[Muramasa Uemon]

the land of water

---

Winds whipped the sails of the trade vessel as it cut through the steady waves. Sailors moving expertly around the top deck. Tending to their ship and ensuring that the voyage ran smoothly. For them and their passengers.

Out of the way, sat atop a few crates was a young man. Busy jotting down some words in a small black book and showing them to a child. 'The ship sails across the sea.' the page read. "Do your best." He said with a nod.

It was the second time he'd booked passage on the same vessel. The first time? He had gone alone.

To make sure it was safe. And to see if there was anything worth seeing. Knowing Kota, it was probably a good thing. After how he and his distant relative met... he probably would've tried to cut her. An even rockier start.

Ryō was mostly not an issue now that he had employment. Would need to be managed smartly... but thankfully the captain cut him a deal. Probably because he saw the child he was traveling with. Being a repeat passenger didn't exactly hurt either. Uemon looked to Kota as they practiced reading and writing. Handing him the book and pencil.

Comprehension. Pencil strokes. Repetition. "Now you try." It would be a process... but he was confident in the boy's ability. Was already sharper than he was at his age. The wanderer observed his progress as they sailed.

A call sounded out from the ship's bow. They were nearly there. He stood to glance at the growing shoreline. Not much longer now. In the meantime he returned to their practice. Helping the boy along as best he could.

Teaching a child how to read and write... Suppa would have gotten a kick out of this. Arriving at port was simple enough. Then it was time for them to disembark. "Remember, Kota—" He said, adopting a more stern expression. Muted, but serious. "This person we're meeting is a cousin of mine." He glanced at his weapons.

Giving a slight nod towards them. "No knives or teeth." For a moment his expectant look lingered. "Alright?"

Then it was time to search. Now that they had met, he was fairly confident he could locate her chakra signature if she was in the area. So as they walked, he focused. Doing his best to hone in and lead them towards her direction.

---

Kota , Sora Minami

[Kota]

The sun will be guiding you They're dying to stop you This race is a prophecy Break out from society The wind whipped about Kota's small form, tugging at his clothing and rustling his shaggy hair. He furrowed his brow in concentration taking the black notebook from Uemon as he practiced reading the sentence written before him, sitting with his legs crossed atop one of the wooden crates of cargo aboard the vessel. The child bit the end of the pencil as he concentrated, jotting down the characters slowly with sloppy penmanship as he tried studying. Practicing every word, and speaking them aloud as he worked on dedicating them to memory.     For the first several hours of the trip, he'd been difficult to reel in. Wanting to look at everything and anything, never having been surrounded completely by such large bodies of water, it was all new to him--and not necessarily exciting. Cautious as always, the prospect of being on a boat with no clear line of escape was unnerving, and until he felt comfortable, he promptly refused to focus on any book work. Eventually he eased himself into a calmer state--though he'd done his best to mask his discontent as it was apparent to him that this trip was important to Uemon.     After he'd adjusted, he became more willing to cooperate with the older wanderer's prompts, however.     Eventually they arrived at their destination, and as they got off of the ship, Uemon gave a warning. No knives or teeth. Kota pouted. "No knives," he echoed back, almost in a mocking tone. "Or teeth. Or hands, or kicks," he added on to the list. "Unless..." He pursed his lips and looked away. Unless she bit first. Or he felt threatened. It was really all that he could guarantee. "I needa." He scratched his cheek. Yeah, that seemed like a fair agreement. Didn't say anything about threatening, though.     Which he would still, likely, undoubtedly do as soon as the cousin made him feel uncomfortable or concerned.

✜

[Sora Minami]

Sora Minami was not panicking.

The pink-haired Jounin moved at a hurried, frenetic pace through the port’s main thoroughfare, sky blue eyes fixated on the ships that rushed by her- or, rather, the ships she rushed by, long legs hurling her from rooftop to rooftop in a blur of speed. It wasn’t an uncommon sight even here, but Sora was aware there were eyes on her- the Suiryu Butai gave much leeway to a Shinobi of her rank, but that didn’t mean they would simply ignore someone who suddenly started running across the rooftops like a Genin fresh out of the Academy. She had a reason for the rush, though.

It wasn’t every day her cousin came to visit with a child in tow, after all.

She had gotten the letter a week before, stamped with the arrival time of their ship, the Kogane Maru. It had been scant on details beyond that Uemon would be bringing his young ward, a boy named Kota, and that she was to be… understanding of him, whatever that meant. And somehow, despite having a full week to prepare for their arrival, she simply wasn’t ready.

Hence, her rushing.

Damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it! Sora thought as she slid across a particularly flat roof and came to a screeching halt, dust and bits of tile flying into the air beneath her sandals. Why was it so hard to find one damn ship in a port?! There were hundreds of them coming and going, none of them had easily readable name plates and they just wouldn't. Stop. Moving. Even the damn docked ships still bobbed up and down on the water, never sitting still long enough for her to-

Gotcha.

The Jounin’s scowling face shifted the moment her eyes caught sight of her cousin, his darker skin and unruly hair recognizable even from fifteen meters up. She couldn’t see the boy with him, but that didn’t mean much- they were in a crowded place, after all, and it was hard for a kid to stand out when surrounded by adults. So, with her target now in sight, Sora brought her hands together and formed a single hand seal, chakra network humming as she leap forwards into a Shunshin that blurred the port around her into streaks of gray and brown and blue, only to deposit her about a meter behind Uemon.

"Sorry I’m late." She said once her chakra had cooled down, lips parting a wry, knowing grin. "Training went a bit longer than I thought it would."

Kota Muramasa Uemon

[Muramasa Uemon]

surrounded by waves, swells, mists

---

Learning was a process. As per usual when it came to Kota though, he was fairly impressed.

If his capacity for study— chakra-related or otherwise was any sign of potential, the boy would be a force to be reckoned with when he got older. Learning the Kugutsu no Jutsu after seeing it only once. Writing. Reading.

Teaching was not his strong suit... but Kota was an excellent pupil. "Good job." He said to the boy as he watched, placing an approving hand on his shoulder. Was he feeling proud? Odd. It wasn't something that occurred often.

Not even for himself, let alone another. Once they anchored at port and his warning was given, Uemon wrinkled his nose at the boy's response. 'Unless I needa'. "Not unless you need to..." He repeated. Almost admitting defeat as he rubbed the back of his own neck. Not what he hoped for... but sufficient enough. "Control is important."

Uemon said as they walked. "It's okay to be careful... but not everyone is a threat." The wanderer glanced to the boy, hoping he would heed his message. "Okay?" A lesson he would have to learn at some point. Soon.

In the wilds, the rules were different. Eat or be eaten. Survive. Civilization was a different matter entirely.

True, he wasn't the most welcoming person either. Guarded. Distant. Yet he knew when the time for talking was over. And action necessary. Kota was young, so they had time. But these were things they needed to work on.

A familiar pang echoed in his head and he turned towards its direction. It was hard to spot anything in the sea of people. "Above?" The thought came, and his eyes drifted upward. Nothing. The signature moved. Its position blazing through his head at a speed he could scarce follow. Locating her happened just as her voice sounded out.

So he turned, his expression softening just a touch. "Not at all, we just arrived." He said with a nod. Training was important. "This is Sora." Uemon told the boy, casting an expectant eye on him. "And you are...?" He waited.

Hopefully he wasn't as defensive here as he was with the wanderer in the forest. It was understandable. Strangers could be dangerous. But Sora wasn't a stranger. Not fully anymore. No she was... "More than that." 

Family. Trust required time. Understanding. It would come, he felt. Grow.  For once... he felt hopeful. 

---

[Kota]

The sun will be guiding you They're dying to stop you This race is a prophecy Break out from society "Yeah," Kota said, grateful at least that Uemon didn't seem to be fighting him too much on the matter. He lightly swung one foot, kicking the air as he balanced on the other. "I'm pre'y good at control." At least, he was pretty sure he was. Couldn't think of anything he couldn't control about himself. There were lots of times that he was scared, or wanted to cry, and he pulled himself together to do what needed to be done to survive.     Though, it seemed Uemon wasn't as convinced.     Continuing on, mentioning how not everybody was a threat.     Kota wasn't sure how much he agreed with that notion. Everybody was a threat, and anything could be dangerous. But he didn't go attacking every person he saw, and didn't always bite every time he was afraid. There were many times he was afraid, but knew his opponent would be able to kill him, so he had to figure something else out in order to get out alive.     Even with the merchant--his instinct had been to run.     Sometimes, survival meant giving something up--sacrifice. Sometimes it meant fleeing and hiding (that's usually what it meant for Kota). But sometimes, there was no choice but to fight and hope you live long enough to nurse whatever wounds you got from the encounter. Knowing the species helped, knowing how to read their body language and your environment helped. Avoiding trouble altogether was the best thing, when possible--and usually it was done by encouraging the other party not to engage.     Threats. Looking big. Sounding scary.     "I know," Kota muttered back, growing irritated. He'd had plenty of interactions with other people that had turned out just fine. Sometimes, people were nice enough. Or easy to trick. Either way, they didn't always mean trouble.     The duo stopped walking, and Uemon turned to glance at a woman standing behind him--from the way she spoke, and how he responded, Kota guessed she must have been the Cousin they came to meet. Uemon introduced her as Sora, and Kota stared for a few moments at the woman.     She looked nice--her clothing was pretty fancy. Bright colors, with fine details, and everything looked clean and neat. Not a fray or stain to be seen, brightly-colored eyes, and hair the color of a flower. Everything about her looked like a flower, really.     Uemon looked down at Kota expectantly, and the boy frowned in response. Being put on the spot--like some kind of test. Why are you asking me that--you already know my name, he thought. He huffed, and put his straw hat atop his head--blocking Uemon out from his sight and avoiding eye contact. "I'm Mister Amazing Warrior Guy," Kota introduced himself, placing his hands on his hips, before raising one to gesture at Uemon. "This's 'Masa."

✜

[Sora Minami]

Sora took one look at Kota and knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he was not ok. There was a tenseness to him, a wary cast to his frame that showed he was ready to bolt, to run or fight at the first provocation, at the first thought of danger, no matter if it was real or imagined. His lack of eye contact, his refusal to give his real name, everything about the boy screamed orphan- one who hadn’t had a single person to look after him in a long, long while. The Jounin would have hugged him right then and there if she hadn’t known he would freak out and try something crazy.

"It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mister Amazing-Warrior-Guy." She said, smiling softly as she looked at Uemon, one eyebrow raised in amusement. When she had first heard her cousin went about his misadventures with a child in tow, she’d been less than enthused at the idea, but now? Now she could see why, if only a little. Kota needed someone to look after him, someone he could trust, who wouldn't spook the boy and drive him away without meaning to. Someone who could move around, keeping him safe… and away from the Hidden Villages.

"So, what do you two want to do?" Sora asked, looking to Uemon for direction. She knew a few places around the port, but this was his meeting; he’d arranged transport and, more importantly, he knew what level of interaction Kota was comfortable with. The boy might be fine with a crowd here, outside, but the inside of a cramped inn or restaurant was another matter entirely.

Muramasa Uemon Kota

[Muramasa Uemon]

still against the tide

---

As the child responded irritably, Uemon's mouth moved to the side. Face a mix of dissatisfaction and concern.

Thinking back to his younger years, he hadn't exactly been the biggest fan of instruction either. Or advice. Adults always telling him what to do and refusing to explain why. "I need to be better with that." He thought.

If it meant drilling down to the foundation of everything? So be it. The 'why' was always more important than the 'how'. Especially in a child's eyes. He may not have been the boy's parent but... he still wanted to make sure he knew of these things. To set him up to be able to take care of himself. Be able to navigate the world and its people...

In safety. "I won't always be around..." The truth of the matter. He would need to venture out on his own at times. And life was random. Violent. Anything could happen. Not to even speak of his business in Tetsu no Kuni.

Thoughts for a different day. "..." Uemon's expression stretched thinner as Kota introduced himself. A hand reaching up to rub the back of his own neck in exasperation. Thankfully Sora proved fairly understanding. He met her raised eyebrow with an unenthused look of his own. "We're still working on etiquette." With a ways to go.

Asking what they wanted to do, he paused as he glanced around. "Hm..." The port seemed populous. Mizu no Kuni was unfamiliar, but surely there were attractions. "I thought we might visit some of the shops." He said, eyes still searching. "To try and find sweets... maybe even those small round ones." Uemon glanced at the boy.

Hat still obscuring his sight. "But only if Mister Amazing Warrior Guy really wants to..." It would be a start. But they couldn't spend all day browsing candy. Looking around, he noticed other children in the crowd. Laughing. Playing. "Kota could use that." He thought, adjusting the sword slung on his shoulder. "Then I was thinking..."

Thinking. What did kids do for fun? "...go to a park?" It sounded like a plan to him. If nothing else, it would be good for Kota to socialize with other children. Adults could be scary. Especially the ones he'd run into.

Being around people his own age and size might be a positive experience for the boy. Or so he hoped, at least.

---

[Kota]

The sun will be guiding you They're dying to stop you This race is a prophecy Break out from society "Hmm..." Kota stared up at Sora as she spoke. She didn't seem particularly hostile in her body language, and her expressions seemed kind enough. Usually a sign of stupidity, since nice people were easy to trick and take advantage of. But nice people also usually had set expectations of how everyone was supposed to act.     Thinking back to that one samurai man, who had bought Kota a nice meal... but also told him that stealing was bad.     And that one other wanderer, who Kota had intimidated into giving his fish to him. He'd not had positive ideas about the child being on his own.     All in all, Kota found that he didn't usually agree with or like people who were nice. But he could tolerate interacting with them, so long as he was able to fenagle his way into attainting something from the encounter.     Though, things were different, now.     "It's nice to meet you too," Kota responded to her. At least the woman seemed friendly with Uemon, too. Giving him knowing glances and passing funny smirks. She didn't seem like a complete stranger by her behavior at least, and if she was someone that Uemon knew... it was probably okay to be around her. Probably.     Besides, if Uemon was going to meet up with her often, Kota wasn't sure if he'd have much choice in having to see her often, anyway.     So long as it wasn't horrible, it was okay, he supposed.     The young boy looked around their environment as the two adults continued on their conversation. It was pretty different than most of the places he'd been to, before, but already he liked it much more than the Land of Stone. Stone and Rocks and Nothingness. There was a nice smell to the air, too. Likely due to their proximity to the ocean--but it wasn't murky and musky like swamps. It was different than freshwater mist from waterfalls, too, though.     But, still, it was kind of nice.     Kota's attention snapped back into their conversation when he heard Uemon mention sweets--even possibly the little round ones?? Frustration evaporated immediately as the child looked up at Uemon with excitement. "I do!" he insisted. Of course he wanted sweets. "Really?" he asked, lightly pulling on the older wanderer's shirt. "You'll get me sweets even though it's not even my birthday anymore?"     He didn't know what a park was, and he didn't really care. But he was suspicious and optimistic at the prospect of getting something so delicious to eat. What kind of special occasion was this?

✜

[Sora Minami]

Uemon met her raised eyebrow with a flat stare, his uneasiness with the boy’s lack of etiquette evident, even through his typical deadpan delivery. Sora understood though; after her family had died, things hadn’t exactly been easy, and manners or politeness was perhaps the last thing on her mind. She’d learned eventually (you could only run so many laps around the village), but it had taken time, time and patience and more than a bit of coercion. Perhaps Kota would prove less stubborn than she had been at his age… and perhaps he wouldn’t.

"I know a few stalls that sell sweets." She said, glancing down at the boy as he spoke, coming alive at the mere prospect of the sugary little treats. The Jounin’s smile widened at his precociousness, brightening her face as she watched the boy hop about, acting like a child. Actually…

"There’s an amazing dango shop not too far from here. Come on, I’ll buy." Sora said, gesturing for the pair to follow her as she strolled off down the street, parting the crowd not by force but by presence alone, her hitai-ate drawing more than a few startled looks as people scurried out of the way. Most civilians in Mizu no Kuni tended to have a bit more backbone, but this was a port city, full of foreigners who didn’t understand that if you saw a Mist Shinobi coming, they probably weren’t there to kill you. Probably.

"There’s a small park outside the city, if you want to visit it after." She said, glancing at Kota as they walked. He was small, but seemed capable of keeping up, at least for the time being. If need be Uemon or herself could carry him if he got tired- or if, for some reason, they needed to bolt. Which they shouldn’t, but still. Best to be prepared.

[Muramasa Uemon]

haven from the sea

---

Listening to the boy speak, his eyebrow raised slightly. Nice to meet her too? "Well..." Mind trailing, he very nearly shrugged. "That's pleasant enough." Later than he would have liked... but at this point he would take what he got. 

It seemed talk of sweets paid off. As Sora mentioned knowing a few places they could try, the child tugged excitedly on his shirt. Irritation taking a backseat for the moment. "Mhm." Uemon intoned with a nod towards the boy. Kids acting like kids... imagine that. "Let's call it... a late celebration." He said, faint shadow of a smile forming.

Between their arrival in Amegakure no Sato and work, there had been little time for an actual party. Hopefully the gift of a wakizashi and this would make up for not throwing a proper birthday party for the boy. In some small way.

An offer of being treated to dango caused an eyebrow to raise as he looked to Kota. "What do you think?"

Something told him the boy would be agreeable. Shifting his gaze to his cousin, he gave an appreciative nod in response. "That's nice of you, Sora. Thank you." Normally his face was sullen. Grim. But with these two...

...a hint of warmth had crept in. Taking the invitation he began to follow after, making sure to keep an eye on Kota.

Didn't want to lose him in the crowd. Though he doubted the boy would stray. "I think that will do nicely." He said about the park. Taking in the scenery as they walked. "How was your training?" A question. Something occurring to him. Uemon knew she was a shinobi of Kirigakure... but he didn't actually know what her role was.

Instructor? "Do you have students? Or..." Did she operate in the dark? Like many shinobi did. Suppa made sure to warn him plenty during their years of travel together. "We've been practicing a bit ourselves." He said.

Glancing to Kota with an approving look. So far, they'd made some decent headway. Reading, writing, defense... he was coming along nicely. Though they still had quite a ways to go. Restraint. Swordplay. Strategy. All in due time. 

---

[Kota]

The sun will be guiding you They're dying to stop you This race is a prophecy Break out from society An amazing dango shop? While Kota wasn't difficult to please in the ways of food, his excitement and anticipated only grew with the woman's praise of the shop. Dango, the child cooed internally. The word sounded so familiar. He could almost remember what it was.     The boy looked up at Muramasa as the older wanderer explained his reasoning for the treats. A late celebration, he called it. He'd already made a gift for Kota, and now he got treats, too? It's really like a real birthday, Kota thought. He'd been more than happy with the present he'd been given--it was the nicest thing he could call his own, and it was far more than anything he would have expected.     Really, he'd not expected anything at all.     Not with how long he'd gone without such things.     So, having a proper celebration--just like he used to when he was little(r). Well. He could hardly believe it. Kota nodded enthusiastically when Muramasa asked what he thought of the idea. Anything involving treats and food and snacks or goodies--it all appealed to him. "I want dango," he expressed.     And, thankfully, Sora had no issue leading the way toward the shop. People moved out of her way as she walked, something Kota wasn't used to seeing (He was much more accustomed to being tripped on or trampled over). It was an odd thing, and one he wasn't sure what to think of.     Is she super important? the boy wondered as he walked alongside Uemon, allowing the two adults to converse without interjecting himself. It would be one explanation why people would want to get out of her way--or if they were scared of her. Kota was sure she was dangerous--but she didn't look super scary. Maybe she's like a princess, then, Kota thought, looking the woman up and down. She was dressed nicely. And she looked pretty. A sword princess. Those were definitely a thing. Probably.     When Uemon talked to Sora about training, mentioning how he and Kota had been practicing a little of their own, a sly grin crept upon Kota's face. "I know something really cool," he boasted lightly. It wasn't something he'd shown Uemon yet--he'd wanted to wait for a good opportunity to show the technique off. Even now, he wasn't sure he was going to tell. "You wouldn't even believe how amazing it is."

✜

[Sora Minami]

The pair followed Sora closely, the crowd naturally parting before the sword-wielding Jounin and her two companions without so much as a second glance. Uemon, understandably, kept an eye on the boy as they walked, but it didn’t stop him from asking questions. She looked back at her cousin, smile unwavering as she thought about her students (yes, even Enyo’s little shit attitude) and said, "I’m a Jounin-sensei. I have two kids on my squad right now, and we’re waiting on a third to transfer in. And yes, training went about as well as it could, given how… fragile one of them is."

Enyo had been hurt quite often in their training sessions, truth be told. His clan’s Kekkei Genkai required some sort of injury (usually a cut) before he could use it, but that didn’t mean his appalling lack of stamina and durability didn’t hinder what she could do to push him past his limits. And nevermind his attitude.

"Oh?" Sora said when Kota spoke, the smile in her voice evident as she glanced back at the boy. He looked young, younger than some Academy Students, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t capable, or that he couldn’t learn how to fight. Even if she wished he never had to, the Jounin knew better than to expect the rest of the boy’s life to be peaceful and full sunshine. The world was a dark, violent place, especially to the young and weak. Kota would need every scrap of power he could find.

"I know a few things myself. How about we share after dango?" She glanced at Uemon then, looking to see if he was ok with the idea- though he’d have to be quick about his answer, as they were close to their destination now.

Kota Muramasa Uemon

[Muramasa Uemon]

gives shelter. even strangers...

---

Acceptance. Off to eat treats in accordance with the boy's wishes. "Dango it is, then."

It was no proper party but he supposed he could have done worse. Could have done better too... but he was still getting the hang of this 'caring for a child' thing. "Next year for certain." He thought as they walked.

Birthdays were important for kids. Best not to make a habit of late gifts and missed celebrations. "A jōnin?" The wanderer echoed. "She's the same rank Suppa was..." Before he abandoned his home village, that is. Little more than an internal musing really. Still, he knew it meant she was indeed powerful. "How long have you been one?"

Some were prodigies promoted young. Others attained higher status through sheer determination and plenty of hard work. Uemon assumed hers was the latter case, but he still felt it wise to ask. They were family, after all.

To know each other was the least they should do. "Fragile?" He asked, sparing the woman a glance while they moved. "Well, if they're young..." Time and effort would build them up. Surely. "I'm sure you'll get them into shape before long." If what little of her prowess that he'd seen held true, he was certain of it. Fast. Skilled.

Ninja youth could do much worse than to be taught by her. "Hm?" Uemon glanced to Kota as he spoke. Something cool? "Have you been training in secret?" Knowing him, it was more than likely. Made sense...

...he used to do the same thing when he was younger. Sora offered to have them show off and looked to him for approval. After some thought, he nodded. "A demonstration." He said. Faint smile lingering. Now he was curious to see too. Swordplay, puppeteering... whatever it was meant improvement. And that was an irrefutably good thing.

Self-sufficiency was the point. Before long the trio arrived, due in no small part to Sora's uncanny ability to part crowds. "Being a shinobi does have its perks, I suppose..." Uemon held the door for the two of them and watched.

 A look of mild amusement pre-emptively forming as he waited for Kota's reaction.

---

[Kota]

The sun will be guiding you They're dying to stop you This race is a prophecy Break out from society So, she was a teacher, then? Kota listened to the adults as they exchanged their words, and while he had hardly any interest in their conversation, he still took note of their words. Sora had students of her own, it seemed. So, she taught children how to fight? Like how Uemon is teaching me? he wondered. That must suck for them. He couldn't think of a reason why anybody would want to have to fight and read and swipe at one-another with swords unless they had to. With him and Muramasa, it only felt slightly different. They must like her a whole lot to be doing all that.     It was the only explanation he could think of.     Sora offered to demonstrate some of her own abilities, and Kota thought on it for a moment. He was inclined to decline her offer--he wasn't really too interested in whatever she wanted to show off, but, then, he supposed he wasn't sure what she could do. She did have a sword, so it was probably some kind of sword trick--and he wasn't sure how much that interested him. But, then, he supposed he hadn't thought Mika had been all that interesting at first, either. "Hmmm, maybe," he said, agreeably enough. "Though, I think whatever it is, mine's pro'lly cooler." He couldn't imagine anything cooler than the things he already knew.     Looking up to Muramasa, the boy gave a sly grin. "Sorta," he answered back. "Missus Scar-Face showed me a really cool thing while you were working, and said it was advanced and really cool an' useful an' stuff. Way better than kid stuff that a lot of ninja learn in their schools." He smirked, priding himself. So, as far as he was concerned, he was already stronger and more skilled than actual ninja who went to school. They were all students, and he was better than them.     Of course, the shinobi had read the child like a book, and was able to quickly figure out not only what would appeal to him, but compliment his skillset, values, and needs. Especially given his lifestyle and history...     And, well, he was sure that Uemon was going to be impressed (which, of course, was the point of all his bragging).     Of course, though, he knew it was going to have to wait. Especially as they made it to their destination--Muramasa opening the door for the two others to walk in, to which Kota gave no hesitation. The scent of the syrup, dough, and rice hit him before he fully grasped visuals on his surroundings, and already he felt wonderfully overtaken by his senses. Of course, he knew it was a sweets shop--Uemon had promised a treat for him--but, still, it had been so long since he'd been inside one that he'd nearly forgotten how nice it all was. A million times better than nice, even.     "Ohhey--" Kota perked up in excitement, tugging at Muramasa's shirt once more as he looked up at him eagerly. "This's the stuff my dad used ta get me!" Dango!

✜

[Sora Minami]

"It probably is." Sora said as Kota chimed in behind her, glancing back at him with a genuine smile on her face. It was rare for her to see a child so thoroughly child-like, even outside the village. Especially not her team, not with Enyo and Ikana always taking shots at one another. It was… nice, actually. "And I’ve been a Jounin for about two months now." Jounin-level for longer, to be sure, but "as strong as” rarely meant much to the people who cared about rank.

Her smile wavered slightly when Uemon spoke again, the unspoken question in his words catching her off-guard- did he not understand what she meant? Even with all her experience at the Academy, holding back enough to not hurt children when she sparred with them (and she had to spar with them, if only to get a sense of their overall strength) was… difficult, to say the least. Still, if her cousin noticed the slight shift in her demeanor, he didn’t comment on it, and not long after the three of them arrived at their destination.

Mitsuwas was a small place, consisting of a collection of shelves stocked with jars and boxes of sweets, along with a bar behind which the place's main attraction was made. The smell of syrup and dough filled the air, the faintest hint of cinnamon mingling with it, giving the whole place a soft, homey aura that fit right in with the kindly old man behind the counter. He smiled at her, at all of them, and gestured with his hands to wait for a moment- apparently, his latest batch was nearly done.

"Happy belated birthday, Kota." Sora said as the boy gaped at the shop; she pulled out a small bundle of ryo from one of her pockets and offered it to Kota, knowing he’d likely want more than just the dango. "Here. That should cover your dango… and a few other things, if you want."

Kota Muramasa Uemon