Welcome to Gaia! ::

Now that they were all seated on the ground, or rather with Yokou crouching and Zephyr having been knocked aside to the grass, one of her elegant brows arched at the young Nara's claim. "Burden?" She said softly...and then, after a long moment of bated breath, the sennin laughed. "Don't worry about it. It's the least I can do for my ah-pupil's...recklessness..." She shot a short glare at Zephyr, who sat on the verdant floor, stubbornly looking to the sky. Her fist balled, greatly tempted to sock him on the head again but she swallowed the urge and forced herself to look away...

"My teammate is the youngest member of the Nara Council." (Reference: The youngest Elder of the Nara Clan is Shikamori.) She would prefer this more as a off-hand favor for Shikamori...but also... "But not just that." Yokou didn't tell him that she was on the village High Council, because that would most certainly guarantee the young Nara's refusal. "Meeting the next generation, shall we say, is more or so customary."

Customary? But what could she mean? Usually, only the Kage and the Council greets graduating Genins...and that was only at the hia'ate ceremony - a long way off!

"Shika...you remind me of him." She continued on cheerfully. But Yokou caught herself before the worse things came out, however... She stared at Zephyr. This was all her Sensei's fault. Perhaps she had been exposed to his carefree attitude for by far too long. Goodness, she really should be more careful on...moderating her opinions of the Nara and Senju thanks to...those two.

However, to the young Nara's suggestion, she stood, straightening her posture and looked at the young Hyuuga boy's way. "It's fine." She said, with a smile. "Tairu-kun is family." The rest went unsaid: He and his friend can wait to another time.

His eyes widened in surprise: the soft warm light of the sun flooding into darkly emerald irises lit aglow the tinges of gold there - living golden flames in his eyes. The soft, dark locks of hair framing his face, long raven bangs, veiled his expression partly - or rather, his eyes at least - as he looked down in a gesture and...his lips was curved into a soft smile.

And he gave the other his hand.

There was a flicker of memory, from long, long ago... Of another, not a boy, but a young man. A Hyuuga with pale, pale eyes extending his hand to him...

He had taken that man's hand.

...and the Juudaime brought a broken child from a living hell.

...

Shall I tell a secret?

...

The existence of shinobi itself is war.

But, yet...that man had made him hope to doubt.

Without another word to the two, Yokou stepped forth a few steps before stopping. She did not look back: the regal gesture befitting a noble clan's head of family but it was a clear sign that she was waiting for them to follow. When Zephyr would catch up, she at first ignored the tugging on her kimono sleeve, but then...as the stubborn Senju clung to her sleeve and refused to let go...well. If she was going to have to endure that weight either way, might as well make it easier on her side... So with a soft sigh, she picked him up again and Zephyr, quite happy, was looking this way and that over the meadows as if he had never seen such a sight from this height before...

In such a manner, the three headed back for the village.

((exit to Village))

"Well, Tairu, before we go into Taijutsu, since I know your clan is heavily reliant in it, mind helping me with some basic stuff, like head-seals? I still don't have those down, and I think that its kinda-sorta an imperative skill. Do ya mind?", Kuro asked somewhat shyly, though trying to to seem much like a coward. He could sense that the child was stronger than him, and he made note of that in his head. Probably from his upbringing., Kuro thought, remembering his days with his father. Though nonchalant, his father did explain a bit about his bloodline that was passed down unto Kuro, and the responsibilities, and what to look out for. I forgot! , Kuro thought, I need to watch for poisonous plants! I'm more susceptible due to my heated internal temperature!

He gave himself a quick once over, making sure he, through his romp in the forest, did not cut himself or brush against anything somewhat dangerous. After finding nothing, be breathed a sigh of relief, remembering how awful poison ivy was when he contracted it for the first time. He itched himself enough to make him bleed, on several occasions.

(His internal temperature is usually around 100 degrees, and although he never feels it due to this temperature, he can sometimes fake sick)

Kuro watched carefully as Tairu performed the Tori handseal for him, before going off and practicing another jutsu. The bird seal seemed easy enough, with its interlocking forefingers, and tip-touching thumbs and middle, through pinkie, fingers. Kuro looked quickly at his hands, analyzing how the fingers should turn out after he was finished, how they were positioned now, how shaky they were from previous training, and other such variables. After a few seconds, he called out, "Tori!", attempting to quickly shove his hands together, and perform the correct postilions in the split second required for the seal to be successful.