][break]

Word Count: 518

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[attr="class","gimcredits"]made by gimmick

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[Himishi Jou]

For a moment, Jou noticed the frustrated...angry look on Adachi's face and for a second, he contemplated stopping what he was trying to say. He was questioning if he was overstepping boundaries now, believing that maybe he was being a little too presumptuous with saying he understood. But no...it may not be exactly the same...but just by looking at his teammate, and how she was acting so far...he couldn't help but be reminded of himself in a way. He believed that Adachi needed to hear this...and that he needed to hear his own words as well.

So Jou continued on, not faltering once. Before the previous Chunin Exams, Jou would not have gotten this far with such a speech, and had long since retreated back into the shadows of his self-doubt...but the folks he had met there, the resolve he has gained as well as the opportunities he was given, have taught Jou that he could be more...he could be better.

Jou finished and was just there with his pinky out, grin and all, meaning every word he said. Instead of a sealing of pinkies, Jou was instead surprised by Adachi suddenly diving toward the young Himishi into a hug. Jou nearly fell back with eyes widened but managed to stop himself. There was a faint red forming on his face, quietly wondering where this came from all of a sudden...but the moment she said 'Absolutely' Jou's expression formed into a bit of a smile.

"H-Huh, I am?" Jou wasn't expecting the speech comment. He was just speaking from the heart which he tends to do...just with a little more backbone now. It felt...good, although Haruka or his parents would probably think that Jou was a little too soft for it. Still....he was glad to see that it helped Adachi...and himself as well. Then came her threat which caused Jou to laugh sheepishly. "N-Noted..." he said before rubbing the back of his head.

With his pinky still out, Jou did look a little flustered when Adachi poked fun at the pinky promise. Admittedly, it was a little...childish which Jou thought...but this sort of reflected his pure nature which was something he probably didn't realize. Adachi on the other hand made it clear that she was a little more...hands on. Even after doing the pinky promise, she dove in right for another hug, which Jou again wasn't expecting, but he didn't look as surprised as before.

"I'm a wrestler, remember? I hug people for the hell of it. It's better than a pinky promise, that's for sure..."

Jou couldn't help but glance his crimson eyes at his new teammate and laugh lightly. "Yeah...I guess it is..." he would say softly...before returning the hug this time. This warmth...it further put Jou at ease. The young Himishi strongly believes that he and Adachi will continue to bring out the best in each other.

Okada Adachi

[Okada Adachi]

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[attr="class","ltr-tags"]for Himishi Jou

[attr="class","ltr-lyrics"]got what it takes? [break] 'cause I got no choice

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In spite of Adachi's bold warnings and confident taunts, she clung unto Jou like a crab for a few seconds, hugging Jou with a smile stretched across her entire face. She was surprised at how natural it felt; only a minute ago, she was practically a tomato when she tried to pull a wrestling move on him, and she definitely wasn't getting used to it. '...Maybe it's because I did it purpose,' she mused, 'and I actually meant for it to happen. Or maybe he just smells nice when I'm not grappling him. Anyways...' [break][break]

She let go of Jou with a bit of an exhale, not quite accustomed to hugging strangers (or hugging much of anyone but Taki, really), so she just stared at Jou with a dumb yet cute expression. "Yeah, you are good at this speech stuff," Adachi finally said. "A-and there's nothing wrong with your, uh, pinky promise, by the way!" She explained with some nervous laughter. [break][break]

"It's just that, well, uh...hugging you is...you know what, m-maybe I don't need to explain myself. I'm just more hands-on! And also you are far too nice but that's besides the point!" [break][break]

Realizing that somebody was bound to get up and start looking outside at any moment, she finally stood up from the ground, dusting herself off after all that 'wrestling'. "Hah, and I completely forgot about my training. That's a shame...I guess I'll come back to a proper field later in the day...and I'll see you later, too." The genin on instinct bowed down to Jou out of respect, but she corrected herself and just waved him goodbye instead. There was no need to be so formal—he was a friend, after all. [break][break]

'Wait a damn minute—I forgot about my training? That's never happened before...urgh.' [break][break]

Word Count: 290. Thread Exit!

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[attr="class","gimcredits"]made by gimmick

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