[Graded] A day in the kitchens

[Willoria]

Souta had settled in nicely in his upstairs apartment so far, and gotten Hana settled in to the second room. As usual, he spoiled the little fox with her own space. He got his boxes unpacked rather quickly, knew he'd have to run errands tomorrow for other supplies he went down to see if the restaurant below was open. It was but he quickly noticed something out of place. He made his way past the tables and to the back, to the sushi bar and had seen a disheveled woman about his own age looking flustered. In truth the conversation would turn into not only his introduction to his landlady, a woman named Himafune Shizuo, but him taking on a job.

Not even an hour later he found himself behind the sushi bar working. He wore a pair of dark pants tucked into boots and a dark sleeveless shirt. His hair was pulled back into a ponytail at the base of his skull to keep it both out of his face and out of the food, as well as a cloth tied around his forehead. His hands moved with a quickness with the knives to cut the sushi with expert precision to cut beautiful rolls and arrangements for the orders as they came in. Though he was a little tall for the area, causing him to have to hunch a bit as he worked.

His eyes were focused on the work before him, and he found himself having a few moments here and there where Sakaki wasn't on his mind.

[Kabu]

Meanwhile Inokara was busily bouncing between tables, smiling and happily humming to herself all the while as she took orders and greeted customers. It was the usual fare, and she happened to be in an extra good mood, but today was special in another way. She couldn't wait for a moment to rest so she could get a chance to talk with their new sushi chef. She knew that he was the boss's tenant and had briefly met him when she had arrived and had been relaying orders all day but she wanted to properly get to know him.

Nonetheless she stayed focused on her work, business eventually beginning to slow down just in time for a break.

Taking a moment to stretch she made her way to the back, a bounce to her step as she approached the man behind the counter, unable to help a giggle at the way he was hunched. She felt a little bad but there was something amusing about a man working so seriously while hunched down. "Mayhaps we should talk the boss into getting you a bigger work area."

[Willoria]

The teahouse was rather quaint, and overall Souta couldn't help liking the place. It seemed to be a favorite among locals, a place of quiet conversation. He watched a couple of servers move among the tables cheerfully and hadn't witnessed any real problems. The constant work kept him distracted, though also kept a thin line of sweat on the back of his neck for much of the day. As the rush died down and things slowed down however he was glad for a chance to sit on a nearby stool and take in the sight of the place, surprised as one of the servers approached. He eyed her almost cautiously and couldn't help a bit of a chuckle at her remarks. "Perhaps I should start a list of things I can offer to fix." he replied. He had noticed when he moved into the sushi area there was a step up into it, and knew that was the culprit for the lack of headspace for him. For most sushi chefs this probably wasn't a problem, but unlike most he was over six foot tall.

But sitting on the stool gave his shoulders a break from the stoop at least. He reached over to sip on some tea that had been brought to him early on in his shift, but it had long since gone cold and turned bitter and he couldn't help making a face. He shook his head at it before looking over at the server and extending a hand to shake in greeting. "Meiyo Souta." he said, introducing himself. "I'm from Suna, guessing you're more local though?"

[Kabu]

"Yeppers. This village is my home, has been for the last 18 years, though I'll be 19 soon. I'm Yamanaka, Inokara. Friends call me Kara. I'm also a shinobi, freshly promoted Jounin." Inokara cheerfully responded as she took Souta's outstretched hand. She had known that their two villages had grown quite close but still she did wonder why someone from Suna was currently living in Konoha. That said, she had learned long ago from Sensei that some questions were best left unasked, that everyone had their secrets and there wasn't necessarily a good reason for it. Perhaps he had gotten sick of the desert, maybe he was a shinobi on mission, or perhaps it was something worse, it wasn't her place to ask.

"So, how do you like it here? How long you been in town? Need any help at all?" she asked instead, smiling all the while. Sure thanks to Masami she had developed some tact but her curiosity wasn't going to be appeased that easily, especially when dealing with a foreigner.

[Willoria]

"Good to meet you, Inokara." Souta replied, noticing during their handshake the softness of her hands. He didn't want to presume too much by calling her Kara. After all she had said her friends called her that, and he had only just met her. "Congrats on your promotion then." he added, genuinely happy to hear that she was doing so well as a shinobi. He was glad to have seen his own daughter promoted to such a rank before she died, she had been strong enough to carry the responsibility after all. Any sad reverie the thought might have brought on however was quickly interrupted. It was an interruption he was glad for.

"I just got here a couple of days ago actually, just unpacked yesterday." he admitted, almost sheepishly as he ran a hand through his hair carefully, certain to not undo the ponytail that kept it back as he did so. "Wouldn't mind a tour guide sometime. Last time I was here was part of a group of us from Suna. It was a very different sort of trip. Still not really sure the best places for groceries. Lucked out being set up living above here though, good place for tea and a good place to lay my head." As he spoke he heard a clattering from upstairs and visibly winced. "Damn it, Hana..."

[Kabu]

At Souta's words, Inokara at first tilted her head, thinking about what had just been said. She did recall a group of Suna shinobi having visited back before the war, a pair of girls and an older man. She also recalled passing through the market that day and... She couldn't help a sly grin at the memory. It truly was the first and only time she had really seen her former teacher so flustered and nervous. It really had been quite a thing to witness.

Before she could actually respond, she was caught briefly off guard by a sudden clattering from the space above, though she didn't miss what had been said. "So, whose Hana?" she asked, letting out a gasp a moment later. "Is it a woman? Oh, the boss won't like that. And... I don't think Masami-Sensei will either." she continued, a teasing grin on her face.

[Willoria]

"Hm?" It seemed to take Souta a moment to realize he had mentioned Hana by name as Inokara mentioned her by name, and a moment longer to realize just what she was saying. The man didn't blush often, but a blush was certainly working its way up the back of his neck as Inokara mentioned Masami. "I... uh... Hana is a fox." he said, stammering a moment, clearing his throat to try and compose himself before realizing his statement didn't actually improve things at first. "She's a pet fox, a fennec I rescued several years ago. I think Masami has actually met her before, she was with me last time I was here." he finally managed.

A server dropped off an order as he spoke and Souta wasn't entirely sure how he'd managed to start setting it up without cutting himself while stammering like that. "You mean Inuzuka Masami don't you?" he finally asked. "How is she? Well, since the war, I hope...?" Concern suddenly lined his voice and he realized he wasn't sure he wanted to ask. He'd already lost his daughter, as well as other friends. It had crossed his mind that he might get to see Masami when he came back here but it hadn't occurred to him that he might not either. Until he thought to ask of course.

[Kabu]

Suddenly Inokara felt a little bad, seeing the man so flustered as he attempted to explain himself, though all the same she couldn't help but giggle. Clearly there was something going on but she wasn't about to pry, not at this juncture. If either he or sensei wanted to share the details then she would pry, but not a moment sooner. For now though she had to do what she could to relieve his concerns "Sensei's fine, wonderful even. You know, word on the street says she's even under consideration for a Bannin promotion, waiting only on approval from Lord Takeo himself. Gonna need to start planning a celebration soon...." she said, trailing off as an idea came to mind

"You have no idea where the Inuzuka live, right? If you'd like, I can take you to see her sometime. I'll be headed there anyways in the next couple days, need to drop by and visit with an old friend."

[Willoria]

"I'm glad to hear it." Souta replied, breathing a sigh of fairly obvious relief. He'd been so wrapped up in things going on with his life and things going wrong lately he hadn't really thought about how things might have been going for Masami with the war and everything else. It definitely left him feeling more than a little guilty, especially considering part of the reason he had chosen Konoha for his first stop as part of his travels.

As Inokara brought up going to the Inuzuka compound though, the man almost lit up, at least as much as a fairly serious individual such as himself could. "That would be wonderful actually." he admitted. "I'm going to be here a few months, but at some point I actually need to ask her a bit of a favor about Hana." he said, motioning up towards the apartment upstairs. "Once I do leave Konoha I'm going to be traveling for awhile, to a lot of different places and Hana is just too high energy for that kind of travel. I'm hoping Masami might be willing to look after her for a few months. The Inuzuka clan may be the perfect place for such a high energy little canine really... maybe even help her calm down a little bit. I'm not much of a trainer myself..." he added almost sheepishly. After all it was pretty clear by the noises already heard that Hana could make quite a mess all on her own.

[Kabu]

"Goodie! We'll go during a day off! I hope you're an early riser cause I am, though I learned that habit from Masami-Sensei, that and many other things. You really made a good choice choosing her to look after Hana. Sensei is great with animals, she loves them and they love her. At times it even seems like she actually understands them." she responded almost giddily, her giddiness at least in part to how Souta's face had just lit up. She loved to see people happy, and it made her happy to cheer someone up, no matter how big or small the gesture.

"So you mentioned traveling? That sounds exciting...." Inokara trailed off as she grabbed a nearby chair, realizing she had been standing the whole time. I've never really been outside of the country myself. For a while I was too young, now I just haven't had the opportunity. she continued, breaking out into an embarrassed laugh as her stomach chose that moment to interrupt, as if it had just remembered it was empty.

"Right, haven't eaten since breakfast."

[Willoria]

Souta couldn't help a laugh as Inokara mentioned being an early riser. "Oh I'm usually up before the sun rises." he mentioned. "Honestly helps that Lady Himafune doesn't like to keep the sushi going too late, otherwise I might've had to change that working here." he added, chuckling to himself a bit. He had never been much of a night owl unless a mission called for it, at least not in recent years. Now a days he went to bed at a decent hour and was up early on a daily basis.

Souta laid out several different kinds of fish for the selection that day, setting them up for display rather nicely including very pretty dishes of different kinds of roe and masago for customers to see. His station was set up to keep himself separate from diners but also with glass so that what he was doing could be seen completely. He washed his hands carefully as Inokara spoke and he couldn't help a smile as she mentioned the traveling. "Honestly most of my own travel so far has been for missions and such. But my Kazekage has encouraged me to see the world on my own now. She thinks it will help me clear my head after the war. After..." His voice trailed off as he paused for a moment, his hands lingering over a rather large piece of fish. He quickly recovered and finished setting things up, checking a large bamboo container near him that was full of sushi rice. He never finished his sentence and instead seemed to have realized Inokara's comment about not having eaten anything.

His hands moved swiftly and a moment later a small salmon roll was well displayed on a small white plate, along with two small strips of salmon on small beds of sushi rice. He pushed the plate towards her with a small serving of soy sauce for dipping and a pair of chopsticks with a smirk. "You should eat something." he told her.

[Kabu]

Inokara tilted her head, slightly puzzled as Souta seemed to be about to say something only to cut himself off. She very much wanted to know what that was about but she was soon distracted by food being placed in front of her. "Oh, it looks so good. Most people probably wouldn't know where to start, but I do." she spoke, picking up the salmon roll and plopping it into her mouth, bliss clear on her face as she chewed and swallowed. "Souta, you have got to teach me how you do it." she happily hummed to herself as she picked up a strip of salmon next.

"I wish I could serve food even half this good if I ever open my own place in the far off future." she spoke after several moments of silence, having spent the time clearing her plate. "You're lucky to get to travel and see the world. The world needs to experience food like this. The boss always said that those with a love for their craft produce the best results and... I finally understand what she meant." she continued with a smile, looking up and studying the man's face a moment as a thought brewed in her mind.

"Say Souta, Suna is in the midst of a desert, right? How did you get so good at making sushi? And... could you maybe teach me sometime?"

[Willoria]

Souta laughed as Inokara clearly enjoyed the sushi he had prepared for her. "I mean, I'm only here for a little while." he admitted, grinning at the young woman as he went about preparing more for later in the day before wiping off his hands. He knew he was about to hit about an hour lull and the orders he had just finished were going to be his last for a little bit. "I could always carve out some time to teach you, that way you can step in when I leave, and this place can keep serving the same thing when I go." he continued, still smiling as he spoke.

Of course, she went on to ask about the fact that he had learned to make such things in the middle of a desert. It was a common question really, one he had just answered the other day too and the man couldn't help another laugh. "Well, if I'm honest?" he mentioned, rubbing the back of his neck almost sheepishly. "I had actually set up a personal pond at my home back in Suna with a friend of mine whose good with that sort of thing. Her family is great with gardens, hydroponics, that sort of thing. She helped me set it all up so I could set up a live pond. I had to be pretty careful with how much I used at a time but... it allowed me to set up well enough to have sushi pretty regularly at home. The plan was to eventually make a larger version for a restaurant in Suna when I was ready to retire."

[Kabu]

Inokara clapped her hands together in delight, a smile on her face at the acceptance of her request. "Goodie, you'll find that I'm a rather quick study. And I'm sure the boss will be pleased to. She won't say it but she seems to be over the moon at all the new customers we've been getting." she spoke during the brief moment of silence before Souta spoke up once more, answering her other question.

She had to admit to a bit of surprise at the mention of a family good with gardening in a village like Suna but it was more surprising to hear Souta speak of having wanted to open a sushi restaurant. She definitely wasn't about to say it out loud but he really didn't seem the type, and more than that... "You know, one day in the future I want to open a little restaurant myself, settle down with a husband or maybe even a wife and however many kids we may have and just live in peace and quiet. It's actually why I'm working here. I wanted to get some early experience and I've really learned a lot." she responded with a smile and another clap of her hands. She had been more than happy to become a shinobi, and still was, but there was some part of her that eagerly awaited the day that she could just settle down and live her life making others happy.

[Willoria]

Souta grinned at Inokara's happiness to learn more about making Sushi and about the trade. It honestly made him happy to see someone so excited, though at the same time her happiness also came with a twinge of pain. The last time someone had been so excited to learn the trade from him had been his own daughter Sakaki. She had been downright giddy and had been a great study. Before she died she had been as good as he was at it, and more than once had served meals to himself and the rest of her guardian team to showcase her skills. Part of him felt guilty at the idea of teaching another, almost like he was replacing her, but at the same time he swept the thought out of his mind for the ridiculous notion that it was

He chose instead to focus on what Inokara had to say, smiling as she spoke of her goals for her life, her future wish of a family and children. "Its good to have a goal outside of the life of the shinobi." he admitted. "So many don't have an end in sight for their role in this life and it simply consumes them, I think its best to look forward to an end, to a retirement and another stage of life. Otherwise you can lose yourself and wonder what you might have missed out on."

[Kabu]

"I love my work as a shinobi but I admit, I do find myself eagerly looking forward to the day I can leave it all behind me. I don't mind it though. It helps motivate me to work harder, knowing a light awaits at the end. It honestly makes me a little sad that so many don't feel that way." Inokara admitted, nodding along to Souta's words. The man was much different from many of the older shinobi she knew and honestly it made her happy knowing one so much older could feel similarly to her. She had to wonder though what it was that set him apart. Was it age? Experience? Or something else entirely? Perhaps she would get to hear his story later on if they got to know each other well enough.

"You know Souta, I hope we get to hang out like this more often during your time here. It's been a lot of fun and I think we're going to be really good friends." she suddenly spoke, interrupting her own thoughts to admit this very honest truth. She always was happy to make new friends.