[Hyūga Tamiko]

The afternoon sun hung overhead Konohagakure, the warmth of the day spread through the village's streets. Tamiko had been extra excited about today, having been talking about it with Hibana since the woman had taken her to the mall all those weeks ago. Her parents remained thankfully unaware of this and had fully believed that she had spent the day working on her skillsets rather than shopping for clothing and such with her two new friends. It had been some kind of hell to keep it under wraps, but her normal stoic appearance was getting harder and harder to maintain now.

So the academy student stood in front of the village's culinary district, clad in one of the new outfits that Hibana had helped her pick out. It was a fairly standard uniform that maybe somebody older would wear to work. It wasn't the traditional garb that she typically wore but in the eyes of her clan, it was still just as heretical. A white blouse, gray skirt, pink coat and matched with running shoes that had definitely helped with her speed training. The full outfit weighed less than the heavy Hyuuga clan robes and she felt odd at feeling the sparse wind graze the exposed skin on her arms.

"It should be about time..." Tamiko thought to herself as her stomach growled at the scent of delicious foods and more that were coming from further down in the streets. Restaurants and stalls of all kinds were open and well into the lunch rush. She crossed her arms and did her best to remain patient given her voracious appetite.

Being a teenager alongside somebody who was constantly pushing their body made for a hungry girl.

"I hope she comes soon. I don't know how much longer I can wait."

raika hyuga

[raika hyuga]

451 words Hyūga Tamiko

Raika is jogging to be able to get to where her younger cousin was likely still waiting for her. She had decided instead of wearing her usual and heavy dark gray coveralls, the kind she normally wears when she's working or training, she'd donned a much lighter pair of orange ones, with the sleeves rolled up to leave her arms exposed from the biceps down. Her musculature was much more pronounced now, but her clothing was lighter and clearly made more for a casual outing rather than her outfit for work or training. She smiles when she finally reaches the culinary district, feeling the occasional breeze on her arms for the first time in a while; normally, she had tried to hide just how muscular she was, but on this occasion, she'd decided that if Tamiko was going to be more casual, then she would, too. After all, nobody was going to see her with her arms out and report anything to the Hyuga clan.

"Oh, wow! Your outfit looks great on you!"

She happily bounces a bit, clapping her hands with delight. It looked like the kind of thing that Hibana might have picked out for her cousin, and it was absolutely adorable, although she'd probably avoid that exact word. She didn't want to make her own cousin feel like a little kid, even though she was fairly young. Raika remembered how much she hated being treated like a kid, and had resolved herself to treat Tamiko like more of an adult, or at least a young teenager. She loved being the "cool one", if she was honest.

She giggles happily when she hears how Tamiko's tummy grumbles with the impatience that the teenager might not be willing to vocalize to her, knowing that for Tamiko, like all other women in her experience, her body was more honest than she was.

"Well, it sure sounds like you're ready to eat! What did you have in mind? I'll be honest, my palette's been screwed up ever since I was left alone in Kawa, so maybe it's better if you pick out where we eat today!~"

While this wasn't entirely true, it wasn't entirely false, either; she'd always maintained that she had gotten a taste for seafood and street vendors from her time in Kawa. In this case, however, she knows that picking out where they would eat would almost certainly make Tamiko feel more adult as well, and she would probably enjoy the food herself. It's not like Tamiko's stomach is the only one growling, after all; she'd only just gotten out of the shower in time to make it down there, though she was probably a little late for their lunch.

”

by Pinn @ THQ

[Hyūga Tamiko]

Her eyes lit up like Christmas lights upon seeing the one person that she had been eager to see again after a full week of doing nothing but training, back to back. Her muscles hurt and she wanted to crawl in bed and nap for a hundred years, but she would always perk up when her cousin was present. In a blur of speed, Tamiko had tackled Raika, latching her arms around the muscular Hyuuga's waist and squeezing as hard as she could. "Raika!" she said with a voice brimming with the vigor and energy of youth, no longer burdened to being an emotionless husk for the time being. She could finally act like somebody her own age without any worry of punishment.

"Hibana-san took me shopping and helped me pick out a look." She said, showing herself off for Raika to see every angle of her new attire. She looked more lively than before, moreso now that her hair was let down fully instead of being in two rather immature looking pigtails. "Do you think I look pretty?" she asked Raika with the eyes of a little sibling showing off to an older one showcasing her pride and joy. She did a slow twirl around to show off her longer hair and outfit again before laughing to herself.

Her hand fell into Raika's stronger one, squeezing it once to feel the strength contained in it. The kind that she envied, wanting nothing more than to break free from her parents’ will and be the hero that she thought her cousin was. But for now, Tamiko played the part of a peppy up-and-comer, ready to take on the world.

"I wanted to try this restaurant out since I saw it when my family was passing by a few months ago. I’m not sure what they sell though." Tamiko said as they pushed past the crowd of people in the street. Her gait was hurried and she had a rare smile on her face that was normally stuck in a perpetual frown. The walk to the restaurant wasn't too far, and before Raika knew it, they stood in front of a medium sized building, colored a dark green with an area to sit down outside overlooking the burners and such. The sign outside said it was an udon restaurant, and Tamiko looked up at her companion with eyes brimming with excitement.

"Have you tried any udon before? Is it like some kind of sandwich?"

raika hyuga

[raika hyuga]

464 words Hyūga Tamiko

The only thing that keeps Raika from falling over is her own physical strength when Tamiko leaps into her in a tackling hug, and the older Hyuga lifts her up, responding with a tight and warm hug of her own. Of course, she's careful not to squeeze too tightly; the same strength that kept her from falling over so easily would otherwise be what could turn her cousin to jelly if she hugged too tight, and Raika is always careful with her little cousins. She gives her little ball of youth a little pat on the head and lets her down when she lets her know that she went out shopping with one of her lovers, and she feels a bit awkward about whether or not Hibana told her own cousin about their somewhat unusual relationship, but decides that if she found out and is acting like this, then it must not be a big deal. Instead, she claps her hands with applause as Tamiko gives a slow twirl.

"Oh, yes, your outfit is gorgeous! I'll have to thank Hibana for helping you shop around."

She gladly takes hold of Tamiko's hand, giving it a gentle big-sister squeeze as she's led out towards some of the other vendors for food, being told that she'd seen a certain kind of place when her family had passed through months ago. Raika really thought it was rather funny that Tamiko wanted to go in, even though she wasn't entirely sure what they actually sold, but she keeps her laughter held in and instead keeps the smile from that laughter. She gazes up at the banners curiously, it was certainly not a restaurant she'd been to before, so it was nice to see a new place with her younger cousin, whom she was just too happy to see. The taller Genin does finally giggle a bit when she's asked if an udon is a kind of sandwich, but she stifles it quickly; she certainly wasn't going to tease her younger family member when she'd rarely been outside of the Hyuga compound on her own, and certainly wouldn't have been allowed to be in a place like this.

"Udon is a noodle dish. It comes with all kinds of toppings, though, and so it can taste like all kinds of things..."

Raika turns towards the storefront, bringing Tamiko along with her like a proud and excited sibling as she orders up two bowls of something called oyako udon; it doesn't take long before they get two yellowing bowls of noodles with chicken and sliced onion, with an egg over the top of each. The older of the two gladly pays for the meal before she leads Tamiko over towards one of the many outdoor dining tables.

”

by Pinn @ THQ

[Hyūga Tamiko]

Tamiko let out a pleased giggle at Raika's words, having been eager to get her input regarding Hibana's decisions in style. With somebody such as her, the smallest Hyuga had very little doubt about whether or not her cousin could pull a look such as this off. She was starting to blossom into herself, with the academy student slowly becoming more expressive and actually like somebody her age. It would be left up for fate to decide if this immature rebellious streak would continue or not, but it felt nice just to be herself for a change.

Meanwhile, back in reality, Tamiko sat down with Raika beside her, watching excitedly at what she could wonder would be slapped down in front of her. That world was your platter when your family was as notable for the Hyuga, and it extended greatly into the clan's culinary choices. It was a regularly occurrence to get dishes and meals that would be considered "fine delicacies" or "expensive as shit" food. So when it came to some of the more widely known meals and stuff for commoners (as her parents labeled them), Tamiko wasn't exactly one to really know much about it.

"So this is Udon!" The child nearly gasped as two large bowl were set in front of the both of them. Her eyes scanned over each and every little pore and ingredient that was made to make his fine bowl of goodness. The scents were overwhelming, and she could feel her mouth watering at just imagining what this would taste like. Did that mean that it would taste good? Hopefully it did! "Itadakimasu!~"

One large mouthful later, Tamiko had succeeded in burning her mouth and letting out a pained but pleased noise as she slurped down the beginning parts of the udon. After managing to not choke on chunks of vegetables and more, Tamiko would smiled up at her cousin with a burned tongue. "This is good! I'm gunna need like one more bowl after this! But with a lot more egg!"

raika hyuga

[raika hyuga]

414 words Hyūga Tamiko

Raika can't help but to see a bit of herself in Tamiko's rebellion against the family that has been so overbearing for her, just as much as it was when she'd been a child and had been groomed to become the next Hyuga heir. Of course, she'd been far more rebellious, and the consequences for her own actions against the clan had been far more severe, and she was thankful that Tamiko didn't have to experience any of the more harsh actions of their very traditional clan. It seems it isn't nearly as harsh as the clan once was, and for that she was grateful. She knows there are still some activists within the clan that see any deviation from their old traditions as a crime, but she'd openly trained a branch member of the clan in one of the main family's techniques; she'd earned their ire years ago, and their attempt to exile her had ended with her becoming even stronger.

The older Hyuga giggles a bit seeing her cousin get a bit too eager to taste the udon, and she ends up burning her tongue on the hot veggies and noodles, apparently too eager to dig in to patiently wait for it to cool, or even to blow the steam off of the noodles to help them to lose some of their heat. Raika herself had become accustomed to more... austere dining when she'd been exiled to Kawa, and so she was far less eager to eat it, blowing lightly over a group of noodles she held deftly between her chopsticks in order to make it more palatable before she slips the noodles into her mouth, followed by a few of the vegetables.

"Mmmmmm... Sho good!" 

She's a bit surprised that the younger Hyuga manages to swallow down all of her food before she does, and then giggles when she suggests getting another bowl, but with more egg. Raika herself is considering it now, since it would have even more protein than the bowl she'd gotten for herself. She did need more food, since she'd just trained, after all. Raika orders another two bowls, with double the egg. It might cost more, but Raika had money to spare, after all. She and Tamiko were members of the house family, so although the differences were still decreasing, they still had plenty of money. After all, even branch members of the Hyuga clan had a significantly better life than some of the weaker clans.

”

by Pinn @ THQ

[Hyūga Tamiko]

It was so good! Tamiko's bottomless pit of a stomach just couldn't get enough. She laughed along with Raika and waited for her own input before they had both reached a similar conclusion. Her legs swung underneath the seat as the younger Hyuga enoughed the break from her busy days. Tamiko had wondered if this was what it was like to be considered "normal” by most people's definition. No need for spending countless hours upon hours of training, and just enjoying the day for what it was by somebody she enjoyed spending time with. A hand went to play with her longer bangs as she still found them to be so strange after spending such a long time with her twintails.

"I'm glad you like it too! Do you think that we can get another bow?" Tamiko asked Raika with a glimmer of possibility and hunger in her eyes. The strict training regime she was on made any kind of meal valuable fuel for the war machine that was her body. Once the two had fully managed to devour a plate, Tamiko took a moment to let it all settle down while wiping her mouth clean of any residue. "Raika-san, when you were a Genin, what was life like for you?" she asked curiously. "Did you spend all your time doing missions and stuff? I'm worried I won't get any time for myself when I graduate. I don't want to spend all day being a ninja, not when most of my friends have free time."

She mulled the thought over as Raika gave her own input, swinging her legs from the chair again and resting her head on her arms. Even with the lack of things to do as of current, Tamiko did want to try and find some kind of outlet for her to do away from work. She had debated asking about those miniature models of things you found in toy stores, or maybe working on painting or something. Those fuuinjitsu people made it look so easy…

When the time came to order round 2, Tamiko requested her bowl to have more egg and products in it. She wanted them to load it all into a bowl so she could devour it all in only three or four bites! But she continued to listen to Raika in the meantime. "And I've actually been wanting to try a new look for a while. But I'm scared my parents are gonna kill me if I do."

raika hyuga

[raika hyuga]

461 words Hyūga Tamiko

Raika is fully enjoying her time with Tamiko, who was rapidly becoming her favorite cousin, no doubt because they were spending much of their time together and were using that time to relax a lot and train a little. It was soothing for the woman who had spent so much of her life doing nothing but focusing on getting stronger and better at the skills she naturally had. While some in the Hyuga clan seemed adamant that birth determined destiny, Raika and Tamiko at the very least seemed to understand that hard work was the method to determining where one's life is going.

The question of her own Genin life is brought up, and Raika's mind instantly flashes to the memory of her time in Kawa, which was where she had spent the majority of her Genin years. The experience for her had been traumatic, dehumanizing, and had caused some change in Raika that had caused her to eschew the strict and rigid superiority complex that some Hyuga shinobi held for their own Taijutsu and follow other, more apparently heretical teachings and styles of combat that the other more conservative members of the clan did not abide by in the least bit. The memory of Kawa perhaps makes Raika pause for a moment, her eyes staring directly ahead immediately after Tamiko asks the question before her mind returns instantly to the present, and she puts on a smile to force down the unbidden thoughts of Kawa.

"Oh, you get missions here and there, but they're really not going to force you to do a whole lot. Most of the missions you get as a Genin are gonna be really simple and low priority, so you won't need to think too much about it, really."

She giggles a little and gives her cousin a knowing wink.

"Clearly, since I get to spend time with you!"

Raika is also glad that Tamiko is talking to her about her plans for a new look that might not have been okay with the other clan members, since it showed that Tamiko trusted her more than some of the other people in the Hyuga clan. The thought of how much the more conservative members of the Hyuga clan might clutch their pearls at Tamiko reminds her of their reactions to her new choice of clothing when she'd returned from Kawa, even if she had made the change in her wardrobe because the flowery and perfumed robes that indicated status in the Hyuga clan would have gotten her killed and robbed within a day in Kawa.

"You also get a lot more freedom when you become a Genin, ya know? I get to dress like this, and nobody in the clan says anything to my face about it."

”

by Pinn @ THQ

[Hyūga Tamiko]

It was only a brief description, but it did help put Tamiko at ease, knowing that she wasn't going to be sent to the frontlines of war immediately. It had been a frequent worry in the back of her mind, with the legions of Genin in Konohagakure being sent out regularly. It didn't help that she was a Hyuga, one of the most esteemed clans of the village. Sure, she definitely wasn't on anybody's level just yet, but maybe if she worked hard enough, Tamiko could reach Raika's current level! But gosh, that was going to take like 40 years or something. If that's what it took to be a proper ninja, then that was what she would do!

"Phew, I was worried for a moment! I didn't want to get sent to go on campaigns outside the village when I didn't even know how to use the Byakugan properly. Thanks again, by the way~" Tamiko said and waited for the second bowl to arrive while smiling up at her cousin. She had always envied that her cousin could just wear whatever it was that she wanted without anybody raising concern. Tamiko eagerly looked forward to try and flex her fashion muscle! "I might require your input on something as well. I just want to get out of these robes, to be honest. I hate running around in this."

The youngest Hyuga leaned back in her seat as the two bowls returned from the kitchen with each one of their new orders being taken over to them. Like she requested, Tamiko's bowl was chock full of egg and more vegetables and more. Her sights settled at the bowls as her mouth began to water again. Everything just looked so good! They were set down in front of the the two Hyuga and Tamiko managed to control herself to continue the conversation with Raika without tiring herself out because of the food. "I haven't thought about what I should focus on when I graduate either. I thought taijutsu would be best, but I don't know if I should just focus on that."

raika hyuga