[Himishi Jou]

A day has passed since Jou's return to Iwakagure and he was still in the process of fully settling back in. The report of his departure had already been handled and the Himishi had gotten himself a nice little place to stay that was just comfortable enough. He spent the morning finishing getting his furniture and belongings dealt with which took a couple of hours. With that out of the way and a little rest, Jou found himself out and bout the village this afternoon. Although he did a bit of sightseeing yesterday, there was still more for Jou to see.

Jou traveled around the village, taking in the sights. There weren't any drastic changes, but still some stuff you'd expect to happen in a year. Either way, Jou wasn't disappointed and was still happy to be back. Even though it was his choice to go with Rentaro, being away from the village for a year still left him a bit homesick.

Speaking of home....Jou hasn't been back to his "real home" yet. The Himishi Clan compound...specifically his parent's home.

Being from the Himishi, Jou could've gotten himself a much better place of residence, but he was still sorting some things out in regards to the clan. He wasn't sure how his parents would react to his return, but at the moment, he didn't really care. His cousin, Haruka on the other hand is who he's most curious about. If there was anyone he felt bad for not telling about where he was going, it was her. But the two still had a rocky relationship...one that he is very determined to fix now...but this wasn't the time. Jou needed to gather his bearings since a lot has happened.

As Jou continued walking, he overheard talk of the upcoming Chunin Exams which caused him to stop and think for a second. It was then Jou thought about how after all this time and all this improvement....he's still a Genin.

Jou did pass the last Exams he was in, but of his in choice, he decided to stay Genin for a little while longer, personally believing he wasn't ready yet. Even now a part of him still thinks he's not ready....but another part of him wants to prove that wrong. Once he get situated, he'll get right back into training and missions, diving in with much more confidence and gusto!

The thought of gusto and confidence had also led Jou's mind to wonder about a certain clan...as well as one of his biggest inspirations from said clan.

"I wonder what Taki is up to." Jou said to himself before folding his arms behind the back of his head in a relaxing manor as he walked.

Okada Tetsuo

[Okada Tetsuo]

Okada Tetsuo

The life of a shinobi was always busy, and sometimes you needed to take a moment to yourself, rest, and refuel. Which is what had Tetsuo sitting casually at the yakiniku stand rather than off training or doing whatever other tasks that he had to complete. He might have been back on active duty now but that didn't mean he didn't get downtime. 

With a plate of meat, one of mushrooms, and a third of vegetables, a whole bunch of sauces, and the little portable grill the Okada was quite content to sit and read from a book with one hand while occasionally turning the grilling food in front of him. A ceramic bottle in front of him held his drink for the afternoon, and the weather was just the right level of crispness that made the grill a welcome and comfortable warmth.

New Chuunin exams were coming up in Kumo, which would be interesting enough he supposed, but really for the moment he was still just sort of treading water. Helping to train Genin, keeping the Bakuha Gundan running, and going on the occasional mission... it was surprisingly calm all things considered. He wasn't quite sure how he felt about that to be totally honest.

Ah well, thoughts for another time.

Word Count: 212
Tags: Himishi Jou

[Himishi Jou]

Although he was also curious about how the Okada and Taki were doing, Jou felt like that could wait as well. There was no rush for him to check in on the Okada Compound....plus, a part of him wasn't sure if he'd get an earful from Taki for his sudden absence.

Right now, Jou just wanted to continue his walk with no particular destination in mind. Soon, his walking would lead him to an area of the village were most shops and food stands were of varying kinds. He wasn't really hungry now, but the Himishi boy could still find himself lost in this area for hours. The smell of many different ingredients mixing and mashing into all of these different kinds of food filled the air with a pleasant mouth watering aroma. From his nose alone, Jou could tell what a lot of these foods are and even hints of what ingredients were used, being a cook himself. This reminded Jou that it has been a while since the last time he properly cooked something, and is now looking forward to making himself something later tonight. Of course he would have to get some things, but that can be done later.

Jou continued to walk, passing by a little outdoorsy seating area where he took a glance at someone preparing their own meal with a mini grill. Yakiniku...Jou pondered if he should do something like that tonight. But before Jou could fully leave the area....he took notice of the person's hair. Jou wasn't the type to stare...but it threw him off guard. They're blond which alone isn't really what caught his attention....but it looked very familiar...

The guy stopped and placed a hand on his chin as he wondered a little before speaking up. "Er don't mean to interrupt your reading, but..are you a wrestling fan?" Jou asked with a hint of curiosity in his tone before moving his hand from his chin, making a little gesture towards the other person's hair. "Your hair looks almost like this former Okada wrestler...very identical in fact." Jou added before crossing his arms and looking up a little, closing his crimson colored eyes as he tried to remember. "Ahh, what was his name again...?" he muttered to himself.

Okada Tetsuo

[Okada Tetsuo]

Okada Tetsuo

Golden eyes glanced up at the voice that addressed him, a single slender eyebrow raising at the question followed by a clearly unimpressed expression as he took in the white haired man who had stopped by his table. "Just cos I have blond hair doesn't mean I have anything to do with wrestling," he retorted, turning his attention back to his book with a huff, his clearly mechanical right hand absently rotating the food he was grilling in front of him in a dismissive manner.

And yet, while he tried to hide it, Jou would clearly be able to pick up the distinctive Okada twang for a brief moment, the clan's unique accent slipping from Tetsuo's control just long enough to be heard by someone familiar with it. Perhaps unfortunately for Tetsuo, he was currently faced with someone who was quite familiar with his family, not that the blond knew that, and so the slip would be enough to reveal him for an Okada himself.

Trying to focus on his book, Tetsuo found himself unable to as he realised the other man hadn't moved yet. Still, he stared rather determinedly as though he were burning a hole through the page as he waited for peace and quiet to return.

Word Count: 209
Tags: Himishi Jou

[Himishi Jou]

Jou had taken notice of the blond's...unimpressed look. A year ago, Jou would've most likely shied away and apologized before trying his best to leave the seen before things got worse....but that was the old him.

Instead, Jou found himself grinning a bit now as a way to try and lighten the mood...maybe looking a bit dorky in the process, but he was trying his best. Plus, it wasn't everyday he met another wrestling fan...despite this village being home to a literal wrestling clan. But unfortunately...it appears Jou was wrong, or at least that's what he thought for a second.

The blond seemed pretty clear on not being a wrestling fan...in a sassy way which caused Jou's grin to slowly fade as he rubbed the back of his head...but there was no hiding that accent from him, even if it only barely came out. Jou wasn't quick to assume that just anyone with blonde hair is an Okada, but that accent he has heard plenty of. "Huh...my apologies...Didn't know there were Okada who didn't like wrestling." Jou claimed in a vaguely teasing tone, chuckling lightly to himself as he got to the point with not questions asked. He didn't really mean any harm by it and just wanted to poke a little fun, but a part of him was still amazed that such an Okada exists. "I'm a big fan and the style of your hair reminded me of this long retired legend....but what was his name...?" Jou casually folded his arms behind the back of his head again as he pondered...but as he did, Jou looked down at the blond's hair once more...and his eyes wandered a little....to see if he could somehow figure that former wrestler's name of course.

It was then his eyes settled once more on the blond's other hand, just now noticing it's metallic in nature! To someone as observant as Jou, it was a little surprising he missed that...but he was probably focusing a little too much on wrestling.

"Wait, you're..." As Jou said this, he immediately sat down on the side where the metal arm was, fortunately moving careful enough to not cause an accident with the grill, but it was still a little sudden. He got a closer look at the arm before continuing. "Tetsuken...That's you, yeah?" Jou said with a hint of curiosity in his tone. "I've heard about you...and how you recovered from something that would've been...life ending to most. That's so cool... Jou added. He then took his eyes off of the arm and presumably towards the blond's face, assuming it still wasn't blocked by the book or anything. It was then he got a full look, just now realizing the Okada's rather captivating features, causing the Himishi to pause a bit.

"Guess it would make sense that someone that tough is from the Okada....but I never pictured them to be this cute." Jou added, probably oversharing a little. He wasn't trying to hit on the blond...or at least mostly wasn't...He was just caught off guard. "Err my name's Jou...Himishi Jou." He added with another friendly little grin.

Okada Tetsuo

[Okada Tetsuo]

Okada Tetsuo

Tetsuo found his eyes closing slightly as he realised not only had he been found out, but that the white haired man wasn't going to just go away and leave him to his food and book. "Spend all your life with people talkin' bout something and it becomes real tiresome," he stated with an exasperated sigh, moving his food off the grill and onto his plate as he prepared to eat, completely ignoring any attempts at fishing for information. The guy was probably talking about his Oyaji, and there was no way he was about to share that particular information to anyone.

His expression grew stormier as the white haired guy sat down and kept talking, particularly about his arm. Part of him despaired that he'd ever get away from 'iron' nicknames. His name didn't even use the kanji for iron for Kami-sama's sake! And to talk about his injuries so blatantly was both disconcerting and irritating, making him want to introduce the guy to his 'iron fist' in a much more intimate fashion.

Sure, he wasn't overly sensitive about it anymore, hence the fact that the limb was uncovered, but that didn't really mean he liked people speculating or drooling over the damn thing either. Tetsuo was getting more and more irritated until a particular phrase slipped out that had him pause and try and process.

Cute? Did this guy just call him cute?

What the hell, he'd done his damndest to make the white haired man go away short of starting to use explosives, and here he was calling him cute. He couldn't help the flush that started at the base of his neck and slowly started to work up his face, even as his metal hand balled into a fist and he contemplated starting to yell.

Truly he was feeling quite conflicted.

Word Count: 305
Tags: Himishi Jou

[Himishi Jou]

When it comes to things that really catch Jou's attention, he almost becomes locked in on it which isn't really something he tries to do intentionally since he normally does like giving others space...but it's just something that happens.

Jou didn't really catch what the blond said since he was mostly focused on the metal arm and such. The Himishi might've shared a bit too much, especially with his final comment. "A-Ah...?" His grin lessened a bit as he took notice of the blond's face starting to change color. He then saw that same metal hand...now being balled into a fist. Doesn't take a genius to tell what this is most likely about.

"G-Gomen, gomen!" Jou said as he quickly got up bowing a bit in front of the blond. "Didn't mean to get you all...flustered." Jou claimed with a little sheepish grin, scratching the side of his cheek with his index finger. "Even though...it further proves my point....one could argue." Jou added as he stood back up properly, his tone a bit whimsical with a hint of genuine curiosity...and part of him wanting to poke fun of the clearly annoyed Okada...which might not be the best of ideas, but the reaction so far was kind of...interesting.

Jou chuckled lightly, but it didn't really last as it slowly started to hit him of how obnoxious he may be acting. "But I digress..." he added, one more little sheepish chuckle coming out. He then started to sort of side eye the blond's food and couldn't help but notice the lack of seasoning on it....though he could be wrong, but the last thing he wanted to do was further disrupt the blond's meal, so he held his tongue.

Okada Tetsuo

[Okada Tetsuo]

Okada Tetsuo

He had absolutely no idea how to respond to any of this, the mixed messages he could feel coming from the white haired man left him feeling a little like he was trying to walk with his prosthetic for the first time all over again. That is, unsteady and unable to properly process what was going on.

Golden eyes narrowed at the other male for a long moment before he huffed and turned his attention back to the grill, taking the food off the heat and putting it on the plate in front of him as an excuse to ignore the blush that had taken over his cheeks and the tips of his ears, dunking one particularly tasty looking slice of beef in the chilli sauce that he had gotten and chewing on it somewhat viciously.

He didn't know what the white haired guy wanted, people who knew about him generally made it clear what their point was one way or another, but right now he'd just been approached, called cute and... then nothing. Who the heck was this guy? 

"You digress?" he prompted, the puzzle somehow forcing him to acknowledge the stranger in hopes of figuring out just what the hell this was all about. Tetsuo didn't realise it himself, but the guy had managed to mix embarassment, confusion, and anger in just the right amount that the blond didn't explode literally or metaphorically in response to what he said.

To anyone that knew Tetsuo well, it was an impressive achievement. 

Word Count: 252
Tags: Himishi Jou

[Himishi Jou]

Although Jou may not be as timid as he used to be a year ago, it seems some things never change as he found himself fumbling his words. By this point, the old Jou would've given up...but something was causing the Himishi to persist. Maybe he didn't want to look pathetic around an Okada? Perhaps he's just caught up in the moment? Or maybe he was just feeling things...rather dumb things. Either way, Jou was making a fool out of himself and there's no going back on it now.

"Oh...uh..." Jou who was once in the middle of rambling randomly had gone speechless after hearing the blond's prompt, the Himishi's sheepish and almost goofy-looking expression contrasting the Okada's somewhat aggressive demeanor. "I must not be making a lot of sense, huh?" Jou asked the obvious with a sheepish chuckle, waving his hand a bit dismissively. "I guess what I'm getting at is..." Jou then crossed his arms and closed his eyes, thinking of how he should put this. A part of him thought that he should be upfront about what he wanted to say...but no, Jou had another idea a terrible one even....prompting him to sit back next to the Okada, looking in his direction.

"Wanna hangout?" Jou said with a cheeky little grin. "Wouldn't hurt to bond a little with a comrade, yeah?" He added. "Promise I wont tease you...that much." Jou added with a little smirk, but his expression immediately changed as he noticed something. "Oh! Don't think you ever told me your name." With all this...confusion, Jou nearly forgot that he still never got the blond's name. "Although, I wouldn't mind just calling you Tetsuken-chan...or, you know, the other one that nearly turned your face into a tomato." he said as he took his eyes off of him and shrugged, chuckling lightly at the blond.

Okada Tetsuo

[Okada Tetsuo]

Okada Tetsuo

Tetsuo could feel his eyebrow twitching in irritation as the other man sat down, the expression deepening at the names he was called. Chan? That wasn't something he wanted to have to deal with yet again, it was bad enough when he was younger, he wouldn't stand for being mocked in such a way anymore.

Usually he got along fairly well with Himishi, they tended to be able to keep his interest and keep up with him at the same time, but this one was definitely getting his back up in such a way that it was impossible to ignore. He just wanted to eat his lunch and read but it seemed that he was going to have to deal with the oddly awkward white haired man who just seemed intent on pushing into his space.

"I'm Tetsuo, with the kanji for wisdom, not iron," he grit out, visciously spearing a hunk of meat with his chopsticks as it finished cooking, throwing it into his mouth and chewing irritably. Most people just assumed it was the iron spelling, which is what had garned the many joking nicknames he had received over the years. Hell, even the most recent 'ironfist' had been first said with the sort of shit eating grin that made him want to shove said iron fist down someone's throat!

Tetsuo wasn't entirely sure why he hadn't just chased the guy off yet, as he would have for most people, and instead chose to grumpily eat his food while squinting suspiciously at the white haired young man.

Word Count: 259
Tags: Himishi Jou

[Himishi Jou]

It was clear that not all of Jou's changes from his year long absence from the village was....good. He normally wouldn't invade other's personal space like this. He was more of a boy scout...and still sort of is. Although a part of him feels a little bad for this....it was still not enough for him to stop.

Despite the clearly irritable signs the blond was showing once he finally gave his name, Jou continued to smile, looking a little naive which isn't exactly surprising. There was a split second where Jou was going to bring up the possible 'iron' kanji for Tetsuo's name...but that was immediately squashed by the Okada which instead caused Jou to chuckle lightly instead, raising his hands up in mock surrender. He can only imagine how many times Tetsuo had to deal with that kanji joke, so he was going to spare the blond...this time. "Wisdom, huh?" Jou pondered a bit. "You're not like most other Okada I've had the pleasure of meeting, Tetsuo." Jou claimed. "Other then the...temper." he smirked slightly before looking over towards some villagers going about with their daily lives. When it comes to other Okada that Jou has met, the Himishi usually found himself fanboying over them. Although he'd probably never bring it up, there was also a hint of intimidation whenever Jou interacted with other Okada, but right now it this one, it didn't seem all that bad....despite the obvious signs of Tetsuo wanting to deck him.

For some odd reason, Tetsuo also feels a little more...relatable in a sense to Jou. Not them being similar in personality...but it was something that Jou couldn't quite put a finger on. It was probably what gravitated him towards the blond. Jou did have a theory...but he didn't want to claim anything before chatting with the grumpy Okada a little more.

"Are you a fan of wrestling, Tetsuo?" Jou asked as he continued to do his people watching.

Okada Tetsuo

[Okada Tetsuo]

Okada Tetsuo

It was starting to drive him a little crazy, he just couldn't quite figure out what this guy's deal was. Usually he could place a person's general goals for interacting with him pretty quickly, but he couldn't get a read of the Himishi, which was both odd and disconcerting. Normally the Himishi he met were easy enough to understand and the conversations tended to go a different direction than whatever this was.

"Didn't we already establish that I'm not interested in that sorta thing?" he asked with a raised eyebrow, becoming almost exasperated with the whole conversation because it didn't seem to be going anywhere and he couldn't figure out what the point was. Nothing he could come up with seemed to match the behaviour and it was becoming more and more frustration as his mind swirled through a number of possibilities.

Huffing slightly, the blond Tokujo shook his head a little in an attempt to clear it. "Look, I don't have the energy to figure out what it is that you want from me, so how about you tell me what exactly has you talking to me so that we can resolve it and get on with our day," he stated bluntly. People outside of his family tended to want something from him and nothing more, and he wasn't really in the mood to keep guessing here.

Word Count: 228
Tags: Himishi Jou