| [Jun. 9th, 2013|04:34 am] |
“Got bored,” Katsuko said, scratching the bridge of her nose. “Didn’t feel like being productive, so I went and got tea instead. And what’s so bad about throwing people in the river? My jonin-sensei used to do that to me and my teammates. Good times.” Hideki-sensei always did prefer actions over words. Katsuko brushed away the twinge of nostalgia and glanced over at Genma. “Where’s the blossom party at, anyways?”
“Over by the half-moon bridge. My buddy Yamashiro Aoba’s holding down the spot. Do you know him?”
There was a Yamashiro in Intel, wasn’t there? “I’ve heard of him before. Anyone else with you guys that I’d know?”
“He was bringing some girls from Intel, I think,” Genma said. “Not sure if it’s anyone I even know. He’s one of those guys who always has a date or three.” The dango skewer in his mouth twitched as he smirked in amusement.
Oh. Well, maybe some of the girls would be cute. Katsuko quirked a grin. “Sounds fun. Lead on.”
The cherry trees surrounding the high, arched pedestrian bridge were in full bloom, small petals floating loose in the wind like a veil of pink. A tall man with sleek sunglasses on stood chatting with three kunoichi, leaning against a tree trunk with his hands tucked casually into his pockets.
Genma made a ‘quiet, wait here’ gesture at Katsuko; she watched in silent curiosity as he ghosted up behind Yamashiro Aoba. The kunoichi saw Genma before Aoba did, but none of them gave any sign. There was a lightning-quick blur of movement and a yelp from Aoba, and then he and Genma fell to the ground as they tussled. Katsuko and the other kunoichi looked on in skeptical amusement.
A moment later, Genma lifted his head and beckoned to her. “Dude, this is Katsuko. I found her on my way over. If I buy her takoyaki, can we keep her?”
Katsuko gave Genma her most unimpressed expression and stayed where she was. “‘Sup,” she said, and lifted a hand in greeting.
Aoba lit up, getting to his feet and giving her a courtly bow. “Hey, I know you! You were on Isamu’s team a couple years ago. Come on over and join us. We’ve got beer, lychee flavor chu-hai, and fancy-ass sake for Gen, ‘cause he’s a snob. Shut up, Genma, you are. This is Hyuuga Momoe, Yamanaka Susuki, and Hiyashi Riei.” He sat down and patted the ground next to him.
Genma sat up, looking sheepish. His shirt had hiked up during his and Aoba’s impromptu tussle; he pulled the hem back down. “We do have room for one more, if you want to stay.”
The Hyuuga looked like the rest of her relatives: regal, pale-eyed, and completely uninterested in Katsuko’s existence. Excellent. Nothing good came from associating with Konoha’s old clans— too much inbreeding and ruthlessness. The Yamanaka was blonde and had legs that went on for miles, and she gave Katsuko a welcoming smile when Katsuko glanced her way. Her eyes were sharp and intelligent, cataloguing every detail of Katsuko’s appearance.
The third kunoichi, Hiyashi Riei, had mousy brown hair and was forgettably unassuming in a way that could only be deliberately cultivated. Katsuko gave all three kunoichi a friendly nod and settled down beside Genma, resting her arms on her knees. “There’s food,” she said. “I’m definitely staying.” |
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