[Deleted]

i never told a lie, and that makes me a liar.

Kazui sat alone towards the back of the playground, which was kind of the usual for the girl since she was kind of shy, and making friends was a bit hard to do since everyone usually already had their close knit group of friends. This didn’t bother the girl much however, it just made her find a way to enjoy the time she did have by herself. A book in her hand, and her eyes were glued to the paper, she would begin to drift away page by page. The book she was reading probably wasn’t anything that would interest many kids. It was a book on genjutsu. Something that a lot of aspiring shinobi found boring, Kazui on the other hand found it intriguing. Whenever she got the chance, she would study the book every single day. She wanted to learn the ins and outs of it as fast as she possibly could.

The girl’s finger traced along the bottom of every word on the page to make sure she was paying attention to the details that were given. In the distance, children’s laughter could be heard, and Kazui’s focus would be broken. Her eyes veered upward from the books pages. It seemed as if kids were playing tag and generally enjoying the beautiful day. The young Uchiha girl was going to dismiss the group from her focus, until she saw someone she knew, and then it all came back to her. It was the kids from the orphanage. The girl would jump to her feet as she ran towards the group waving her arms in the air, trying to gain the boy’s attention.

"Hey! Hey Roku!”

The girl would scream out as she got closer to the group.

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MADE BY MIZO

[Gure Rokurou]

 

Lady Kazui

- Something somewhere out there keeps calling -

Just as things seemed to have calmed down and Roku had found his way home, fully intending to lock himself away in his room with a good book, not two, not three, but four bundles of energy mowed him down. If it wasn't for his quick reaction he would have been tackled with a roar from the small mob.

"Roku! Roku! Yuuta said you would take us to the playground!"

Oh man... With a short chuckle the dark haired teen would side step the children, peeling Yuko's hands from his sleeve so he could hold her hand instead. Yuuta had a knack for spoiling the little free time Roku had by pushing the needy, attention seeking children towards him. He had little to no ability to say no, which helped the orphan caretaker a great deal, since Yuuta had decided to go travel he was only home every now and then to make sure the orphanage hadn't burned to the ground. Roku couldn't lie, he missed the man he had settled on calling dad. Now that he was gone, he was... Pretty much a standard, bitter, betrayed orphan. At least that is how he felt most of the time when he remembered the man, as if the sticky, black hatred was going to bring the man back. If he did, Roku wasn't sure what he was going to do. Throw a plate at his head?

"I guess I'm taking you to the playground, come on then, get your shoes on while i get some snacks" 

With the four kids cheering him on as they gathered their footwear, Roku swept into the kitchen and pantry gathering a few bottles of water, some prepacked snacks and the book he had looked forward to reading. As he left he grabbed a jacket and was on his way with the four rascals scattered around him. 

Once at the playground he settled on a bench with his backpack beside him and soon enough he would retreat to the pages for a few moments before a voice rose above the laughter and sounds of play. Dark, brown eyes rose to meet a young girl with a mob of black hair not unlike his own.   Not much bad could be said about Roku, he treated everyone equally and with a smile, his underfoot nature easily bent to accommodate any more dominating or demanding personality, so he was a quick friend among the kids and young ones, while it wasn't the best trait in a shinobi, it meant he got to interact with every single one of the kids who passed through the orphanage. Even Kazui, despite her short stay. She was a clan kid, already then the outcasts which dominated the orphanages around the world, had everything against her. She was more likely to do well as a shinobi, more likely to get adopted, basically she had a head start over everyone else. Roku couldn't deny the small tinge of jealousy he felt. She belonged to an entire clan after all. As he closed the book he closed that bucket of thoughts and got up with the characteristic grin and soft gaze, he'd wave at her, not big flashy movement since it really wasn't necessary and she already her her eyes locked on to him. 

"Hey, Kazui! How are you doing?" 

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i never told a lie, and that makes me a liar.

The amount of joy that the girl received as her eyes rested upon Roku was insurmountable. Her eyes gleamed with it, and it could even been seen within her smile. As she approached closer she would see the smile of his face as well, as well as a few of the other kids whom she had seen within the orphanage during her short time there. She was placed in the orphanage for a week, nothing more nothing less. Luckily enough her grandmother returned to the village to live with the young girl again, which is why her time there was so short. It had been years since then, but the young Uchiha still remembered every single face she saw. As she faced Roku she would think about how lucky she was to have a grandmother that cared enough for her to migrate back within the village just to take care of her granddaughter.

"I’m doing well!”

The girl would answer after giving the boy a hug. Her answer however was more or less inaccurate. She had been going through hardships, and it seemed as if the bad outweighs the good. Regardless she still answered positively to keep boy from worrying.

"I’m in my final year at the academy.”

The girl would say with a cheerful tone. The last time Roku would have seen her, the girl would have been a bit smaller than what she was, a bit sicker as well. But now as she stood before him, she was a lot bigger than before, and much much healthier.

"How have things been for you?”

The girl would genuinely ask.

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[Gure Rokurou]

 

Lady Kazui

- Something somewhere out there keeps calling -

The hug cemented what he had already observed, she had grown a great deal during the time he hadn't seen her, although they weren't close, Roku still felt a need to protect her, just as he did towards all the other little rascals. It was much like having a big group of siblings, except he never really got time to himself where the parents entertained the younger ones. So while he could dream up a stream of bad words to describe them, if anyone else dared lift a hand against them, he'd shield them. 

Ironically, he had barely finished his own academy time, but at least she would be graduating while still in the age span of what could be considered average. Her question was about to be shrugged off with the standard reply of how he was doing just fine and things were normal. She wasn't a child though, soon they'd even be the same rank. 

"So and so. Been working on my chakra control and such. Home is as a chaotic as ever"

He thought of mentioning Yuuta, but he honestly wasn't sure if the girl had even met him. The former head of the orphanage had become a memory in only the eldest children's' minds. Another failure, another disappointment. He ruffled her hair a little. 

"What about your training? Have you nailed all the things you need to do for the exam? "
 

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i never told a lie, and that makes me a liar.

Kazui’s time at the orphanage was short and sweet, she didn’t get too close to anyone to be exact, the girl often sectioned herself off from the rest of the kids the majority of her time, until she began getting closer to them, and once she did get closer and started to make new bonds with the kids around her, her grandmother returned to watch after the young girl. While she was happy to be adopted by her grandmother, Kazui hated that she had to leave her newly found friendships on hold.

Fortunately, she was still allowed to attend the academy, even though it was against her grandmother’s wish. Kazui wanted to put the woman’s worries to rest, so she trained her hardest everyday, but she often never saw results from all of her efforts being put into her training regime.

"My training is alright, learning the jutsu is hard though.”

The girl would explain with a pouting face. She didn’t know what she had to do to get things to go her way. No matter how hard she tried, the young girl always seemed to fail, it was beginning to frustrate her.

"How has everything been at the home? How’s the head of the orphanage, Yuuka was his name I believe? Y-Yuda?”

The girl would ask.

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MADE BY MIZO

[Gure Rokurou]

 

Lady Kazui

- Something somewhere out there keeps calling -

Jutsu could be tough to learn especially if the training wasn't right for you. Most learned it one way or the other, but there always were a few who needed an alternate training method to succeed. Roku knew how he learned best, so the academy hadn't been hard in that sense, he had excelled in most areas except when it came to the physical somersaults and feats, which his lanky figure often told everyone around him. With a smile he shrugged lightly as he answered her. 

"Maybe they aren't training you the way you need, have you tried another method?" 

Her next question made him hesitate. She was younger than him and the bitterness he held wasn't something he should share with someone younger than him, she'd offer little guidance in such things he was sure. 

"Hm, he went travelling and we haven't heard anything in a long time. There is a new one now, someone called... Fran I think. Honestly, the kids barely listen to her, so most of the time it is Houka who runs things since she is the oldest." 

The older girl was more or less the only one even close to his own age and even then it was only by two years. She had resigned herself to being an orphan as most others had and she worked at a nearby bakery to pass the time and try to scrape together enough money to buy her own apartment. 

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i never told a lie, and that makes me a liar.

Kazui pouted as she listened to the boy’s explanation, but he did have a point. Not all training methods would yield results for all who participated in them. Different people learn in different ways, while some it may be a lot easier than most, the others had to find an alternative way to suit their needs. It wasn’t fair, but of course life wasn’t fair either.

"I’ve tried everything they’ve thrown at me, I’ve even tried my own ways of learning but..I still struggle.”

The girl would say as she shrugged her shoulders slightly. Roku would go on to explain the situation at the foster home. It was a tough one. It wasn’t like Yuuta to just up and leave something he helped build without coming back or even checking on them. Kazui could understand where there would but a bit of tension, especially for Roku.

"Oh..I’m sure one day he’ll come back, and it’ll be just like before.”

The girl would say with a slight smile, hoping it would cheer Roku up a bit. If she were in his shoes, the girl would definitely feel a sense of betrayal. Luckily enough she didn’t know the man as well as others knew him, but what she gots during her short period of time in the orphanage, Yuuta seemed like a kind soul. Kazui took her time to look over all of the kids that were present with Roku, smiling as she turned to face him again. He was like Yuuta in a way, even if he hated being associated with the man.

"You’re a genin now..right? How have things been going with that? Are you ready for the exams? What kind of missions have you been getting? Are they exciting?”

The curious girl would shoot a barrage of questions at her friend. It was an annoying quirk she had, and she never really noticed unless someone told her how annoying she really was. It was only her curiosity, she was interested in Roku being shinobi, so she rapid fired her questions without even knowing.

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[Gure Rokurou]

 

Lady Kazui

- Something somewhere out there keeps calling -

It was a sweet attempt at cheering him up and he appreciated it, a small smile tugging the edges of his lips a bit further up. For some reason, Kazui's question had exposed something more, a need to actually talk to someone about Yuuta and how he felt stuck between a rock and a hard place whenever he stood in a situation which he usually would have handled or helped him handle. It felt like falling without knowing if you were going to break your neck against a rock or would land safely. 

The new direction of questions were much more on their level of conversation, although the number of times he had had to answer if his missions were exciting were beginning to make him wish that they actually were exciting, so he had some awesome stories to tell when the kids asked for one, instead of just retelling the one about the time he fell into a beer casket while chasing a pet parrot. 

"Yeah, I'm a genin. As for exams, yeah those I'm not ready for yet, we have been having trouble with our team, so I have only been on a great deal of missions in the village. As for the most exciting mission... Hmm, yeah that has to be the one time I had to catch a parrot. It kinda tells you just how exciting my missions are"

He chuckled dryly. His eyes had drifted to the kids who were in full swing on the jungle gym. As he had finished answering her questions, he promised himself he'd go and ask for a mission out of the village, something which wasn't too tough but something out of his comfort zone as well. He glanced back at Kazui. 

"What kind of missions do you want to go on when you become a genin? " 

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i never told a lie, and that makes me a liar.

Kazui listened carefully as Roku spoke to her. Her answers are kind what she expected them to be, except for the fact that he wasn’t ready for the chuunin exams. He seemed strong enough to her, perhaps he just wanted to be sure. Kazui recalled hearing of a tale that happened a few years ago at the chuunin exams, a girl from the leaf was killed. That alone was enough to make the girl hesitant to even consider the exams, perhaps she could be a genin forever. Roku’s most exciting mission however warranted laughter from the girl.

"You had to chase a parrot?!”

The girl would say excitedly as she chuckled. To him that might have seemed silly and kind of lame, but to Kazui it seemed fun and pretty badass. She didn’t have many expectations on the type of missions that genin received. Missions alone were pretty cool and she wanted to take part in them all. Roku would ask what she expected when she became a genin. Placing her hand over her chin, she would ponder the question.

"Hmm..anything and everything! From doing chores to stopping bad guys, and maybe I’ll even get to chase a parrot or two.”

The girl would say with a smile. She didn’t care what mission she received, she just wanted to take part in them. But in order to do that, she would have to get through the academy first, which was proving to get a bit easier, but still it seemed like her graduation was so far away.

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[Gure Rokurou]

At least someone was excited for the parrot-chasing adventures. Roku sure was not. He had been scratched and bitten, more or less beaten up by a parrot simply because it insisted on flapping its surprisingly strong wings whenever he had caught it. He smile nonetheless and scratched his cheek.  "Heh, well pets run away far more than you'd expect! I'm sure you'll get to chase a parrot or a cat at some point, if not... Well, then I'll release a parrot and pay you to catch it!"  A brilliant idea! His humor might have been lost on the girl, but if it turned out she would never experience the frustration of having to catch an avian creature, then Roku was more than willing to draw on the trouble-making, orphan gene and set someone's parrot free.  It was a good thing she was excited for the future, he noted with a smile as his chocolate brown eyes wandered to the children playing, his hand resting on his collarbone where he felt the chain to his medallion, it soon became he subject of his idle fidgeting, the closed locket dancing between his fingers. Himiko looked like she was eyeing the mudcakes a bit too much... After observing her for a moment and no mudcakes were devoured with glee, he returned his gaze to Kazui.  "You know, you can always come to us if you need help with anything, right? Training, friends, bullies, romance, all that your grandma might not understand"  No disrespect was meant towards the aging caretaker, but sometimes it was easier to spill your heart out to someone who wasn't family.

TAGGED Lady Kazui WORDS HEX# 0000 16774d NOTES NOTES GO HERE

heart don't fail me now; courage don't desert me

tempbyai

[Deleted]

i never told a lie, and that makes me a liar.

Laughter escape the girl’s lips as Roku went on to joke about purposefully setting a parrot free just so that Kazui could experience what it was like to chase a bird if she never got a mission similar to it while she was a genin. She hoped that she got to experience what it was like regardless, other genin may loathe the idea of rescuing an animal but Kazui would find much joy in it.

"Ha. If that were ever the case I would have to talk to Lady Niko into letting me drag you along with me, so that you can experience it for a second time. It’s the least I could do for all your kindness.”

Kazui would joke in return with a shrug of her shoulders, her soft voice fought back laughter as she spoke. She wouldn’t mind going on a mission with Roku, especially if he were the cause of it. Kazui stood with her fingers interlocked behind her back, her eyes followed Roku’s as he watched over his younger siblings. Once his attention returned to Kazui, her dark eyes would meet with his browns as he spoke.

Kazui would nod slightly as she listened. A smirk on her face as her eyes darted to the side. It was always nice to have people who were willing to help, a support system that’ll always have your back.

"Yeah, sometimes I get so caught up with everything that I forget who’s there for me. I’ve been meaning to visit the orphanage, just to say thanks but….”

Her words would fade away with the wind briefly as she tried to gather her thoughts. She had no desire of ever being in the orphanage, luckily her grandmother returned to take care of her, however many children weren’t as lucky, people like Roku. Her eyes shifted to the ground for a moment until her gaze met his again. Kazui would slightly redirect the topic.

"...Anyways, running into you here was.. by fate I guess. Considering I haven’t seen you in years.”

Kazui would reply as she scratched her head.

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"Oh you don't have to! I'm sure we'll be seeing more of each other when you get out of the academy. Plus, most of the ones you met aren't there anymore anyways... "  He shrugged and leaned back. He wasn't going to pull her back just to make awkward smalltalk with the youngsters. He wasn't going to make her go back to something she had no obligation to anymore.  With a small smile he listened to her small speech about fate.  "Heh, maybe. Or it is just chance. Although, I'm glad you are doing well. "  If she had any topics she wanted to discuss, Roku was willing to entertain it, but he had run out of things he could ask the girl and he really didn't know all that much about her in the end. Other that she was a kid from a famous clan. So she was well off. Something he wished for all the kids.  If she wanted to sit and just enjoy the weather and the sounds around them, then he wouldn't chase her off either.

TAGGED Lady Kazui WORDS HEX# 0000 16774d NOTES NOTES GO HERE

heart don't fail me now; courage don't desert me

tempbyai

[Deleted]

i never told a lie, and that makes me a liar.

Kazui laughed and giggled at Roku’s remark. She didn’t have to worry because they were surely going to come across one another more frequently once she had graduated the academy and became an official shinobi, a fresh rookie, but a shinobi nonetheless. That was something she had her sights set on in the near future, working alongside Roku and the many other genin who were bound to be placed alongside the young Uchiha. It all seemed so fun, and she was ready for it all.

As for the other kids who she had briefly met during her time at the orphanage not being around, Kazui couldn’t help but to feel rather happy, if they weren’t around anymore then they were surely adopted, hopefully by a loving and caring family. The girl sighed with a slight smile on her face, she wanted Roku to experience that feeling as well.

"Heh. It’s good to see that you’re doing pretty good too.”

The girl would say softly as her hands intertwined with one another by the fingers, her thumbs began to twiddle around each other. Silence grew between the two for a slight moment, short enough for either of them to truly notice, but before Kazui could break the silence, her eyes shifted past Roku’s shoulder, a very familiar face would grab the Uchiha’s attention, forcing her to groan nervously as she covered her face. ’Oh no..’ She would think to herself as she shifted to the side, more so in front of Roku, trying to hide herself from the boy. A brand new genin, who graduated from the academy two weeks prior. A reputation built around bullying and being an overall asshole, combined with a nasty personality, it made for a disaster of a child, who was only 15 years old.

The boy carried himself like a king and everyone else was below his feet, he exuberated cockiness, and was the epitome of a narcissist. To add to the matters, Kazui was usually his prime target whenever they were in class together, and he knew about the girl’s living situation. The boy approached slowly, and the closer he got, the more Kazui felt vulnerable. His voice spoke out to Roku as he approached from behind the boy.

"Hey fool, can I borrow a Kunai? My sensei says if I lose another one he’ll send me back to the academy. Something about being unprepared and blah blah blah, I don’t get it.”

The boy would say with a mug look of annoyed anger on his face, as both of his hands rested in his pocket as he leaned beside Roku. He was rather tall, to Kazui, and was pretty stout for a young teen (more so on the chubby end), but he didn’t care about his weight, he believed he was higher than everyone, and thus better.

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The air shifted. Not physically, but it was the small changes in Kazui's stature, her face, the look in her eye... Roku barely witnessed it, but his overactive, anxious mind picked up on everything that might mean a hostile situation. And when the voice rang out behind him, he felt his body tense ever so slightly. Roku, despite his age, was an easy target for bullying if there ever was one. Genin younger than him who caught on to it, would often push him around even if they didn't fully realize it and some would do it because they something in him which was weak. and this newly made genin (thank whatever person who made the teams, he wasn't on Roku's) saw him as easy bait.  Roku's survival skills consisted of: Flight Mode, Roll over and avoid confrontation, and lastly, Fear Induced Fighting...  None were ideal, but as he caught on to Kazui's stature and her slight move to hide, a conflicting feeling came up in him. There was no way he'd let him terrorize a kid, he could terrorize Roku for days, but not the kids at the orphanage or any others Roku had deemed acceptable people. So, in an attempt to get the genin to leave as fast as possible, he turned his head to him and then started to dig through his bag as he spoke. Man, did he even have a kunai in his bag??? He should have...  " Uh, sure, just give me a second. But don't lose it and try to buy some more, so you don't get in trouble with your sensei"  His hands move quickly, his heart moved quicker. His voice was a few pitches higher than when he had been talking with Kazui and his eyes a little wider as he focused entirely on the task of fishing out a kunai form the bottom of his bag. He'd have to go buy  a new one. Or see if he perhaps had an extra stowed away somewhere in his room... He sighed with relief as his hand pricked itself on the sharp edge as he fumbled to find the right end.  "Here. "  He handed the genin the kunai and hoped he'd leave. If he didn't Roku was pretty sure his hands would turn clammy and cold in no time.

TAGGED @name WORDS HEX# 0000 16774d NOTES NOTES GO HERE

heart don't fail me now; courage don't desert me

tempbyai

[Deleted]

i never told a lie, and that makes me a liar.

Kazui tried her hardest to hide perfectly in front of Roku so that she would not be seen by the boy who never gave up the opportunity to make her life a living hell. Her soft hands clasped together tightly as she brought them to the center of her chest. Her eyes shut tightly as she waited for the boy to leave. She had no real reason for doing so, it was a soothing effect, it her mind if she didn’t see the boy, the boy wouldn’t see her. She waited and listened on, remaining ghostlike as Roku went on to talk to the new genin.

The way he approached Roku made Kazui’s skin crawl, but she didn’t think much of it. Pushing it to the side, she listened on as her friend spoke nervously, giving in to his request, and looking for a kunai. The kid watched on as Roku ruffled through his bag looking for a Kunai, he was not amused by the amount of time it took to feel the metal placed into his hand, a scoff escaped from his lips as he twirled the kunai around his finger.

"What a dork.”

He would mumble underneath his breath. He began to turn away but at this point Kazui had heard enough. Sliding out from in front of Riku, she would confront the child on his rude behavior, pointing at him as she spoke.

"How about you show some gratitude next time, and stop being such an asshole, Shigeo”

Her voice was piercing and filled with emotion. She meant it. He could be mean and rude to her all he wanted, but once his negative energy was directed towards a friend of hers, Kazui could not just stand there and merely watch on. The boy turned on his heel, a devilish grin on his face as his focus was now shifted to a face that he knew oh so well.

"Well if it isn’t the sick wittle Kazui. How about you show some respect to your higher ups, before I leave you in the hospital with your granny.”

He would state with laughter, holding his stomach as he chuckled. The Uchiha’s eyes shifted to Roku quickly, before returning to Shigeo. Gritting her teeth and clenching her fist, the girl was beginning to get defensive.

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