[Ryuujin Shiina]

In the city of fools, I was careful and cool but they tore me apart like a hurricane.

TAG - Hatake Toshizō

NOTES -

Dressed in a crimson, silk kimono was a young woman who the people of non-shinobi nations had come to know as Ran, a purple orchid. Of course, it had nothing to do with her purple hair, but all the more to do with her wanting to mask her true identity to those who mattered. As a neukenin, she was wary of having shinobi know of her, not only because it could cause potential trouble, but also because she wasn't one to prefer fighting if she could. Shiina disliked fighting, perhaps seen through her fighting style if one were to truly engage with her in a fight. She also disliked having to gage her opponents.

She would rather do all the gaging without having to life a finger.

And that was exactly why she came up with the alias, Ran. The woman had been caught in a tight situation once before, and in the spur of the moment thought of the first flower that came to mind. She didn't want to give her real name away, in case the people she happened to cross paths with were somehow shinobi, even more troublesome would be if they were Kumo nin. She understood that most shinobi from her old village were probably no match for the Ryuujin, but one could never be too sure. Shiina had left Kumo a few years ago, and through all this time a prodigy could have been born without her knowing.

All the more reason to acquire as much information from people without giving too much out about herself.

She had learned the tricks of the trade to a tee, knowing when to say what and how to read a room and its people perfectly. This came with a lot of listening and very little talking. She found that the more she listened the more people were willing to spill their deepest and darkest secrets, something she somewhat encouraged. And of course, one couldn't forget the power of alcohol. If a man drank enough, there was no secret that was too secret, especially in front of a pretty lady like Shiina. That was why she frequented bars, restaurants and ryokan. The woman often found herself toying with one or two drinks for the entire night, pouring more for her company until they were too drunk to recognize their right from their left.

It took a lot of skill and patience...both of which she had.

The woman settled comfortably on a bar chair of a relatively classy bar. She had been here for three nights in a row, including this one, and she had made herself known to the point where the bartenders and owner knew her by name. As soon as she sat down, the man behind the counter immediately brought her a cup of warm sake. "You've come again, Ran-san. I've prepared a hot sake for you to warm your body. It must be awfully cold out there." Indeed, nights were starting to get increasingly cold, colder than even her black overcoat was starting to be too thin. Shiina nodded her head in appreciation, surveying the bar and its patrons. She needed to find a target tonight, her eyes wandering to each table and its occupants as she took a sip of her drink slowly.

MADE BY MIZO

[Hatake Toshizō]

"to warm the soul". "A man who can't uphold his beliefs is pathetic, dead or alive." DEMON OF THE FLEETING BLOSSOMS Travelling was quite common for someone like Hatake Toshizou. Being not only an important member of the village council of the Hidden Leaf, but also the secret Commander of the underground organization known as Root, the man was quite busy. Being out and about in the ninja world was paramount for his work, for knowledge of the current state of the ninja world, and even those of the non-shinobi nations could mean the difference between winning or losing a potential war, for the first battle a nation needed to win was a battle for information. Still, it was not often that he could travel anonymous, for his fame preceded the man, who was known widely known by most shinobi - and even some civilians - as the Demon of the Fleeting Blossoms, a famed and merciless nukenin hunter, whose ability with the blade was borderline legendary. Coming across a small village in a small, unimportant nation, the man would make his way to a bar, one of the best places to get some information. People would drink, and as the booze got into their mouth, words would pour out of it. As the doors of the bar were opened, his feature would immediately draw the attention of many of the patrons there. He wasn't a very physically imposing figure, standing only 5'8" and having a more slender than muscular build, but those eyes... Those bright, scarlet eyes were intense, and rather scary. It carried a coldness capable of freezing the soul of the weak-minded. The man was wearing his traditional shinobi attire, composed of a white shirt with two vests covering it, the fist one is black with white buttons, and the other is more kimono like, blue in colour, with some white patterns to it. Covering all of it is a large black jacket with a high collar and a golden border on the fold. The interior part of the jacket is purple in colour. Black pants, tied together by a white obi where he carried his swords, with a brown leather belt on top. And the swords, even to those unfamiliar with its craftsmanship were impressive, a sign that he either knew how to use it, or had enough money to spend on such a beautifully designed blade. His shinobi sandals are akin to boots, brown in colour and going up all the way to an inch below his knees. His gloves are the same pattern as the blue kimono he sports. And although he had no headgear indicating his village, his allegiance was made obvious by having the Hidden Leaf Symbol stamped on the back of his jacket, big enough so people can see even in the distance. "H-hey... Isn't that the... Demon?" some people would comment in tense whispers, getting some nods, while others would just look puzzled at those words. Still, the man didn't seem to care at the comments, making his way to the counter and sitting there. "Whisky. Double. Dry." he would say, placing some ryo on the counter, and the bartender would be quick to attend to his request. He wasn't a man many people were willing to ruffle. "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" Random Bar Walks to the counter and orders some whisky [Ryuujin Shiina] [539 words]

[Ryuujin Shiina]

In the city of fools, I was careful and cool but they tore me apart like a hurricane.

TAG - Hatake Toshizō

NOTES -

If there was something she liked a little more than information, it had to be alcohol.

The warm sake traveled to the back of her throat, the soothing warmth of the liquid provided the comfort she needed. As the substance made its way into her system, it was as though it traveled through her veins and settled into her stomach. Just one sip was enough to warm even the coldest of hearts, and the slight burning sensation it left in her throat made her thirst for more. As she poured another cup for herself, she noticed the bar door open. At first she paid no mind, since there was no need to pay anyone any mind in the presence of sake. She watched as the steam of the hot liquid reach her nostrils, the acidic-like smell that was unique to the alcohol made her give a very muffled sigh. Shiina set down the sake bottle gently on the table, lifting the cup gingerly with her fingers to her lips. It was the art of drinking, and the filled-to-the-brim yet not spilling out nature of sake cups that initially drew her to the drink. She threw back her head lightly, allowing her senses and body to consume another round of it before she set the cup down a second time.

And as she set the empty cup in front of her was when she allowed her eyes to wander, picking up the stranger who had entered the room. Of course, she had missed his grand entrance, and so had also missed the piercing redness of his eyes that would have drawn her to the man. Instead, as she looked up from her spot, she saw the back of his head, her pupils taking in his attire more than anything else. He seemed rather well-dressed, but more importantly, this was a shinobi attire and yet didn't at the same time. What a weird way to dress, she thought to herself, although a quick look at her own attire could amount of the same comment. Shiina studied the back of the man's head, allowing her eyes to rest on the stranger a little longer than usual while he sat down and ordered a drink.

Was he a shinobi...?

The woman poured herself a third cup, signaling to the bartender for another bottle. She wasn't a heavy drinker, but she enjoyed the high alcohol content in hot sake. Despite her intrigue at the stranger, she decided to observe the man a little bit more, knowing that she was only drawn by the way he dressed, at least for the time being. As the waiter came to her table to replace her empty bottle with a new one, she pointed to the stranger. "Whatever he ordered, I'll take one too." Slightly taken aback by her asking for a drink even before starting her new one, the man merely nodded his head, knowing better than to question his customers. Indeed, he had done once before, only to be met with a punch in the face for being too nosy and stepping out of bounds.

MADE BY MIZO

[Hatake Toshizō]

"to warm the soul". "A man who can't uphold his beliefs is pathetic, dead or alive." IS THAT ALL? Toshizou was a man jaded by life. His heart and soul had become so hardened they ended up quite numb. As the bartender handed to the man his requested drink, he sipped on it without projecting any reaction, almost as if he was drinking something as soothing as water. The warmth of the alcohol was almost unnoticed by the man, and honestly, the reason he even bothered drinking anymore was in a foolish attempt to feel something from it, like he used to many years ago. But guess he was just dead inside after so many years working as a member of the black ops. It is not like it improved much. As a matter of fact, the path the man had chosen as the Commander of Root was even darker than before. If not for the bond he now had feeble restored with his daughters, his life would've been completed shrouded in darkness. Sitting on the counter's stool, his back exposed with the emblazoned Hidden Leaf symbol there, there was no question that he was s shinobi upon a proper look at the man, and one with a clear allegiance to one of the major shinobi villages. As he finished his drink, he would place the empty glass on the counter and look at the bartender, who seemed to be busy attending the request of a rather attractive woman. Her skin kissed by the sunlight in an alluring tan, dark purple hair, and golden eyes, which immediately sparkled the more primal interest within the core of that man. His eyes narrowed as he looked her way at about the same time she ordered what he had been drinking. "Interesting..." he thought to himself, getting up from his stool. The man would walk towards the woman's table, and as he walked, a couple men walking in the bar would avoid him, with clear fear in their eyes. Whoever this man was, he seemed to be known and feared by some. Now standing before her table, he would turn his face back to the bartender. "Make it two. On my tab." he said, before grabbing a chair at her table and sitting down. "I see you are interested in my choice of drink. Is that all?" he said, cracking an almost mischievous smirk with the corner of his mouth. Although nonchalant, his movements and actions were filled with an almost inspiring confidence, something rather rare in this world. "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" Random Bar Approaches Shiina's table and sits there after ordering another round [Ryuujin Shiina] [421 words]

[Ryuujin Shiina]

In the city of fools, I was careful and cool but they tore me apart like a hurricane.

TAG - Hatake Toshizō

NOTES -

Upon careful observation, the woman would definitely notice the Konohagakure symbol etched on his back. Interesting...Shiina thought of the last time she even traveled near Hi no Kuni. Being a Jounin, she had gone on a variety missions, and during a few of them, she had had the luxury of meeting shinobi from other hidden villages. Her mind traced back to when the last time she had come face-to-face with a Konoha shinobi, and would come to the conclusion rather quickly that she probably had never really crossed paths with one. This made her even more interested in the man at the bar table, her thirst for information and knowledge once again taking over her mind and soul. It was her survival instinct, to draw as much out of a person as she could, and it helped with leveraging and gaging people, the one thing that neukenin would never suffer from knowing how to do.

And that was when the man turned.

She had just finished ordering the second drink when he turned towards her, his crimson hues catching her golden ones. For a brief moment, their gaze would connect, only to be broken by the young woman as she lowered her head while the waiter retreated. In the brief second their eyes connected, there was a hidden spark, something like a current of electricity jolting her system. But it was such a brief moment that Shiina paid it no attention, at least for the time being. Instead, she picked up the drink on the table in front of her, preparing to take yet another sip. As her lips touched the brim of the cup, the woman's hand stopped, noticing that the mysterious Konoha shinobi had now stopped at her table, inquiring about her ordering of his drink.

So he had heard her...

And as one would always try to do, the Ryuujin put down her cup slowly, her golden hues trailing from it towards the man's face, all the while thinking of an 'appropriate' answer to his question. While her gaze found his, she would hold it firmly, not at all intimidated by the color of his eyes or the intent of his gaze. A quick look at the man's face revealed a lot of his personality, at least what was visible at the exterior. She saw a man of confidence, of possible over-confidence even, and couldn't help but give a small smile. How many men she had met who had the same poise and the same personality, all thinking that they somehow were the most divine beings this Earth and its inhabitants had ever seen. This man was no different, at least from the way he now stood and stared at her.

"I was indeed interested to know the choice of drink for a person of such demeanor and poise as yourself..." she started her reply, her voice soft and melodic. Her eyes sparkled a little even under the dim light of the establishment. "Since you ordered a drink yourself, you're welcome to take a seat..." She extended her arm and motioned to the seat opposite from her. Shiina was a confident woman herself, although somewhat a facade, it was perfect for settings and situations such as these. The woman merely watched and waited on his reply, somewhat hoping that he would take her invitation.

MADE BY MIZO

[Hatake Toshizō]

"to warm the soul". "A man who can't uphold his beliefs is pathetic, dead or alive." DEMON She didn't avert his gaze when he approached her table, holding it firmly and that was even more alluring; having grown used to people fearing him, he enjoyed when people could stand their ground and try to look back at him as his equal, offer a challenge, give him something to think about and cause an impact. And that was made even better since the woman was rather attractive, and had an air of mystery about her, one he wanted to unveil. And yes, he was confident. He walked this Earth as if he was unbeatable, and to be completely fair, he had only experienced defeat in rare occasions. Most of his foes had fallen to his merciless blade, so yes, he was extremely overconfident, but that didn't make him an idiot. Even though he knew how skilled he was, he always fought with all his might, he never made it easy for his opponents, and he cowered to none, not even when facing the overwhelming might of a Jinchuuriki. His smirk widened when the woman admitted she was interested to know his choice of drink, and mentioned his demeanor and poise. "I see... And I'm interested in knowing why a woman such as yourself would be sitting here all alone." he said as he sit on the chair shortly after her invitation. "I'm Hatake Toshizou. But... Some people here..." he paused, looking right at the people who had mentioned his moniker later, glaring at them in such an intensity, that they trembled in fear. "Would call me the Demon." he added, chuckling lightly as he did so, shaking his head and then returning his scarlet orbs to the woman. Despite the way he worded the sentence, it seemed like he carried some pride in being called a 'Demon', so there was an indication that the man was wicked in his own way. "How may I call you?" he would ask. "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" Random Bar Sits down [Ryuujin Shiina] [325 words]

[Ryuujin Shiina]

In the city of fools, I was careful and cool but they tore me apart like a hurricane.

TAG - Hatake Toshizō

NOTES -

The overconfidence he showed was definitely not unknown to Shiina. She had met many in her time, especially men, who were borderline cocky. It was always nice to see confidence in a man, or rather in a being in general, but a part of her wondered how much of this was his genuine personality. As he took the invitation and sat down opposite her, she was able to see his facial features more clearly. An attractive man was perhaps an understatement, his silver-white hair glistened under the light, somewhat complimenting his crimson eyes. His skin was a much paler shade than hers, and although he wasn't the tallest of men, he definitely made up for it in build. She listened to his words carefully, not oblivious to the fact that he was somewhat stretching the truth as he spoke.

"The demon...interesting..." She glanced at the target of his glare, watching with interest while the look in his eyes changed while he stared at some of the others in the building. Did he know these people? Shiina decided to keep all of her inquiries to herself for now, instead focusing her attention on his question. "Is it really that much of a surprise to find someone like myself alone here?" Her tone and voice remained light, the corners of her mouth turning upwards into a smile. She assumed that it was the case, since the place wasn't exactly the kind that warranted the attire she had on. "Likewise for yourself, I suppose. I'm surprised I've never seen you here before." A very quick and forward observation, as she had come here quite often in the past few days.

"And Toshizou, a very sophisticated name.." It wouldn't go unnoticed to the trained eye of the Ryuujin that he was obviously a shinobi, and the surname Hatake seemed oddly familiar, though she couldn't quite put a finger on it. "You can call me Ran..." Her voice was silky smooth, the small smile she had given him was accompanied with a appreciative gaze. Of course, it would not go unnoticed, if he only looked at her. Even though it was alias, she had learned to love the name. It was a name of a famous geisha, one of great skill and craft. The flower it symbolized was also quite exquisite; beautiful to look at but slightly more difficult to maintain, perfect for a woman like Shiina.

"So...why do people call you the demon?" It was at that precise moment that the bartender came forth with their drinks. She glanced at the contents in the cup as one was placed before her, and another was placed before him. The woman wasn't taken aback by his drink of choice, although the dryness of the substance was not what she was used to. Still, it was a strong alcohol, the aromatics of the whisky almost overpowering her senses as she lifted the cup off the table. "A toast to...a new acquaintance." She offered her glass up for a toast, all the while staring unwaveringly at the man before her.

MADE BY MIZO

[Hatake Toshizō]

"to warm the soul". "A man who can't uphold his beliefs is pathetic, dead or alive." TOAST It was interesting indeed, especially if she knew why he was called by such a fearsome moniker. The woman would throw a question back his way, asking if it was that much of a surprise to see a woman like her in such a place and he nodded without any hesitation. "Absolutely. Someone like you sticks up like a sore thumb in such a shitty place. Have you taken a look at these people here? Hmph... They are not even worth a glance." he said, in a hidden compliment, for he meant that the woman looked way beyond the level of such a backwater establishment in the middle of nowhere. If the owner took offence to that comment, however, he did not say anything, nor did the patrons, even though a couple felt compelled to contest, their friends would warn them otherwise. "I'm here in passing. I was around the area. Working." it was vague enough, but when shinobi said they were working, it meant they were undertaking a mission of some sort, and for a Hidden Leaf shinobi to be so far from home, it was probably something important. The woman complimented his name, and he nodded. His parents gave him a fitting, noble name. "Indeed, a clan head should have a fitting name." another little bit of information he had shared in a very casual manner. When she introduced herself as simply Ran, he arched one of his brows. "A quite simple name, for such a sophisticated lady, I must say... But I feel it is one of those cases in which there's more than meets the eyes, or the ears in this case." he chuckled softly as he grabbed his new drink as the bartender grumpily placed it on the table before walking away. Ran would then ask him why people called him the demon, and he would shrug. "Because I personally took more worthless scum than I can count on a one-way trip to hell. Guess that does makes me a demon, ain't that right?" the cocky smirk on his face unwavering, even though he had admitted to killing a fair number of people. Toshizou would take a generous sip of his drink before nodding to her, and responding to her toast. "To new acquaintances." he repeated after her. "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" Random Bar Toasting [Ryuujin Shiina] [386 words]

[Ryuujin Shiina]

In the city of fools, I was careful and cool but they tore me apart like a hurricane.

TAG - Hatake Toshizō

NOTES -

Such overconfidence could only go hand-in-hand with a certain type of personality, especially in a man who was as good-looking as Toshizou. And as prepared as she was for any kind of smooth talking he had in his system, Shiina couldn't help but give a genuine smile at the compliment he fired her way. Of course, she was the only one who would take his words as a compliment, noticing some of the other customers' obvious discomfort. "You are too kind, Toshizou..." Indeed, he thought that she had only given her half a compliment, probably because of the way she dressed and not at all about her personality, since she presumed he knew nothing of it. "You are too harsh in your words to others though..." she said with a wink. "...though I wouldn't disagree." Her voice dropped to just above a whisper. She knew nothing of the others but she did feel that this establishment in and of itself was not quite a fit for her.

And quite frankly, for her new acquaintance either.

"For work...? What do you do?" An obvious question warranted an obvious answer, and she would anticipate that he told her of his work as a shinobi. Shiina kept in mind that nobody in these parts should know that she was a neukenin, nor should they know that she was from the Ryujin Clan. "The head of your clan, you say? It seems the more time that passes, the more surprised I become..." she spoke primarily of his head of clan status. The Hatake Clan, she presumed, but there was nothing more she knew about them. "And what is so special about this clan of yours?" Her tone was always light, unintentionally yet full of intention thirsting for knowledge with every question that passed her lips.

Her smile once again returned while she listened to him talk, this time questioning her name. It was a simply yet elegant name, not at all one that fit her character. Or at least her true character. "Perhaps you will come to learn more in due time." It was a trading game after all, one piece of information given out by her must be returned with a piece of information from the person she spoke to, and only the most experienced of individuals would know of this little game. Shiina would gage the man a little further, before really spilling anything about herself. Mystery made a person all the more charming after all.

"This whiskey..." she took a sip of the drink, her face couldn't mask the distaste that met her lips. She had the luxury of tasting the finest of any alcohol, compliments to the various people at various bars. This whiskey was quite subpar, as an understatement. The woman lowered her voice once more, setting down the glass as she spoke. "...isn't all that good, I must say. I'm no picky drinker, but when it's double shots, the quality of the liquor must speak for itself." She was by all means not an expert in wine and drinks but if an amateur as herself could taste the difference, she would only assume that Toshizou would be too. "I'm quite disappointed..." the frown on her face remained as she stared at her drink.

MADE BY MIZO

[Hatake Toshizō]

"to warm the soul". "A man who can't uphold his beliefs is pathetic, dead or alive." SPECIAL OCCASION Toshizou didn't care about the reaction his words caused on the other patrons, at least he appeared not to care, as his scarlet eyes were seemingly locked on the tanned beauty before him, who now said that he was too kind to her, while also pointing out that his words were harsh to others, even though she didn't disagree with him, which prompted the man's smirk to widen ever so slightly. The woman seemed very interested in getting to know more about him, and thus far, he saw no issue in sharing that information. "I'm a shinobi. I take on missions for the sake of my village." that was the truth for all of those who decided to take on the path of a shinobi and retain allegiance to a Hidden Village. At the revelation of his position as the head of the Hatake clan, she inquired what was so special about it. Perhaps she was wanting to know if they had any special hijutsu, or perhaps even a Kekkei Genkai, but he just shrugged at that. "Special? Hmm... Well, they gave birth to me. And to the first ever Hokage. I guess that is quite the accomplishment for any clan." he said, giving her a wink. Indirectly, he was putting himself at the same level of the first leader of the Hidden Leaf Village, his distant ancestor, but he truly saw him on the same level as the legendary man, even though he never made it to the same position, as much as he coveted it. When he asked about her, she responded by saying that there was a possibility he would be learning more in due time and he nodded to that; he did like the discovery game. Then, her attention would be directed to the whisky, and he chuckled softly upon noticing she didn't enjoy the drink. "But we can say it is a fitting drink for this establishment. If you truly want a good booze..." he paused, grabbing a scroll from his back pouch and unrolling it on the table, unsealing a still warm bottle of the highest quality sake from the Land of Fire. "Then this is what we should be talking about. And yet... I save this only for special occasions. The question is... Is this one of them?" he teased her. "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" Random Bar Unseals premium sake [Ryuujin Shiina] [394 words]

[Ryuujin Shiina]

In the city of fools, I was careful and cool but they tore me apart like a hurricane.

TAG - Hatake Toshizō

NOTES -

The purple-haired woman listened intently at the man, observing his facial expressions and body language that accompanied the words he spoke. The smirk on face widened as her words hit home, especially as she agreed with his observations of the others in the establishment. Shiina nodded her head attentively while he talked about his clan, which he seemingly didn't have much care for other than the fact that it was the bloodline that he was born into. "I see..." she chose her words carefully. "The first Hokage? That is quite the bloodline!" She tried to recall the first ever Raikage of Kumo, drawing a blank as the sake from before hit her system.

"The shinobi life seems to be so interesting, though."

It hadn't been her real intention to continue to keep the secret of her neukenin status a secret. The only problem was that she was unsure how Toshizou viewed neukenin, especially those from countries other than his own. Until she could gage how he felt about them, and until she could become closer to him, if the possibility was even there, she would come clean and tell him. For now though, she would be known as Ran. "I've met a few shinobi here and there too, though none as intriguing and...well appealing to the eyes as you." The last part of her sentence was said in quite a soft and cunning manner, although she had chosen words that were more lady-like.

And that was when Toshizou produced a scroll. At first she was quizzical, genuinely interested in the fact that he had produced a scroll while talking about the bad whiskey that the establishment had offered her. Shiina's eyes lightened at the sight of a bottle, now sitting on the open scroll. It seemed that this was something of a special drink, that the man only saved for 'special occasions'. "I suppose that would have to depend on how you define what a special occasion means..." Her eyes traveled from the bottle and met the man's gaze squarely, this time she cocked her head a little to the side, her own smile turning into somewhat of a smirk.

MADE BY MIZO

[Hatake Toshizō]

"to warm the soul". "A man who can't uphold his beliefs is pathetic, dead or alive." THESE ROADS Toshizou was quite proud of his bloodline. Being a fascist in his core, those values were important to him, as they showed his deep link to the Hidden Leaf Village and the Land of Fire, even though his clan was a Narashi clan without hijutsu or kekkei genkai; the flames of the Will of Fire burned intensely within the members of the Hatake clan, and he would make sure that would remain true for the next generations to come. And while he didn't respond to her words regarding the Shinobi life, he took a mental note of that, secretly opening his Mind's Eye for the rest of the conversation, so that he could perceive her intention and emotions in the secrecy of his own mind. His smirk did widen when she threw a compliment his way. "So you are good with words... Not surprising. In such a looker as yourself, words can be the sharpest of blades. Quite useful too." he commented shortly before he revealed his premium drink, unsealing it from a scroll. He chuckled at her words and then nodded. "It's all about what we define, isn't it? And with that, we shall see if today will be such an occasion or not, but let's put this back in. We don't want it to lose its warmth." he said as he touched the scroll and the sake disappeared, while its Kanji appeared on the scroll. Still, Toshizou didn't make any movement to take the scroll away and left it in the table, in between them, grabbing his glass afterwards and finishing his poorly tasting drink. "Now... One thing has sparkled my curiosity. Are you travelling alone?" he asked, arching one of his brows. The meaning behind his question was fairly obvious, even if he didn't say anything after that. These roads were quite dangerous for most people, and travelling alone meant that you could take care of yourself. At this point, he was gauging what she could potentially be, while also trying to read in between the lines, and check her emotions. He was definitely curious about this alluring woman. "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" Random Bar Re-seals drink [Ryuujin Shiina] [357 words]

[Ryuujin Shiina]

In the city of fools, I was careful and cool but they tore me apart like a hurricane.

TAG - Hatake Toshizō

NOTES -

Shiina didn't bat much of an eye at the compliment he threw her way. She merely gave him a smile, her gaze still locked onto his. And of course she knew all too well that words could be a very useful tool. In fact, she had used them as a weapon itself, being able to extract the most useful of information using just her words sometimes. And with this man, she was at a bit of a crossroad, unsure whether she was entertaining him because she thirsted for knowledge, or because she was genuinely interested in his rather 'unconventional' ways of speaking. Of course, she had met flirts big and small, played into or distanced from it. "Indeed, words can have very unexpecting yet powerful effects depending on how you use them..." she agreed and nodded her head. At the sight of Toshizou taking away the sake, she flickered her eyes, giving him sad puppy eyes while playfully pouting. "Well that's no fun! I wanted to at least have a sip of it..." The purple haired woman continued to pout. "I wonder how it tastes..." she was speaking more to herself than to him. An alcoholic such as herself would never pass up a good drink, after all.

And that was when she heard him ask the question of whether she was traveling alone. Of course, she didn't tell him that she wasn't really 'traveling'. It had become her lifestyle, a woman without a home for many years. With a deflated look on her face, she took another sip of the rather distasteful drink on the table, her face grimacing yet again while she set her cup down, choosing her words carefully. "You can say that, I suppose. I'm not really good with traveling in groups or with company." That much was true. Even while she was a shinobi of Kumo, she rarely mingled well with her teammates, even though Genin team cells were designed to work together. Still, Shiina had put on a good show in front of them and whoever looked on from the outside, since she never got into any physical altercations with people regardless of how much she didn't like working with them.

"What about you? I'm surprised a man such as yourself is traveling alone?" This was not really a question but a statement, with hidden meanings behind the words. A handsome man such as Toshizou should have a significant other or a wife, traveling alongside her. As he did mention that he was traveling for work, she was also surprised he wasn't traveling with other shinobi. Was he inclined to be reclusive and alone like she was? Giving a small sigh, she pushed the drink away from her, seemingly having had enough of the bitter aftertaste in her mouth. "Well, since you're not sharing that sake of yours, why don't we get out of here and find somewhere more...interesting...with better drinks?" An invitation that could be taken any which way the man preferred, she only truly wanted to drink something more suiting to her palette.

MADE BY MIZO

[Hatake Toshizō]

"to warm the soul". "A man who can't uphold his beliefs is pathetic, dead or alive." BENEATH THE SURFACE Toshizou chuckled and shrugged. "I never said the sake was completely off the table. Just that it was too early to decide if this is a special occasion or not. We have to exercise patience... Good things have their own time." he said in a rather light-hearted tone. "Maybe you will quench your curiosity today... Maybe not..." he further teased the woman, noticing that her love for good alcohol seemed rather genuine, meaning there was a degree of truth to her words in the very least. The revelation that the woman was a loner was intriguing to say the least. She seemed to like talking to others, was friendly enough, and was quite beautiful as well. Those traits mixed together would make her a normally pleasant company, and yet she travelled alone, claiming she was not good with groups or with company. Toshizou arched one of his eyebrows as a suspicious look took over his feature. "Really? I wouldn't have guessed. You seem pleasant enough... I wonder why someone like you would choose the path of loneliness... Unless... It was a path imposed onto you." he added, not going further than that. He could see that her words were sincere enough, even though he was certain she was withholding information, but that was hardly extraordinary in this world. When she directed the question his way, he chuckled. "I'm travelling alone because not many people have my level of clearance. There are things I need to do alone, and I'm capable enough be able to handle them on my own." he said, a confident tone in his voice, but he wasn't simply bragging; Toshizou was an elite shinobi, and he was more than capable of taking on A and S-Rank missions on his own. Then, when she invited him to go somewhere else, he nodded in agreement. "Do you know of a better place nearby?" he wondered as he got up from his chair. "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" Random Bar Gets up from chair [Ryuujin Shiina] [331 words]

[Ryuujin Shiina]

In the city of fools, I was careful and cool but they tore me apart like a hurricane.

TAG - Hatake Toshizō

NOTES -

His further teasing didn't go unnoticed with Shiina. In fact, she quite enjoyed it, deep down inside. It made her all squirmy, or whatever the word was, but not in an uncomfortable way. The woman had seen and heard flirts here and there, and she was not unaccustomed to the teasing of men. But there was a certain level of smoothness that was different about Toshizou. Was she overthinking it? Perhaps. Maybe he had a lot of practice...she thought to herself, shifting her pouting face back to her original slight smile that she had held for most of the conversation prior to the sake bottle introduction. "Yes, indeed, patience is a virtue that many just don't seem to have.." she commented quite seriously at his teasing, although she was thinking more so about herself than anyone else. She thought she had perfected her art of masking real emotion, having so many years of practice under her belt.

Had she allowed some of her true feelings to filter through the facade?

Only time would tell.

She listened to his reasoning for traveling by himself. It was not unknown to the woman that sitting across from her was quite an elite shinobi. If his aura didn't convince her, his attire did. Even so, she merely nodded her head, remembering when she was a shinobi once upon a time. "I wouldn't say that it was imposed on me..." she let out a small sigh as she threw her head back slightly, shifting in her chair so that she now took a more relaxed position, her back leaning against the chair. "Nobody really can impose anything on me..." her voice trailed, "...although I wouldn't say I got up one day and just decided to start wandering the earth either..." the last part of her statement was in a more hushed voice, as she lowered it and her eyes drifting left and right as though to recall something. Shiina realized she gave neither a definite nor direct answer to his comment, despite the fact that she hadn't really been trying to hide anything.

"I see...you are a strong one then, aren't you?" She teased, bringing her position forward so that now her chin rested on the back of her hands, her elbows propped up on the table. "I'd love to see what you can do, one day..." She meant it for more of gaging just how strong he really was. There was nothing that intrigued her more than being able to gage another person's strength. Perhaps he would take it as an invitation for a spar, which she wouldn't mind entertaining either. "And yes, I do know of one place around here that has much better drinks..." she leaned her body in just a little, "...and a wonderful hot spring."

MADE BY MIZO