[nue masahiko]

FEAR IS THE MIND-KILLER

Kazu had won the first of his fights with Taru surrendering the round to him after they both gave an admirable showing; she was relatively badly wounded and unwilling to show off more of her skills before the next two fights, which was a deeply intelligent move, and they had both given a good performance. All in all it had been an excellent start to round three for Kazu, who had already scored markedly well in the first two round, and Masahiko felt the urge to take him out to celebrate. Before leaving the arena at the conclusion of the first day, Masahiko had paused at the Yuki Lady’s shoulder—spectating not two seats down from him during Kazu’s bout—and quietly invited her along. He hadn’t expected her to agree, but to his surprise she had. Kazu’s next fight was the next day, and he needed medical attention after the bout, but they could spare a couple of hours to share a meal together, perhaps briefly enjoy the festival. Masahiko sprung for one of the nicer restaurants in Kagamino no Shi—not top of the line, he wasn’t made of money, but he could afford to splurge for a special occasion, and it seemed appropriate to angle for something nicer with Lady Shuka accompanying them. The Lady had told him she’d meet them there at the appointed time, so he picked up Kazu from the medical tents once he was done being treated—though he opted not to tell Kazu where they were going. It seemed more fun as a surprise. Handmade sign tucked under his arm, he put a hand on his hip once he and Kazu were out of the medical tents, and gave Kazu a careful up-and-down look. "You should change,” Masahiko declared. "You’re a mess.” A pit stop at the dorms for a change of clothes for Kazu, as Masahiko would brook no argument, and then they would make their way to the restaurant Masahiko had picked out—a good five minutes late, thanks to the detour. Masahiko opened the door for Kazu to enter, then ushered him inside—where he saw Lady Shuka already seated, because naturally she was prompt. "My Lady,” Masahiko said, lifting a hand to her and shooing Kazu towards their table. "So sorry we’re late, thank you for joining us.” He cast a glance over at Kazu, a smile tugging at his mouth. "Kazu was a bit of a mess after that fight, I couldn’t in good conscience let him go out in public looking the way he did.”

Yuki Kazu Yuki Shuka -- 423

LAIKA OF THQ

[Yuki Kazu]

After the conclusion of Kazu's first fight, only one more remained. He didn't get to watch though, he was busy getting patched up in the medical tent. He still couldn't believe his strategies worked against Taru, he knew nothing about her before the fight had begun. At least, as far as her jutsu and whatnot. He was very flexible though, and that turned out to work in his benefit. Still, in Kazu's opinion they had both done extremely well. He felt good about how the fight had gone, it was a friendly brawl and then it was over. Still, even while being patched up he wondered who he would have to fight in the next days. Two more opponents. Two more chances to show what he had. He was nervous, but more than that he was excited. At this point it didn't matter to him if he won or not, or at least not as much. He'd showed that Yuki had a Genin with an immense amount of potential. Jou's words rang in his ears. "To have someone like that wanting to test you means that she sees some sort of potential in you, yeah?" Jou was right, it seemed. He did have potential.

Speaking of Jou... his fight left Kazu feeling horrible for his friend. Kazu imagined having to fight someone from his team in these exams. That didn't even come close to how Jou felt facing Haruka. Both of them had wanted to prove themselves. Kazu did, Jou didn't. He balled his hand into a fist as he laid in the medical tent, the medical personnel attending to him yelled at him to stop moving, but he just couldn't help it. Haruka had yelled at Kazu to not speak ill of Jou, but she didn't believe in him either. Regardless of who his opponent was, Kazu cheered him on the whole way. He silently hoped he'd get to fight her at some point. Preferably in the third round so he would have time to come up with a strategy and calm down his emotions. Then again, that would still only be two days.

When the medics finally finished patching him up, the first day of round three had concluded. As he exited the tent, a familiar head of mint green hair greeted him, "Sensei!" The boy was obviously ecstatic, a huge grin across his face despite the smoldering jacket he was wearing. Luckily, he had a spare at the dormitories. The same in color and design as his smoldered one. Masahiko led him back to the dorms, telling the boy that he should change, "Hey, what'd you expect when I was just in a fight! I can't be careful enough to not even get my clothes dirty, sensei!" Not only did he need to change, he also needed a shower. Whoever was in that last fight had done something to make it smell way worse. After getting into his room, Kazu shot a quick wave to Ichi, his roommate, then took a quick shower to remove the awful smell and changed into a new set of clothes. Exactly identical to what he had worn during the fight. He would have to thank his mom for packing a spare change of clothes. 

As they left the dormitories, Kazu was led by Masahiko to a pretty decent restaurant. "Sensei how did you even pay for this?" He asked, bewildered. As he stepped through the doors, he saw the reason his sensei had been so adamant about changing his clothes. Lady Yuki sat there, alone, in a booth. She was clearly waiting for them. Masahiko's statements reminded Kazu that greeting her was not optional, "Oh, good evening Lady Yuki. I hope my fight was entertaining for you!" Really, he just hoped he didn't let her down. Kazu proceeded to sit down across from Lady Yuki, her presence just as intimidating as it was back in Yukigakure. Though, he was more familiar with her this time. Not nearly as nervous or unsure of himself. He had gained confidence through the exams first and second rounds, not to mention his fight. He would wait for his sensei to take his seat before saying anything else or looking at the options for what he could eat. The one thing he wanted to hear from both of them, was that he had proved them right. He was someone who deserved their belief in him.

[Yuki Shuka]

Yuki Shuka --- TAG nue masahiko TAG Yuki Kazu WORDS - - -

P

erhaps it was wrong of her to show one particular shinobi during this event special attention. However, not many Yuki shinobi had made their showing in the first day and Kazu had certainly performed the most decently out of the bunch. Masahiko was, also, the only one bold enough to explicitly invite her along for a celebration. She wanted to be a leader of the people, directly involved. How could she say no?

Shuka arrived at the restaurant promptly, as she was always one to keep her meetings. The establishment was quite surprised to have her and went out of their way to position her in a nicer area. Shuka did not travel much (even though she was very sturdy, it was not advised to do it frequently at her age). She was somewhat used to this treatment since she had often gone on political ventures with Lady Second of Yukigakure, but having it directed at herself was quite novel.

Her compatriots arrived slightly off schedule, but she could hardly blame them. Kazu had gone towards the end of the bracket and had needed medical attention at the end of his round - the fact it had bled over until after the event had ended was hardly a surprise.

"It is no trouble at all," she assured Masahiko, nodding her greeting to the duo's presence. "It is hard to assess the extent of injury after a fight like that. I expected you might run late while he was seen by the medics."

Even if he had felt fine after the fight, one never knew until the medics came in and analyzed the injuries if they needed more attention than it seemed.

Returning her attention to Kazu, it seemed that the young boy was, though still slightly nervous, much more confident at this meeting than their last. He had an energy about him. Just pride, or was it something stronger and more consistent?

"Your battle was very entertaining. You made many smart moves in your back-and-forth and demonstrated great skill and strategic thinking. I was quite impressed."

ISHY of THQ & ADOXOGRAPHY

[nue masahiko]

FEAR IS THE MIND-KILLER

’Sensei how did you even pay for this?’ Masahiko waved a hand in Kazu’s direction, dismissing the question outright—his finances weren’t any of Kazu’s business, and they had more important matters to attend to. Masahiko sat beside Kazu and across from the Lady, carefully smoothing out his robes and pulling his hair over one shoulder in a practiced motion. He had never had much cause to interact with her directly, truthfully, and now that he was sitting here at this table with his student and the leader of his village he felt the smallest of cold sweats prick at his back because truly, what had he been thinking? Too caught up in the whirlwind of pride in the aftermath of the fight to have been thinking straight, clearly. The Lady Fifth had a reputation for firm kindness, supportive and diplomatic in nature, but there was something in her eyes that made Masahiko feel as though she could pierce right through his soul if she had half a mind to. Thankfully, they weren’t here for him. Pride swelled anew in his chest at the Lady’s complimentary observation of Kazu’s performance. "The trick with your jacket was very good,” Masahiko added, unable to suppress the smile that grew on his lips. Maybe another sensei would have been more proud of the prowess Kazu showed with the variety and application of his techniques, but Masahiko had always had a fondness for a more minimalist line of thought, and the creativity Kazu had showed with the simple application of a jacket and exploding note had been more impressive to his sensei than any jutsu he had used that day. "You did very well, and—” A sly glint shone in Masahiko’s eye. "You made a friend at that. Suzuki-san seems fond of you.”

Yuki Kazu Yuki Shuka -- 303

LAIKA OF THQ

[Yuki Kazu]

His sensei immediately waved Kazu's financial question aside, leaving the boy confused. Normally, his sensei would entertain his questions. Seeing as how they were with Lady Yuki though, Kazu could understand his dismissal of the question. 

Kazu blushed slightly as the two complimented him, a smile on his face. He'd missed the regular dinners with his sensei and the rest of the team back home. This was the closest thing he'd get to that before going home. "I appreciate it Lady Yuki, Sensei. I wouldn't be as good as I am without either of your patience. So uh, thanks!" He replied, scratching the back of his head a bit due to how nervous he was. "Thankfully, I brought a few spare jackets with me too! I'm glad I came prepared as far as that goes."

As Masahiko's eyes lit up, Kazu already knew the comment that was coming. As his sensei spoke the words, Kazu could've sworn he wanted to use a different word than friend. "Yea, Suzuki-san is pretty cool. She's really into ghost stuff, I think. Our first meeting was a little strange." Hopefully, his words wouldn't give the wrong impression. Otherwise, he'd be hearing about it for weeks.

[Yuki Shuka]

Yuki Shuka --- TAG nue masahiko TAG Yuki Kazu WORDS - - -

F

ighting a spar with a friend was always slightly entertaining when compared with fighting a battle with a stranger. Maybe that was why the back-and-forth had been so compelling for the two of them. They already knew each other slightly, just well enough to read each others moves, but not well enough to fully predict them. It made for fascinating interplay, and it prevented the risk of death the way there was always such a danger while fighting with someone unknown. The Chuunin Exams were an attempt to show off on the world stage, so befriending your opponents before combat was, in many ways, a smart move in its own right.

She assumes Kazu had done that by accident, though.

Shuka raises a brow slightly. Ghost stuff? Well, people believed in all sorts of odd things in this world. With the bijuu and those gods who could trade power for chakra, who knew what else might exist?

"How did the two of you meet?" She inquires. Had the two worked with one another in an earlier round, or were they just fortunate enough to cross paths? Either was certainly possible in an event like this. They'd been staying in the same location for the days leading up to all the rounds, after all.

ISHY of THQ & ADOXOGRAPHY

[nue masahiko]

FEAR IS THE MIND-KILLER

Despite his desire for subtlety, Masahiko found his gaze continually slipping back towards the Lady Fifth: trying to gauge her expression, read her thoughts. Lady Yuki had made a massive impact on Kazu’s development in such a short period of time; her tutelage on their clan’s advanced release was an invaluable lesson that Masahiko couldn’t have ever hoped to replicate, and clearly Kazu had taken her teachings to heart. Was she proud of Kazu? Disappointed in Masahiko, for her need to step in? How Kazu seemed so comfortable around her, Masahiko had no earthly idea. Lady Yuki was immeasurably kind, but she was the Lady Fifth. His posture would be ramrod-straight until well after they went their separate ways. Ghost stuff also caught Masahiko’s attention, however, and he looked back at Kazu with a curious tilt of his head. "I don’t think I know this story,” he said, his way of encouraging Kazu to elaborate.

Yuki Kazu Yuki Shuka -- 155

LAIKA OF THQ

[Yuki Kazu]

Kazu was encouraged to elaborate on how he had met his opponent from round one, he could've easily refused if it was only his sensei insisting on the matter. But Lady Fifth? He might've been casual with her, but he didn't want to test her patience by not elaborating either. He thought back to his meeting with Taru, "It was after one of our dinners before the first round started." He looked at Masahiko, clarifying that he was referring to his sensei. "We just kind of crossed paths while I was on my way back to the dormitories. It was a good thing though, because I had been trying to get information on those that I might be teammates with or fight against at that time." He continued to explain, he wasn't exactly sure how to explain the ghost stuff though. "She was really... into spiritual stuff? I'm not sure how to exactly explain the ghost stuff other than calling it that." It wasn't really the best explanation, but Kazu wasn't the best at explaining things in the first place. It was the best he could come up with. 

Kazu, naturally noticed how nervous his sensei seemed to be. His posture didn't let up at all, not even for a second. The boy decided it would be a good idea to shift the focus of the conversation to him. "So, what all did you do when I wasn't around sensei? Did you go explore Mizu no Tera or something?" He asked, a smirk on his face as he could already feel his sensei's glare staring into his soul. Hopefully, it wasn't anything too bad, or boring.

[Yuki Shuka]

Yuki Shuka --- TAG nue masahiko TAG Yuki Kazu WORDS - - -

J

ust as she had suspected, it was more a matter of coincidence than actual intent. Kazu had wanted to learn about his competitors, but had stumbled into it more so than actively deciding to converse with Taru. Unfortunately, the young man wasn't able to elaborate on ghost stuff. It likely didn't matter, as Taru had displayed chakra manipulation during her fight, so it couldn't mean she was engaged with a religion. Just a set of odd interests from a curious child, evidently. Shuka herself had never been particularly spiritual, so she would not press on that subject.

While she may have inquired otherwise about the initial meeting and what strategic information Kazu had managed to glean, who else he had spoken to, and all such things, Kazu had conversational plans. It seemed he wanted to shift the focus from himself to his sensei. From the devious look that had grown on his face, it seemed this was done out of some usual form of sensei-student teasing.

Shuka's gaze moved to Masahiko. He seemed mildly tense, back straight. Was he nervous to be in her presence. She softened her own posture slightly, relaxed her shoulders, attempted to make herself less of an imposing figure.

"Mizu no Tera is a lovely city. I've never been before," she informed the duo, hoping that would help to ease the conversation.

ISHY of THQ & ADOXOGRAPHY

[nue masahiko]

FEAR IS THE MIND-KILLER

Kazu’s version of the story was, predictably, uninformative. The aspect of the girl’s spiritualism was interesting—but Kazu either hadn’t understood what she had explained to him about her beliefs, or he was struggling to relay it in a way that made sense. Either way: not a lot to go off. And then he shifted the conversation away, apparently more interested in his sensei and Lady’s activities during the exams than describing his efforts at gathering intelligence in any detail. If Lady Shuka hadn’t been present, he might have responded to Kazu’s question with a dry, sardonic ’searching for a student better at answering questions,’ but he stopped the impulse to snark at the genin right in its tracks. It wasn’t exactly… professional. Lady Shuka’s posture relax, but Masahiko couldn’t quite bring himself to do the same. He made the effort, surely, shifting in his seat in an attempt to mirror her posture; but the muscular system of his back seemed locked into place. "I haven’t either,” he said to the Lady, looking between her and Kazu. "I’ve traveled to Kirigakure itself a few times before, largely running errands for the—” He paused, swallowing back the word interrogators, and went on, "—medical corps, collecting local herbs and such, but I’ve always sailed in from the west, docking in Gengetsu. I’m surprised you haven’t been here before, though, my lady.” Masahiko’s gaze moved back to her. "You’re extremely well-traveled, more than both of us combined. Have you spent much time in the wider country?”

Yuki Kazu Yuki Shuka -- 252

LAIKA OF THQ

[Yuki Kazu]

Kazu's sensei spoke the boy's exact thoughts. It was extremely surprising that the leader of Yukigakure had never been to Mizu no Tera before. His sensei had ignored his cheeky comment, but that was to be expected. They were in the presence of Lady Yuki, after all. And while Kazu barely understood what professional was, Masahiko lived by it as if it was a code of conduct type of thing. Kazu never really understood that aspect of him, Lady Yuki was human, just like them. Sure, she was in a position that demanded respect, but you could be respectful without being professional. 

His sensei had however been to Kirigakure a couple times before the exams, running errands for the medical corps. He had mostly collected herbs that were local to the area, at least from what he'd explained. The difference between this trip in the rest for Masahiko though, was that he normally sailed in through the west, docking in the city of Gengetsu. They kept naming places Kazu had no knowledge on. The boy knew the many places near Yukigakure, but he knew almost nothing of the other countries. Well, other than what he'd learned from the other participants. "I agree with sensei, it's pretty surprising that you've never been to Mizu no Tera, especially with how much you probably travel. Have you been to many of the other countries, Lady Yuki?" He asked the woman, being slightly formal in order to put his sensei more at ease.

[Yuki Shuka]

Yuki Shuka --- TAG nue masahiko TAG Yuki Kazu WORDS - - -

B

oth of the two younger shinobi were surprised by the fact that Shuka had never traveled here before, leading her to adopt a small smile, fondly amused. Though she was a well-traveled woman, she was always one to travel with purpose, and Mizu no Tera, for all its beauty, was not usually a place one traveled with purpose.

"I have spent a decent amount of time in the remainder of Mizu no Kuni. However, Mizu no Tera is most typically known as a vacation spot for nobles," she explained. "I imagine that was why it was decided the latter part of the Chuunin Exams would happen here this year. The city already has a bustling tourism industry that would benefit greatly from the additional foot traffic and that makes it an appealing spot for civilians coming to watch their family participate in the event."

There was plenty to do. Shop, see the town, go to cultural events. Everything that would make this a memorable experience for visitors and, likely, make them want to come back later, spend their money to vacation here again. It was a good financial plan.

"I am personally not one who vacations often, so I have never had cause to come here. I travel primarily for diplomatic reasons when I have visited other countries. Most of my time spent here in previous years has been in Kagamino no Shi, especially when I would occasionally travel as guard to the Daimyo on his own diplomatic ventures." Her and Yuki no Kuni's Daimyo were almost of a similar age and had been working on the same political field for a long time.

"I have visited a great many countries in my time. Frost Country, Earth Country, Hot-Springs Country... I traveled through to Field Country for the Chuunin Exams just a few years ago." And, of course, "I have even visited Ranmantaru once, though that is a trip I would only make again under extreme diplomatic circumstances." It required almost three months on a ship.

ISHY of THQ & ADOXOGRAPHY

[nue masahiko]

FEAR IS THE MIND-KILLER

Masahiko made a soft noise of interest as Lady Yuki elaborated on her perspective of the exam’s host, and offered a brief overview of her travels. There had never not been a time that Masahiko was not firmly ensconced in the shinobi world, as firmly interlocked with the hidden village as his clan tended to be, and not ever for a moment had he considered the civilian guests, or their perspective, or even truly what they had to offer to the event. His focus had solely been on his student, the spectacle, what they both had to prove to the shinobi world writ large. Even more staggering was the life the Lady had lived. Diplomacy, the Daimyo’s personal guard, Ranmantaru— there was so much that Lady Yuki mentioned only briefly, as though it were only a footnote, and not a novel in its own right. The city they were in, the exams, suddenly felt so small. As Lady Yuki spoke, Masahiko found himself inadvertently relaxing, the tension finally bleeding from his frame as he became fully enraptured in what she had to share. He was burning with curiosity, dying to ask questions, pry for elaboration—but he held himself back. They were here for Kazu, not to satisfy his own thirst for knowledge. "I think you’ve provided Kazu with an exhaustive bucket list, my lady,” Masahiko said, glancing sidelong at his student. "Even one of those ventures would be enough to fill another person’s lifetime.”

Yuki Kazu Yuki Shuka -- 244

LAIKA OF THQ

[Yuki Kazu]

Lady Yuki's explanation of why she had never been to the city, as well as the places she had been, made a lot of sense. She was the leader of their village and, even when that wasn't the case, likely didn't have the time for a vacation traveling somewhere. Lady Yuki had caught the entirety of Masahiko's attention, Kazu gave a slight chuckle at the noise his sensei had made. Lady Yuki had been in a large number of important positions though. Diplomatically, bodyguarding the Daimyo, visiting the far away land of Ranmantaru. Kazu had barely survived a three day boat ride to the exams, he couldn't even imagine how long her boat ride had been. 

"I'd say it's more than a bucket list, who knows though. Maybe I'll be in Lady Yuki's shoes one day." He gave a cheeky grin before awaiting the scolding eyes he'd likely receive from his sensei. In truth though, he was using this meet-up as a distraction. His first match up wasn't terrible, but chances are he wouldn't get lucky a second time. He had the advantage in element and specialization this time, next time that probably wouldn't be the case. Still, he smiled. Allowing himself to relax as best he could.

[Yuki Shuka]

Yuki Shuka --- TAG nue masahiko TAG Yuki Kazu WORDS - - -

A

n exhaustive bucket list... These two really were so young, that they thought that. Masahiko, as a medic, hadn't been on quite that many away missions. Maybe she should give him an opportunity to see more of the world. Recent alliances with Kirigakure, Amegakure, and Takigakure created far more opportunity for such things, as well as the long-lasting relationship with Iwagakure. If she could find openings for the two of them to visit other nations on allied missions, not only would it strengthen the bond of their villages, but it could give more shinobi a worldly perspective.

Kazu joked that he might be in her shoes one day. Shuka laughed behind her hand, not offended by the bold claim. She was old - it was just a fact that someone would have to take over her position eventually. She hoped that she would last as long as the second lady of Yukigakure, or possibly even longer, but with the current boiling tensions of the shinobi world, it seemed unlikely. Youths aspiring to the position of leader was good for the village, ultimately, and she'd never discourage it.

"If you suddenly have such high ambitions, then I am very excited to see your future matches. The future leader of our village will perform phenomenally, of course," she said. "I'll have to start working you very hard when we return to the village as well, in preparation for your succession." She spoke with a flat certainty.

ISHY of THQ & ADOXOGRAPHY