[Hyūga Shigure]

"an unlikely encounter". "No matter how many people you may lose, you have no choice but to go on living." EXCHANGE OF BLOWS Senjutsu was a very useful ability for one to master, and because of that, it was not something that was available for just anyone, and required intense, dedicated practice before one could claim to have mastered it. Thus far, Shigure had not fought a perfect sage yet, and he could only imagine what it would be like, but even with the impefect sages, he always found himself in quite the pinch. The sudden spike in Daisuke's reaction speed did leave him vulnerable, and when his hands moved out of the way, leaving his chest opened, the Hyuuga tried to push forward, but before he could hit him, Daisuke managed to grab his wrists and move him away from his centre of mass, essentially deflecting the blow. Shigure's agility was what stopped him from losing balance, as he quickly shifted his balance point to keep a good footing on the ground and adjust his body after having his attack deflected. The counter would come shortly after, but Shigure was ready for it. Using his sharp reflexes and agility to quickly change directions without needing a lot of momentum, he took a decent back step to avoid his attack just in time. Still, he was already making his movements a tad bit obvious and Daisuke was starting to follow suit. The sage apprentice pivoted, and when he threw his kick, Shigure was not in a great position to fully avoid it. "Crap!" so instead, he moved in the opposite direction of the kick as soon as he could. "Ugh!" he groaned upon impact as he still got hit, but because he was moving the same vector as the kick, he managed to reduce the damage he took, but he still groaned in pain. The power packed behind that kick was impressive. Still, being hit was useful for a counter, and Shigure would spin his body, bending his stomach so that he could lower his centre of gravity and close in with Daisuke in time to try and hit him with two palm strikes to his flank (the opposite side from the kick). This time, he didn't go for tenketsu strikes, but to normal Gentle Fist palm strikes, aiming at pouring chakra inside his body to damage his inner organs. Although this type of attack didn't limit chakra usage, it was far more painful and debilitating thatn the tenketsu strikes, so if hit, Daisuke would begin to understand what the Gentle Fist was truly capable of, despite the apparent softness of the blow. "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." Training Attacks deflected, takes the kick but with less impact because of movement, spins to get closer and aims to hit Daisuke's flank with two palm strikes [Kojima Daisuke] [446 words]

[Kojima Daisuke]

IF YOU ALWAYS WORRY ABOUT CRUSHING ANTS BENEATH YOUR FEET

It seemed his predictions of Shigure's movements were beginning to heighten. Daisuke did tend to have a knack for learning and reading his opponents rather quickly, always believing that fighting was a true way to get to know someone much more so than their words. He loved it, being honest. Winning was true to his nature, something he lusted for far more so, but battle and training like this was surely a close second.

Despite the power of his kick, the Hyuuga was still able to not only avoid most of the intended damage, but retaliate on his own. Shigure was quick, and nimble too. He moved with such fluidity, and it was something the young sage actually took to admire in the heat of the moment. Daisuke himself was agile, as well as limber, but with his larger stature he never quite took the time to train himself to move the way Shigure had clearly done. Daisuke just relied on his speed and strength. Perhaps that was something he'd need to reconsider in days to come.

Daisuke's leg did still seem to hammer into his opponent, however, despite Shigure moving with the trajectory of his strike. He'd spin his body, lowering himself to strike against the sage apprentice's leg with his palms. All he could do to try and block the blow was to sweep his arm downward, in hopes to knock Shigures hands away. He was too close to try and dodge, not being anywhere near as agile as Shigure had proven himself to be. His hand came down fast, but only fast enough to knock on hand away from the impact against him. Shigure's palm would close the distance before the chunin could try and avoid it, but for a moment, Daisuke hardly felt like he'd been hit at all. It felt more like he gently pushed him more than anything. But, then he realized what was really happening. Despite the initial impact being much less than what he'd expect, as soon as Shigure moved his hands back away, it felt like a shockwave through Daisuke's thigh. His muscles throbbed, a dull but very apparent pain washing over the limb with the full force of what the legendary gentle fist style was capable of.

He smiled at the realization. This was exactly what he was hoping for in a fight against Shigure, after all. Win or lose, all he wanted was to see just what the shinobi was capable of. While this wasn't a real fight, so to speak, and he already knew he put himself at a disadvantage, Daisuke would still give this his all, and go for glory. While the pain in his leg could still be felt, it was easy for him to shrug the feeling off in the moment. He took in a calm breath, his eyes beginning to glow with the natural energy hitting it's peak within his body. While it was beginning to fade, there was still enough left inside him for Daisuke to try and make a counter assualt and do whatever he could to put the pressure on Shigure.

He'd kick off the ground as soon as he was given a small gap, the pain in his leg sending a spike to his mind.

'Fuck,' Daisuke cursed in his mind. 'Try not to use that leg, got it.'

With his leg suffering a bit more than he'd like to admit, it seemed kicking was now not so much of an option. Even if he used his opposite leg, balancing on the one now injured by Shigure's gentle fist might be a little more difficult for a short time. So, with Natural Energy still coursing through him, Daisuke would push himself forward and unleash a flurry of punches. A standard combo of his repertoire, but it was tried and true in his experience. He'd start with two quick left jabs, followed by a strong right, a left hook, and finally end the spree with an uppercut, with every single strike aimed toward Shigure's head.

^{THEN YOU'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO WALK}

---

^{Hyūga Shigure}

Temp By: Akira

[Hyūga Shigure]

"an unlikely encounter". "No matter how many people you may lose, you have no choice but to go on living." LIKE A CAT Shigure had seen many things with those eyes of his. With a life dedicated to his duty as a shinobi, and the will to make it up for lost time, the man was a workaholic, taking on more missions than most of his peers. Every time he filled a mission report, he would add a request for his next mission, and that field experience helped him get to know the world and people in it. He had fought many people, and killed a fair amount as well, and one thing always remained the same: the fear in their eyes once they realized what the Gentle Fist actually did. Still, that saying rang true more so than ever, 'you live and you learn', for this was the very first time that he saw someone smiling after getting hit by his attack. His Byakugan confirmed that damage was caused, and regardless of that, Daisuke had this satisfied smile on his face. "What a guy!" he thought to himself, feeling a bit more excited about this sparring match of theirs. The sage apprentice was indeed a wild man, lusting for a challenge and thriving in the heat of battle. His body may have been damaged, but his spirit? Not even a scratch. That, in Shigure's mind, was a sign of a coveted trait in the Hidden Leaf: the Will of Fire. It was funny that he was seeing a true display of that coming from a Cloud Shinobi, but alas, there was a reason their villages were allied. With that burning will, he came. A quick flinch from the pain jolting from his leg upon hitting the ground, but not enough to stop him. Like a hungry wolf, he came with a flurry of jabs aiming at Shigure's head, and the Hyuuga quickly braced himself, fighting in the way his style shined more than ever: in the defensive. The Hyuuga was quick, and this happened to be a good test for his agility working alongside his already sharp reflexes. His head bobbed in and out of the man's range, dodging the first attack by leaning back just enough so that the punch would stop less than an inch from his face, the second left jab forced him to move his head to the side, with Daisuke's knuckles grazing his cheeks enough to cut it "Close!" he thought to himself, sharpening his awareness. Then, using his right hand, he would try to intercept that jab with a tenketsu strike to the wrist just as he dodged it. Regardless if he managed to hit Daisuke or not, he would continue to react to his attacks, moving his body with fluidity. "Be like water." his mind reminded his body, and when the strong right came, took a quick side step, moving his body completely out of the way and countering with another tenketsu strike, this time aiming at his elbow. When the left hook came, he ducked and used his open palm to try and hit Daisuke with a powerful palm strike to the solar plexus, but that was not the end of Daisuke's assault, for when the uppercut came, Shigure had to use all of his agility and reflexes to essentially throw his back on the ground and roll back, quickly getting back up, with some distance in between them, wondering how many of his attacks had truly connected. "Ya know... You got me all fired up!" he admitted, with a light chuckle, sweating profusely due to the intensity of their bout. "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." Training Dodged the first jab, then the second, just barely, got a cut to the cheek (tried countering with tenketsu strike to the wrist), dodged the strong right (tried to counter with a tenketsu strike to the elbow), ducked from the hook (tried to counter with a palm strike to the solar plexus), rolled out of the uppercut's way. [Kojima Daisuke] [645 words]

[Kojima Daisuke]

IF YOU ALWAYS WORRY ABOUT CRUSHING ANTS BENEATH YOUR FEET

There was fire in his eyes, and the wolf in his chest was barking like mad as the two exchanged blows. There was a tingling in his elbow from Shigure's counter, but at the moment Daisuke could not fully tell if there was any true damage to the limb like there was with his leg.

He smiled wildly when Shigure confessed he was feeling pumped in the heat of their spar, and Daisuke had felt the exact same way. Admiration for the Hyuuga was growing more and more with each passing second. He did not know many who thrived in combat the way he did, and to both see and hear Shigure's confession for Daisuke's same feelings brought a wolfish grin to the sages face.

"You and me both!” Daisuke exclaimed.

As Shigure rolled away from the last bit of his combo, Daisuke would take a moment to do a small check in with his mind and body. He could feel his muscles and tendons pulsing, but he was far from reaching his limit, that much was certain. The natural energy that flowed through him, however, he could not say the same for. The energy that moved like pure adrenaline he could feel weaning, and he had to make the most of it while he still could. There was no way Shigure would give Daisuke another moment of meditation to refuel those reserves, and even if he did, Daisuke had no way of knowing if it would even have any effect. He had to take action, and fast.

While Shigure may have rolled out of the way, Daisuke could not allow the distance between them to remain, and he knew he had to keep up his assualt. He'd immediately kick off the ground, this time sure to use the opposite leg, moving to Shigure with incredible speed thanks to the dwindling natural energy that flowed through him. He would bring a powerful right knee towards Shigure's center mass once he was close enough, and use the momentum of his strike to spin, bringing a quick and powerful back-handed fist aimed towards Shigure's jaw. Of course, despite how fast he would make the rotation, it would not prevent Daisuke from leaving himself wide open during the maneuver.

^{THEN YOU'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO WALK}

---

^{Hyūga Shigure}

Temp By: Akira

[Hyūga Shigure]

"an unlikely encounter". "No matter how many people you may lose, you have no choice but to go on living." FEROCIOUS COUNTER Daisuke was equally fired up with their bout, and the two of them were pushing themselves, Shigure was starting to get a bit winded, but he could still keep going for a while longer. The fact that he was purposely using this opportunity to push his body to the limits of its agility as a practical training did take its tools on his stamina, but in the end it was completely worth it; Daisuke was an incredible opponent, and the power-up granted by Senjutsu was something he could definitely study a bit more, for one day he might cross paths with Okada Taki once more, and he was quite sure she was seriously wanting to kill him. He had to be ready. As the Hyuuga rolled backwards, Daisuke was quick to pursue, and kicked off the ground, using his opposite leg. Senjutsu helped him close in the gap between their speed and leave them on more even grounds. As Shigure got back to his feet, Daisuke's knee was already very close. Thankfully, the Byakugan allowed him to see that even when his face was not directed at the man, so his arms were already ready to block it. However, Daisuke was physically stronger, and because of that, the knee pressed hard against his arms and pushed them against his own stomach, making the Hyuuga grunt, the block only being partially effective. It did allow him to react to the back-handed fist, as he pushed himself backwards with incredible agility, his body being able to reach its full speed almost immediately - no momentum truly required - but the fist still grazed his nose, enough for a sliver of blood to drop down from it, making him taste the iron once it touched his lips. Still, the Sage apprentice had let himself open, and Shigure would not let such an opportunity pass by. Moving forward in a blink of an eye, the Hyuuga would bring both his hands forward, right one first, left one second, aiming to hit a sequence of two palm strikes are Daisuke's back. It was quite the cruel technique, as it aimed right at his kidneys, one after the other, so he would fell two jolts of intense pain, if he was hit. With the momentum of his waist, forcing his body to spin as he attacked the second time, he would extend his leg and drop his centre of gravity, bending his knees so that he could try and sweep Daisuke's legs, spinning fast, which was quite odd, but not for a Hyuuga, who were trained to spin a lot during the use of their Rotation. "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." Training Tried to block the knee strike, but was overpowered and took most of the damage. Grazed in the nose, but nothing too serious, just a bit of blood. Aimed to counter with two palm strikes to the kidneys, and then a low sweep to try and make Daisuke fall to the ground. [Kojima Daisuke] [489 words]

[Kojima Daisuke]

IF YOU ALWAYS WORRY ABOUT CRUSHING ANTS BENEATH YOUR FEET

Just as he might have expected, Shigure was quick to react to every blow he threw his way. Thankfully, it seemed Daisuke was beginning to get something of an upper hand, at the very least keeping Shigure on his toes, but the Hyuuga still kept things coming.

Unlike his opponent, Daisuke could not move his body on the turn of a dime, and as he left his back open, Daisuke would swiftly feel two quick palm strikes, one after the other, slam into him. He'd let out a small grunt at the first and second blow, and he was surprised how much force was put into the open palms despite the name of "Gentle." Right now, at least, it felt anything but.

Something he did not expect, however, was what came after Shigure had struck him. Daisuke seemed to have just enough time to reposition himself to continue their spar, but there felt an odd tingling going through his body before it felt like every ounce of strength had been zapped from his being. His breathing immediately became heavy, his knees weak, and he could barely keep his fists raised to defend himself.

"Shit,” Daisuke cursed as he fell to the ground, hardly able to even keep himself on his hands and knees.

"The fuck did you do to me?” Daisuke asked, his head barely raising to meet Shigure's eyes before he rolled to his back flat on the ground, exhausted.

"Is this some Hyuuga thing?” Daisuke asked, his eyes wincing as he grunted, trying to force air back into his lungs. "Or is this my own fault?”

The sage apprentice huffed and puffed, finally feeling as though his breathing was getting back to normal, but his body remained ablaze. This was only the second time he had used Natural energy correctly, or so he thought, and thinking back, the first time he was already on the brinkn of exhaustion thanks to the bite of Don'yokuna. Perhaps this was his own fault, just a side effect of using natural energy without the proper training and experience. Even so little as he was able to use in the moment seemed to have dire consiquences, so if this was how things would be, Daisuke would need to think twice about what exactly he was getting himself into with his sage training.

^{THEN YOU'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO WALK}

---

^{Hyūga Shigure}

Temp By: Akira

[Hyūga Shigure]

"an unlikely encounter". "No matter how many people you may lose, you have no choice but to go on living." REWARD When Daisuke cursed, he knew that it was because he finally felt the full effect of a Gentle Fist attack. As he was about to ask him what had happened, Shigure hit him with the leg sweep, prompting the man to fall flat on the ground, rather exhausted. That was the trick of the Gentle Fist: no matter how strong you are, or how much you train yourself to increase your endurance; your organs will always remain weak and vulnerable, and a fighting style that targets that is able to take advantage of such vulnerability. Shigure exhaled sharply and nodded to Daisuke as he asked if this was a Hyuuga thing, or if he was at fault. "That's the Gentle Fist. Our attacks seem soft and weak, but that's because we are not targeting the exterior of your body, rather... We aim at your muscles, inner organs and chakra pathway system. In this last attack, for example, I hit both your kidneys." he explained, pointing his index towards his Byakugan. "With these eyes of mine, I can see the interior of your body. I can see where your organs are, as well as something as small as your veins, or the tenketsus." he added with a firm nod, while Daisuke worked on getting the air back into his lungs. Shigure would approach and he would offer him a hand to get back on his feet, while a member of the branch house quickly came, kneeling behind Daisuke and using the Mystic Palm Technique to heal the damage to his organs. He would be filled with a great sense of relief, even though the soreness would still linger for a while. "It was a pretty good match. You are strong!" he said with an enthusiastic smile as he placed some cotton inside his nostril, to stop the bleeding. "So, why don't we go relax our bodies at the hot spring in the back?" he asked, before turning to the member of the branch house and bowing subtly. "Daigo, would you please bring us some warm sake?" he asked, and the man bowed respectfully. "You have but to order, Shigure-sama." it was clear that Shigure didn't feel well with all that formality and treatment, but he tried not to think too hard about it. If Daisuke was ready, he would lead the way to a large garden in the back, where a medium-sized hot spring could be found. Rocks surrounded it and a beautiful cherry blossom created some shade. The steam of the warm water slowly made its way into the skies, and Shigure smiled upon seeing that. "Best thing after a sparring match, eh?" he said in a quite cheerful tone. "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." Training After the sparring, branch member comes to give some healing and Shigure heads to the hot spring. [Kojima Daisuke] [465 words]

[Kojima Daisuke]

IF YOU ALWAYS WORRY ABOUT CRUSHING ANTS BENEATH YOUR FEET

Still feeling quite winded, their soon came a soothed sigh of relief as one of the branch members appraoched and applied a mystic palm technique to his body. Daisuke leaned up, shaking his head at the branch member.

"Stop, you don't gotta-” Daisuke winced slightly, pausing before he would just accept the gratitude rather than push it away as he always had. "Err... Thanks.”

He'd soon take Shigure's hand, a familiar smirk on his face, and despite the throbbing of his muscles and soreness of his body, Daisuke was honestly elated with the resolution of their spar. "I haven't had that much fun in a while, Shigure. We'll have to do this again sometime. And if you're every in my neck of the woods, remind me and I'll see if Renji will let us hit the springs in Tsuki no Yama.” Rather than fully explain himself and who Renji was, or what Tsuki no Yama was exactly, Daisuke would simply expect Shigure to accept the invitation, though if he did ask any questions, Daisuke would have been happy to explain all the same.

"Lemme get mine on ice, actually. Uh, please.” He'd tack on for the branch house member as an after thought.

"Gotta say the same for you. Glad to see you can take a punch.” Daisuke said, gesturing to Shigure's nose. "Honestly that was probably only the second time I'd been able to use Natural energy to any success, but that was the first time I got to use it in a fight. Man, what a feeling.” Daisuke said with a chuckle, his hand navigating to his waist with a small wince when he'd rub over his kidneys. "That shit packs a punch but it'll leave you gassed, that's for sure.”

With another small chuckle, Daisuke would once more be happy to tag along with Shigure to their hot springs, though his mind would quickly flash back to the last time he'd visited such a place. With the icy-haired woman, no less... He'd let out a small sigh at the thought. It seemed nearly every time he felt he'd finally been able to keep her out of his thoughts, she'd find her way back into his mind. After such an eventful night, he was still a bit back and forth on the feelings that came to her concern. He never even got her name, after all.

To change the subject, though, trying to focus on the here and now, Daisuke would once more return to his natural state, a small smirk over his face as his gaze locked on the cobblestone path he and Shigure walked. "You know, I fought a Hyuuga a few years back as the last stage to my Chunin exams. Must've been, what, three years ago now? He was good, but I gotta hand it to you. You got him beat by a long shot.” Daisuke said, bring his fist up to give Shigure a friendly push on the man's shoulder.

^{THEN YOU'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO WALK}

---

^{Hyūga Shigure}

Temp By: Akira

[Hyūga Shigure]

"an unlikely encounter". "No matter how many people you may lose, you have no choice but to go on living." SAKE AND SHRIMP Shigure nodded in agreement. Fighting Daisuke gave him the opportunity to push his body to the limit of its agility and gave him some clarity on his future trainings. Moreover, it reminded him of the power Taki could pack behind her punches, so much so that the blonde was able to crack his skull, and if not for the fact that they knocked each other out, Shigure would probably be dead by now. Having a friend like Daisuke would be very good for his growth, and for his learning of the mysteries of Senjutsu and how to counter it. Meanwhile, Daisuke would benefit from learning to fight against a deadly style of Taijutsu. Growth opportunity for both of them. The Hyuuga nodded at his words. "If you say so, then I will! Hahaha." his response was quite the enthusiastic one, even though he didn't quite now what Daisuke meant by that, but it has likely a good thing, and springs were always welcomed. The branch member nodded in acknowledgment when Daisuke asked for his sake to be on ice and then he disappeared from sight for the time being, as the two made their way to the hot spring. "I had to learn to take some punches. Before I relied a lot on not getting hit, but as time passed..." he chuckled, pointing to his own scars. "I was made incredibly aware we cannot rely on being able to avoid every hit, eh?" he said, as he remembered his dangerous encounters with people far beyond his league. Daisuke went on the explain he was still quite fresh to the whole senjutsu thing and Shigure nodded once again. "Keep it up. I fought someone who could use a bit more than that, and she almost killed me. She was one of the most fearsome opponents I've ever faced. Whenever she used the sage energy, she was way faster and stronger. It was insane!" he admitted, as he approach a bench, where he got rid of the rest of his clothing and wrapped his waist with a white towel, leaving one on the counter for Daisuke. The young heir would make his way into the hot spring and lean against the rock, relaxing his muscles with the warm, soothing water as he heard Daisuke's story about his Chuunin Exams, which sparkled his interest. Based on their age, it was likely a member of the branch house. "Thank you, but it's not really a fair competition. As the heir I have access to all their techniques and training. The others are quite restricted on what they can learn." he admitted. Not long after they made themselves comfortable, the branch member would bring them the sake, as they requested, and some shrimp tempura for snacks. Shigure would thank the man with a brief bow, and then he would disappear, leaving the two young man to enjoy their rest. "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." Training Snack and booze time [Kojima Daisuke] [488 words]

[Kojima Daisuke]

IF YOU ALWAYS WORRY ABOUT CRUSHING ANTS BENEATH YOUR FEET

After picking up his clothes from the sparring grounds, Daisuke would follow suit with Shigure and remove his clothes before wrapping himself in the white towel provided and step into the soothing waters from the springs. A drawn out sigh of relief would fall from Daisuke as he submerged himself completely in the warm waters before popping back up and finding a place to relax across from Shigure.

He'd wipe his face with his forearm, running his fingers through his hair before he'd offer a small nod of thanks to the branch member who brought the two their drinks and snacks. He reached first for the glass of sake, drinking down the full contents of the glass before grabbing the bottle to pour himself a refill. This time, though, he'd be happy to sip at its contents, and slowly munch away at one of the tempura shrimp that was brought over as well.

"I've heard about her, actually.” Daisuke said, his eyes turned toward the liquid in his glass as he lightly stirred it around, ice clinking as he rotated his wrist. "Okada Taki. She's got a lot of talent from what I know of her. Tough as nails, hits like a truck. Hates the Leaf, too, as I'm sure you well know.” He said with a lighthearted chuckle.

Another small sip of his glass and bite from the shrimp before he'd turn back to the Hyuuga with a bit more. "Call me crazy, but I'd love to show her up one of these days. Peg her ass down a notch. Now that would be a fun fight.” Daisuke gave another small hum of laughter, the image in his mind of himself, glowing with natural energy going toe to toe with another up and coming sage. He knew, though, that he'd have quite a more ways to go if he was going to be on par with Taki. She'd been training as an apprentice for years longer than he had, after all, and he couldn't even use the full benefits of natural energy quite yet.

Changing the subject, though, Daisuke would turn to Shigure with a bit of a peculiar look on his face. "Lemme ask you somethin', Shigure.” The young sage started, his voice and tone a bit more serious than his usual boisterous one. "I got a friend of mine. Kiho. She...” He paused, his eyes rolling to the side as his smirk began to furrow. "Look, I'm not good at thie whole 'opening up' thing, but I'm trying. I know what most people think about me. My attitude, my sense of pride... I'm workin' on it.”

From his words, it would have been rather obvious for Shigure to pick up the fact that Daisuke felt a bit uneasy. "I've never really had friends. I don't do well around people because I always get this feeling I can't ignore that I need to prove myself. I don't really know what it stems from, but I know everything I need to do if I really want to grow is an inside job. My mind. My attitude, my feelings, my sense of self. The fact that I'm always so guarded. Kota is just about the only one who gets anything out of me, sees me without all my walls up, and he's a wolf. Kiho said it's probably the biggest chip on my shoulder I gotta knock off, and Don'yokuna, Kota's dad, would probably agree. They both say I gotta practice humilty if I want to get anywhere. I can train day in and day out, but with where my minds at, I can't improve if I don't work on that too.”

Daisuke let out a long, drawn out sigh before taking another small sip of his sake and eating the last of his piece of shrimp, tail and all. His hand came up to his temple, rubbing with his middle and ring finger as it worked over to his forehead and dropped to his side against the water. "Guess there wasn't much of a question in there.” Daisuke said, his eyes closing as he rested his head against the smooth rock surface behind him, a small smirk growing across his face once more.

^{THEN YOU'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO WALK}

---

^{Hyūga Shigure}

Temp By: Akira

[Hyūga Shigure]

"an unlikely encounter". "No matter how many people you may lose, you have no choice but to go on living." THE PRICE OF FREEDOM Shigure chuckled lightly and took a sip of his sake, nodding when Daisuke mentioned Taki's hatred for the Leaf. "Oh, I know. I FELT it when she hit me with that chair... And yes, she had a chair!" he chuckled a bit more, shaking his head at the memory of her unusual weapon, which immediately remind him of the other one. "And a ladder too!" and thinking about that made him decided to down his cup of sake and then add more from the warm bottle, while Daisuke refilled his cup from the cold one. Shigure would follow the cloud shinobi and grab a shrimp, devouring it in one bite. He seemed excited about the prospect of fighting Taki and Shigure nodded, as he would also want to watch such a battle. "Just be careful with her grip. She is very good up close. And her scream is maddening! But if you do fight, that's a battle I would like to watch!" he admitted in a cheerful tone. After talking about Taki, Daisuke asked Shigure if he could ask him something and he nodded. "Go ahead." and then he mentioned a friend of his named Kiho, and then admitted he was working on himself, his attitude and pride, and Shigure could see that, but he didn't interrupt and instead nodded again, sipping more of his sake and grabbing another shrimp while listening to his story. The red haired admitted he didn't have friends, and explained the reasoning behind it to the best of his knowledge, but he was struggling to find his own answers, his own path, and Shigure could empathize with that. He had his own demons to battle growing up, and it took its tools on his mind, pushing him away from everyone and into a very dark corner of his mind. Humility seemed to be his main struggle, whereas Shigure's main issue was confidence. He had learned to believe in himself, to ignite - deep within his heart - the Will of Fire. But it had not been easy. When he was finally done, he admitted it wasn't much of a question and Shigure laughed. "Hey man, I get it. It's hard to talk about those things. Heck... It may not seem like it, but I had trouble with my self-confidence. That led me down a dark road, where my depression got the best of me, and I shut myself out from the world and everyone..." he sighed, drinking a tad bit more. "I can see you struggle with your pride, but you are a nice guys, and I can see you are trying to be your best self. You just have to keep pushing, as hard as you can, so you can drag yourself out of your shell. You will feel vulnerable and exposed. But... Ya know... A bird can only fly if they have the guts to fly out of the nest, right? They may fall and die, but if they don't do it because they fear the result... They will be forever a prisoner of their own mind... After all..." and he paused once again, smile widening as he remembered his nindo. "The price of freedom is steep... But it's worth paying in the end..." he said with a firm nod. His expression changed to a more mischievous tone though as he leaned closer to Daisuke. "But this Kiho girl... Do you like her or something? Hehehe..." he asked. "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." Training Booze and bro talk [Kojima Daisuke] [578 words]

[Kojima Daisuke]

IF YOU ALWAYS WORRY ABOUT CRUSHING ANTS BENEATH YOUR FEET

While on the one hand, it was quite warming to hear Shigure admit his own struggles, there was still a part of Daisuke's mind that felt uneasy about discussing such things. He did not want to show his weakness, but despite that being quite far from the truth, to him, that's exactly what it was. As he said, though, the young sage was still learning, still growing into who he was meant to be. Perhaps in time, he would feel more comfortable being vulnerable with others. Like Kaede had told him, "You have to get uncomfortable to get comfortable." At least with Shigure, he didn't get the sense that there would be anything of this being used against him. No, Shigure was a good man. A friend.

Taking a sip from his sake, Daisuke quickly brought his opposite hand to his face, a forced laugh held back slightly so as not to lose any of his drink and spew it into the springs. After choking it down, though, Daisuke would let out a hearty laugh at the question Shigure brought up.

"Into Kiho? God no.” He'd respond, still chuckling as he reached to pour a bit more sake into his drink. "Nah, I mean, don't get me wrong, Kiho's good-looking and all. She's just, how should I put it...” Daisuke paused a moment, his eye wincing as he caught himself in thought. "Kiho and I are both very strong personalities. We have our own views on the village, on leadership, on what's important. And I mean, I like her a lot, too, she's a great friend and a better ally. But, that being said, two strong personalities like ours, I can't imagine meshing very well.”

Daisuke would let out a small chuckle again, placing another small ice cube into his glass, as he swirled its contents and took a small sip, his head and arms relaxing once more as he stretched out over the surface of the rock behind him.

A deep sigh fell from him, his eyes shutting as Daisuke would once more prepare himself and try to get a little more "comfortable" around Shigure.

"Honestly, I've only ever really been interested in one chick. I mean, I bounce around a lot, have a one-nighter with someone if I feel like I need it. And I've had my crushes in the past, sure... But lately...” Daisuke leaned forward, arms moving beneath the water as he rested his forearms against his thighs and slouched for a moment. "I met this woman about a month ago... Amber eyes, icy hair, and a fuckin' bangin' figure,” Daisuke said with a smirk, before relaxing once more and reaching for another shrimp, mirroring what Shigure had done before and downing the snack in a single bite. "I just can't get her out of my head, man. I didn't expect anything out of it, really. Just another one-night stand, like all the rest. Shit, she never even gave me her name,” the chuunin chuckled. "But there was chemistry. Something I never felt before, and I just can't shake it. I know I said it all in the heat of the moment, but I don't think I'd ever let her out of my sight if I ever met her again...”

Daisuke would reach out for his drink again, the ice clinking around in the glass as he turned his wrist in a small circle before taking a sip. "What about you then, huh?” Daisuke asked with a smirk, his index finger pointing to Shigure for a moment from the rim of his glass. "Being from a famous clan, I'm sure they've got something planned for you, right? Gotta keep it the family somehow, huh?”

^{THEN YOU'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO WALK}

---

^{Hyūga Shigure}

Temp By: Akira

[Hyūga Shigure]

"an unlikely encounter". "No matter how many people you may lose, you have no choice but to go on living." RELATIONSHIPS So, he was not into this Kiho person then, Shigure took a mental note of that for the possibility he got to meet her, which would be happening soon enough. Daisuke went on the explain why they were not a thing, as they both had strong personalities and different views on the village, and on other important matters. They were friends and allies, but that was about it and he nodded. "Gotcha!" he said as he ate another shrimp and finished his cup of sake, only to quickly refill it. Daisuke continued to say he was only ever interested in one girl, despite having some one-nighters here and there. It sounded fair. Even Shigure eventually caved and took Hanako as his own despite previously telling himself he would not until she was sure she wanted to be with him, but after nearly dying, he decided not to go to the grave without sleeping with the person he was in love with for as long as he could remember. But the story was heading towards an interesting plot twist, with Daisuke mentioning the fact that he met this woman a month ago, and that he couldn't get her out of his head. They spent a night together, but he didn't even get her name. Shigure's eyes were glowing with interest as he nodded when Daisuke progressed with the story; he liked those tales. Things he never got to experience considering his situation. "Wow bud... That must've been mind-blowing... Hahaha. I never really had anything like that, like this unexpected encounter with a stranger. I mean, not entirely... Not like that at least..." and as he said that, his mind fatally made him think of Koume and he blushed heavily, gazing away and drinking more of his sake. Maybe because he noticed that, Daisuke asked about him and then reached the rightful conclusion that his clan had a saying in that. Shigure took a deep breathe and nodded. "Well, you are quite right. My father chose my fiancée when I was fourteen years-old. She is a member of the branch house, so she is my fiancée and my servant of sorts, as fucked up as it may be." he sighed, clearly bothered by the weird reality of the Hyuuga clan. "Still... Part of me was happy, I had always been infatuated by her... So I was happy with the engagement." he said, with a subtle smile that quickly became bittersweet. "But she only accepted it out of duty... So it's been mostly one-sided in a way... I... It's complicated..." he said, running his hand through his hair and chuckling nervously. "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." Training Booze and bro talk [Kojima Daisuke] [442 words]

[Kojima Daisuke]

IF YOU ALWAYS WORRY ABOUT CRUSHING ANTS BENEATH YOUR FEET

Daisuke's brow raised with a smirk growing across his face as Shigure went on to tell his side of things when it came to relationships. He couldn't help but think of what all went into a pairing where your wife was essentially your slave, as well as your partner. It was strange to imagine, for certain, but the more primal parts of Daisuke's mind couldn't help but picture a few ideas of what fun he could have with something like that.

A deep breath and long swig of his sake would come after Shigure finished his little explaination though.

"I can't imagine, bud.” Daisuke said with a small chuckle before drining down the last of his glass, once again standing to refill his drink. "Women are basically an entirely different species, in my experience. Sure, we can breed, but that doesn't mean we can expect them to think with the same reasoning that our minds lead us to.” He'd pick up the tongs on the tray, plopping in three new ice cubes into his glass before he refilled the glass and moved back to his place of relaxation.

The ice clinked against the edges of their contrainer as he rotated his wrist in his same usual fashion before Daisuke would take another small sip and take his seat.

"I wish I could offer some kinda advice, or comfort, but truthfully I have got nothin' for ya. I think my longest relationship lasted about a week, so having a fiancee is a bit out of my area of expertise. Let alone the whole clan thing you got tagged along with it.” Daisuke let out a small chuckle, though he did earnestly want to try and offer something to the man he was beginning to feel a bit closer to. Slowly but surely, Shigure was doing a wonderous job of lowering Daisuke's walls, but it was a two way street. Daisuke wanted Shigure to be his friend, too.

"Have you ever told her any of that? I mean, told her that you want her to be happy and that you love her? It's not just duty for you the way you make it sound. But hell, if you're the heir, don't you get a say in who you marry? You could always say she can leave, worse comes to worst. Give her a show of good faith and all that?”

^{THEN YOU'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO WALK}

---

^{Hyūga Shigure}

Temp By: Akira

[Hyūga Shigure]

"an unlikely encounter". "No matter how many people you may lose, you have no choice but to go on living." CRAVE Speaking it out loud for the very first time with someone he was growing to consider a friend was weird. In a way, he felt a bit ashamed, especially because of the servant implications his engagement had, but on the other hand, he felt almost relieved to be able to talk about it. Wahei was far too oblivious about such things to be any help, Yuuta was far too perverted to offer proper guidance either, so - in a way - Daisuke was all he had, and unbeknownst to the Hyuuga, this was deepening their bond. That said, he had to agree with the Cloud shinobi; he had a hard time understanding them. Especially Hanako and how much she embraced the chains that enslaved her. It went beyond him. Daisuke said he wanted to help but he couldn't, for he lacked any deep experience about this type of commitment, mentioning that his longest relationship was about a week. Shigure chuckled lightly and shook his head. "Heading to seven years now... And yeah, you are actually the first person I ever talked to about this, if I'm being honest..." he admitted, pouring a bit more sake into his cup. Even though this was only his third cup, Shigure was rather light-weight in regards to drinking, and he was already feeling a bit tipsy. When he was asked if he ever had an earnest conversation with Hanako, he sighed and nodded slowly. "I've told her that. For the longest time I avoided even having any physical relationship with her, because I wanted her to want me too... I told her she didn't have to be with me once I became leader. Hanako... She is... I don't really know how to put it, but she embraces the role of the branch... It's almost like she is proud of it. She is against my desire to free them as well... So I honestly don't know what to do. And again, I've been in love with her since I was a child, so part of me feels conflicted. While I want her, I also feel this guilt, as if I'm taking advantage of someone who doesn't have their entire free will." he sighed, leaning against the rock of the hot spring. "And yet, she doesn't want the free will... So... Our relationship has been rather... Unique I would say. We never go on dates, or have any romantic thing... And I guess part of me craves that..." he admitted, scratching the back of his head. "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." Training Booze and bro talk [Kojima Daisuke] [420 words]