[Kota]

The sun will be guiding you They're dying to stop you This race is a prophecy Break out from society Kota sighed. This was no good, and he was getting hungry again. The only thing that big guy was good for was giving me lots of meat, Kota grumbled internally to himself as he thought about his past experiences with the Konoha Nukenin. Maybe escaping from his kidnapping wasn't the best idea after all... Sure, he'd make Kota angry a lot--but who didn't? And maybe he'd scared the child a bit with his teasing, but he hadn't hurt Kota or anything. Even if he'd been outrageous, the man had been good at keeping Kota safe and looked after.     Kayaku wasn't his dad, but...     The child took in a deep breath as he steadied his breathing, wiping at the tears that had begun dotting his brown eyes as he continued to pace through Kuwana's grand streets, alone, and unattended. Men don't cry.     Bah, what he really needed to be doing right now was focusing on survival--not thinking about that guy! Though, he was quickly learning that survival in a city looked very different than survival out in the wilds. When he'd stowed-away on that unsuspecting wagon, he hadn't expected that they'd head into such a big city, and the boy wasn't really certain what to do, from there. Everything was made of stone--there weren't exactly plants around that he could forage. But, still, he would survive.     There was plenty to steal, after all.     Survival would look different, but he would survive nonetheless.     Though, the words of the samurai-man that Kota had met haunted him, slightly. Stealing is bad, apparently. Not that Kota agreed, but... Well, he'd already gotten caught, once. And it was dangerous, here, so he would have to be more careful next time.     Still, there were plenty of ideas bouncing around in that little head of his.     First, he'd go to the nearest food-establishment that he could and he'd sneak in. For Kota, it happened to be a bar--which would undoubtedly draw attention to anybody who was watching, as it was obviously no place for children. But, unfortunately, Kota couldn't read, so he had no idea where he was going exactly, only that it smelled like food.     The crafty little boy scaled the side of the building, using the carved architecture to reach a high window, which he would open and use to then slip inside. The building had rafters made of rock and marble, and so it was easy for the boy to crawl around through the establishment high up where he was less likely to be seen. Moving slowly--carefully, as he wasn't afraid, but certainly cautious to not slip and fall to his death--Kota positioned himself directly over where the bar was, looking down to spot some drinks, bottles, and snacks prime for the taking.     This is so genius, nobody will ever even know, Kota thought to himself as he plucked his wooden doll from his belongings. He began to tie some string around each of its limbs, connecting each end to a fingertip. It was simply too clever, he thought. He'd drop the doll down from the rafters and use the strings to puppeteer from a hidden location, and the doll was so small that most people would probably not even notice it stealing some chips.

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[Hatake Toshizō]

"hunter and hunted". "A man who can't uphold his beliefs is pathetic, dead or alive." A FEW CHIPS The Chuunin Exams, when held outside of the Land of Fire, were always a hassle, and as usual, Toshizou was in charge of the Hidden Leaf's delegation there, hoping that this time things would proceed more smoothly than last time. Still, he was almost relieved the first and second rounds were back to back, meaning he had more free time on his hands as of now. And with the moment of peace, Toshizou would head to a bar in Kuwana, to drink and enjoy solitude, or so he had hoped. The man did have some moments of peace in the bar, drinking some warm sake and snacking on some shrimp tempura and chips. Well... Until his Mind's Eye indicated the use of chakra nearby. Narrowing his eyes, he looked around and saw nothing at first, until his incredible sensory ability allowed him to see the chakra in the shape of strings coming from the ceiling. Looking up, he saw a small child moving his fingers. Trailing back down, he noticed a tiny puppet trying to steal some chips. Reading deeper into the child, he noticed the conflict in his emotions. The child looked hungry, and he probably was if he was wasting chakra for such a measly reward of a few chips. Toshizou sighed deeply and drank the rest of his sake before staring back up, right into the child's eyes. People were too busy with their own lives to follow the Hatake's gaze, so for now, the child was still safe. If they crossed eyes, the Hatake would subtly and slowly shake his head, as a sign he disapproved of the child's attitude, but he wasn't making a fuss about it just yet. Almost as if he was giving the child a chance. "You can train a dog with food. You can buy a person with money. But there isn't a man alive that can put down the Will of Fire. Some things will never change. The Will of Fire will never be extinguished" Kuwana Bar [Kota] [297 words]

[Kota]

The sun will be guiding you They're dying to stop you This race is a prophecy Break out from society Kota's plan was almost flawless--but, of course, something would go wrong. He was pretty smart--for a child who had never been to school and was otherwise abandoned in the wilds one day, years ago. But his wits weren't everything, it seemed.     Like a predator catching notice of prey, the unfortunately familiar sensation crept along the boy's spine as he locked eyes with the white-haired man who had been sitting below. His eyes were like the color of blood--looking up at Kota's soft browns with a fixated gaze. While Kota did not personally know the other male well enough to say from experience--what experience he did have told him that any attention was dangerous. And, if he'd been caught doing something he "shouldn't have been", then he was in danger.     But, still, while the white-haired man was read as nothing other than dangerous to the boy, he did not seem actively hostile. Caught, but not yet punishing Kota for his attempted crime. Merely shaking his head--in disappointment or as warning, the child couldn't discern.     Kota could... carry through and proceed to have his wooden toy snatch the chips. Or, he could politely fuck right off.     The boy was feral--and he was not above aggression. But he wasn't entirely stupid, either, and natural instincts of self-preservation kicked in. No, he didn't want to push his luck. And, so, the wooden puppet would set the chips back down before its puppeteer coiled the strings back up--pulling its lifeless body back toward the rafters.     Okay, okay, Kota thought, pulling his doll back into his makeshift bag of belongings. I thought maybe targeting someone who was alone was a good idea, since the people who are with other folk might notice more easily. Buuuut, he started crawling away, determined. At the same time, maybe if they're so focused on conversation they won't notice what I'm doing, either. If the person is alone, they've got nothing else to do but be aware of their surroundings.     He thought about other options, too. He could try sneaking in at night when there was nobody around--that seemed like the best time to steal. And, then, he wouldn't really have to worry about whether or not people were watching. Only if... there were guard dogs, or something. But he could probably deal with animals. Dogs couldn't climb as well as he could, after all. He could also try dumpster diving--that seemed like a pretty decent method, so far. It was gross, and certainly knocked down some pride--but Kota didn't see himself as any different than the raccoons that scurried around the trash at night, anyway.     Still, his stomach growled in protest.     Lightly hugging himself, the boy would stop and frown as he tried to think of something. Maybe if I caused a distraction I could steal someone's plate, he thought. What did he have, really? A spigot, cooking pot--there were really very few things in his belongings that could be useful in this situation. Perhaps if he started a fire, somewhere, that would raise alarm. People might get freaked out and scatter, right? And big crowds of tall people running around was always dangerous for someone so small--but if they weren't focused on anything other than the flames, then perhaps his chances would be better.     Alright, I might try that, Kota thought. He'd crawl over to one of the great stone pillars that held the building up and would slide down it with the deftness of a squirrel. Surely this place had something flammable, right? Even if it was just a potted plant. Not everything here would be made of stone, surely... right?

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[Hatake Toshizō]

"hunter and hunted". "A man who can't uphold his beliefs is pathetic, dead or alive." SQUIREL AND THE HOUND The child's gaze found Toshizou's own and after a brief exchange of silent communication, the boy would apparently give up on his attempt to steal some chips, and that was good. Shop owners were not very kind to this type of behaviour, even though a few chips wouldn't really hurt the business. Finishing his drink quickly, Toshizou would order a serving of chicken yakitori in a bag, to go, and put the money on the counter. As he waited for his order, his eyes continue to follow the boy, as he moved through the ceiling almost like a wild boy, noticing when he hugged his stomach. That made the man sighed. As heartless as people liked to think Toshizou was, there were certain things that he despised, such as young children suffering from hunger. His extremist ideals derived from an un-reined desire for good, after all. Almost at the same time the boy found a pillar to sneak down, like a mischievous squirrel, Toshizou's order was ready and delivered. The Hatake would grab it and get up from his seat, heading towards the exit of the establishment, but in a way that also led him towards the boy. As the boy searched for something, Toshizou would attempt to grab him by the collar on the back of his kimono, and start dragging him outside of the bar. "You are coming with me." he would say with a cold, authoritary tone, if he managed to get ahold of the boy. "You can train a dog with food. You can buy a person with money. But there isn't a man alive that can put down the Will of Fire. Some things will never change. The Will of Fire will never be extinguished" Kuwana Attempts to grab Kota by the collar and drag him outside of the bar [Kota] [266 words]

[Kota]

The sun will be guiding you They're dying to stop you This race is a prophecy Break out from society Kota felt around his belongings for his flint, his tiny hands familiar with the distinct shape of all of his belongings even if he couldn't see them directly. Though, any plotting he had for arson was quickly cut short when, instead, he felt someone grab him by the collar of his kimono and begin dragging him away!     "Hey!" he shouted, as the child whipped his head up--leaning backward to glare up at the white-haired man who had grabbed him. It was--the same guy from before! Dammit! He followed me! "No--I'm not!" the boy yelled, digging his heels into the ground pointlessly as he tried wrestling against the jounin's grip--hands grabbing pointlessly at the older male. "I am not--" he grunted, trying to pull away but he did not have the strength--or any significant weight--to do any good. "--bein' kidnapped again by some stupid--!" Kota growled, his hands moving away from trying to fight the adult to reach for the knife stored on his belt--slightly hidden, but not enough to keep it from being easily accessed. "Adult!"     It was not the first time he'd been grabbed and carried off by a stranger--and something told Kota that it would not be the last, either. He didn't know what had caused it, this time, and he wasn't sure what had prompted it in the past, either. Other than--it seemed--that adults did not often take well to the idea of a child being unaccompanied. Though, that thought didn't really register to the young boy.     No, to him, they were all just evil bastards who were trying to make his life a personal hell.

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[Hatake Toshizō]

"hunter and hunted". "A man who can't uphold his beliefs is pathetic, dead or alive." YAKITORI Toshizou had successfully grabbed the back of his collar and started dragging him out of the place, so that he could handle the little boy without a crowd to make a fuss about it. He struggled and squirmed like a wild animal, but that was useless against the firm grip of a sword master, and they were quickly approaching the door to the place. And as they finally went out of the place, he would then drop the boy on the ground, free from his grip, but still quite close to him. Then, he would move his other hand, offering the bag of chicken yakitori to the boy. For someone who was hungry, the delicious smell would've been easily noticeable and almost intoxicating. "Instead of trying to steal a few crackers, why don't you help yourself to a more substantial meal, uh?" he said in a nonchalant tone, arching one of his brows as he waited for the kid to grab the food he offered. "And next time you think about stealing, don't try doing that in front of a shinobi. You will get caught, and probably arrested. You are lucky I don't particularly care about that." and the reason he didn't was because they were in the Land of Earth, and if someone was stealing things there, it was none of his business. Still, what caught his attention was the way the boy did it, with a tiny puppet. That was an impressive display of skill for someone so young. "You can train a dog with food. You can buy a person with money. But there isn't a man alive that can put down the Will of Fire. Some things will never change. The Will of Fire will never be extinguished" Kuwana Leaves the bar and offers the food to the kid [Kota] [261 words]

[Kota]

The sun will be guiding you They're dying to stop you This race is a prophecy Break out from society Kota was dragged out to the streets by the firm hand of the white-haired man. Despite his kicking and protests, the boy wasn't able to deter his fate and, thankfully, was dropped abruptly and promptly enough after being snagged. It happened in such an efficient time manner, in fact, that Kota hadn't even had the proper opportunity to stab his kidnapper.     A shame!     Though, the child's frustration, anger, and resentment toward the older male washed away quickly enough when the take-out box was presented to him, instead. The offer of an actual, real meal--and Kota was pretty sure it was still hot, too--left the child's mouth watering. He put on good behavior--immediately playing nicely (so long as it meant getting what he wanted).     Still, he was hesitant.     Good things usually came for a price, and most people--adults especially--seemed to have some kind of ulterior motive when "helping" him. It only truly felt safe to accept things if Kota took it by force--outwitting his victim or stealing something without their notice, or despite their best efforts.     So, he was cautious.     "Well--" Kota argued, frowning slightly as he slowly, carefully, began to take the bag of chicken from the man. "How was I supposed ta know ya were a shinobi?" He glared slightly--or perhaps that was just his usual expression as his brown eyes locked onto the older male's crimson ones. "Is it 'cause yer eyes are weirdly-colored? I've met other people with weird eyes before, too, and they were also pre'y strong too." It was the only pattern he could recognize, so far.     His understanding and interaction with the shinobi world was... quite limited.

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[Hatake Toshizō]

"hunter and hunted". "A man who can't uphold his beliefs is pathetic, dead or alive." CAUTION The kid seemed to be quite cautious with Toshizou, but that was absolutely a good thing, it meant the kid was a true survivor, one that would not just accept a random gesture of kindness. That sort of behaviour would help him survive in such a dangerous world. In any case, the kid's questions was somewhat valid; for unexperienced individuals like him, it may have been tough, but it didn't change the fact that he was still putting himself in danger, even if it was due to ignorance. "Well, that's something you need to figure out. Otherwise you will just expose yourself to unnecessary danger." he said, but then, when the kid mentioned the odd-coloured eyes, Toshizou chuckled lightly and then nodded his head. "That is a good indication. If they look any weird, just steer away from them." he quickly added. Then, Toshizou folded his arms and pointed to the food with his head. "I just got this from the bar, it is not poisoned. Weren't you hungry? Help yourself, kid. I don't like to see a little kid such as yourself starving. Call me soft if you may. Hehe." he chuckled, shaking his head at the thought of him being considered 'soft' by anyone. "You can train a dog with food. You can buy a person with money. But there isn't a man alive that can put down the Will of Fire. Some things will never change. The Will of Fire will never be extinguished" Kuwana Advise [Kota] [207 words]