Jinch Dinner Party

[Texas]

Akihiko had finally started to figure out life a little bit here and there. A few things remained the same though; he loved to annoy people and he loved the people that hold a place in his heart. In this particular situation, other Jinch's similar to him are that place. So the young boy decided to spend his ninja money to host a dinner party for any and all Jinch's who could attend. He even extended the invite to the Heart Warrior Roku of whom he met while he was fishing. Based on Ryeunso's reaction to the blue scaled wiggle worm, Aki had a an educated suspicion that he was similar to them. As someone who is inclusive, why not!

The child had rented out a very nice steakhouse. The steakhouse had two floors, the first floor which people could go to no problem. Then there was the second floor, which was used for parties and private events. It even had a back entrance, to enter more discretely for those who wanted to. Guarding both the stairs inside leading to the second floor and the outside back entrance were guards. These guards were given explicit instructions to only let people in who give the verbal password "Akihiko is the coolest" The inside of the steakhouse had an authentic feudal japan feel to it, where the tables were a little bit lower and the seats were simply pillows on the ground. For the evening, they had their own private chef and a simile to help individuals with special assortments of wine.

The child paced around the place to make sure everything was perfect. He wanted to make sure that his friends that attended really enjoyed not only the atmosphere, food, and drinks, but each other as well. However, after a couple of sweeps Aki's devilish behavior almost took over as if it was a craving that needed to be satisfied. The child went into the box of toys that he had won from a few carnival games on the boardwalk of Aroma. Inside were 3 whoopie cushions. With excitement, the boy blew both of them up and then channeled his chakra. The cushions were placed in the limbo realm and invisible to the naked eye. At random, Aki had placed the whoopie cushions on 3 different chairs.

With a devilish smile, the boy took a seat next to one and called over the waiter. A full tux 45 year old man who was balding at the top, but kept the hair on his sides walked over. "Yes sir?" He said while giving Aki great eye contact. The child noted the time, "You see there they should be here soon. Could you get the tables set up with water, tea, and ummm maybe a fun mocktail with an umbrella in it? I don't know if everyone is of age to drink or want to drink, but we can at least enjoy a tasty treat while we wait for everyone to get here!" The waiter went to the bar to start getting the drinks together. All while Aki would bob his head as if he was listening to music... maybe not the sanest scene, but a scene nonetheless.

[Valkier]

Hachiya Kotori's expansive list of self-proclaimed qualities included many respectable items, but punctuality was not among them. She did, however, make particular exception when in receipt of an invite containing the words "feast", "exclusive", and—by far the most important of all—"free". The ashen-haired chuunin burst through the back door to the steakhouse while her guards bent double to catch their breath and wheeze the password outside, and dazzled the room with her warmest smile. The fact that the room was nearly empty did not make the smile falter in the least. If anything she considered it a good sign; the only thing better than an over-indulgence of free food was an over-indulgence of free food with minimal interruption.

Unfortunately, the vast banquet table she'd hoped for remained solely in her imagination. Instead the second floor of the establishment seemed cosy and, perish the thought, classy, with its small tables and traditional decor. She raised a hand to a familiar pink-haired man sitting at one of the tables and trotted over.

"Aki-san! It's great to see you! How are you?" She beamed, bending down to give him a quick hug. It might only have been about a year since they'd met, back in that all-too-serious pavilion at the Iron Banner Festival, but it felt like a lifetime ago. Looking back, the pair of them had seemed little more than children. Both had grown and changed in the interim. She waved over the staff to serve her, then dropped down into the next seat. The hidden whoopie cushion had the desired effect, and filled the silence between her words with a long, whining fart.

"Shit! Sor.. Hey, what?" She reeled before quickly realising what it had been. The old Kotori might've rolled with it, but she'd been trying hard to be respectable lately. And it wasn't at all her fault that she kept failing. Not entirely her fault. She leapt up and searched the seat, found nothing, then slowly turned a scowl on to Akihiko and held his eye for a moment. Then a glint entered her gaze and she promptly sat down again, and burst out laughing as the scene repeated, this time with a shorter, more forceful ripple of noise.

The sommelier would not meet her eye as he handed her a menu.

[FluffyGinja]

The whole time he had been at the beach, Ibuku had been feeling strange. This wasn't something that hadn't gone unnoticed by his handlers, who seemed to check in on him plenty. Thankfully, tonight was quiet externally. Internally, Ibuku was trying to understand why he felt drawn to different places on the sands without ever going there. That gnawing on his mind never truly went away as he was sitting on the windowsill of the small bungalow he had been informed by his handlers was his own. The stars, the cool breeze, the scent of salt and sand... It kept him awake alongside this urge to wander somewhere. Without thinking nearly as much as he normally might, he hopped down off the windowsill with a quiet step and looked around before starting to wander off into the quiet night of the beach.

It was different when the sun went down. Bonfires rose up, dancing and happiness... That just barely cut away this off tension he felt deep inside of him. That tension that seemed to drag him forward towards what looked to be a two-story building. He scratched the back of his head carefully as he had heard some commotion, a phrase being spoken that he barely caught and what sounded like someone rushing up some stairs. Yet, he felt an even larger draw forward and found his feet stepping up towards the building and bringing him up the stairs. The words came out of him with an automatic feeling, "Akihiko is the coolest" and he simply kept walking up. 'Who even is Akihiko...? What am I doing here?' The questions lingered in his mind as he reached the top of the stairs and seemed to follow the noise that was moving around.

It was more than he expected as he looked around, now at the two people that immediately caught his eye, who seemed both excitable. He stood in the doorway, feeling both out of place and yet... familiar with the feeling. He wondered if these two were hosts like he was, based on some of their more odd features... Granted, he had no place to judge as his two antlers on top of his head were steadily letting ethereal white petals fall from them as spring had been changing towards summer. He wasn't even sure what to say as he stood there, taking it all in.

[Hayate]

Taiga had received the invitation about the meeting of the Jinchuuriki... though the one behind this particularly calling had put him off from attending greatly. It wasn't that he didn't like Akihiko but his insensitivity to the death of Masami had left a lasting impact on him that, even after training the boy some, made it not his first choice to spend time with him.

Still, some moral duty tugged at his soul to go. The world was at the brink of yet another world war... perhaps the Jinchuuriki could do something about it? As he approached the venue he had absolutely zero plans to mutter the words that pink-haired knit-wit had set as a password. Luckily for him, there was really nothing capable of holding him or blocking him from going wherever he wanted.

From the rooftops, he'd double check his map and intel ensuring he was in the correct spot, on the correct building, before breaking into a stretch. As he limbered up he took a deep breath as suddenly his body began to absorb the properties beneath his feet until finally he was phasing through it. Like a feather her floated floor by floor, one after another until he finally caught a glimpse of the pink-hair knucklehead. His eyes locked on him his body solidified once more just in time for him to land with a soft-thud on a chair to the side of Aki that was upon, standing up on it.

Dusting himself off he lept of the chair and took a seat.

"You're not the coolest." he said as a puff of smoke escaped his lips and his eyes locked on Ibuku across the way. Apparently he had really fucked the kid up with his "training", so much so that Fanho had actually forbidden him from talking to Ibuku for a while.

He nodded his head as his gaze turned to Ibuku- who was standing near the entrance and with a smile patted the seat next to him. Did Fanho really think he wasn't going to push things? He had to admit he'd roughed the kid up a little bit too much but the lesson was valuable. His self-confidence needed to come from himself, not from some demon in his stomach.

"Take a seat, Ibu-kun?" Taiga said as his mouth moved to a warm smile, which juxtaposed against his cold gaze was an uneasy looking thing made only more awkward by the bad pun he had chosen to make with Ibuku's name.

[Texas]

Akihiko waved to Kotori as she walked in. It took all of the many years of ninja training to hold in the giant laughter he had bottled up inside of him as he gazed upon the similar aged girl about to take her seat. Once she sat down and got confused the pink haired brat laughed as if it was the first joke he had ever heard. After 20ish seconds of laughter it slowly simmered down and he had to even lift up his left hand in order to wipe away a tear. "I'm sorry Kotori, I couldn't help it! But Hi and welcome I am so glad you made it!!" The child would shift a little bit in his seat before continuing. "I am actually doing great, it is so nice here it is impossible to have a bad day. How are you doing? You look a lot stronger... how much are they training you over in Iwa?!" To Aki, friends made the world go round and he couldn't get enough of them. He was genuinely excited and happy to see Kotori. In fact, just talking with her got him excited. It was not often at all that he got to hang out with people that weren't part of his village's alliance and it simply was the coolest thing in his mind that he got this rare opportunity to have dinner with people from all walks in life who had a single and simple relation... Jinchuriki.

As their conversation continued Aki had a weird cold breeze hit his body almost like a chill. Before he realized it he felt a breath whisper behind him almost at the same time that a horned shinobi walked in the front door. The child would watch as the smaller child walked in only to whip his head around to see Igata. Ugh what a pain, this guy thought he was the bees knees. However, some day Aki wanted to try to pump the breaks with this fool. Although a child's imagination was stronger within the confines of their own mind than in practice. Regardless of his sporadic and inconsistent thoughts, the boy was happy to see everyone. "Igata, you know I am the coolest! Have a drink, if you want something more alcoholic just ask the waiter. Wait... did you not USE THE PASSCODE?!?!" Mid sentence Aki realized he phased in instead of using his passcode. His plan was foiled.. NOOOOOOOOOOOO

Once the boy finished addressing the phasing man, Aki couldn't help but pray that Igata chose a seat that had a whoopie cushion in it. The pink hair on his head would bob as he whipped his head again towards Ibuku. The child struck Aki as odd, he seemed to stick out like a sore thumb due to his antlers, but they were so cool Aki just got more excited. "OO so you are Ibuku! The new Jinch, please take a seat! Order whatever you want! What village are you from? Were you born with those things or did they develop after you were sealed?" Aki would point at Ibuku with genuine questions, although sometimes he can come off as, well, a pain in the ass or simply said: Annoying.

In the moment of connection Ryeunso even spoke out to the other Genma. A stage that gave Aki attention was good for literally NO BODY. "This boy give me literal headaches. Hopefully you guys have better luck than I."

[FluffyGinja]

All at once, several emotions impacted Ibuku with enough force to almost floor him on the spot. Curiosity, followed by fear that morphed into rage, soon giving way to both a cold indifference and a visible look of distaste his eyes, previously softened from both confusion and interest, were now narrowed and hardened at his stared at Taiga. He took one step forward and sat as far as he could from his fellow Shinobi before he felt his own anger get the better of him in a small moment, not holding it back for now. "Go to hell, you self-aggrandizing ass." The bitterness in his voice couldn't be hidden, his gaze not lingering on him anymore as he hadn't entirely forgotten what was spoken to him by the other boy, presumably the one who has thrown this whole thing together. There was an awkward moment where Ibuku had to try to recall what was just said to him in a moment, the silence from him a little too long before he shook his head, one hand over an eye as if to try to stave off a sudden headache he was feeling.

"Uh... Yeah... New one from... Konoha." He paused at that last one. He was trying to really calm his feelings for a moment but it was beginning to overwhelm him, albeit slowly for the moment. "They were... from the sealing itself." He muttered as he starting to feel like a freak all over again. The one time where he was hoping to feel even slightly normal, he was feeling pointed out and shown. He could feel his breathing speeding up ever so slightly, hands and feet growing a touch colder and body tensing up imperceptibly.

Unaware to him though, the voice of the spirit inside of Akihiko had spoke up but would be met with a cold, indifferent silence. No response was given but something might be felt. Ancient and primal, a fear turned outwards into a chilled hatred. Ibuku's surreptitious little problem.

[WrightJustice]

Nishiki had been caught up in a roil of confusion as he busily misunderstood his invitation and went to some sort of sketchy tea house, which was some front for other activities that caused him to embarrassingly realise he was in the wrong place after going round and round with many arguments about his password being correct or not and eventually simply barging into the backrooms.
"Haahahahahaahah" Yoshimitsu bellowed with mental laughter as the pair in one left the premises.

The pink haired fox collected himself outside and went over the invitation once more with a deep sigh before making off in a mad dash towards what should hopefully be the correct place this time.
"AKIHIKOOO IS THE COOOLEST!" he practically screamed as he came zooming towards the building, the guards barely able to realise what was going on and make a step away from the door before finding themselves spinning in the air and collapsing to the ground as bannin blasted through the door.
Then, against all the chaos wreathed around such a beast, Nishiki turned calm and landed in the room with great elegance and poise as his own long, pink hair settled and his black flowing kimono fluttered down into perfect shape.

A sharp foxy grin spread across the Tsukino's face as he the glanced around the room and made his approach, his nine tails swishing about with glee as well as the five little elemental dancing around his head.
"Ah... Perhaps I am not as late as I thought" he spoke with relief as he began to assess the situation, approaching a potentially dangerous chair but not quite yet moving to sit down.
"Well done" Yoshimitsu spoke out within his mind with a bit of professional sarcasm.

[Izanagi]

As he always did, the leader of the Jinchuuriki alliance made a point to meet with his brethren at every international event. It seemed over the years half of their order had become established regulars, each shinobi of great promise, while the others struggled to establish themselves. The Jinchuuriki from the Sand in particular had been absent from their meetings for a number of years now, but perhaps under Iwagakure rule their Jinchuuriki would finally thrive. Only time would tell.

Waiting for the others to gather, Shinjiro would finally reveal himself. He could have slipped into the room unnoticed a dozen different ways but the easiest and most reliable was his common trick was becoming a literal fly on the wall. A surge of green chakra emanated from the seat directly across Akihiko at the head of the table. And from the glow a handsome man appeared, dressed in emerald, green finery, adorned with golden weave. Among his bretheren there was no need for masks or weaponry, and in fact, they had been the first outside his family who had ever seen his face, before it was plastered across every bingo book along with his long list of accolades.

Among them, there was only one young man whom Shinjiro had not had the privilege of meeting. It was obvious the boy was Masami’s replacement, perhaps causing resentment from the other Konoha host. “Welcome Ibuku” the man said simply, nodding to the young man before flicking his gaze between each of the others, lingering on Taiga for several moments. “I’m Karagata Shinjiro of Kirigakure. 1st of our Order; host to Vorashu no Katagenma, the Phantom Beast of Body” he introduced, his voice cut through the chatter, commanding attention. Then, smirking the man’s hickory brown hair glowed with a sickly green shimmer before a set of charcoal black antlers sprouted from his scalp, matching the coloration of his hands and forearms. “You’re among allies” he reassured before slowly sitting, glaring daggers across toward the pink-haired boy less he dare attempt to embarrass the man. Regardless, if the boy was brave enough to play a prank on Shinjiro, the man wouldn’t falter in the slightest, continuing on with a cold, even tone. “Does anyone have anything to report? Any updates on the status of the other Jinchuuriki?” he inquired as he caught the attention of a server before ordering a round of sake. His antlers would creak and shift, merging into two curved horns, a more befitting and demonic appearance for the notorious assassin and leader of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist.

[Hayate]

Taiga blinked... who was Igata? Perhaps that was some god-like being who pulled the strings behind Taiga and a plethora of characters in a hypothetical meta-verse named Naruto Saigen Role-Play. Looking off into the vantage point of whoever was witnessing this scene he raised an eyebrow and shrugged before turning back to Aki and responding, "Pass codes are an unreliable authentication method Aki. Fuuinjutsu-based Passkey's like a ubiscroll are generally a better choice. Keep up kid." he said as he chuckled for about 1.33 seconds, repeating of course, before his shit-eating-grin turned to a face of shock and horror. He had potentially just planted a very dangerous idea and probably should not have said that- next time Aki would require them all to get his name tattooed in fuuinjutsu on their forehead or something ridiculous.

Clearing his conscience of this dangerous idea implantation, his eyes turned to Ibuku, who was clearly in his rebellious teenage phase. His only goal had been to make the kid learn to value himself... though, perhaps he could of been a little bit less 200% on the first date. Still, hate for Taiga was better than Ibuku hating himself... so... progress, maybe?

Taiga's eyes narrowed to as he looked at Ibuku, and with a chuckle that dismissed the seething rage as the boy made his way to the furthest possible seat. "My methods were a bit... harsh. Sometimes I forget that I am in fact a god" he said with another chuckle, puffs of smoke escaping his mouth.

Like all of the jinchuuriki here today, he was peculiar. It was kind of their brand. Whether they got extra body parts, had unearthly green eyes, horns, or breathed smoke... it was the mark of a host. It was a shame to see Ibuku so conscious about that which made him a god.

Dropping through his seat and disappearing for a moment, he popped back up in the seat next to Kotori. "You're still alive?" he remarked as he bowed his head slightly and gave a thumbs up to Kotori. "It makes me happy to see a capable next generation on the rise."

It was an awkward opener to someone he had little more than an "awareness" level relationship with... but... he was very interested in the Jinchuuriki of Iwagakure. They were after all, enemies. And... who better to keep closer. Contrary to the age-old saying though, Taiga thought of it as more like "make friends within the enemy". Much like... Shinji and him had been... and hopefully would be despite their nations being bitter enemies.

As Shinji appeared, along with Nishiki, his heart beat harder, ever reminded that some day they may perhaps meet on the opposite end of the killing fields.

---

Sukairaa chuckled at the events unfolding. Despite being a Genma, he had long chastised Taiga for being too extreme on Ibuku- even if what he was saying was right. He'd seen enough super-weapon-children to know that kids took time to mature and trying to throw them off the deep-end usually didn't work.

I think that's a common trait of these jinchuuriki- the headaches... his raspy, smokey voice responded to Ryuenso. He acknowledged Nolosha, and Shizen, there after, with a gentle verbal nod.

And it seems that Vorashuu has graced us with his presence. Perhaps he can corroborate this theory. Sukairaa said with a bitter tone.

[FluffyGinja]

"If the Kami was merciful, you'd be dead." Before Ibuku could temper his words with thought, he spoke up directly towards Taiga with a cold voice as he looked right towards Shinji right afterwards. This figure, alongside Nishiki, were the most notable to him so far. He had looked into Kirigakure Shinobi for his own purposes and these two were at the top of that list and he was understanding why. Nishiki looked carefree but that wasn't a look he could trust and Shinji looked about as dangerous as he could expect. "Order? What order...?" He paused for a second as he thought it over but shook his head briefly. "I notice you didn't say friends..." Regardless of the feelings he might have, he didn't get the sensation that Shinji was at all kind.

It was almost like he was being mocked to his face with the horns that Shinji grew and then warped into far different horns. For a brief second, it felt like Ibuku could vomit with anger with how much he was finding this all to be more distasteful than he had first imagined. Proven all the more when Taiga gave praise to someone else, Ibuku's eyes flashing with violence for a second before he stood up abruptly and went to walk out of the room now. He had lost his appetite and he didn't want to be anywhere near any of these people.

---

Sukairaa would not get a response from Shizen, not an acknowledgement or even a word, simply being met with silence in return.

[WrightJustice]

Nishiki was taking note of everyone's posturing against each other, even his own distaste for Taiga perhaps from not knowing the man enough himself but soon filled with delight as he witnessed his own comrade make his move as what appeared to be a mere fly sprung forth into a grand man.
Said man was of many beasts and easily shifted between this and that as he practically commanded the group, pulling attention to himself like some sort of magnet but perhaps not to the liking of some it seemed as Ibuku got up in spurn.

Though the younger jinchuuriki was also discontent with Taiga as well for the man was behaved in an harsh manner, perhaps even saying things before the jubilant fox arrived that pushed the boy a bit far and now Shinji had added onto that.
Then Nishiki changed course and moved with a graceful flutter, indeed waltzing around the table before the young Ibuku probably even realised as the man's elegance appeared before him with his two hands resting on the boy's shoulders and his nine tails furled around them both as he bowed down to his level with a huge grin spread across his face.
"Friends?" he questioned jovially "Of course we can all be friends, we're like the most special club in the world" he spoke with a sly delight, his foxy fangs glistening with his speech.
"We can surely even be best friends" his words quieted as he leaned towards the boy's right ear, his own elementals dancing around both their heads as he spoke in the most delightfully elegant tone "I'm obviously the most special of friends here of course".
With that he let go of Ibuku and stepped back as his tails flowered behind him and clapped his hands together.
"Oh this is a joyous occasion indeed, it would be a shame to spoil it for our younger generation, perhaps we should learn more about each other and partake in the feast" he motioned towards the table and chairs as he then glanced around.
"Oh but of course, how rude of me" he then added as he turned with a smile "Let me reintroduce myself for the sake of said newcomers; I am Tsukino Nishiki of Kirigakure, jinchuuriki host of Yoshimitsu no Etaigenma the phantom beast of elements oh and yes, of course, fuuin passwords make the most sense indeed good idea Taiga-kun" he spoke with flourish and turned with a cheeky wink towards Taiga as he had noted the man mention such just before and had the look of someone who regretted what they just said.
"This is most tiresome" Yoshi finally spoke out internally, practically rolling his non-existent eyes after hearing everything his still yet pathetic host said before probing into the potential thoughts of the other genma and hopefully even Shizen whom he had not known for a millennia

[Valkier]

Kotori laughed as Akihito returned her greeting with an extra helping of enthusiasm, in the way that only he could. This might only be their second meeting, but already she revelled in how genuine he was. It stuck with you afterwards, like the memory of a warm summer sunset. It was difficult not to smile as they continued to chat. At some point she looked up and missed a beat as she saw a new face. A boy she didn’t recognise, with impressive antler-like prongs on his head and surrounded by falling petals, stood hesitantly in the doorway. Nolosha hummed inside her, resonating with a familiar and yet different spirit hidden within. She half-rose and began to beckon Ibuku over, only to freeze as she turned back to the table and saw another face among them. The Konohagakure bannin—Taira, was it?—who she’d first met in Iron Country had appeared right beside Akihito. Were sudden, stealthy arrivals a calling card of the Jinchuurki? She watched Taira warily for a moment, remembering him being somewhat standoffish last time, and once again he seemed to look right past her.

Remember the war, and who he fights for, she told herself inwardly. It might not be personal. Perhaps he just doesn’t want to mix with any “state enemies”. Her mouth twisted to a disappointed line, but if that were true then there was little she could do about it right away. Perhaps, with time, she’d be able to get through to him. They didn’t need to be friends, but it would be nice to at least be recognised as being present once in awhile.

Tension washed across the room as the newcomer by the door spoke for the first time. Kotori’s breath caught and she glanced between the boy and Taira, with whom he obviously had a history. Or maybe, she quickly revised, maybe he’s just like this with everyone, at first? Sounds like this Ibuku got it pretty bad. She gave him a more appraising look, trying to see past his unease and his youth, growing curious about what lay beneath. Taira broke the mood with a chuckle that sounded, to her inexperienced ear, a little forced. But a chuckle all the same, and he redeemed himself by finally turning to her.

”Still kickin’. Same to you.” She forced a smile of her own. It was interesting to be called ‘capable’ by the man beside her, though he likely meant it as a measure of resilience to Nolosha’s influence rather than actual physical prowess. Still, good enough. A starting point.

"I see you've worked your charms on our newest comrade already. Go easy, hmm?"

And then came Nishiki. If there was anyone in the world that could give Akihito a run for his money, it would be the pink-haired Kirigakure Jinchuuriki. He didn’t exactly sneak in like his peers had—the shouts from outside put paid to that, if nothing else—but he certainly appeared suddenly beside them, moving at a speed that Kotori could not register. The room was abruptly smaller, and livelier, for his presence. As if in counterpoint, a burst of green energy heralded the arrival of Shinjiro, Nishiki’s comrade from the Hidden MIst. It was he who first properly introduced himself to Ibuku, and Kotori realised she’d forgotten that essential part herself.

Once the others had spoken, she got up and stepped over to Ibuku, holding out a hand and hoping to take his in hers before he managed to leave.

"Hey, welcome. I'm Hachiya Kotori, Jinchuuriki of Nolosha no Ukiyogenma, the Phantom Beast of Life. Won't you join us for a bit?" She tried to offer an earnest smile, and if Ibuku allowed her to take his hand, she'd guide him over to the table. To a seat away down the table from Taira, past Shinji and Nishiki, so that the two Konohagakure jincuuriki wouldn't be in direct eyeline of one another. She quickly removed the whoopie cushion from this seat and tossed it at Akihiko's face before offering the chair to Ibuku.
"He calls it an Order, but it’s more of a loose gathering of fellows. All of us here are alike. No one else knows the struggle we face like the people in this room, and we’re here to help. If you need it. Or even just an ear. Trust me, that can make a difference. Even with a somewhat unusual fellowship. In time, they start to feel like family. A strange one. Maybe even a friend or two. But people you can hopefully rely upon during the dark days.”

She hoped that the other boy would see her as someone approachable, but didn’t want to appear overbearing, so left him a moment to step back towards the main group and address the assembly as a whole to follow up on Shinjiro’s question.

”Along with Ibuku-san, we will soon have another to welcome. I regret to say that my senpai, Hiroko-san, is no longer with us. Otsukoki’s will overcame her. Her successor is Tokato-san, though I don’t know him well yet. Maybe he’ll show up later and we can all see what he’s like.” Hiroko’s fall still stung, and she’d found it difficult to approach Tokato in the same way. And yet she still sincerely hoped that he’d prove successful overall.

[King of Cats]

It was late at night and the sea sky was brimming with a vicious thunderstorm. The rainfall fell down hard and tumultuous winds beat against the sail of the ship. In a fearsome gust, the water of the vast ocean climbed the edge of Roku's boat, spilling over the hull and drenching the Jinchuriki of Heart in salty sea water. The small sail boat that Roku rented from an Aroma Country vendor wasn't built for this, and to be frank, Roku knew that when he was going out. He had divined his fortune for the day. According to his own Serendipity Field, Roku would likely face hardship. Never the less, Roku decided to test his strength and go fishing. "The storm cant be that bad." Roku said to himself. Now here he was, trying to check his lines and nearly getting washed away into the open sea.

At the edge of the boat, Roku leaned over to the fishing pole and placed his finger on the pole. It was in a holster, suspended before the sea with it's line cast out into the water. Roku was using special lures. These large baubles were of various shapes, some like fish, some like bugs, and various colors too. They were Roku's lucky fishing lures. They had always been his lucky fishing lures, long before the Warrior Spirit of Fortune was sealed inside of him, but now, these lures were enchanted with a unique magic that boosted the likelihood of him catching a fish. To many people that would be cheating, but to Roku, it was a test of his skill. Yoshijutsu had become a way of life for Roku.

The Warrior Spirirt, a Yaksha known as Hideoyoshi, was quite pleased by this fact. Roku had taken to Yoshijutsu like fish to lemon. To Hideoyoshi's pleasure, Roku was also extremely talented with the art. The fisherman had adept skill in Ninjutsu, and the process translated well for Roku. He learned how to manipulate the Serendipity Field, a nexus of spiritual energy that dictated the fortune of life, and he listened to Hideoyoshi well. However, this was only true when it came to training Yoshijutsu. In truth, Hideoyoshi and Roku were often neck and neck with each other, competing over who gets to rule Roku's life.

As Hideoyoshi's vessel, Roku believed that that spirit's power was his to hold. Roku believed that, as the spirit of a dead bandit, Hideoyoshi lost his rights to the Serendipity Field. Furthermore, Roku wished to live a quiet, peaceful life as a grunt. He did not wish for Hideoyoshi to show up on his doorstep, but he was more than willing to utilize the spirit as an arm of war. Roku loved Yoshijutsu, but he and Hideoyoshi had different plans for the style.

A loyal servant of the Heart Empire, Hideoyoshi had previously been sealed into humans as an arm of war. The bandit didn't mind this, in fact he was proud of it. Hideoyoshi believed that his power should be held up on a pedestal for the world to fear. The spirit was a big picture kind of thinker, and he wanted Roku to seek fame and power with Yoshijutsu. Roku simply would not have that.

Roku wanted to live free, and use his power for good. He refused to become overwhelmed by politics and war like so many other Jinchuriki. The last person who had Hideoyoshi had disappeared so mysteriously, Roku couldn't help but wonder if Hideoyoshi wasn't telling hims something about Yoshijutsu. All the same, Roku employed it as a main weapon in his arsenal, including mundane tasks such as fishing.

There was a fish hooked to the line, but as Roku reached out to grab the pole, a giant wave came crashing down on Roku. The samurai known as The Blue Tailed Beast was swept up by the water and fell into the ocean. The wave bashed down on the hull of the ship, cracking it in two but Roku didn't know it. The samurai was carried away by the water and dragged deep underneath the sinking boat.

In the water, Roku felt free. As a Shuryo, Roku had fish scales and gills. He even had a long, prehensile blue tail at the base of his spine. Roku was not the average swimmer in the ocean, and getting carried away by the water was a unique experience that only one suitable to the water could enjoy. As the water pulled him deep, Roku found himself syncing up with the ebb and flow of water, swimming deeper still. He could breathe in the water, there was really no rush to get back to the boat. For a good fifteen minutes, Roku swam through the ocean unbothered.

Unfortunately for Roku, he would see his ship sinking to the bottom of the ocean. The fisherman was hungry and now he was disappointed, but he tried not to let it bother him. Roku had suspected he would have s bad day, and like usual, it was true. Disgruntled, Roku swam back to shore. The 5 mile journey wasn't long, but it sure did feel like it, knowing that he would have to explain that the boat sunk to the one he rented it from.

After a lengthy discussion, of which Roku was clearly in the wrong, The Blue Tailed Beast ended up paying all he had for the boat. It was a tragic finale to his fishing trip, but Roku had fun. Adversity never stomped on his parade, but with that said, Roku was ready for bed. He walked back home to the hotel off the beach where he had set sail.

Upon slipping his key into the door and opening it up, Roku noticed there was a letter on the ground by the door. Someone had slipped a note to Roku while he was out playing, and it looked to be quite the fancy note. Along the edges of the envelope was a yellow stripe, framing the letter inside of it. Roku was immediately curious and tore the envelope open using his hard scales.

After reading intently for a few minutes, the text was fancy and Roku had a hard time understanding it, it seemed that Roku was invited to a dinner. The Jinchuriki of the ninja villages were getting together, by Akihiko, and Roku was invited as the jinchuriki of Heart. It didn't take long for him to decide to go, Roku loved eating with people who were like him. HE thought it would be interesting to see what other people with spirits inside of them thought of their circumstance.

---

The next day Roku awoke early and had himself a cup of tea. He liked to rest easy when he first woke up, but he didn't have long to himself. The dinner party was going to be extravagant and Roku wanted to look his best. He threw on his favorite blue robe and nothing underneath of it. His sharp blue scales were on display, like usual. For pants, Roku put on a pair of cotton shorts. They were baggy and extended down to his knee. With his red sandals on, Roku was ready for the day.

When it came time for Roku to leave for the restaurant, he found himself exceedingly excited. He had never been in a room with so many important ninja. The samurai was interested in seeing what kind of personalities would shine through.

The Blue Tailed Beast strolled through the town proudly, listening to a radio talk show in his ear. Heart's radio devices were truly amazing, and Roku was a modern man. He enjoyed the ease of technology, and the stimulation he got from radio talk shows was unlike any normal conversation. There was something to be said about listening and not being able to speak back. In his own world, Roku walked up to the front door of the restaurant. "Akihiko is the coolest." Roku said to the guard before he was let in. It seemed there were guards at the function, likely Aroma Samurai who were charged with protecting the peace order of Aroma.

Stepping through the doorway, Roku walked into the room. There were a bunch of people in attendance, and the fisherman suddenly felt very humbled knowing that there were other people who harbored great power within them. The Blue Tailed Beast walked over to the table and pulled out a chair. Focusing on the food around him, Roku didn't stop and pat the seat down. He was extra careful not to get his clothes dirty, but on this occasion his forgetfulness caught the better of him. As soon as Roku sat down a loud, "Pbbbbllllrt," could be heard across the room.

Blushing out of embarrassment, Roku's normally blue cheeks took on a pinkish hue. "P-pardon me. I didn't realize the dogs were at the gate." Roku looked around to see if anyone heard him pass gas.

[Texas]

The pink hair on his head bobbed as he smiled at Kotori, two things made Akihiko very happy when he was being goofy. The first obviously when it is appreciated and seen in a lighter setting. A simple laugh goes a long way, but it also causes the child to continue being goofy especially knowing that he has an audience. The second, however, is when he knows he is annoying someone. Nothing gets the boy going like joking around and fully getting under someone's skin.

Before the child could do something outrages people starting coming in fast. A boy with antlers walked in. A shy emo like boy who was barely able to say his name. Aki couldn't help himself with a greeting. "Welcome Ibuku!" He heard a scream from downstairs about how great he was, only to be surprised to see Nishiki walk up. "Welcome Nishiki!" The child almost was looking into a mirror, if that mirror contained an older... fox like reflection. The boy waived with a smile at the foxy man with great enthusiasm, like he was swatting a.. Fly?! A fly flew down. The child got up and grabbed his napkin about to smack it into the depths of hell, only for it to transform into Shinjiro.

The man came down with his chakra wafting towards to boy like a foot stench that has been smothered by a week old pair of socks. The child sat back down and swung his hand over his nose like he was getting rid of a smell. When Aki stopped, he gazed upon Shinji only to be greeted back with a warm death glare. Oh no, was he here the whole time? "Oh and of course welcome Shinji. The child would look around the room and back at him only to still be death glared. "So.. buddy ole pal... how long.. umm have you actually been here? Ha ha" he tried to jokingly say. Odds are Shinjiro knew of Aki's childish tactics.

Regardless of if Shinjiro answered him or not, Aki would follow up on his question regarding the status of other Jinchuriki's. "Well, I know that the Hell Genma might have a host soon, the selection process is tough. He is a rather resilient Genma (both ooc and ic it appears). So you should see him OR HER" he said as he pointed finger guns at Kotori trying to show he was very progressive, "very soon." With the finish of his sentence he blew the theoretical smoke off the finger guns and holstered it.

Aki watched as everyone began to properly introduce themselves to Ibuku. Before Aki could do the same, Kotori picked up the whoopie cushion and tossed it at Aki. He couldn't react in time and it hit his face with a large farting noise following. This sequence of events caused Aki to fall to the ground with fart noises reflecting his motions. What an embarrassing site to behold.

The boy got up slowly as they began to talk and walked to the kitchen. He confirmed with the chefs that the feast was ready to go. He also spoke to the waiters to get ready to provide pitchers. The pitchers would be Ale, Cranberry Juice, and water. Anything different would need to be ordered but the 4 waitstaff were prepared to make that accommodation.

As Aki walked out of the Kitchen he would see the blue spirit wielder from heart enter in. Aki had a great relationship with Heart and knew exactly who Roku was. The child was excited that he was able to welcome a whole to section of people to their ranks. The child started to laugh a little bit at Roku sitting on his whoopie cushion! HAHA What an IDIOT!

After his laughter subsided, the Aki wanted to make a small toast. The boy was holding water in a wine glass and dinged it a couple of times. "Most of us are here, so we might as well get started. For those of you who don't know I am Akihiko The Showman of Kumogakure, The wielder of the Chaos Genma. I want to welcome the newcomers, both Ibuku of Konohagkure and Roku of the Heart Empire to this dinner. Thank everyone who has come tonight and I hope we can have fun and party properly, as the Gods and Legends we are. I think you will enjoy the food and drinks!"

The boy would raise his glass and start walking to his seat. Once his motion started, so did the wait staff. They brought out several cooked turkeys, a giant pig roast, tons of fried vegetables, salad, etc. They then brought out several different variety of pitchers throughout the table so everyone had access to any kind of food and drinks.

LET THE PARTY COMMENCE!

[Izanagi]

Shinjiro smirked as he observed the tensions between the Konoha hosts. This new kid was feisty and certainly didn’t think highly of Taiga, it was amusing at the very least. However, those who isolated from their group didn’t tend to last long. “More like family” Shinji countered. Their personalities varied greatly and at times they would clash but ultimately, they each vowed to protect one another to the best of their abilities. “We protect one another. The villages see the Genma as weapons, and us disposable containers to experiment with until they get the right fit. But we are not mere tools, we are the future and united we can be more powerful than any of the shinobi villages. If each of us rises to powerful positions within our villages we can take control of our own future and with our combined abilities create a better world” he explained to the newcomer. It was a grand ambition, but they were on the right track. If he could begin with himself and Taiga and use their influences to maintain peace between Konoha and Kirigakure then the others too could affect the world stage as they rose in rank.

The Bannin smiled, an uncharacteristic warmth gracing his visage as he looked upon Kotori. He had a soft spot for the girl and was pleased to see her tending to Ibuku. She knew as well as the rest of them what happened when a Jinchuuriki refused to accept their help. Shinji nodded grimly as Kotori reported on her comrades demise. “I expected as much. She turned away from us. Isolation is deadly to a Jinchuuriki” he commented, pointedly gazing upon Ibuku. It was too early to tell if he would follow the same fate, the choice was ultimately his own. He exhaled slowly, about to speak further as another man abruptly joined them. He was not from Sunagakure, that was certain. Shinjiro recognized his traits as a Shuryo, but he was not known to him as a member of Kirigakure, certainly not as one of their Jinchuuriki, which indicated he was a member of the faction that remained in Shark Country, now New Tea of the Heart Empire.

Glaring daggers, Shinjiro observed the newcomer like a snake coiled to strike. Akihiko’s words washed over him as the boy made a toast and ordered food and drinks to arrive. Only once the servers departed and the room began to settle as plates were filled did Shinji speak up “Who the hell are you?” Shinjiro growled, scowling as his vicious gaze darted toward Akihiko, confirming that as unbelievable as it may be, this man was invited here. “Akihiko, I’m surprised you consider this….” He searched for the right word, was he a samurai? No, he lacked decorum and discipline and reeked of fish and booze. A simple fisherman who had somehow become a Jinchuuriki, but not of one of the Genma. There was a slight resonation of a spirit within him, but it felt wrong, not a God, more like a ghost. Shinjiro was at a loss for words, and if not in the presence of impressionable youths he likely would have struck the man down right there and then. “an equal?” he scowled, disgusted by the thought. Turning his attention back to Roku, Shinjiro began to fill his plate with hefty servings of the variety of meats, disappointed by the lack of seafood. He suddenly felt quite the strong craving for shark fin soup. “Introduce yourself. What are the powers of your spirit? Pledge yourself to protect and guide the Jinchuuriki and I will allow you to…stay” he commanded, doing little to hide his brashness and volatile temper. One wrong word and Roku might awaken Shinjiro’s blood lust, though this was not Kirigakure and in the face of so many soft youth he would attempt to retain some sense of civility.

---

Vorashu echoed his Jinchuuriki’s displeasure. ‘These Jinchuuriki are obstinate, they cling to their ideals and insist on serving their wretched leaders. These children lead the world into ruin and decay, generation after generation. They are a blight on the natural order, the design we 10 created, and now they welcome human spirits into our midst. Despicable’ the old shaman seethed. Though he felt some small comfort in Shizen having returned to them, how many hundreds of years had it been? Thousands perhaps? A kindred spirit he had been in the ancient times, though perhaps confinement had changed him. ‘Shizen, you are a welcome sight, brother. Your return foretells of our path toward restoring the balance of nature, one where the humans can no longer ruin all that we created’ Vorashu spoke, his voice a low cacophony of noises, an echo of the thousands of animal species he presided over. Nature had suffered greatly in recent years, huge swaths of forests and entire ecosytems destroyed in order to build railways and supply the war efforts. Even now the villages continued to expand, building new infrastructure and designing all many of contraptions.

[Hayate]

Taiga would signal a throat-cut with his hand- a sign to shut-up to Nishiki's call out... hopefully the ADHD-pink-haired-knucklehead did not actually pick up on or next time they'd all have matching tattoos or something stupid. All the same he'd smile with his eyes at Nishiki. Taiga respected him. He'd risen above- he'd reached the upper limits of what he could be, and was now the third oldest Jinchuuriki in the room behind only Shinji and Taiga himself. He'd learn to beat his own emotions and to deal with the voice in his head. Something Ibuku was clearly failing at.

With Ibuku's response, he'd merely mumble "The only thing self-aggrandized in this room is your self-loathing." Maybe Ibuku heard it, maybe he didn't. He didn't really care either way. In Taiga's eyes, Ibuku's head was too far up his own ass to help himself, let alone get help from anyone. Wait a second- Taiga knew someone like that once upon a time... himself.

He let out a sudden and alarming chuckle at his own thought. No one else would know why he was laughing though.

To Kotori, he would give a wink, and say with a joking tone, "Oh but we both know I am the fairest and most silver-tongued of us all, aren't I?" he said with a chuckle; and he'd let her an Aki leave to go re-assure and tender Ibuku. The Genma was meaningless if he didn't learn to value and love himself first- for who he was and what could do. The Genma didn't make him special. The only thing that would do that would be himself and his own hard work.

"Isolation is deadly to a Jinchuuriki." Shinjiro said. Now that was something Taiga would nod too. "Who the hell are you?” “Akihiko, I’m surprised you consider this….” Oh. That one too. And that one. Those were all pretty agreeable. Why was someone not graced by a Genma at the meeting of their order. Was Aki willing to put all of their identities at risk? To widen the risk for them all by inviting this... this nobody?

His eyes tightened. He wasn't as aggressive as Shinjiro though. Taiga would instead simply choose to ignore the spare. In response to Shinjiro's original speech, after Akihiko had made his toast, he'd speak up. This was an address to the younger in the room.

"I am not your friend. I will likely never be your friend." he said as his eyes scanned the room, locking on the eyes of each person around him. "But I will be a power in your corner fighting for your continued existence..." he said as he made his way to Shinjiro, putting his hand on the mans shoulder. He'd cast a re-assuring, and longing gaze towards him.

"Shinjiro is right: it's up to each and every one of you to make yourself matter. It's not the genma that'll do that. It's you. Your blood, your sweat, your tears. It's only then that we can pave a better future for our kind... even... the lessers..." he said as his eyes tightened on Roku.

"You are all young. Understand how many Jinches Shinji and myself have seen come and go. How many young faces no one will ever see again..." he paused, his eyes bouncing from Kotori to Aki to Ibuku. "And trust that we want the god damn best for you- and I'll trust you want the best for me... even if sometimes it doesn't seem that way."

He paused.

"We're not friends. No.. we're something greater. We're family. And each and every one of you fucks got stuck with me the second that genma got sealed in you." he chuckled.

[FluffyGinja]

This was far more than what Ibuku had expected from all of this. It had been far more people than he had originally thought but he was still finding himself running hot at this moment. With the assistance of both Kotori and Nishiki, he did take a seat once more... but there was something that made him speak up again. Not Shinji, who he didn't like but he was understanding more about by the second, but it was once more Taiga. "You treat me harshly than expect me to appreciate your 'treatment'... What did the doctors say... 'Any harder and he would have died'... Right. You didn't show up either..." He was letting the venom of his words drip free before he was taking the time to now be silent. At least for a time. There was a lot to learn here and while he was angry, he wasn't stupid. He'd listen and watch.

Nishiki wasn't what he expected from a Kiri shinobi at all. More bubbly than he would have initially thought. He'd heard of him, most definitely, but it was an odd mismatch of personality to village stereotype. He was getting a similar feeling to Kotori. The only notable Iwa shinobi he could think of was Tatsuo... a demon by all rights as he understood. More monster than man and it sent a small shiver up his spine. Along with that, he'd learn more about the different spirit hosts as a whole. Each... odd in their own way. He could see what marks gave them away, what strangeness the beast might have imparted, and even what they had imparted upon their spirits of their own accord.

Shinjiro and Taiga, both being the oldest, were the ones that spoke up the most and it showed. Like Taiga said, they'd gone through so many different hosts that it must be routine for them. Which only stung more when it could have been rectified by a small amount of compassion on the part of Taiga, at least for the case of how Ibuku saw it.

Then came another, different than them it seemed. Hostilities flared immediately. He wasn't sure why... if they were all some sort of family, getting along was supposed to be a part of that. Fights might occur but you make up in the end... which was starting to make Ibuku wonder how much this family actually meant at all if it was truly this easy to break it down in his head. There was a huff through his nose as he looked at the food. The idea of eating had long left his mind, nothing appeared appetizing and the pain in his stomach was forcing him to stay more tense there than he liked. Part of him still wanted to leave. Simply to be back at his room for the evening, to rest his eyes, to no longer feel stress for one brief moment... and then the other part was now willing to sit here, to listen, and to desperately try to understand the oddness he had thrust upon him by a careless man with foolish ambitions.

[Valkier]

Kotori's brief moment of forced sincerity was quickly overshadowed by the sounds of Roku dropping into one of Akihiko's booby-trapped seats. Her lips twitched upwards into a grin, and she couldn't help but meet Aki's eye. She seized a pitcher of both cranberry juice and ale, one for each hand, and raised themto join the toast as their Kumogakure colleague announced the official start of the feast. She quickly chugged the juice, put down the ale, and began all but assaulting the passing waiters and their trays of food. Nothing passed Hachiya Kotori without a taste and a good hearty helping.

And what helpings! She groaned and rolled her eyes upwards in bliss at the juicy, rich turkey, the platters of perfectly grilled and roasted vegetables, the sauces, the pork belly, and more. She tried her best to pay attention as the others around the table made other announcements—Shinji was saying something about being tools and grumbling about the Roku guy, and Taira was still laying on his tormentous charms to Ibuku—but her focus was, quite appropriately, on the food. She glanced sideways at Roku following Shinji's speech, but he just looked like a regular...ish... guy from where she sat. A little off-colour, maybe, but if he was one of them, how bad could he be?

"Psh. No need to rub shoulders with The Riffraff, daughter. Keep your sights higher." Nolosha's voice rumbled within, but Kotori blanked it out. No Phantom Beast was going to come between her and a good time with this food. She caught the end of Taira's little speech, and when he met her eyes, she grinned around a leg of turkey. Family, huh? And stuck with him?

"Lubky us!" She blurted with her mouth full, dribbling gravy in his direction, then laughed and belatedly wiped her mouth on her sleeve. After a moment she turned to Ibuku, who was still sitting there with a face that could freeze the sun itself, and waved a waiter over to him.

"You'f gotta try thish! It'sh sho goodf!" And she began piling food onto his plate and pushing a mug of ale into his hands. All these others could sit here and compete over who had the darkest, most dramatic glower, but she was going to make the most of the evening. It was almost time for seconds!

[FluffyGinja]

When the waiter was approaching, Ibuku held up a hand as if to stop them and shake his head. "Lost my appetite. Thanks though." After he had seemed to get the venom out of his system, his demeanor had softened for the time being. He didn't trust anyone here still but he could at least do his best to just sit there and deal with what he felt he was being forced to sit through. His fingers drummed idly across the table, his vision focused halfway to everyone else there as he was deciding to continue his people watching. The newcomer was definitely the odd man out... Ibuku felt a little pang of annoyance that the two 'big dogs' didn't seem to want to give him the time of day but it was beginning to make a lot more sense just how much this 'family' really mattered to some of them.

His hands slipped from the table as he let them rest on his thighs, eyes looking towards Aki. Since he had set this all up, Ibuku was wondering why people were giving him grief for trying to be friendly. In fact, Ibuku was starting to see a sort of... familiarness in this one. Like a little brother. Full of life, energy and joy. There was a slight hiss from him, more an exhale of breath than anything, as he thought back. Things were a lot simpler when he was just some no name orphan. Struggling to barely complete a jutsu and barely get noticed in class. Struggling to find his parents... if they were alive, dead, or worse. Hell... struggling to get more food for the others so they wouldn't go hungry. He stared down at the food, it did all look good... and even though his stomach grumbled in protest, he didn't feel the urge to eat. If anything, he'd rather bring it home to his family... the family that was no longer able to see him as often.

The family that he had abandoned. That thought was like a sharp spear through the stomach as he just sort of got lost in a blank stare, thinking, and spiraling a little further down.

[WrightJustice]

It seemed Taiga enjoyed Nishiki's teasing joke over the possible fuuin passwords immensely, making joyful and friendly hand gestures in return which put a massive shit eating grin on the fox-like man's face as his delighted fangs shone bright like he could barely contain himself.
With some egos assuaged, at least for a moment the Kiri bannin patted the disgruntled younger on his head before skipping over to an empty chair and politely plonking himself down, his tails curling either around the back or over his shoulders as he pulled his feet up and sat his chin upon his knees like some child nuisance with bad sitting manner and fully contradicting the politeness from just before.

Nishiki had barely seated himself, awaiting for the actual dinner when more commotion sparked as discussions and more introductions were broken by a further newcomer who was much unlike the rest and for a brief moment he was even shocked by the sudden outburst over this weird fish-like fellow but then he soon recognised his fellow Kiri's sentiment along with the Kumo's.
The fox's smile drooped as he also pondered who the heck this Roku guy was with Yoshimitsu in particular boiling over in his mind "HA! I dare say I completely agree, this scummy samurai is mightily inferior not only to you but his... Spirit is below the grades of a Genma such as I and my brethren!" the beats bellowed with distain, perhaps even breaking the barriers of the other genma minds with his seething rage.

After a moment the Tsukino tilted his head, leaning it into his left hand more than his knee as he realised he couldn't help but feel the same perhaps being filled with Yoshi's ideals more and more over the ages as his eyes looked upon this inferior creature with a great condescension.
"I agree he is inferior to us" Nishiki commented in a mocking tone "A mere play thing for our fun if anything... If he dares stay..." he sounded like he meant it as he did have an intrigue over this different kind of spirit, wishing to see it and put it to the test.

However his smile returned again once the waiters finally came over and offered up some drinks and food, calling Nishiki's attention to the bizarre delicacies of these lands as he eagerly went to try them almost like a flip of a switch and turned his mood completely back around.

[Hayate]

Taiga huffed, letting out a bit of smoke. He was done trying to appease the angst of tiny ants and little brats. Ibuku's only enemy was himself. He mused momentarily that perhaps peace made children soft and self-absorbed. What a crass and heinous thought- and yet he couldn't help linger on it. He'd seen far worse and experience far worse than Ibuku ever had. He'd been beaten within an inch of his life several times, even in training... and yet he resented little to no-one. He had to remind himself that came with maturity though- he was perhaps even angstier than Ibuku was as a teen.

Cracking his knuckles he snickered at everyones alarm around Roku and rightfully shifted his attention there instead.

"I can smell the stench that one of us is not one of us.." he said as he chuckled and made his way towards Roku... "..and Aki I am troubled you would compromise the identities of your brethren, you should use a little more of your grey matter when making plans." he said.

"Roku is welcome to join us, but I insist you let me use Kotoamatsukami before this is all done and do what I can to protect us all... if you're okay with that Roku, we can let you live." he said with a chuckle.

He was serious though. Exposing the identities and secrets of their order... that was unthinkable.

[Texas]

Aki went from being happy and excited to visibly annoyed. What the heck was going on? Was it a coincidence these old ass shinobi's didn't approve of Roku? Maybe their ancient age caused their braincells to squish together to hard. Was that science? Did Aki even fully understand science? The boy could barely spell it... but that wasn't the issue at hand.

The child quickly shifted his face to going back to be happy again and even laughed a little bit at all of the old jinch's having similar reactions combined with their personalities. The boy drank his drink since.. well.. he made his speech, why the hell not. Aki's pink hair bobbed as he skipped to his seat and placed his drink back on the table. "Listen old farts, the future is now. You might have to accept that times have changed and there are others in there that have the capability of being considered one of us. I wouldn't have invited that blue lizard if I didn't think he was considered to be in the same realm as us." Aki would reach for some food and place it on his plate before continuing. "If you have a problem with him then I'll take all of you outside and we can have an old fashion bath house wrestle. If I lose you can put him on a fire, spin him, and make some sushi, although I don't know if lizard would make good sushi..." Aki was passionate about including Roku and knew that he presented an option that he couldn't win. What Aki wasn't realizing was something was going on behind the scenes between his genma's chakra and his own.

The child would begin to eat and mid chew would look at all of the louder jinch's. The child would look around to get a gauge of the room before he spoke up again. "How about the brain trust over there do a little bit of research. Can't let the a young prankster outsmart you guys, I would be more concerned about you guys before Roku if that's how you feel. But meh, I don't have any power to stop you, so at least enjoy the food and drinks, courtesy of Ku-- Me." Aki did pay for the event.. but what he didn't tell anyone... including the Raikage... he may have put the tab on Kumogakure no sato. Aki thought it would be a very funny yet convenient prank.. but really didn't want that information to get let out just in case any of them were close to that old bastard as well. The boy would giggle a little bit and start to stuff his face with food and drown it down with whatever drinks were in front of him.