Obstacles are like wild animals. They are cowards but they will bluff you if they can. If they see you are afraid of them... They are liable to spring upon you; but if you look them squarely in the eye, they will slink out of sight.
Kaori shook her head when he mentioned being his teacher. She had been, albeit only briefly. When he held out his hand, she smiled softly and stood. Kaori walked the few steps over to him and took his offered hand silently. She was in the comfort of her own home, no one to judge them. Not that she would care even outside of her home; but there was something at being in her comfort zone that made everything all the more freeing. Kaori let Kaz pull her into his lap and chuckled slightly before she tilted her head and felt her ears flick a bit, "Poor thing, you didn't eat well while training, did you? Well, there's a nice grill in the kitchen, as well as plenty of seasonings to add whatever flavor you may be craving. I for one wouldn't mind something grilled." She had developed more of a taste for grilled fare while out hunting. Though she didn't like anything too cooked, ruined the flavor. She leaned her head back against his shoulder, her tail was wrapped around her lap, the fluff of it making it look almost as if she was holding a large fluffy cat in her lap from the sheer size of it.
Kaori looked thoughtful as she relaxed and hummed, "We could do some grilled meat and vegetables with maybe some rice?" The Leopard-woman suggested. She was glad to be home, and now with Kaz here, it felt like a nice welcome home. As opposed to it feeling like just another day in the life of Sunagakure. She didn't expect a lot of fanfare at her return, but there was something to be said for having someone there to make you feel wanted, loved and welcomed with open arms. In Kaz's case, literally.
Hugging her tightly as he drooled at the thought of some good food. "You know you gotta stop just telling me what I wanna hear, I'd kill for some good food." Which wasn't a lie at all, having numerous packs of ration-like food, night after night. Having been the only meal he ate those days it certainly made him homesick for nearly anything decently prepared."I basically was training physical style techniques the entire time, trying to shape me up for if I get into a brawl with some of those UHV fellahs you have dealt with a while back. From what I've heard they are still around, actually took over the cloud village from what that one girl said back at the office. How bad were they honestly? Since you did battle with them once or twice if I remember right?""
Obstacles are like wild animals. They are cowards but they will bluff you if they can. If they see you are afraid of them... They are liable to spring upon you; but if you look them squarely in the eye, they will slink out of sight.
Kaori frowned and felt her ears lay flat in her hair, nearly blending in with the silvery locks before she shook her self slightly in Kaz's hold, "I remember the UHV all to well. They were incapable of using chakra themselves, but had tools that enabled them limited use of skills similar to ninjutsu. And there was one, clearly a higher rank than the usual grunts, that I fought....." She hissed lowly, a growl building in her throat at the memory that rose, "She swatted away several high ranking jutsu from multiple Suna-nin; Myself and Nova both included, as if she were swatting a fly. I wanted to rip her throat out with my teeth." It was rare that Kaori got angry, but it did happen. And when it did, it truly drove home the fact that Kaori was less woman and more leopard. She dealt with enemies and problems generally in t he same manner. With fangs and claws. The idea that talking things out was not one that she was even aware of until someone else brought it up. Enemies had to die, and friends and family must be protected at all costs. It was a simple mentality, but it had worked for her so far. Kaz was the only true complication in her life, mostly just because leopards were naturally solitary, even after mating. And she wanted him to stick around. Not like the Male Leopards were did by nature. She crossed her arms under her chest, the single sleeve of her kimono covering the body-suit she was wearing, rustled in the resulting silence as she tried to think of what else she could remember.
"I remember there were flying contraptions. Like the Solo Flight jutsu, but machines instead. I ended up riding Nova into the sky and raining death on their grounded comrades. So they have a lot of tricks up their sleeves. But it seemed, at the time so I'm not sure if it's still true given the amount of time that has passed, that their tools could only handle two mid-level jutsu before shorting out and no longer being able to repel our chakra-based skills." Her ears flicked when she heard the tell-tale sound of Nova stalking around outside. The leopard was hunting, currently, and not really bothered with coming into the main house.
Kaz was a bit surprised to see her taking them so seriously. He knew they defeated the attack that came to Suna but he had no idea they gave so much trouble in the process. Completely absorbing chakra-based attacks was a hell of a technique to have under one's belt. Though she didn't mention much about physical attacks being unable to reach them. Kaori always left him a bit speechless when she went into details with the amount of ferocity she usually wished to display. As a human, it was surely over the top but when looked at as another large cat of the wild it all seemed rather natural. "So.... they basically have a lot of tech at their disposal. Though for the majority of them you seemed to have dispatched them fairly easy enough. Perhaps I learn a few more moves from you that could give me an edge, ya'kno if I were to come face to face with some." He thought about possible ways he might need to learn to become more mobile or even airborne. Surely would help with the pesky flying contraptions she spoke of. "But hey we can surely tackle that after we make that bite." He gave her sides a light squeeze to remind her they had a semblance of a plan at least. Not to get too lost in the moment.
He hoped she might have some expertise to give him while they did up some food in that department. To say the least, their relationship was very unorthodox, her being half leopard and all as well as the difference in their advancement within the village. Needless to say some probably viewed the whole ordeal a bit odd when looking in through the window but to be honest Kaz wasn't anymore in the know of how everything worked, they simply lived moment to moment and stole which ones they could while doing for the village as well.
Obstacles are like wild animals. They are cowards but they will bluff you if they can. If they see you are afraid of them... They are liable to spring upon you; but if you look them squarely in the eye, they will slink out of sight.
Kaori hummed and nodded before she patted his hands with a smile, claws carefully retracted so that she didn't accidentally scratch Kaz, "You have to let me up, if you want to get to the kitchen to cook something," She reminded him with a chuckle before she flicked his nose with the tip of her super fluffy tail. She stood up and grabbed his hand, trying to pull the taller male up from the couch, "Let's make some sushi, maybe some grilled kabobs and some veggies." Nova may be strictly a carnivore; but Kaori needed more than just meat in her diet, though she was a consummate meat eater; and even preferred her meat almost raw like Nova did.
Kaori led Kaz, by the hand, into the massive kitchen that used to house the cooking for the rare, even when she was a child, family gatherings. After her parents passed only the servants spent any real time in the kitchen, Kaori had spent most of her time hunting and bonding further with Nova rather than wallow in the misery of her memories. Now though, that she had had the time away from the village to come to terms with her past, she was happy to be here. And even happier that it was with her favorite person, her boyfriend. There was much she didn't understand about how normal humans operated. But she was aware of the way people viewed their relationship. She simply did not care that they thought their relationship was strange and unorthodox. They worked, and they complimented each other. Kaori and Kaz were in a profession where they were expected to risk their lives on a daily basis. So finding something like they had was rare. She would hold on to what they had with both hands and all her claws and teeth. Right now though, she would simply enjoy a day with Kaz, cooking and being fairly domestic.
He gave her a bit of a squeeze before he helped her back to her feet. "I suppose if it's necessary, though I'm not sure I've even had sushi before. Not to mention grilled anything sounds amazing. And you? Veggies? Did you have to settle for some less than ideal meals while you were out there?" He didn't mean to hit her with the twenty questions but it did genuinely interested him. He wasn't used to her eating nearly anything but meat whenever they ate together. Being pulled up to her back on his feet he inquired about if he might be able to find her some of the ingredients or anything to save a few minutes of time. Quiet time was nice, as rare as it was that they didn't have someone at least tell them what they needed to do. But he also daydreamed a little bit of what she might be able to teach him as in new skills. Surely would have felt like old times.
Obstacles are like wild animals. They are cowards but they will bluff you if they can. If they see you are afraid of them... They are liable to spring upon you; but if you look them squarely in the eye, they will slink out of sight.
Kaori chuckled at the question, "I had to settle for quite a few things I don't normally enjoy while I was out there. But I do still require more than strictly meat to survive. Despite being more leopard than human, one thing about me that is human is the need for more than just protein. As for the sushi, I enjoy a good bit of rice and raw fish is right up my ally." She teased playfully as she stood and moved towards the kitchen, leading him into the large room full of high end appliances paired with subtle and muted décor. It had looked like this when she was a child, and she had not changed it. The family employees kept it maintained and stocked. If Kaz were to look out one of the large windows that let in a lot of light, he would see Nova lounging in one of the many gardens on the property. But the large feline was clearly asleep and had no intention of coming inside when she was basking in a lovely ray of sunlight.
Kaori pulled out all the needed ingredients for the sushi and the grilled meat. There was the obvious rice, crab meat, tuna, rice vinegar, sugar, nori, cucumber, beef for grilling, and some soy sauce and spices that would be used for marinating and basting. Kaori also grabbed out a cutting board and a sharp knife. Both of which she handed to Kaz, "Could you cut the vegetables for the sushi, while I prep the meat and rice?" She asked sweetly as she moved to pull out another cutting board and knife. She had to bend over to find the second cutting board, since only one was ever kept out at a time. Her tail waved back and forth lazily as she moved about the kitchen, quite happy to be spending some quality time with Kaz.
The rest and relaxation were nice for a change. Especially after such a long training session. One he so eagerly volunteered for to stay busy. It wasn't that he was inseparable from Kaori but as fresh as things were between them, he found it easier to get bored quickly when they weren't spending time. Despite not being able to do so frequently. She was a good deal higher ranked in the village than he was. Having been his literal teacher for a short time. "It's pretty nice that they just keep some of the food stocked here for whoever might need it."He said as his eyes trailed her tail waving back and forth. Catching himself staring longer than he meant to. Kaori was certainly an attractive woman, obviously not the only reason he was interested in her but the way she carried herself, almost as though she didn't care about things like that and yet still pulled it off had a bit of innocence about it that he liked. Not that she was innocent herself but simply out of that whole loop. That and it was always funny when she did things provocative and not even realize it. "You know I'd be down for nearly anything fish-related. Honestly, I think I still need to show you how to fish." Having seen the way she fishes on her own with Nova.
Obstacles are like wild animals. They are cowards but they will bluff you if they can. If they see you are afraid of them... They are liable to spring upon you; but if you look them squarely in the eye, they will slink out of sight.
Kaori hummed and nodded as she put the last of the washed riced in the cooker and turned to trimming and seasoning the meat, even as she chuckled at Kaz's statement, "Now, Kaz. You're well aware that Nova and I know how to fish. We've been doing it for years without the hinderance of poles and string and those colorful little bobby-things. I have my claws and fangs, and that's all I need." She teased playfully before she turned to wash the meat juices from her hands. She began to mix together a fast marinade so that the meat would have a good flavor after it was grilled. Once that was done she turned back to Kaz and smiled.
Kaori glided across the kitchen floor, her toe claws silent where they should have clicked against the tile. She stopped to wrap her arms around Kaz's shoulders, despite being a higher rank than him, she was easily a head shorter than the blond man. It was quite nice though. She enjoyed the height difference. It made her feel safe and content in a way that she hadn't felt in a long time. And even then, it had been back when she was a small girl with her parents. Yet this was still different. It was nice.
There was a thump outside, and Kaori could see that Nova had found a deer, something rare in Suna, but had been brought here specifically for the leopard to hunt for herself. And Nova was most certainly taking full advantage of the fact. Nova was currently chewing on a hind quarter of the carcass. Kaori shook her head and smiled slightly before she hugged Kaz a little tighter.
Kaz was grabbed by her while he reacted with a squeeze of his own. Leaning his head down to hers and pushing a tinny bit of his forehead into hers. "Then you can teach ME how to fish then if it would tickle you more." He said teasing her some. He might not have had the claws that she did but who knows, knowing how to fish with his bare hands might be a valuable trait to learn. "The marinade smells too good, it's been too long since I've had a decent meal. Though what was the plan afterward. I know we haven't thought that far ahead unless you have already." He didn't mind if she wanted to spend more time here they did have a passing thought of some training and possibly other things they could do. Free time was so rare sometimes they didn't know what to do with it half of the time.
Obstacles are like wild animals. They are cowards but they will bluff you if they can. If they see you are afraid of them... They are liable to spring upon you; but if you look them squarely in the eye, they will slink out of sight.
Kaori chuckled at his comment about teaching him how to fish. She tilted her head to look at him, even as she started the meat on indoor grill next to the oven. Once the meat was ready, she tilted her head in thought. He was right, they had spoken about possible training, and she had noticed that he was lacking some gear. She hummed as her tail flicked behind her, "Well, you can show off what you've learned, we can get a little training in, there's some things I need to work on as well; and then I can take you to Takumi and we can get some gear." She suggested with a smile as she moved to see if the meat was ready to be flipped. It wouldn't take long for the food to be ready, now that all the prep was complete. They could enjoy a meal together and then go train off the excess calories, then go on a short trip for some shopping. Today was turning out to be a good day.
"Gear sounds like it might be a bit helpful, and the fresh air would be nice. But Hopefully we don't run into something we weren't expecting at least. First I wouldn't mind those lessons." He pointed out the meat even though she probably already knew to flip it. A good meal and training weren't too bad honestly. Though he wasn't hearing it inside of his own head. The sheer amount of training he had already done and yet so eager to return to it spoke volumes about the company he would have this time around.
Obstacles are like wild animals. They are cowards but they will bluff you if they can. If they see you are afraid of them... They are liable to spring upon you; but if you look them squarely in the eye, they will slink out of sight.
Kaori hummed thoughtfully as she flipped the meat. She knew there was quite a bit of meditation she needed to do, and a few other chakra exercises, as well as a couple of bloodline techniques she was missing. Then there was whatever she could help Kaz with learning. She took the meat off the grill once it was done and got the rest of the food that had been cooking at the same time. Once it was all together and ready to eat, she turned back to Kaz, "So, tell me Handsome, what is it that I can help you with, that your old Master couldn't. Hm?" She asked, clearly teasing him playfully.
Kaori set up the plates and moved to put them at the table they were going to sit at. Once that was done, she turned to look at Kaz, smiling, as her tail swayed behind her. She had a list of things she wanted, and needed, to do in the academy. But she wanted to know what Kaz needed to do. She couldn't help him if she didn't know what he needed help on, after all. She knew, from the brief time in the past that she trained him, that his elements were lightning and wind. But she didn't know what he already knew, not after nearly a year of being away from the village. She brushed some of her hair over her shoulder and tilted her head at Kaz in question.
