Drinking Buddies (Open)

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Shouten stood there in a cafe in the Hidden Sand Village. It felt surreal being out of his bed at home for so long. Daisuke's stab wound wasn't particularly deadly, but it was still a stab wound. He couldn't help but to rub at the spot where the kunai pierced him. This day was filled with odd instances.

For example, Shouten was standing in a cafe. He will never know why they serve hot beverages in the desert. Still, for some reason, Daisuke agreed to meet here. The young genin was unsure as to why he would invite his fellow ninja here. Perhaps he just wanted to have a meeting that was not antagonistic. After all, the last two major meetings between the two had involved Shouten's fireballs. That wasn't exactly friendly behavior. Granted the two weren't friends. They were barely acquaintances.

"Oh, Dai. This should be a good experience for the both of us. I get to pick your brain and I'm sure you're going to be doing the same thing to me. Hopefully we can get along and get through a day without trying to kill each other..."

Lost in his thoughts as always. Shouten allowed a bit of a smile to cross his face. Despite anything anyone said, he liked to believe he had won their spar. It was a petty victory, but a victory nonetheless. At this novice level of skill, any victory was worth mentioning. He wouldn't rub it in Daisuke's face, but he would keep it tucked away for a rainy day. Of course the boy would debate it, but the boy would be wrong.

The Li kid sipped his hot cocoa. It was still far too hot for human consumption. On a list of worst ideas ever, this ranked quite high up. What is it that compelled him to choose this drink? There had to be at least a million other drinks in the Sand Village. No, Shouten wanted to drink Hot Cocoa. Stupid, stupid, stupid. The boy could now feel exactly how bored he was. Even for his normal amount of daydreaming, he was just prattling on.

"Come on, Dai, hurry up."

[Daisuke Hizuhiro]

Daisuke walked along the narrow streets of Sunagakure, the picture of youth. Smile beaming across his face, eyes full of hope, and stomach full of food. That last part being the most important, and was likely the reason he was in such a good mood. At least, that's how it had started, but eventually his mind wandered to more complex thoughts than his mother's wonderful lizard stew. Thoughts more along the lines of I'm a real Genin now, I guess I haven't really had the chance to let that sink in.

Afterall, how many moments had he been given before something more pressing came to his attention? He didn't get to enjoy his graduation because of Masami-Sensei, he didn't get to enjoy passing said Sensei's test due to the method of delivery, and now with his learning a new jutsu and fighting with Shouten, he hadn't had much time to just think. He had even gone so far as to take a moment to take his headband off and look at it, let his fingers trace the grooves that made up the shape of the symbol that he fought for now. The symbol he'd put his life on the line for. In a fit of spontinaeity he took the forehead protector off of his head and tied it around his neck, letting it fall above his breastbone. With no mirror nearby to see himself, he couldn't tell if he looked alright that way, but decided to leave it. Suddenly his mind was pulled to another topic, and he winced in pain as he felt what was left of the scab on his right arm break and begin to bleed again. Good thing I've been keeping that bandaged...

He'd have to stop moving his arm so much, if he kept breaking the wound open again it would surely leave a scar, and as cool as that sounded to the young Hizuhiro, he wanted his scars to be from the real battlefield. Still, that had been a good fight, it was a shame it couldn't have continued, the two were clearly neck and neck in skill, and wouldn't have stopped until someone had been seriously injured. He couldn't help but look at what was left of the gash on his arm as a blessing, he'd never been stabbed before and he didn't relish the thought.

Finally he arrived at the meeting place in question, after having such a fierce battle with a person, he thought it best to get to know him a little more, afterall there wasn't much he could say about the boy apart from his fighting style and the feel of his blade. Daisuke pushed open the swinging double doors of the cafe and took refuge in the shady retreat from the blazing desert sun outside.

There was a dull murmur of conversation around the place, which was not packed, neither was it deserted. (OOC: No pun intended) Eventually among the faces he picked out the one of his teammate and proceeded toward him. I wonder if he'll say anything about my headband.. He couldn't help but be a tad self-conscious. Not that he was seeking Shouten's approval, but at the end of the day what Daisuke's teammates think of him will affect how they work together. He wouldn't want to give anybody the wrong ideas about him, because afterall, they knew as much about him as he knew about them. Finally, he reached the boy, and went with whatever came natural.

"What's up, Shouten?"

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Shouten's eyes refocused as he heard Daisuke's voice. He had arrived, finally. It was strange seeing his fellow team mate in this way. Their previous encounters had both been Shouten attempting to kill Daisuke. Well, perhaps not kill, but cause serious injury to. To that extent, Shouten's fingers even twitched. His body was naturally trained to target Daisuke. This gathering was a good idea. If they were going to be team mates, he needed to experience his team mates outside of the battlefield. The first step was simply for Shouten to be himself. The boy put on what he hoped was a warm grin and gestured toward the chair across from him.

"Hey Dai! I just figured last we saw each other I sorta had a blade to your throat, you threw a giant shuriken, I threw fireballs. It's not going to do us any good if we only encounter each other on the battlefield. So I figured we could meet up here and talk about those strategies I mentioned before, ya know?"

A million miles an hour. Shouten doesn't believe in speaking slowly. What's the point? The important things will get through and if they don't, he didn't have a problem repeating himself. It was after he spoke that Shouten began to truly analyze Daisuke. He noticed that he had moved his forehead protector from his forehead, as is normally done, to his neck. God damn it.

"So that's the effect I had on him? Did I look that fierce? I didn't have any killing intent against him. Not like when I faced that man..."

Shouten harkened back to his confrontation with Orochimaru, the missing ninja from the Hidden Leaf Village. The horrible image that burned into his skull. The image of a man with the most tainted white skin and soulless eyes emerging from the mouth of what appeared to be a normal thirteen year old boy. The slight smirk on his face as he asked Shouten to betray the village and come with him for power. The fear Shouten felt as he swore that he was going to die for refusing. The fact that at any moment, Orochimaru could return and eradicate his entire clan. What was he thinking about again?

"Right. Daisuke. I should apologize to him if that's the reason he moved his forehead protector. I'm not going to be slitting his throat any time soon. I feel sorta bad now. That fight escalated far more than it should have. Damn it, me, why did you have to shoot fireballs at him? The Phoenix Flower technique should only be used against true enemies. What if I had actually hit any of them? What if this were Mizuki and Masami-sensei sitting across from me telling me how it wasn't my fault that the Hizuhiro family no longer had a son. The Hizuhiro family, the same family that awarded me the sword that is currently sheathed at my left hip. I need to get out of my head."

"Hey, Dai, man. I noticed you moved your forehead protector. I'm sorry for the whole sword to the throat thing. I guess I took that sparring match a little too far. I could have really hurt you."

The teenage angst in the Li genin spoke up, however. His stomach area was still quite sore and he couldn't help but to rub it in anxiety. Did he really owe Daisuke an apology? If he did, was he owed one in response?

[Daisuke Hizuhiro]

Daisuke nodded thoughtfully while Shouten greeted him, and listened to the young boy talk. While he was listening he sat at the table and took a small glance to what the Li clan head was enjoying this fine afternoon. Hot cocoa...? The young lightning-user raised an eyebrow. Hot cocoa in the middle of a scorching desert? It either speaks leagues of his idiocy, or even more of his determination to do what he wants.

I noticed you moved your forehead protector. I'm sorry for the whole sword to the throat thing.

A corner of Daisuke's mouth fell a bit at this comment. Great, he thinks I did this because of him. This is exactly what the Hizuhiro boy was trying to avoid, but he supposed it wasn't a difficult fix.

"Oh, no, it's nothing like that... I just had an idea to move it, something more original, and it was the first thing I tried. I haven't even seen it in a mirror, not sure if I'll keep it this way."

He let out a small laugh before a server came to the table to get his order. She looked expectant, as though she knew what he was going to order. His eyes glanced over to the main bar area to see a few more employees looking over at him. They quickly looked away, but he'd figured out what was happening. They must have thought that he'd also order hot chocolate, like his ally had done. It really was a laughable thought, so he couldn't blame them, but he ordered a lemonade like his thirsty tongue actually wanted. Another moment, she was off, and his mind was back on Shouten.

He'd mentioned strategies a few times now, perhaps it was time to finally get them fleshed out. But if that was the case, shouldn't Mizuki be here too?

"Well, like I said when we met, I pride myself on being a good strategist, so I'd be happy to lend my thoughts to the cause. But if that's going to be the case, then I'll need to know everything you can do, not just the things I've been forced to suffer." He let out another small laugh to make it clear he was joking, he didn't want any bad blood between the two, so clearing the air quickly was probably better than leaving the incident under the rug.

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Oh, no, it's nothing like that... I just had an idea to move it, something more original, and it was the first thing I tried. I haven't even seen it in a mirror, not sure if I'll keep it this way.

Shouten sighed a breath of relief. He didn't want there to be true animosity between them this early on. In fact, it seemed the opposite. Daisuke was a cheerful kid and Shouten could appreciate that. Perhaps this team had a shot at working. If only their sensei were nicer. That man...shrouded in both anger and mystery. Whatever he was hiding, he needed to get over it. Shouten was unsure of how many more "training" sessions he could survive. His mind quickly went to work. He began imagining being dangled over spikes, fighting scorpions, and whatever other dangers Masami Saito could create in the desert. They were not a pleasant thoughts.

Ah right, Daisuke. He agreed with Shouten once more on the strategy idea and now was the time to implement it. Shouten sighed. How many times had they discussed their skills? It really needed to happen again? Nevertheless, Shouten leaned over the table closer to Daisuke. His eyes swept the room for any ninja who might have the urge to hear the worthless prattling of two Genin. Luckily for him, nobody was listening or if they were, they were being quite sneaky about it. Getting a close as he could to Daisuke comfortably, the Li Leader began to speak.

"How many times can I say it, Dai? I'm proficient in kenjutsu, taijutsu, and any other way you can say sword fighting. To that extent I have my Sand Village Art: Mirage Blade which is the sword technique that I utilized against you. I also have, as you witnessed, my Phoenix Flower technique. My second Katon technique is my Grand Fireball technique. I can show it to you if need be, but it's otherwise a giant fireball. I shot one at Masami if my memory wasn't knocked into confusion. That's pretty much all I have so far. A sword, two different forms of fireball, and devastatingly good looks."

The young man unleashed one of his own laughs. It was nice sitting around in an easy situation, yet ironically, Shouten was uneasy. They hadn't been on their first mission yet and it was long overdue. Ninja, no matter what rank, should not be coddled. They shouldn't be tossed into a war or anything, but drinking cocoa was not high on the list of ninja priorities. Shouten was becoming restless.

[Daisuke Hizuhiro]

Daisuke listened intently as Shouten issued his skillset in hushed tones. So all of his talents had indeed been performed previously. He wasn't expecting anything grand from the boy, but he was by no means mediocre; it was something he could work with. Shouten had Fire Element, Daisuke himself had Lightning, and he'd overheard at some point that Mizuki had Wind element. A pleasant balance, always a good thing. As far as taijutsu, the whole team seemed to have at least the basics down, and Shouten had shown a high value in his ability to wield swords.

Daisuke sighed a breath of relief as a party of three gentlemen in a table nearby went on their way, leaving the small corner of the cafe vacant save for the two genin. They could talk in a bit more than a whisper now, and the Hizuhiro went on to do just that. "Well, you've proven yourself proficient in Taijutsu and Ninjutsu, our team's heavy-hitter of sorts. If Mizuki knows or learns some kind of Wind Jutsu, she can support your Fire Jutsu, so she should stay near you whenever possible. Now, out of the three of us, I'd say I'm probably the least proficient in close combat, but with my newfound affinity for sealing, I have a lot of ninja tools at my disposal, making me a good ranged fighter."

The strategist then grabbed a teacup, a salt shaker, a pepper shaker, and a spoon. "Mizuki is the salt shaker, you're the pepper, i'm the spoon, and Masami-sensei is the teacup. Since, as far as I know, none of us have much proficiency in tracking, Masami will be leading nearly every formation, so it's safe to assume he's always in the front." Daisuke put the teacup down on the table. "Now, if we are traveling in a straight line formation, next would be you." The genin put down the pepper shaker behind the teacup. "Due to your close-combat nature, you'd go next and head in with Masami for an initial assault. Mizuki would then stay at a small range and assist you in containing the enemy, and therefore she'd be next in line." He put the salt shaker down, and then finally the spoon behind that. "And I would bring up the rear at a distance. If something were to happen near the front of our arrangement, myself and hopefully Mizuki would have time to react accordingly. In short, Masami would watch the front, you and Mizuki would watch the sides together, and with my ninja tools I can watch wide on our sides and back."

"My other idea as of now is similar." Daisuke left the teacup where it was, but moved the spoon directly below it, and then put the salt and pepper shakers on each side of the spoon. "As in the last one, Masami would watch the front, you and Mizuki the sides, and me the back, but this formation is much more condensed, and therefore makes it easier to react as a whole." Daisuke leaned back once he'd finished talking and thanked the waitress who brought out his lemonade, sipping on the cool liquid and letting it wet his tongue before he said, "If you have any other helpful ideas, feel free to tell me."

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Shouten listened to Daisuke intently. He hadn't quite gotten Shouten's point, but his formations were interesting. It seemed like he had a good handle on the abilities of the team.

"Might I make a revision? I think that you and I should switch positions."

Shouten switched the positions of the pepper shaker and the spoon.

"With your sealed weapons, your range is good, but not as far as mine. I think that if Sensei is the first to engage the opponent, our best bet is to lie in wait. Once we can assess their abilities, your mid-ranged attacks would be best at starting off our hidden assault. In case of running into an enemy, you would be best suited for my old position because we have similar ranges. I think that I should be in the back in case of an ambush. My close range proficiency and slight advantage in ranged ninjutsu would best benefit us if an enemy were to attack us from behind. Mizuki is ill-equipped and Masami-sensei is best put in the front. I also think that you should take my place in the diamond shaped formation. You have better ranged versatility than I posses."

Shouten cursed the day. He wished Masami and Mizuki were here. Explaining these a second time would be a pain in the ass. No matter, Shouten wasn't so positive he even liked Mizuki and he certainly was not jazzed about Masami. Daisuke, though. It was nice discussing an intellectual topic with someone who gets it. The only person who would allow Shouten to dump his thoughts on them were his own parents.

"I kinda wanna talk about some situations we may be faced against now. I'm thinking the different types of ninja we may be facing. As you know, ninja are ranked from Genin to Chuunin to Jounin. To get from Genin to Chuunin, they have an exam. The details on the exam are top secret, but I'm willing to bet my left arm that we have to fight other ninja in our village. Maybe even other ninja in the other Hidden Villages. So I wanted to go over the different types of ninja. I'll start with Genjutsu since that's the simplest. Now, I don't know the technique to release Genjutsu. I hope that the rest of you do, so that I can learn. However, since nobody has mentioned it so far, I have to assume we all fail at that. That being said, one surefire way to release Genjutsu is to cause the body physical pain. So I think that we should all agree on one thing. Perhaps a broken finger or toe. I say that to mention my next point. Transformation Technique. It's a basic jutsu, but I have no way of seeing through it. I think we need to come up with a way to examine each other if we are ever separated. Something that no other ninja could lie about or otherwise fool us. That makes me think of the broken limb. I ask 'Daisuke, how does Team Masami escape Genjutsu?' and you can replay 'We break our index toe.' It's so random that it should be able to work."

Shouten's brain eventually caught up with his mouth. He realized that, once again, he had been speaking a hundred words per minute without allowing Daisuke time to properly react. This would be a nice test. Was Daisuke as smart as Shouten hoped he was?