[Graded][Plotboard]Acquaintance

[Kao]

Jousai's headquarters was a bit overwhelming at first. It seemed like they were overdoing it by housing their base of operations in such a fortress, with what seemed to be nearly fifty different rooms and about a half dozen floors - and that was only above ground. Truthfully, when they were looking for a suitable building Kotaru expected them to find something housed completely underground, something modest that would serve their purposes. But Tats and Mits had settled on...this. The boy thought it was a joke at first, but he had to admit after looking around inside the place there was something attractive about stalking around in a huge castle. It took him several days learn the layout and navigate the building without getting lost, and eventually he chose a suite on one of the highest floors to be his personal room.

So far it was still nearly empty. He had no idea what to put in the bedroom besides...well, a bed and a chest of drawers. It was the first place that was truly his, one that he chose and had the right to fill with whatever he wanted, how he wanted. Tatsuo's family's house was...nice, and he appreciated the room. But he always felt more like a guest, and after Tatsuo's elder brother died in the Arena it didn't feel right to stay there. Kotaru had slowly began to move out his things, but he had few personal effects besides his clothes and weapons.

One afternoon he stomped out of his room and down the huge spiral staircase, his left hand in a thick glove and clenched into a fist. Within it was a large red and orange stone, and he could feel the heat emanating from it even through the thick cloth. The stupid thing was driving him crazy, and he was on the verge of simply throwing it out. The boy mumbled curses to himself as he descended, barely paying attention to his surroundings as he made his way down the castle floors.

[Sanjuro]

"Okay, this is getting ridiculous. I've seen like two people the entire time I've been here…" Kazuo grumbled as he closed the door on yet another dead-end. He glared at the seemingly endless hallway and decided to yell at the top of his lungs. "Who even needs this much space!?" The resulting echoed boomed down the hall and made the special jounin wince at his own stupidity. But really, he had gotten lost like fifty times so far trying to find the room that Tatsuo said he could have. Technically he said whatever room wasn't already in use, but somehow Kazuo had gotten lost in an endless maze of hallways and like… ballrooms, or whatever the hell those giant rooms were.

Koji growled to get his attention and Kazuo turned to glare right back at the wolf. Yes, the poor bastard was forced to carry Kazuo's stuff like an overqualified packmule, but Kazuo was the master in this relationship damn it. "I'm trying, buddy. Really. Just calm the hell down. We'll take a break if I don't find a room soon. Or I can go harass Kinomichi and get him to find me a room." The wolf let out a whine but trotted onwards as Kazuo started down the hall once more, trying to find at least find his way out. He could just follow his scent trail back but… exploring was fun.

It took the better part of twenty minutes to find an exit that wasn't right back where he started, and he found he had somehow wound his way back to the entrance hall of the castle with the giant winding staircase. "Don't say it. Not a single bark." Man and beast stared at each other before Koji let out the tiniest of barks, mocking his master. "I hate you."

Hearing footsteps approaching, he turned with a broad grin ready to assault who he assumed would be either Kinomichi or Tasuo only to find himself facing… a kid. Kazuo blinked. Then blinked again. "Seriously…?" Kazuo muttered to himself. If he hadn't grown up the younger brother to a prodigy, he was pretty sure he'd be developing an inferiority complex right about now. "Hey kid, you know where I can dump my stuff?"

[Kao]

"My name's not kid!" Kotaru snapped without even looking over the railing to see who was talking to him. Most of the time those kinds of comments didn't bother him in the slightest, considering he was, in fact, a kid, especially when in comparison to others of his rank. But he was in a foul mood - more so than usual - because of some stupid spirit rock that he couldn't figure out how to work. When he hit the landing he turned to see who had spoken, only to see some tall guy with a gigantic dog lumbering behind him. Great, a dog person.

Kotaru frowned deeply gave the guy a long, cold stare. He then raised a hand and pointed in the direction the giant guy and his giant pet had come from. "The room where all the housekeeping shit is kept is down the hall and to the left. There's a big sign that says 'housekeeping' on the door. You can't miss it if you're literate." He started to move past the man, but the sight of the beast up close slowed his steps. There was no way that was a regular dog. It looked more like a wolf, but Kotaru didn't know much about canines so he couldn't be sure. They were all just dogs to him.

"I hope your friend is house trained," he deadpanned, still staring at the animal. "We just got new flooring."

[Sanjuro]

Kazuo snorted at the kid's immediate response and simply accepted the sass with a slight upturn of his lips. "Well you're immediately more useful than Tatsuo was. Thanks… kid." He looked back down the hall and wondered how he hadn't seen it. Maybe the kid was lying just to be a pain in the neck. Or it got moved. Or had he come from the right? He honestly couldn't remember anymore. Without looking back, still trying to spot the elusive left path, he spoke over his shoulder. "I'm Kazuo by the way. The new guy 'round here."

At the wiseass comment about housetraining, Kazuo looked between the kid and Koji, grinning, and shrugged. "Sure, you could say that. I'd be careful about insulting Koji to his face though. Wolves don't like bein' insulted, especially one as proud as him." Koji growled, baring his teeth just a little, but Kazuo shook his head. He didn't know anything about this kid and didn't want Koji starting a fight. "So, what is your name then, if it isn't kid?"

[Kao]

At the second "kid" comment Kotaru's gaze snapped to the newcomer, narrowing his eyes slightly as he looked him up and down. Besides his obvious height advantage he had a wild look about him, especially with all that long brown hair. That along with the goatee and his sharp jaw made him look a bit like a canine himself. It must be true that dogs and their owners begin to look alike the longer they're together.

"...What? New guy? As in a recruit?" Kotaru groaned at the apparent news and rolled his eyes. "I didn't even know we had a new guy. Tats never tells me anything anymore. Who does he think he is? He doesn't completely own the place." When the beast growled at him, the boy offered his own toothy snarl before his black tongue peeked out to lick his bottom lip. "I'll keep that in mind, wolf boy." He didn't exactly hate dogs - or wolves, but what really was the difference? - but he didn't care for them either. They were a bit too loud and showy for his tastes.

"Well, new guy and wolf, I'm Akari Kotaru. Pleasure. Kind of. If you're not the help then you must be looking for a room. There's forty or fifty of them hidden around so good luck find...ing...." At that moment he remembered a conversation he and Tatsuo had, one of many, many lectures about being nice to new people, making allies and friends, welcoming the incoming recruits, yadda yadda. "Try smiling," Mitsuo had offered once. When he inevitably screwed it up by showing too much of his personality it always earned him a smack to the head. The boy was constantly concussed whenever Tatsuo was around. "What room are you looking for then?" he asked, punctuating the question with a sigh. He was busy trying to make a potentially powerful stone bend to his will, but he supposed he had to make time for the 'new guy.'

[Sanjuro]

"That's me. New recruit, Higurashi Kazuo, at your service." Kazuo smiled down at the kid and placed his hands in his pockets, listening as he complained about Tats. He assumed that was in reference to Tatsuo. And if the muttering was anything to go by, this kid had helped found the Jousai. That was… disturbing. A kid this age should be a Genin, maybe a Chuunin if he was exceptionally skilled. It wasn't war-time, there was no reason for kids this young to be so focused on training as to become Jounin or higher. Frowning, he put aside his misgivings as to maybe the Akari clan was a little to strict on training its members and tuned back in to the conversation.

"Oh I'm sure I could find one on my own eventually, but I think Koji would appreciate the help. Tatsuo said just pick any living quarters not already in use. All I've managed to find have been galleries or ballrooms." He smiled at Kotaru, something between sheepish and cocksure. "I was hoping there would be something on the ground floor, or at least with easy access to outside. Koji and I prefer the outdoors to being stuck in a giant stone labyrinth of doom, ya know?"

As part of his training, Kazuo had long since overcome his fear of enclosed spaces. And the castle was so large that he doubted it would ever be a problem. Still, he'd prefer an easy access point to the outer courtyard just for his own peace of mind. That and it was easier to just throw Koji outside when he was being particularly annoying.

Koji growled softly and pointed his nose towards the Akari's hand. Specifically the thick glove that was clenched tightly around… something. Kazuo arched an eyebrow and let his curiosity get the better of him. "Whatcha got there?"

[Kao]

Kotaru sighed through his nose at Kazuo's description of his ideal room, ignoring the fact that the older shinobi's expression irked him. "Yes, well, we'll probably convert the ballroom looking ones into something else. We won't have anything stupid like dances here." He'd seen a room in one of his self-guided tours that might do the trick, but of course it was a bit of a walk from where they were. The boy debated simply describing how to get there, but with all the twists and turns Kotaru was certain this guy would get lost and he'd somehow be blamed and rebuked for it.

"Follow me then," he began as he moved in a rather large arc to get around the wolf. But the animal seemed to take interest in his gloved hand, and Kotaru immediately glared at him and held his hand above his head. Of course, being short and all, it wasn't exactly out of reach for either Kazuo or Koji. But he had to keep it away from them, and it wasn't just because he had been keeping the existence of it a secret. He held it in a thick glove because of the constant heat that radiated from it, and whenever it came into contact with flesh it would intensify enough to cause a bad burn. The last thing he needed was to explain to Tatsuo how the new guy got an injury on his first day.

"Nothing!" his voice cracked terribly, coming out in a squeak that was nowhere near as intimidating as he intended. Kotaru swiftly, maybe even a bit frantically, pulled the glove off by the cuff, turning it inside out with the stone nestled inside. He cleared his throat and crossed his arms so that it was held it partially out of sight. "It's nothing," he said firmly, speaking to Koji specifically this time. "I just like this glove. It's- FUCK!"

Without warning he threw the glove down and it rolled across the floor toward Kazuo. The Akari held his left hand with his right, looking down at the circular burn that took up nearly his entire palm. The stupid thing had burned through the fabric and seared the fibers to his skin. Kotaru winced and cursed as he rushed to pick up the ruined glove with his unburned hand before one of the other two could see the pulsing stone peeking out.

[Sanjuro]

Now that he was focusing on it, the smell of burning cloth reached his nostrils. Kazuo squinted and stared at the kid who was so obviously trying to hide something that it was almost painful to watch. Whatever it was was burning a hole straight through the supposedly protective glove, though. He opened his mouth to point out as much when whatever it was finally burnt all the way through and the resulting squeak of pain made Kazuo snort. "Yeah, that's clearly nothing." He snapped his fingers and Koji pulled back from sticking his nose in where it didn't belong, literally.

Kneeling down, he went to pick it up when Kotaru scrambled with a surprising show of speed to snatch it up first. Stepping back and holding his hands up in submission, Kazuo chuckled and shook his head. "Easy there, tiger, I was just curious is all." He cocked his head to the side and lowered his hands to rest by his sides once more. "You sure you're safe carryin' that thing around though? I can smell the burn on your hand from here." It was true, the scent of burning flesh was one Kazuo was both distinctly aware of and not particularly fond of.

Whatever it was, it was dangerous. Probably powerful. Something that would bring a whole world of trouble on him if he got involved with it.

Kazuo grinned. How exciting.

[Kao]

"Curiosity doesn't just kill cats," the Akari grumbled. He did his best to wrap the stone back into the burned glove but there wasn't much use in the effort. Too much of the cloth had been ruined, so no matter what he did the smooth, orange-red object was visible. The cat seemed to be out of the bag - or rather, the rock was out of the glove. He didn't know what colloquialism would apply in this case, especially considering he was talking to a wolf boy and his pet. Kotaru winced slightly before channeling chakra to the injured hand, and the telltale green chakra of iijutsu went to work. "What, do you have dog - ugh, wolf - senses or something? The smell's barely even noticeable."

He briefly debated whether or not he should tell Kazuo about the damned thing. If they were going to be teammates then maybe Kotaru should let him in on what he had been doing. He placed the stone and the tattered glove at his feet so he could better focus on his wound. While still glaring at the stone he said, "Well obviously it's not nothing, I just don't know what exactly it is. I stole it from a giant centipede's head out in Northern Rock. It seemed like a good idea at the time but this thing obviously hates me. I was going to take it to the Catacombs to see if one of our spirit friends could help with it or to toss it, I don't know. I thought it was the source of that bug's power but I can't tell because I can't touch it." He paused again, slowly lifting his head to look at Kazuo with a small, but still darkly calculating smile.

He flexed the now healed hand and then gestured toward the stone. "Actually. Maybe it's just me. Try to pick it up."

JutsuShow

*[Iijutsu • Burn Heal]
B-Ranked Ninjutsu
Prerequisite: *[Iijutsu • Burn Treatment]
Yet another step up in the ability to treat burns, *[Iijutsu • Burn Heal] is used to alleviate pain caused by burn wounds. After focusing chakra into his/her hands, the user will hover them above the burn wound. As the chakra is channeled into and around the burn, it cools the area and works to prevent harmful, scar-producing blistering in the affected area. To provide this soothing relief to large-sized areas of first degree and second degree burns it's fairly quick to do. For medium-sized areas of third degree burns, it takes one (1) post of concentration to achieve the same effects. Lastly, for small areas of fourth degree burns, it also takes one (1) post of concentration due to the very delicate nature of this type of burn.

[Sanjuro]

"This nose knows all." Kazuo said with a quirk of his brow and flicking the tip of said nose. He stayed silent and listened as Kotaru described exactly where the strange stone had come from and just how dangerous it could possibly be. That… was an interesting story. It also lent credence to the boy's tale of being one of the founding members of Jousai. Scrapping with spirits was nasty work that was generally avoided by the general populace. Hell, even Kazuo himself tried to avoid fighting them wherever and whenever possible.

Shaking his head, Kazuo chuckled at the offer to pick it up. "I get the feeling you don't like me very much, Kotaru. That's a shame, I think we could be great friends." Even as he was speaking, Kazuo was stepping forward and kneeling by the stone, squinting at it, feeling the heat emanating from it. It was definitely hot and would probably burn him. Buuuuut… Kota wasn't wrong when he said curiosity didn't just kill cats. Who was he to fight nature?

Reaching out to pick it up he found the stone not to be searing as he had expected but… warm. Definitely leaning towards hot but no worse than a stone heated for the purposes of a massage. Raising an eyebrow, he stood back up and held the stone out to Kotaru with an easy smile. "There ya go. Got another glove? I could always carry it for you while you show me to my new room."

[Kao]

"Unbelievable. Are you fucking kidding me?" Kotaru had asked the older shinobi to pick up the stone on a hunch, but even as the idea crossed his mind he didn't quite believe in it. He didn't at all think Kazuo would actually be able to pick it up without being burned. He reached out to touch the stone, but just before his fingertips touched it he quickly snatched his hand back and hissed. His fingers were immediately red and blistered, but Kazuo remained unharmed. "What the fu- this STUPID ROCK! Fine, I don't need this shit. Damn thing. Carry it, I don't care."

He stormed off, scowling and mentally cursing the day he'd read about a 'chakra altering gem' in the first place. It had been over a year since he had stolen the damned thing as a genin with Mitsuo, and between all his missions and shenanigans he hadn't had time to inspect it. Every day for the past week he'd been trying to figure it out, but it simply wasn't working. To make matters worse the wolf guy had simply picked it up when Kotaru could barely go near it. Kotaru was beyond frustrated. "Well come on if you're coming!"

Kotaru led Kazuo and Koji down the hall and began the twisting journey through the castle. Some of the areas appeared to be under renovation and were blocked off by hanging tarp, stacks of bricks, and ladders, but the boy simply walked around them or kicked them to the side. All the while he contemplated what he was going to do about the stone. It wasn't in his nature to give up so easily. Finally they reached a pair of high, heavy looking dark brown doors. With a groan that had nothing to do with the weight of the doors he pushed them open, revealing a large space that rivaled that of some of the smaller ballrooms. "Good enough?" the boy mumbled grumpily as he eyed the stone still in Kazuo's hand.

[Sanjuro]

Kazuo's eyebrows disappeared into his hairline at the volatile reaction from Kotaru. He had expected frustration but that was a bit much. He couldn't help the small smile that touched his lips. Ah, hormones. How he was glad he was done with puberty. Rolling the stone over in his hand, he studied the surface of it, feeling around for grooves or anything else that would reveal its secrets, all the while he was following along behind Kotaru as they were led through the halls of the castle.

"So what's up with the rock?" Kazuo questioned as they walked, still studying it, revelling in the warmth it gave off. "And why does it seem to dislike you? This thing isn't alive, is it?" As if suddenly realizing he could have been fondling some strange tiny creature made of stone, he paused in his examination of it, lifting it to his eye and staring into the red glow before shrugging and going back to rolling it around his hands.

When they finally made it to the room Kotaru had mentioned, Kazuo was sure he had taken the longest possible route just to try and frustrate him. When he opened the doors and revealed the area beyond, however, he immediately decided it was worth it. The room was damn near half the size of his parents' house. Stepping over the threshold, he looked around the barren room. A simple fireplace served as the primary feature on the left side, several support pillars helped break up the monotony of the room, but what drew Kazuo's immediate attention where the large bay windows and balcony attached.

Letting out a low whistle, he turned around once and nodded. Koji immediately plonked himself onto his rear, letting the saddlebags he had been carting around drop to the cold stone floor. Kazuo stepped over to the windows and opened them out onto the balcony. It was a fair drop down to the courtyard below but was quick and easy access when he wanted it. "It's perfect. Cheers, kiddo." Chuckling sheepingly, he turned back to Kota and smiled in apology. "Sorry. Kotaru."

Stepping back over to his side, Kazuo held up the stone once more. "So, in return for the room, how about I give you a hand with whatever this is?" He turned it over once more, raising an eyebrow. "Literally and figuratively. 'Cause, ya know, I can apparently carry it."

[Kao]

"Alive?" he had asked during the walk. "Shit, it might be. It only burns me so at the very least, it's sentient. It's probably not too happy that I killed the centipede. At least, I think I killed it. It looked pretty dead to me when we left it there." It made sense, if he thought about it. If the thing wasn't actually dead, or if the stone held some of its consciousness, it was only natural that it wouldn't be too keen on allowing Kotaru to handle it, let alone unlock the secrets of its powers. How annoying.

"Lay off the 'kiddo," alright? I get enough of that from the other old ass jounin."Kotaru leaned against the wall since there wasn't any furniture. Kazuo rubbed it in that Kotaru couldn't touch the stupid thing, and the boy's frown deepened. He wasn't sure if he was gonna like this guy. "But if you insist. I was on my way to the catacombs to see if one of the spirits could tell me what the fuck is this thing's deal. You can unpack later then, not that you have anywhere to put this stuff." Kotaru left the room, expecting the older shinobi to follow. He didn't know anything about him, but if Tatsuo thought he was good enough to join their group then that was good enough for him. He must not have been entirely useless.

The walk to the entrance to the catacombs was even longer than the walk to Kazuo's new quarters. They returned to the giant staircase, this time descending. "So I hope you like weird shit," Kotaru suddenly commented. He normally wasn't one for small talk, but he wished someone had warned him about what was lurking under the village before he made his first descent. "Luckily you missed the gigantic worm that ate Tatsuo. That was a pretty bad day. The giant spiders and rats aren't nearly as bad in comparison."

[Sanjuro]

"Hey, I apologized. It's a habit I will endeavour to kick, I promise." Kazuo may have crossed his fingers behind his back as he swore his 'oath'. "And I'm not that old. You're just freakishly young for your rank." At the mention of the Catacombs, Kazuo grinned and fought to keep from dancing on the spot. "Let's go exploring! Come on, Koji." The wolf, only having just layed down after hauling around all their heavy gear for the last several hours, growled low and menacing in his throat. Kazuo chuckled and pet him behind the ear, pulling a treat from his hip pouch and holding it out to the animal. "I'm sorry buddy, you know how I get. Besides, there could be something to fight down there. Come on, please?" Koji sniffed the treat, snapped it from Kazuo's outstretched hand with just enough teeth to draw blood, and then trotted off ahead of Kazuo and alongside Kotaru.

The trip down the ever descing spiral staircase was one that Kazuo had made twice now, including this time, and the chill ran down his spine once more in anticipation for the Catacombs below. He had been thoroughly confused the first time he had come down here with Tatsuo during his recruitment, the odd room that ended in nothing but a fuuinjutsu ridden chamber. This time, however, he knew what to expect and was almost giddy with anticipation.

"I live for weird shit, there's a reason I came to sign up with you guys." Kazuo winked at Kotaru, chuckling. "You say lucky, I say unlucky. That would've been one hell of a fight. Still, I can hope we find something just as much fun to play with, right?" Koji barked his agreement. "See? Even he agrees. And he doesn't agree with anyone, cranky mutt."

Holding up the stone, tossing it between his hands, Kazuo looked between it and Kota. "So what kind of spirit are you hoping to find down there that can tell you about this? Another… what was it? Centipede?" He had to admit the thought of a giant centipede with a glowing gem embedded in its head give him the heebie-jeebies. All those skittering legs. Gross.

[Kao]

Kotaru gave a low hum and stared at the man, his lips locked into an unamused frown. Finally he droned, "Giant worm that ate Tats. Is fun. Right. I see why Tatsuo added you to the org so quickly. He'd like you for your personality alone." The young Akari had grown used to the company his rather chipper, ready-for-action best friends, but he wasn't sure if he could handle another large, muscley teammate. The thought was a dramatic one, of course, but Kotaru was more often than not a dramatically moody kid.

When Koji briskly caught up with the boy he glanced over, still a bit wary of the animal. On all fours he was nearly as tall as Kotaru was, and even though the jounin wasn't well versed on wolf anatomy he could tell Koji was well built. The wolf was clearly part of the package, so the boy had gained not one, but two more tanky teammates. He'd have started to feel out of place if he actually cared about things like that. "Centipede, yeah, but I don't think we have any of those in the Catacombs. Besides, that thing wasn't really interested in talking. If it's so pissed at me that it burns me with its rock thing then I doubt any of its friends would be happy to help."

They finally reached the cavern in the lowest level of the headquarters. The floor was engraved with fuuinjutsu, and two guards stood waiting for them. "Go ahead then." The guards seemed to come to life at the command, stepping forward and placing their hands on the large seal. Within moments the floor began to shake as the entire floor shifted and lowered, an earthen elevator that would take them to the Catacombs far beneath the village. "This part takes for-fucking-ever," the boy complained, but his eyes still lit up in anticipation. He didn't like the wait, but the process was fascinating to him whether he admitted it or not. "I've only met a handful of the spirits. I try to keep away from them for the most part. But there's Obsidian Guy and the Crystal Nurses. They might know something, since they're basically talking rocks."

[Sanjuro]

Kazuo waggled his eyebrows at Kota's droning voice. Apparently, his new boss had a type. It was still strange, the feeling that he was to take orders from someone younger than him. Multiple people younger than him. He had spent a large portion of his career working by himself or alongside his companions, as a Special Jounin it was his job to join missions where his specialty was needed and that often saw him going off ahead of a group or just not having a team. Part of him wanted to rebel against it, reveal his presence to his new squadron and show them why he was an alpha. The logical and thankfully dominate part of his brain knew that would be a dumb idea, so he kept a tight check on his more wild tendencies and simply nodded and followed orders for the time being.

Tuning back into the conversation, he noticed that the ground had begun to move down, taking the trio with it. "Can't say I've met a whole host of spirits that didn't end in a fight, to be honest, so this should prove to be a learning experience." It was true, the few wild spirits he had come across had been threats to be put down and his one previous trip down into the catacombs was for the sole purpose of testing his combat prowess. "How did you guys get caught up in all this, anyway? I've met Tatsuo, now you, and I keep hearing about this Mitsuo guy but haven't had the pleasure yet."

He knew Genin were encouraged to join up together, but Kazuo had been one of the few that had went the route of hired trainers. More specifically his older brother had been his primary trainer. So, it was strange for him to see such a close-knit team and he was kind of curious what drove them to the lengths they had obviously been driven to. No one got so strong so young for no reason.

[Kao]

"This, as in Jousai? It just sort of happened." The platform continued to sink. Their only light was from a torches that were positioned in the ground, and they flickered as the air became both sticky and cold. Kotaru crossed his arms tightly over his chest, the only hint that he wasn't all that comfortable with where they were headed.

"I met Mitsuo a while ago - nearly two years ago, I think? - in one of the markets. He was selling jewelry so I commissioned him to make me one." Kotaru reached into his shirt and pulled out a long silver necklace. Dangling on the chain was a small pendant in the shape of a raven skull. "He took too long so I snuck into a cart in a caravan and followed him to Fur Country. I met Tatsuo there and he immediately made me unload the heavy boxes out of the cart. I ditched them though. I didn't go all that way to work. After that, well." For a moment he stared off into space as the memory came back to him. The two boys had gone on a mission together and it hadn't ended all that well. It was Kotaru's fault. He had been even more emotional and a bit irrational back when he was a genin. It wasn't something he was proud of or liked to remember. "I sort of tried to kill Tats once, but I got my ass handed to me. We made up though." He hurried through that explanation, and he gave Kazuo a sharp look before he turned away. He really hoped the man wouldn't ask him to elaborate.

The young Akari took a few steps forward and them moved back again, pacing slowly as they continued their descent. "We do nearly everything together and we all train every chance we get. So once we stumbled on this place it was only natural that we took care of things. Not a whole lot of other people can do what we do, especially those two. Now we're just expected to deal with things."

[Sanjuro]

So, the infamous Mitsuo was a jeweller, huh? Smithies were a dime a dozen in Iwa, but if the necklace that Kotaru had shown off was any indicator, Mitsuo had some talent. Kazuo had never taken to working a forge. He'd tried it once, back when he was a Genin. Not his thing. It required a level a patience he had not achieved until much later in life. "Impressive." It didn't surprise him that Kota was a trouble maker. A moody teenager with too much power on their hands. "I can understand that. Who wants to work when you've got an entire new country to explore, eh?"

The mention of almost killing Tatsuo surprised him and he turned to fully face Kota with his eyebrows raised in disbelief. His nose twitch as the scent reached him, the sudden defensive shift of the kid, and he fought back his curiosity. "Touchy subject, I'm guessing? Don't worry, I won't push." Kazuo was a curious guy but he generally knew what lines he could push and which he should carefully toe. Underestimating Kotaru because of his age would be a mistake and pushing a subject he obviously didn't want to talk about was just tempting fate. "Maybe some other time. You drink?"

Kazuo smiled warmly at the mention of doing everything together. "Sounds nice. For most of my career it's been just me and Koji. Don't get me wrong, I love the big mutt, but… not big on conversation, wolves." Said wolf growled from his place beside Kazuo, where he was turning in circles as the stone plate descended ever further into the depths under Iwa. "Sounds rough though. That's a lot of responsibility to have to shoulder so young, even if you've handled it well." Here he gestured to the shaft and vaguely back up to the entrance and the castle that was disappearing into a tiny pinprick of light above. "I definitely couldn't have managed something like this at your age. It's impressive, truly."

[Kao]

"No, I don't drink. Alcohol is disgusting." The boy had only one experience with liquor, and in the end he ended up passing out then was later jolted awake by stomach pains. The vomiting that day had been unpleasant, to say the least. The platform continue to descend, and after Kazuo's comment about the boy having to shoulder so much responsibility Kotaru stopped his pacing. His silence was almost sullen as he again became aware of the the weight of his position. It was true that he seemed to handle his position well, but it was only because Kotaru was becoming more masterful at burying his uncertainties and insecurities and publicly appearing unaffected by the pressure. In reality he didn't particularly like the responsibility, particularly the meetings and paperwork. Usually he enjoyed the power and authority, but at times he felt that he wasn't quite strong enough to be of much use. He felt particularly inadequate in comparison to his friends.

"Impressive...if you say so. I don't think I've done much, honestly. This is mostly Tats and Mits' doing." Finally the platform rumbled to a stop and Kotaru stepped off. As he walked he formed a few hand seals and five small balls of flames came to life around him, providing a small amount of light when they left the glowing platform. The group walked toward the mostly empty campsite nearby, and although he had his own firelight Kotaru grabbed a few flares out of habit. "Koji can use surface walking, right?" the boy thought aloud as he neared the edge of the cliff that led to the Catacombs. "It's a long way down."

Kotaru channeled chakra to his back, and two blue green wings erupted from between his shoulder blades. They flexed for a moment before Kotaru stepped off the cliff edge and plummeted into the darkness.

JutsuShow

Wisp
E-Ranked Ninjutsu
After performing the needed seals, Kotaru creates up to five, wispy teardrop shaped balls of flames five inches in diameters. The flames produce no heat and are incapable of inflicting burns. The balls float within three feet of his position and up to a foot above his height and cannot move outside of this area. The fireballs move with him but are otherwise immobile and once created Kotaru cannot control their movement or position. Due to the low chakra cost of this technique, Kotaru can maintain this for x number of posts where x equals stamina/2.

~Basic Formation: Eroshiin
D-Ranked Ninjutsu
Channeling chakra to their shiin, they cause it to inflate, fully forming into its full glory. Taking the form of wings, they are incapable of flight on their own, however are very aerodynamic, allowing for the user to slowly float down, based on their prerequisite taijutsu. The Eroshiin has a strength equal to 3/4ths the user's strength.

~Feather Fall
C-Ranked Discipline Taijutsu
Type: Eroshiin
Requirements: ~Slow Fall
A much more advanced version of ~Slow Fall, this technique allows the user to effectively glide, as long as their shiin is out. While they still can't gain height through this technique, they are able to slow their descent to ridiculous levels, and, with enough control (Taijutsu stat of 19), they are able to descend at a 80 degree angle.

[Sanjuro]

Kazuo chuckled at Kota's response to alcohol. He felt the same, honestly. A little bit was fine but drinking enough to break through his natural tolerance meant his senses were dulled and considering how much more he relied on his other senses than most people, it tended to make for an amusing sight for those around him. The following silence for the rest of the trip drained his cheerfulness as it appeared he had once again touched on a subject that maybe he should have avoided. Letting out a slow sigh, Kazuo ran his fingers through his hair and simply waited for Kota to speak or the awkward trip to finish.

When Kota finally spoke, Kazuo frowned for a moment but quickly schooled his features into a more neutral look. "Maybe. I don't know any of you all that well, or at all really, so I couldn't tell you one way or another." He followed Kota off the platform and looked at the floating lights the boy conjured up with a smile. "But I've usually got a good sense for people. Maybe you don't handle as much of the politics as they do but you're here for a reason. Just like they are. I'm sure I'll see it before we're done here."

He followed Kota's motions, pocketing a few of the flares as they walked through the camp. He still looked around to try and get a few more details but just like last time he had come through they were moving with a purpose and he didn't get a chance to really have a snoop around. Turning his attention back to Kota as they reached what Kazuo was coming to call the Abyss, he smiled and nodded. "One of the few things I managed to teach him in regard to chakra."

Flicking his hand into a single seal, he flared his chakra and linked it with Koji's, allowing the wolf to begin flowing his own chakra to his feet. When the giant wings formed on Kota's back, a shudder ran through Kazuo. The Akari were creepy and he refused to believe otherwise. As Kota leapt, Kazuo nodded and Koji started running down the side of the stone wall, paws clinging to the surface like glue. Taking a deep breath, Kazuo rolled the glowing stone between his fingers before smiling out into the darkness of the Abyss.

"Wait for me!"

With that he leapt.