Enemies in Common [GRADED]

[Willoria]

Inuzuka Minako was starting to feel like every mission she took was bound to go haywire one way or another. Things just kept going wrong, usually because of her, and it left her wondering if she needed more time to get her head on straight. When the opportunity came to visit Steam, she had taken it. She needed time to relax, and also needed to get one of her partners in particular used to being around strangers and strange shinobi without reacting. She felt Ryu had come far enough in his training for such a huge step, and so made the journey with both of her canine partners in tow for a change.

She walked the streets of a food district she had come across, both of her dogs patiently at her side. Her wild appearance seemed to throw some off, but others seemed to appreciate it. It was an interesting change of pace for the woman. Every once in awhile a child would ask to pet her dogs, or simply start to do so without asking. Every time she was careful to observe but neither Rei nor Ryu had any issues with the extra attention. Both animals seemed to be enjoying themselves immensely as well. 'This was sorely needed for all of us.' she thought to herself as she found a lovely ramen stand. There was a bar to sit at but also some tables scattered about.

Minako chose a table and sat down, ordering some tea while she looked over the menu options. Rei took the chair across from her happily before Ryu had a chance to try, the small sibling rivalry moment bringing a smile to Minako's lips as she shook her head. She returned her eyes to the menu only to have her thoughts soon disrupted by a violent snarl from deep within the throat and chest of Ryu nearby as he clearly saw something he didn't care for...

[TyDie]

It had been days of searching the streets of Amegakure, the weather reminding Ryu a little too much of home as he tried desperately to track down the whereabouts of his sister. So many back home had taken to writing her off as dead... even his grandfather, Yasu, had claimed he was going to find her in the afterlife as he passed away. But he refused to believe it - She was alive. He was her twin, he could sense these kinds of things, and regardless of what anyone else thought he was going to find her and bring her home.

But his stomach let out a small growl, and a moment of frustration crossed his face as he let out a sigh of defeat.

I've waited long enough, Ryu. Food, now! With an exaggerated sigh, Ryu relented, making his way towards a nearby Ramen stand. "Fine... but you need to curve your appetite, I'm not made of Ryo dammit." A fit of giggles erupted in Ryu's mind, the closest he got to an answer from the beast within, while he made his way over to the stand. Since he wasn't on official business, he wasn't wearing any of his traditional attire, opting for a simple black t shirt and black pants. However, the tattoo of the Karagata family was clear on the back of his neck, and his forehead protector was tied around his left bicep, with both the symbols of Kirigakure and the seven swordsmen carved into the metal. It was clear who and what he was.

As he approached the stand, a deep, menacing growl caught his attention, causing him to pause in his step as he turned his head to the source... a large, white canine, with a large scar over one eye. It didn't take a genius to figure out that the animal, and it's owner, were both likely shinobi. "You got a problem with me... pup?" His red and black eyes flitted over to the animal's owner as he finished addressing the canine, a scowl on his face. "I trust you can keep him under control. I don't think the samurai would take kindly to an animal attacking a shinobi, after all."

[Willoria]

Minako sighed heavily as she heard someone speaking to Ryu and she finally checked to see what was going on. She sat up and looked at the other shinobi, noticing immediately the glint of metal on his arm and the symbols there. Her expression soured almost immediately even as she sighed. "Well, they wouldn't take kindly to him killing you at least. Pretty sure he just wants you bloody." she said, crossing her arms as she looked at him. In spite of the wet climate, she still wore her usual clothes, her own village symbol worn as a belt. Looking at the one before her she could tell he was fairly close in age to her, but the village symbol made her skin crawl. All she could think of for a moment was her twin. "He's not fond of Kiri Shinobi... his last partner was killed by your lot in the war." She remarked, trying to keep her voice even.

After another sigh she glanced at Ryu and made a sound through her teeth at him, but he didn't budge, causing her to frown. Minako finally stood up with her arms crossed still as she looked down at him. "Ryu! Stand down!" she practically snarled at the dog. He looked over at her briefly, but turned his eyes back to the shinobi in front of him. Minako made a quick motion towards Rei. "Rei. Now."

Rei jumped down out of the chair and trotted over to Ryu, putting herself between him and the Kiri shinobi. A light growl and a snap from the darker of the two dogs was all it took before the pair walked together back to the table and both curled up by some bushes near Minako's seat. Minako sighed and shook her head. "Guess he wasn't as I thought." she muttered, frowning. "At least he didn't bite."

[TyDie]

Ryu stood motionless as the woman handled her animals, not phased one way or the other in regards to what the dogs wanted to do to him. As far as he was concerned, he was safe - Plus, he'd probably end up eating the dog if the dog tried to eat him. Or, well, Hisan would. It seemed that would be avoided though, although the dog seemed intent on staring Ryu down. Finally, she barked the dog's name, and Ryu tilted his head for a moment before scoffing. "Tch, I should be offended that the mutt shares my name..." Ryu was about to go to the ramen stand and go about getting the food he came here for, but then the other dog's name rang out... and he paused.

He slowly turned back around to face the woman.

"I don't believe in coincidence... First your one dog is named after me, and your other is named after... my sister." Ryu made his way back to the chair across from Minako, sitting down and eyeing the woman curiously. "...Inuzuka i'm guessing. Where were you during the war? Were you in Tea Country, did you encounter my sister, answer me!" He slammed his fist down as he concluded, a fit of rage flowing through his body. "Can't we just eat her and be done with it? I'm not getting any less hungry here you know..."

[Willoria]

As Ryu offended one of her dogs, Minako rolled her eyes pretty hard. "That mutt has probably seen more combat than you." she muttered in return, trying to return to sipping her tea. Of course, moments later Ryu was sitting down across from her, grilling her, and appearing to try and intimidate her. The Inuzuka raised an eyebrow as a growl started in the back of her throat. And of course, he had to mention Tea Country. With a snarl she suddenly kicked the table, kicking her tea cup in hand, but sending the table right at Ryu. When her two dogs tried to get up to join in, she made a single motion with her hand to let them both know to lay back down.

Minako got to her feet, carefully and deliberately sipping her tea as she glared at Ryu. "If you're going to make demands of an enemy shinobi, neutral zone or not, you should try at least saying please." she remarked. "Enlighten me, why the fuck should I answer a single question of yours? The last time I encountered a Kiri shinobi I had to hold in my guts and crawl my way home. Give me one good reason not to return the favor, Ryu?"

[TyDie]

Ryu once again scoffed at the mention of the dog's time in combat. The mangey mutt hadn't even been alive that long, let alone that involved in combat. But whatever, that was hardly the thing to worry about at this point. His outburst was met by a table though, one that was sent towards him with surprising strength... strength that let him know that this woman no doubt was stronger than he was, and likely a higher rank than him too. But the bravado he put forth was unphased, the table sending him sliding back in his chair as he stopped it as best he could. She made clear her disdain for him and his village, and even that she had almost been slain by his people... a smirk grew across his face.

"Heh... I'm surprised you're alive after an encounter like that. Very strong, very lucky. Or you know, maybe my people just need to be more thorough. Also, you'd find that gutting me wouldn't have the same effect it did on you... At least, it wouldn't kill me." Standing up from the table now, he looked around at the rest of the crowd around them, seeing that they were undoubtedly the center of attention right now. Letting out a sigh and unclenching the fists he didn't even know he was clenching. The anger he had been feeling, replaced with annoyance and a twinge of sorrow.

"Fine. Screw off then." The boy said under his breath as he turned away from the table, the stand and Minako. He'd walk through the crowd of gathering people, moving towards a nearby alley to get away from the samurai that were no doubt coming to check out the commotion.

[Willoria]

A snarl and a growl built from the back of Minako's throat at the things Ryu said, it took everything she had not to get up from where she sat. She wanted to go from kicking a table at him to straight up attacking him with the things he was saying. But as he looked around, so did she, and she saw the people looking at them. Some seemed afraid, others just shocked, even a few were just bored. A moment later Ryu was muttering under his breath and leaving as the girl rolled her eyes. "Good fucking riddance." She set her teacup down on the ground beside her and started counting out some money to cover her tea, as well as the damage she'd caused, to leave with the teacup. By time she looked up she saw that Ryu had turned into an alley, and also that Rei was no longer at her side. "Damn it, Rei!" She quickly took off after the dog.

The large black dog had watched Ryu turn away, her head tilting one way and the other a few times in curiosity before glancing at Minako. When she had seen her partner was preoccuped, Rei quickly started trotting after Ryu though her brother didn't follow. Rei turned into the alley after him, quickly shoving her nose and head under his hand. She pushed up against his hip and nuzzled him before lifting her head to look up at him directly, her blue-green eyes focused on him solely.

Minako came around the corner and sighed heavily. "Rei! What're you doing?" she asked the dog, exasperated. But she paused, seeing the way Rei was nuzzling the man, though her other dog stayed at the entrance to the alley and sat as if standing guard. She crossed her arms and looked at the Kiri shinobi a moment. "Something is eating at you, she can sense it." she said rather suddenly. "Rei is more empathetic than her brother... she's doing the same thing to you right now that she does to me when I'm grieving my twin."

[TyDie]

Ryu disappeared into the alley, shaking his head with annoyance and letting another sigh escape his mouth as he thought on the encounter he had just had. "Ugh... Get ahold of yourself Ryu. You'll never find her if you let your pride get in the way like that..." He put a hand on the wall to his left, looking up to the sky as more rain drizzled down, when suddenly a touch against his leg caused him to look down. Looking up at him was the black dog from before, nuzzling against his leg and putting her head under his hand. At first he thought to recoil, to simply push the dog away and continue on his business, but... For a moment, he didn't see Minako's companion...

He saw Kazuki. His mother's wolf.

Without even thinking, his hand moved over the animal's head, gently stroking her body and digging his fingertips lightly into her fur. The warmth of Rei under his hand brought an odd comfort to him, and those eyes could pierce the depths of even his closed off soul. She truly was a majestic creature... By the time he registered that Minako was speaking to him, he was already kneeling next to the animal, looking deep into her eyes and stroking the side of her face. "Something is eating at all of us..." Was his response at first, his hand resting against Rei's soft fur. But then, her words went through his head again, and he realized what she had said about having a twin. A sort of sad smile crossed his face as he looked up at her, standing up to meet her height with it's own.

"The coincidences continue... My sister has been missing for years. Since the beginning of the war. She's my twin, her name is Amaya, but she goes by Rei more often than not. I've been searching for her ever since..." Ryu trailed off for a moment, that bit of pride threatening to get in his way and stop him from opening up. But again, looking down to the canine at his feet, he felt himself sigh and relax. "Forgive me for before, I'm... stressed, as you can tell. I am Ryu, bled for the family Karagata, born of the family Kazuki." It was the formal method of introduction in Kirigakure; Your first name, the family you are in service to, and the surname of your birth family. To give it to an outsider was a strong show of respect, and likely meant as his way of apologizing for his earlier outburst.

[Willoria]

Minako had a strange look on her face as she watched Ryu with Rei. Though Rei had always been the empathetic sort, she rarely let a stranger get so close to her. Minako walked closer, watching the way the two interacted with one another and listening to what Ryu said. As he spoke about his sister and the fact that she was missing, Minako took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He introduced himself so formally and Minako raised an eyebrow for a moment before nodding slowly. "Minako." she stated simply for her name. "You already guessed my family name." she added as she walked past him before leaning against a wall and looking at him a moment.

"My twin's name was Minaru." she started quietly. "We were stationed in Fire Country when Kiri invaded, hit hard and at first we had no back up. We had to evacuate a town by ourselves and..." She sighed, glancing down the alley at the canine Ryu where he seemed to be sitting guard. She gestured to the white dog. "He was Minaru's dog, that's why he hates Kiri shinobi so much." Minako couldn't help a snort of a laugh, though no mirth showed in her eyes. "I'd give anything for Minaru to just be missing... that's horrible to say isn't it?" she asked, looking down at the pavement in front of her. "My twin brother died in my arms, his entrails on the ground. I couldn't save him. All I could do was drag myself out of there." She lifted her gaze enough to nod towards Rei. "That perfect darkness carried me the rest of the way..."

Minako didn't notice until then that tears had formed in her eyes. The woman quickly took a deep breath to calm herself and wiped her eyes, before reaching for the bottom of her shirt and lifting it enough to show off the scar that ran from her navel to her hip. It was still a thick scar that hadn't faded at all. "This is what I was left with instead of my brother."

[TyDie]

Ryu took the woman's name to heart, giving a nod as she introduced herself and following her with his eyes as she walked past him. She went on to detail what had happened to her twin, and why the white dog hated Ryu so much... He was the enemy, in the dog's mind. "Hm... Makes sense then, why your Ryu hates me so much." He'd continue to listen to her story, all the while looking at Ryu, the dog. However, as she motioned to the scar on her stomach, he grimaced as he saw the wound. It hit too close to home... "...Reminds me of a wound I accidentally gave my sister during training. I... almost killed her. Were it not for our grandmother's iijutsu prowess, I certainly would have. It's a miracle you survived."

His hand once more came down to the black dog, Rei, and stroked her head, while he thought of his sister dying in the same way Minako described her brother dying. "I... after so many years, I almost wish I had that kind of closure. Tragic as it is, at least then I'd know... But it kills me not knowing for certain if she's dead or not. I've searched for years, and my comrades think me crazy to still be searching, but... I know she's alive. We're... twins. It's just intuition, like a sixth sense. I can feel it... You must know what I mean." As he spoke, he moved over to the white dog, and if it would allow him, he'd kneel down in front of it, eye to eye, and examine the scars across it's eye. "...Poor thing. I've always been fine with taking the lives of other shinobi but... I've never been fond of killing animals." As he spoke, he would hold a hand out to the animal, but not to pet him. No, in fact, he was deliberately holding his hand out towards the dog's mouth.

"Go ahead. Blood for blood. Take vengeance."

[Willoria]

Minako lowered her shirt and gave Ryu an odd look as he told her the story of what he had nearly done to his own twin. She shook her head. "I can't imagine doing that, even by accident." she remarked. "My brother and I trained together often, but never against one another for that reason... though we also took every single mission together." A smile, almost whimsical in nature, spread across her lips. "Everyone used to say it was because I didn't have a civil bone in my body... it was all him. I just tended to piss people off." She raised an eyebrow at him. "As you noticed."

He spoke of knowing his twin was alive, and she nodded that she did know exactly what he meant. "You'd know if she was dead. It's like... there's a hole in your very soul that just can't be filled. There's just nothing there, a piece of you is missing and it'll never be replaced." Minako snorted. "I just try to forget it with sex, but no matter how much I pretend otherwise, it doesn't work. But still a better coping mechanism than alcohol was."

She felt the hairs stand on the back of her neck as she saw him approach the white dog. Slowly she followed him, watching him with the other Ryu hesitantly. When he offered his hand to the dog she visibly froze up, watching her dog carefully. She had no idea what he might do. The dog looked him in the eyes for several moments, doing nothing at first as if trying to understand him. But a moment later he suddenly lashed out and sunk his teeth into Ryu's hand deeply with a snarl and a deep growl. Minako immediately responded with a sound like a bark and a snarl herself and the white dog released him, turning his head away.

Once her dog had released him, Minako quickly pulled the Kiri shinobi to his feet and away from her dog, further into the alley again before pulling his bleeding hand into both of hers to look at it. "What the hell were you thinking?! Do you have any idea what he's trained to do?!"

Jutsu UsedShow

Inu no Seishitsu :: Held & Grounded
C Ranked Taijutsu Maneuver
In this Maneuver, Ryu will latch onto whatever part of the target he can reach, typically something like a knee, calf, or even wrist. Keeping a hold of them with his powerful jaws he'll keep moving slowly to pull the target along with him, but also to keep himself hopefully out of grabbing reach and keep from getting shaken off. This is done specifically and typically to keep the target in position for Ryu's partner to land a hit or technique while Ryu has them held in place.

[TyDie]

Ryu nodded in response to what the woman had to say about knowing if his sister was dead or not, but couldn't help but snort at her method of 'forgetting'. Everyone had their ways, he supposed. As he sat in front of the dog, he waited, knowing full well that the animal was going to lash out. For a moment there, he and the dog simply looked at each other, but eventually the dog did as Ryu expected and latched onto his hand hard. Blood was spilled, flesh was torn, and pain shot up his arm as the creature sunk it's teeth in. "Are you stupid, boy!? I'll rip this mangey mutt apart" "YOU'LL DO NO SUCH THING, HISAN!"

Ryu suddenly yelled aloud at the creature within, likely frightening both Minako and the dogs, but with a sigh he allowed Minako to pull him up and inspect his hand. "It's fine, Minako. I could feel it, your animal needed some kind of closure. The pain he was caused... he needed to give some back." Ryu held up his hand, and although it was still bleeding, Minako could no doubt see that it was already mending with surprising swiftness. "The blood and wound are temporary. Your companion's well being isn't. Please... watch." The fact that Ryu said please alone was likely a shock to anyone who knew him, but the man seemed to be incredibly sincere in this moment... something about her dogs reminded him of his mother.

Moving over to the white wolf again, Ryu would slowly kneel by him again, looking him in the eyes. "Easy... shh..." As he spoke, his uninjured hand would slowly move for the dog's face, knowing full well he could be bit again. "I won't hurt you, Ryu. You are more than an animal, you are more than your traumas... You are a warrior. You must act like it." If the animal would allow, Ryu would attempt to gently stroke the side of the dog's face, a tender touch like he had done with Rei. If he growled or snarled, or even bit him again, so be it. But the animal needed to know that not everyone was an enemy.

[Willoria]

When Ryu yelled out loud at Hisan, Minako stared at him strangely. "What the... are you a genma host or something?" she asked bluntly. If she had thought about it, she would have known better than to ask the question. It probably wasn't the sort of thing she should be asking a shinobi from an enemy village, even if the pair were oddly getting along in the moment. As she looked at his hand however she couldn't help still having a suspicion as she saw the wound already healing quickly. "You know... letting a stranger interact with my dogs like this is probably the equivalent of asking one of your Swordsmen if I could see your sword right?" she asked with a bit of a chuckle, even as she watched him interact with her Ryu.

The dog growled low as Ryu got close and Minako looked on edge. "They aren't as tame as most dogs, even Inuzuka dogs... their father was half wolf." she remarked quietly as she crossed her arms, watching with a worried expression. As he'd reach to try and touch the white dog, the dog would recoil slightly. But a moment later Rei wandered over, walking around Ryu to face her brother directly before staring him in the eyes. The two dogs shared a look for a moment before Rei nuzzled up against her brother, resting her head on his shoulder. If he tried again then, Ryu would be able to pet him then.

Minako's expression had turned to one of slight confusion. "Outside of the Inuzuka, its rare to find someone able to read and understand my dogs so well. Even other Inuzuka have a hard time with them... how is it you can read them?" she asked before motioning to the pair and the way Rei had clearly calmed her brother. "They're from the same litter too. I suppose for dogs that counts as something like twins."

[TyDie]

Ryu smiled slightly as Rei came to comfort her brother, and let out a small sigh of relief as his hand gently stroked the white wolf's fur. Staring into the animal's eyes, he could still feel the unease, but he knew at least that the dog had grown to understand what it was Ryu was doing. At the least, in this moment, the White Wolf did not see Ryu as an enemy. And if he could do that now, he could one day recover to his old self. "Atta boy... Very good." He'd stroke the animal's face a few times before slowly retracting his hand and standing up, letting out a sigh to punctuate his achievement. It was only then that all of Minako's words hit him at once, his brain catching up to the conversation as a smirk crossed his face. Slowly, his hand reached for his sword, but not for the hilt as if he were to draw it.

No, his hand reached for the strap holding it to his hip. Pulling at the strap, he let his sword fall free into his left hand, then nonchalantly chucked it towards the woman so that she might catch it. "There's nothing special about it, but it did belong to my father - the previous Overseer of the Seven Swordsmen. If you damage it, friend or foe, I will kill you. I imagine that is exactly what you'd say to me if I threatened your dogs, am I right?" Turning the conversation back on her in regards to how special her dogs were, she would hopefully recognize that there was a great deal of trust being placed in her. That sword was one of the few possessions of Ryoga's he had left.

"No, there's something wild in them, there's no doubt about that. Though, I think that's why I can relate to them... These are not pets. My mother had a companion like this, a black wolf that looked just like your Rei. His name was Kazuki, and he was a mountain of a pure blooded wolf, fur as black as night. Wild and savage, there was no taming him. That's why it was all the more special that he chose to be with my mother... to be with us. More than once, Kazuki protected me and my sister from wrongdoings. I guess there's still a part of me that remembers him, remembers how to interact with animals that are far more than mere pets or trained attack dogs. What you have here are two loyal warriors, that deserve the same respect as any other shinobi who puts their life on the line for their cause."

Holding up his right hand, the boy winced as a bone was set back into place by the creature within himself, all the while Hisan grumbling about having to do Ryu's dirty work. Letting his hand fall back to his side, Ryu smirked and shook his head. "Genma... If only it was that simple. No, what I bear host to is far different from a spirit. But for the sake of civil interaction, I won't introduce you two. He's rather... savage." A wince of pain rippled through his arm, the boy grimacing and grunting as another of his fingers was set into place. Hisan giggled at the boy's pain... no doubt that one was intentional. "Anyway, I gave your dog closure. Perhaps I could do the same for you. I'm okay with being a pin cushion or something, long as you don't kill me."

[Willoria]

Minako was so focused on her dogs, a small smile forming as she watched Ryu successfully interact with them, she didn't notice him reaching for his weapon. It was more than a small shock as he suddenly tossed her his sword. She caught it with one hand out of pure instinct, but stared at it in shock. She glanced at Ryu a moment and simply nodded as he explained the weapon's significance. "So. You're the son of a former Overseer? Explains the ego." she teased, smirking slightly before she turned her eyes to the sword in her hands and looked it over. It wasn't all that unique, differing shades of red and black, it was just a simple katana. She unsheathed it partially to look at the blade, surprised to see it really was just an ordinary katana before she put it away, and offered it back to Ryu even as he explained about his mother's wolf. "Sounds like he was quite an animal, I would have loved to meet him." Minako admitted. "He's given you a great insight into my companions' heads that's for sure..."

Minako started to pace for a moment, pausing to lean against the wall again as Ryu started speaking on whatever was in him. She looked up and watched as he showed her his healing hand. "I've met genma before and I'd assume they're worse, not sure it'd sour things much if I met whatever you're host to. What's his name? What is he?" she asked, curiosity taking over her for a moment. Though her curiosity was put on pause a moment as he offered her a chance for closure as well, smirking slightly. "I tell you I use sex for coping and you offer me closure... is that really an offer just for me?" she asked with a small chuckle.

[TyDie]

Ryu shrugged as the woman mentioned his ego, looking over his sword with the same care that he had given her companions. "Sure, I have an ego, but I don't delude myself into thinking that I'm great because my father was great. The man, Ryoga, is what I aspire to be, but I have earned my own respect and recognition. Just because I am my father's son doesn't mean that I deserve respect - I deserve respect because of my own merits." It was clear he had gotten shit on in the past for being the son of the former overseer, as if his father's reputation was the reason that he was excelling in life. Though in most cases he either dismissed or beat those who talked like that, in Minako's case, she deserved a proper explanation. After all, she was an outsider to Kiri; she had no idea what his life back home was life.

"If I'm being honest, I miss Kazuki from time to time. More than once he came in and got me out of some situations that I had stupidly put myself in. More than once he tore into someone for trying to attack me. He was a great companion... I was sad to see him go." Kazuki had left Ryu and his sister once they moved in with their grandparents, after their mother and father had both died. No doubt after this many years, Kazuki was long gone, but he had done so much for the twins. A debt Ryu would likely never be able to repay. The conversation shifted back to Hisan, a scowl crossing Ryu's face as she pried into the topic. He leaned against a wall, looking towards the alley's entrance with a scoff. "No idea what he is. He claims 'Symbiote', I say parasite. That usually makes him mad, which is why I say it, heh."

Looking over to Minako now, he wouldn't reveal much to the woman. But, taking control for a moment, a single red tendril would morph out of his skin all on it's own, wriggling through the air as it slowly grew out of his arm towards the woman, though getting nowhere near close enough to touch her. "It's name is Hisan. That's about all I really know - or, well, all I'm comfortable saying anyway. The specifics aren't worth getting into, suffice to say it has it's benefits... and it's detriments." He had told far more than he intended to, but truthfully he didn't really worry about it. There were no doubt survivors of Konoha who saw Ryu in battle during their takeover of Tea Country, so he had to expect Konoha had reports on him and his ability to shape shift. He wasn't really that shy about using it...

But he was definitely shy when the woman made clear her 'coping' mechanism again, and Ryu suddenly went wide eyed as he stumbled over his words and retracted Hisan's tendril. "OH, oh uh, Hold on, I didn't mean uh, I didn't mean it like that. I meant like, your dog bit me, so you could cut me or something, cus I can take it, I wasn't trying to come on to you or anything, I..." He'd continue to ramble and backtrack, a clear blush crossing his face as his eyes flitted this way and that, embarrassment settling deep into his mind.

[Willoria]

Minako gave the tendril an odd look, reaching out a curious hand to touch it before watching it wriggle at her. Of course, it was quickly gone not only when Ryu retracted it but as he reacted to what she said but as he stumbled over his words. Minako couldn't help a smirk as she realized something. She watched his eyes and his blush before laughing. "Wow... I would've thought Kiri shinobi lost it early... but being this bashful..." Minako shook her head as she took a step towards Ryu. "Are you a virgin, Ryu?" she asked suddenly.

She took more steps closer to him, reaching under one of her forearms to draw one of her karambit into her right hand. "Though if you'd rather I draw blood..." She reached out and suddenly grabbed Ryu by the neck to push him roughly against the wall, her hand sliding down to his chest to hold him there. He had about three inches on her in height, but she was still stronger than him. She brought up her hand with the karambit, resting the tip of the blade against his neck as she looked at him. "My dogs aren't the only ones who are a bit wild here... it's just as dangerous to offer me revenge, probably more... your village left me scarred, I'm stuck with a memory I can never purge."

Minako sighed almost sadly, though curiosity shone in her eyes still. "Not sure blood is enough, you heal... how do I leave you with a memory you can never purge...?" she asked, lightly bringing the knife across his neck. It'd be enough to leave a thin line of a cut, but not enough to cut anything vital or even seriously injure him. As the blood began to show in his pale skin, she pushed up on her toes to run her tongue across the cut.

[TyDie]

As Minako addressed him, the boy still stumbling over his words, Ryu's blush only grew as he became indignant. "H-hey, I have other things to focus on in my life and I just haven't put any energy into-" The boy's sentence was cut off suddenly as he was bodily slammed against the wall, a grunt of pain as he held up his good hand to hold the woman's wrist. God, she was strong! Tug as he might, her arm didn't budge from his chest. She held him flat against the wall, her blade against his neck as he gasped and struggled slightly. "Tch... Don't make me regret my apologetic nature before, Inuzuka. Choose your next actions carefully."

Something strange was going on under Ryu's skin though, and it wasn't Hisan's doing... The boy felt odd, and he wasn't entirely sure why. He knew what arousal was, and he understood it, but this situation... why was he feeling this way now, with a strong Konoha ninja holding a knife to his throat? His breath was quick and his heart was pumping, but it wasn't out of fear... and that was probably the strangest part of this situation. His eyes fixated on hers, waiting for her next move... whatever it would be.

[Willoria]

Minako chuckled lowly under her breath, breathing against his neck briefly before she lifted her face away from his neck and looked at him for a moment. "Oh I'm choosing very carefully." she replied, bringing up the karambit in front of his face so he could see it, before turning it to lightly touch the cold metal against his cheek. "I think I have an idea... do you know what is a blessing and a curse of your first lay, Ryu?" she asked him, bringing the weapon away from his face and lightly resting the tip of the blade against his chest. "They never leave your mind. No matter how good or bad, they'll always be on your mind. An echoing memory... of course, if they're good, if they're very good, your body will always ache and thirst for them after."

She pushed up on the tips of her toes as she put the weapon away. She ran her tongue along the underside of his ear before nibbling on his earlobe lightly. "I'm going to make sure I never leave your mind, Ryu. I can't scar you, but I can make sure you'll never forget me." Keeping one hand on his chest still, she brought the other under his chin before kissing him deeply, a growl building deep in the back of her throat.

[TyDie]

Ryu was stunned into silence as the woman proceeded to 'attack' him in her own way, her breath warming his neck and her blade chilling his cheek. The opposing senses of hot and cold were almost symbolic, as if they were a physical expression of Minako's actions, holding him hostage in the most confusing but appealing way. As she spoke, his eyes went wide with a mixture of shock and excitement, his breath shuddering and his eyes fluttering as she ran her tongue along his ear. "Wh... What are you saying? You want... that... here? In an alley? Are you nuts?" The incredulous tone he took was for obvious reasons, but it didn't seem to stop her from kissing him...

And the aggression, the primal nature of that kiss, pushed all thoughts of rebellion from his mind. That was it. He resigned to his fate, or was he excited for it? His head was swimming with hormones and thoughts, all he could bring himself to do was follow her lead... wherever that lead.

[Willoria]

However long it took both of the dogs would stand at the entrance of the alley to keep watch, while deep in the alley Minako guided Ryu through every curveball she could reasonably throw him in the moment. She would be aggressive but also true to her word, giving him as much pleasure as she could contrive in an alley against a wall or on a crate, or on the ground. By time things were said and done she took the time to pull her clothes back on and stretch, smirking as she waited for him to do the same.

When she looked back and saw him laying on the pavement still after getting dressed again the woman couldn't help a laugh. She walked over to kneel beside him, leaning over him before kissing him gently on the lips. "Now wasn't that just bliss?" she asked him, chuckling as she noticed the sweat still beaded on his forehead. "Oh, I almost forgot though..." And in one swift motion she drew one of her karambit and drove it into his left side, under his ribcage, and curved it inward into his lung. "I still needed a bit of blood to be repaid." she growled.

Leaving the blade embedded in his flesh the Inuzuka woman stood and walked away, chuckling to herself as she went to find somewhere else to eat. After all, she'd been interrupted at the ramen shop, and now she was hungry for more than just ramen.

As Minako passed him, Ryu the dog seemed to let out a sound that sounded like even the dog was laughing as he and his sister followed their owner.

[TyDie]

Ryu could barely think straight after all was said and done, left in a pool of sweat and other liquids. He managed to get his clothes on somehow, but still hadn't the energy to rise or leave the alley. Minako perched over him, having already dressed and prepared to depart, commenting on how amazing the act was for him. She wasn't wrong either... his mind was opened up to all new experiences and desires, things he didn't even know about that were now some of his favorite things. He tried to mouth a response, but words failed him... That is, until she got close and slid a dagger into his chest. His eyes shot open in pain as the dagger dug deep, and instinctively a series of tendrils burst forth from his flesh as the woman attacked him, but she had moved away by the time they did.

"Guh... bitch..." The young swordsman managed to grunt out, as blood ran down his chin. His hand moved to the dagger, slowly removing it from his chest with a wince as the wound began to close. "Shit..." Ryu struggled to his feet as Minako left, the dog letting out what sounded like a laugh as they left. "... Stupid mutt..." As he spoke, he coughed suddenly, expelling a large puddle of blood in the process as Hisan forced him to empty his lungs of fluid. "That was interesting, but next time, just let me eat her. It'll save you a dagger to the chest, and save me the effort of saving your ass." Ryu looked down at the Karambit in his hand as Hisan chided him for being stupid, and all he could do was focus on the blood still wetting the blade.

"...I think I'm in love..."

"Tch... Dumbass."