[Himishi Jou]

Jou was not expecting Shigure to quickly turn this around, and bring in teamwork, making the young Himishi look back at the team-based stuff needed in the previous rounds. "Fair point." Jou snickered a bit, not able to argue with this...not that he wanted to. Jou has met some pretty nice folks in these exams so far...but Shigure was by far the coolest and laid-back of them, sort of like an older brother figure. Jou did not just feel better about his cooking, but about himself as well just from this first encounter alone with the older genin.

But that was enough of that wholesome stuff...Now was the time to feast!

Jou politely sat down as well, but nearly jumped at how enthusiastic Shigure was being. Jou then chuckled lightly before gently clapping his hands together as well with a nod. "I-Itadakimasu." Jou repeated but as he got his plate, Shigure was already tearing through his first plate, causing Jou to give the guy an expression of sheer disbelief. The comments and compliments the Hyuga male gave was enough to make Jou smile a little, and finally the teen picked up his chopsticks and took the first bite. His eyes widened a bit in delight before he started to eat away at the food on his plate swiftly....but not on the same level as Shigure. There was a bit of elegance with how Jou ate, but it was clear that he was still enjoying the work they have created. "Y-You're right...." Jou said as he swallowed his last bite...and already starting to fill it up with more.

"The blend of the vegetables and meat...they compliment each other so well! Oh, and can you taste the miso?" Jou said with a hint of enthusiasm, getting a little analytic as he ate, even making some gestures with his chopsticks as he did so. "This is remarkable...We really did craft a masterpiece." He claimed with a little grin.

Hyūga Shigure

[Hyūga Shigure]

"masterchef mizu no kuni". "No matter how many people you may lose, you have no choice but to go on living." LET'S DO IT AGAIN The two of them were eating the food with a lot of passion and enthusiasm, and when he asked if he could taste the miso, Shigure nodded quickly a few times. "Definitely! It blends so well with the noodles and vegetables, it's crazy!" he said, chuckling lightly with the large smile on his face before digging in once again, and quickly making his way through the second bowl of their version of the Kirigakure Soba. "It's a masterpiece indeed! And I memorised everything we did, so I'm confident I will be able to replicate it later!" he added, quite proud of his very fine-tuned cooking memory. After a minute or so, Shigure finished the second bowl of the Soba and he was pretty full. He exhaled deeply and clapped his hands together. "Gochisosama deshita!" the Hyuuga showed his gratitude and appreciation for the food they just had. With the food out of the way, he stayed in the chair for a little longer, letting it settle down for a bit while he waited for Jou to finish eating himself. Once he did, he would lean against his hands, resting his elbows on the table. His face showed that special type of happiness that only comes after a satisfying meal. "You know what Jou, I hope we can do this again one day." he admitted, even though he knew that was very unlikely considering the fact they hailed from enemy nations. "So what if it seems hopeless? If it were me, I still wouldn't give up. Embrace your dreams. And, whatever happens, protect your honour as a Shinobi, for the price of freedom is steep." Between Rounds 2 and 3 Kitchenette [Himishi Jou] [247 words]

[Himishi Jou]

Jou was clearly a bit behind on eating compared to Shigure, but it was very much clear that he was enjoying the food as much as the Hyuga man. Eventually, Jou would end up with a second plate as well which would've come as a bit of a surprise to most who knew Jou since he was usually a one-and-done type of person when it comes to meals. There was just something about not only just eating really good food but eating really good food with someone else...and said food being the masterpiece that they have both created!

Jou was still devouring his second bowl as Shigure finished, and after a few more bites, Jou was finished as well, gently pushing the bowl to the side as he let out a satisfied sigh, glancing over at the now empty bowls happily. Shigure's mannerisms were quite contagious as well, causing Jou to clap his hands together in gratitude as well before chuckling a bit. "I don't think I've ever eaten this much before in one sitting." Jou pointed out with a bit of a sheepish smile. But his tone made it clear that he had no regrets...and he certainly sounded a bit more vocal now...and not the hesitant person he was before they started cooking. Food was a wonderful thing...capable of lighting one's mood...but the food shouldn't get all the credit.

Shigure's good company was something Jou was never going to forget. Jou glanced over at Shigure the moment he brought up the hope of doing this again. Jou paused for a second once he heard this. The young Himishi was not against this at all...but realistically, there was the matter of them being from opposing villages. Jou nearly forgot he was speaking with the 'enemy' until this was brought up. Jou looked away, looking as if he were about to revert back into being a hesitant mess...but then one of his hands which rested on the table would ball up into a fist as he closed his eyes. "Well...I don't hope we can do this again..." Jou said, the response sounding a little concerning at first...but then he opened his eyes and looked right at Shigure, raising his fist towards him...awaiting a fist bump.

"I KNOW we will." Jou grinned. Maybe it was time for him to start being a little more optimistic. "But next time, we're making Donburi." Jou did not know when or where this will happy...but he was confident that it will....regardless of what village they hail from.

Hyūga Shigure

[Hyūga Shigure]

"masterchef mizu no kuni". "No matter how many people you may lose, you have no choice but to go on living." FRIENDSHIP BEYOND GRUDGES Shigure laughed out loud when Jou said he had never eaten this much in one sitting. "I can't say the same, Jou-kun! I like eating just as much as I like cooking!" he said with a rather humorous tone. He had a real good time with the Rock Shinobi, and in all honesty, he didn't see him as an enemy in the slightest. Of course there was the possibility they would meet in the battlefield one day, but he hoped that even if that was the case, they would be able to reach an understanding without the need to fight one another. It may be wishful thinking, yes, but he was hoping that this generation could start taking the first steps into breaking the cycle hate. Shigure felt Jou he was throwing a bit of cold water on him when he said he didn't think they could do it again, but before the smile could fade away from his feature, his changed tone filled Shigure's heart with joy, reiterating they would be making donburi next time. The Hyuuga chuckled happily and nodded to the Himishi. "For sure! It will be the best Donburi ever!" he said with quite the enthusiasm. They chatted for a bit longer before heading towards their own rooms. The third round was going to start soon and they needed to prepare themselves. Still, Shigure would be cheering on Jou during the matches to come, he really hoped he could also become a Chuunin; the ninja world definitely needed people like him. "So what if it seems hopeless? If it were me, I still wouldn't give up. Embrace your dreams. And, whatever happens, protect your honour as a Shinobi, for the price of freedom is steep." End post Awesome thread \o/ [Himishi Jou] [260 words]

[Himishi Jou]

Jou had no problems doubting Shigure's claims of liking to eat, especially with what he witnessed. Jou didn't know what Shigure's life was like, but the young Himishi was brought up to be proper and polite to an extent. His parents might've greatly preferred his sister over him, but they still did put some effort into Jou, though it mostly revolved around proper etiquette and knowledge, while his sister had to learn those along with becoming an exceptional kunoichi. Even with how fast Jou was eating, it was still obvious that he was trying to be polite about it.

A part of Jou was worried that he may have come off as too enthusiastic and optimistic about the two potentially meeting again. The odds weren't exactly going to be in their favor after the Exams. The only time they'd really see each other again...would be most likely as enemies...but Jou did not want to think about that. It was foolish to try and ignore that, but Jou did not want to judge anyone solely on the village they hail from, but he also was aware that things could not be that easy. He thought that Shigure might point something like this out, but fortunately, he seemed to be just as optimistic as Jou, causing the young Himishi's grin to widen.

"You're damn right it will be!" Jou added, only to quickly cover his mouth with one hand at the realization of his...indecent choice of words....which wasn't really that bad. Looks like he was really getting caught up in all of this. Still, he ended up laughing it off and after a few more exchanges of words, the two went their separate ways, needing to prep for the third round. Looks like Jou had another person to root for during these Exams. Kekkei Genkai or not, Jou was not forgetting Shigure anytime soon...and the bond they shared.

Hyūga Shigure