Welcome Home! (Okami)

Another day in the bright, warm sun. The feeling of the air caressing her skin and the rays of sunshine entwining themselves in her golden hair. It was a beautiful day to just be present. Although, she was growing relatively bored. There wasn’t anything exciting happening and there wasn’t any mission that she could go on. It wasn’t like Kaishi would carelessly send the Senju Clan Head away from the village, if she didn’t have a need to go. It was one of the more frustrating parts of having responsibilities, but she would do as she was instructed. She would simply protect the village from, well, the village. The smiling faces and the people waving at her would be plenty to renew her determination. These were kind people, good people. They were innocent and she would ensure that they never had to worry about losing their homes or the people they loved.

So, what would she do in the meantime? Well, there was a cute, little cafe, where she could get Taiyaki. She wasn’t a huge fan of the red bean paste, but the fish shape always caught her eye. She would just have to acquire the taste. Entering the shop, she would order a hot green tea and a Taiyaki. Hina would take her seat next to the window and begin eating her snack. At one point, she could have swore she watched her niece run past the window, but that wasn’t really her concern. She was probably just sneaking out to the forest again or something. As long as that Takashi boy kept her safe, she didn’t mind the adventure.

The energy flowing through Konohagakure - the sun shining on one's skin, the scents of the forest in the air, the atmosphere created by the people who called the Village their home - all of it was absolutely intoxicating. It was beautiful in a way few things were, and as warm as a hearth. It was something that the young man approaching a small cafe loved dearly. Okami was dressed in casual clothing, a black shirt with the usual high collar preferred by those in the Uchiha Clan unzipped far enough to show his collarbone and a silver chain peeking out from around his neck. He'd just returned from a mission, got paid, and it was time to relax.

Walking in, the glowing red eyes of the Sharingan gleaming with joy and uncaring that several others around him looked at his eyes oddly, he was about to walk to the register when he saw something. The way that chakra was flowing through a nearby bouquet of flowers dragged his eyes to a buxom blonde sitting in the corner enjoying tea and taiyaki, the flow twining and curling through the wood and flora in the shop in a way that brought a smile to his face. Walking up to the counter and keeping her in his sights, Okami ordered a hot black tea for himself ignoring whatever the waitress was saying to him. Walking over and realizing she still hadn't noticed him, he'd take a seat across from her and sip at his tea, setting it a conspicuous distance away from his body.

A lopsided grin spread across his face as he spoke, a laugh bubbling up from the back of his throat as the bass tones crossed the short distance to their target, leaning forward and sinking his jaw into one hand casually. "No hello for little old me? I'd almost be hurt if the tea here wasn't good enough to get lost in, Hina."

As he spoke, what looked to be a Jounin with his three Genin a few tables over gave the two a nervous side glance. The kids with him had no idea what was coming, and grew incredibly confused as he quietly begged them not to pay attention or learn anything from what was about to happen.

Hina had been paying far too much attention to the outside world and not enough attention to directly inside the cafe. Something seemed off, but she ignored the feeling in favor of enjoying her snack. However, the feeling grew closer and closer, until it almost felt like… The Senju had just taken a bite of her Taiyaki when she turned her head to look at the strange figure in front of her. The blank expression on her face and in her eyes was proof enough that she hadn’t noticed the Uchiha, until right this second. As her brain began to reboot, Hina would finish her bite, chew, and swallow all while standing up in her chair. She would brush off her outfit and place a single hand on the table, avoiding any teacups in the vicinity. Next thing Okami would see would be the blonde spinning around using the table for support, her feet planting firmly into his chest, and the force of a thousand elephants ramming into his chest. The wall to the cage wouldn’t be able to stand the brutal attack on the man’s life as his body collided with it.

Hina would land smoothly back in her chair, as she leaned back and crossed her arms in front of her. ”Okami Uchiha?! Where do you get off thinking you deserve a special hello? Where the hell have you been to come back thinking you can demand my attention?” The blonde would turn her head toward the window, avoiding the Uchiha’s gaze. Now, she wasn’t avoiding him because she was protecting herself from his genjutsu. No, he knew better than to think his genjutsu would ever work on her. She was simply… pissed.

The Uchiha Clan Heir's grin widened as his old friend finally noticed his presence, calmly finishing her bite before standing up. As she brushed the nonexistent crumbs from herself, the ANBU agent relaxed his body subtly in preparation for whatever was about to happen. When it did, his eyes caught every vivid detail in slow motion even as her feet slammed into his sternum and launched him backwards through the brick wall behind him, doing half a flip to impact upside-down, face first and landing in a pile of rubble outside after finishing the rotation. It was picture-perfect form, and probably would have even mangled a Chunin if they'd been hit with it. Thankfully the assassin she'd hit was made of sturdier stuff, and was giggling amidst the dust and crumbled stone even as she ranted and the Genin over in the corner looked at their sensei panicking with concern.

Flipping back to his feet easily and brushing himself off, flicking his long ponytail for good measure, Okami stepped back inside through the new with an easy smile and a twinkle in his spinning eyes even as Hina refused to meet them out of anger. Her wording, however, had left a lot to be desired, and the man in front of her was more than happy to capitalize on that. "Well, if you really want to know where I get off, all you have to do is ask!~"

Stepping back over to the chair he'd abruptly vacated and setting it back up, he slid into it with all the careless grace in the world, grabbing his cup of tea and taking another sip before answering her actual question. "Bandit camp out in the Land of Grass that they contracted Konoha to take out. There were a few missing-nin with them, so it was decided a more...precise touch was needed. Scum wiped off the map, a couple names knocked out of the Bingo Book, and a tidy bounty added on to my pay means that I've got a bit too much extra to burn. So, I figured I'd spoil a pretty girl. Sooooo...Your tab's covered! How've things been with you, oh Lady Senju?"

Honestly, Hina could hear the genin in the corner whispering and gasping about what just happened. She would take a brief moment, while Okami gathered himself to turn around and smile. ”Don’t worry about it. He’s strong. One day, you might be too.” As Okami brushed himself off and stood up from the rubble unscathed, she would gesture to him. ”See? He’s very durable.” Once she was content that she had somewhat addressed their fears, Hina would turn her gaze back to the Uchiha. He dusted himself off and took his seat back in front of her. She didn’t tell him he could sit down, but the audacity seemed to be strong with this one today. The words he spoke would have her face turning red all the way out to her ears. ”No thank you!” Hina would shout, hoping he would just go away. Why was he even here?!

He seemed to take her questioning rather seriously as he informed her of his most recent mission. Her eyes slowly shifted toward him and expressed disappointment when he tried complimenting her. ”Are you trying to impress me with your story of heroics? I wonder how many other people you tell these things to. And your money? Keep it. Don’t waste it on the first pretty girl you see. Why not wait until the second or third even?” Hima would roll her eyes continuing on with the conversation, even if it was rather rough. ”Uneventful. There was a shift in power recently. Not sure if you’ve heard. The Storm has a new Kage and you know how that goes. A display of power is somewhere in our future, but it might not even affect us. We’ll just have to see. A whole lot of preparing for nothing, I suppose.” Hina would place her chin in her palm, as she looked out the window again. She was sure they were worried about nothing.

Okami just rolled his eyes playfully at the response to his flirting. Hina was always like this when he'd just come back from missions, or if they hadn't seen each other in a while. Oddly enough, she also got testy when other women were around, but he really wasn't going to question that last part. He had a feeling she'd probably do worse than drop-kick him through a wall if he did. At her accusations, however, he put on an affronted act, hand over the heart and everything. "What do you think I am, some floozy?! I just answered your question! You asked where I was, so I told you. Easy as that."

Leaning in a bit closer - just enough that the kunoichi would be able to smell the blend of charcoal, chaos, and wood smoke that he somehow managed to pull off perfectly between his cologne, shampoo, and predilection for arson - he'd finish the statement with the same shit-eating grin. "Besides, I already paid up front. Can't I treat my best friend to a snack or something for once?"

Leaning back and taking another swig of his tea, he'd smile brightly and listen to her update, his face only dropping a bit at the words. "The Storm is under new management? Given their track record, I wouldn't be surprised if that display of power left corpses stacked in mounds somewhere. I foresee a lot of sleepless nights and coffee in the near future."

Hina would know exactly which stuff he was referring to. It definitely wasn't from one of the little cafes around, or even from the store. There was a rather infamous, half-beaten little pot that supposedly resided in the ANBU Headquarters that was rumored to be able to kill a Genin with a single cup, and had even once given a summons a heart attack when the poor lizard had tasted it. He was pretty sure it was impossible for a reptile to have one, but Okami had actually been present for that particular incident. It was, of course, at this time that the waitress had walked over with refills for the two of them along with more taiyaki, blushing and smiling at the Uchiha before going back to work. Of course, he didn't notice this, his eyes locked solely on the blonde in front of him as he grabbed one of the pastries and took a bite. Finishing and swallowing before speaking again, as was polite, he chuckled a bit. "Anything else happen that's NOT work related? I'd much rather just focus on hanging out than impending doom."

Hina would watch Okami put on his little play, acting as if he was heartbroken by her response. The fact that he was so nonchalant about it basically told her all she needed to know. He was toying with her. She would roll her eyes and wave his antics off, “Sure thing, lover boy. Whatever you say.” Although she was slightly annoyed by his display, he would probably see it as just her teasing him. He was dense like that. Just as she expected, he would still lean in close and pretend that things weren’t as she said. Still, it was nice that he had changed his narrative to best friend, although it made her chest tighten. In any case, Hina was far too distracted by the earthy scent lingering around Okami. She couldn’t remember how long he had smelled this way, but it connected her to a more calm place. It was comforting. ”Yeah, yeah. As long as it’s for a friend, I guess it’s fine.”

Between the teasing and annoyance, the update on the Storm seemed to bring Okami’s mood down. He knew exactly what it meant for change to take place. He would be a lot busier soon. He’d probably be a lot happier too. Going out into the world. She wondered how many women out there fell for his false charm. She wondered if they knew how much of a player he was. No matter, it wasn’t her problem to deal with. ”Drink too much of that stuff and I foresee an early death in your future.” She would respond, knowing the coffee he spoke of. She had tried one sip a very, very long time ago and she could still taste it on her tongue. She was able to stay awake for days to finish her mission. She also crashed for almost a week after that. Never again.

As Hina turned her attention back to Okami, her eyes would drift up to the waitress. Watching as the girl blushed and giggled, she would roll her eyes in the most severely dramatic fashion she could muster. She was sick. ”No! Nothing else happened! What about you?! Anything new with you? Seems like there might be!” Hina would lash out as she stood up. ”Whatever, I’m done here. There’s a new flower in the garden and I want to see how it’s doing.” Hina would say with a huff as she stomped off toward the hole in the wall. She would step through, ”I apologize for the wall. Here’s a new one. I’ll send you money later.” Behind her, the wall would close up, ordained in the most beautiful wood accents. It would last a while, until they got replacement materials, at least. Whether Okami followed or not was his choice, but Hina was on her way to the Senju Clan’s Gardens.

Okami, as a member of Konoha's secretive Black Ops Division, was no stranger to hiding his expression behind a mask, both literally and figuratively. He couldn't tell you how many times he'd had to school his expression and stay cold and calculated while bodies were dropping, both enemy and ally, or while giving a report about the worst of the shinobi world. Things that made one sick to their stomach, he could handle without so much as a twitch. That being said, it was always deliciously painful whenever Hina did this, and it cracked through every so often, even if it were the slightest of drops in his smile before it fixed itself like it was now. It wasn't the teasing, or even the annoyance at his antics that usually faded quick. It was the comment about being friends. It was true, objectively. They'd been best friends for years, pretty much just clicking when they'd first met. It was more the fact that despite everything, he knew that it's all they would be. She'd never said that of course, but it was clear that she wasn't interested and just treating his flirting like a joke or something, or made comments like she'd made earlier about waiting for a second or third girl.

As if there had ever been anyone but her.

The more somber mood that had taken over them at his request was broken by Hina's prediction and a quick laugh from the Uchiha. "I'm pretty sure I have an immunity to the side effects these days, but I'll keep that in mind. I'm not quite allowed to die yet, am I?"

Of course, all good things had to come to an end. As soon as they'd gotten comfortable and were settling back into their old rhythm, the waitress walked over and everything changed. The Senju Clan Head grew more frustrated seemingly, and stormed off through the wall to go towards her gardens while fixing the hole. Downing the rest of his tea with a concerned look on his face, Okami stood up quickly and rushed through the door. Thankfully she hadn't gotten too far away from the door by the time he got there. Unfortunately, she was absolutely close enough to witness the waitress grabbing the ANBU's arm. "Umm, sir, I was wondering if you'd like to maybe-"

Of course, before she could get too far into what she wanted to ask, and before Hina could actually disappear from this little incident, Okami tugged his arm back gently and spoke in an even voice, polite and so unlike what he'd used with his old friend that it was a bit jarring for the poor girl. The street was even calm enough that his voice carried a bit, adding to the mortification she was no doubt feeling. "Sorry, I've got to catch up with someone. Have a nice day, ma'am."

By the time the flabbergasted woman had gotten her bearings, he'd already jogged up next to Hina, bumping his shoulder into hers in a friendly, familiar way that immediately sent the would-be suitor back into her workplace with a heavy heart. Not even noticing the actions of the afflicted, the Uchiha turned towards the woman next to him, a confused look on his face. "I wonder what that was about. Ah, well, I don't really care. Did she do something to offend you while I was gone?"

This was spoken with as much concern as the man could muster, and the implication that he'd handle any situation that came up for the blonde was always there. The last time she'd had issues with someone, it was some Jounin or another that had mouthed off. He'd found himself under a Genjutsu for the better part of a week that made it so that everything he perceived was shifted two inches to the left, and he'd found himself slamming his toes into things constantly because of it. No one had ever suspected a thing, either. Perks of having an ANBU for a best friend.

As Hina stormed away, she would hear the interaction taking place behind her. She knew it! That girl was really interested in him! Whatever, she didn’t have to sit here and listen to any of this. He could go be happy with the random tea house lady for all she cared. She was young and pretty. She had a stable job. Maybe, she could be the perfect little housewife for him. That’s what men usually wanted. However, it seemed the Uchiha would surprise her by not taking the girl’s invitation. Was it really a rejection though? His voice sounded surprisingly loud among the streets. Was this some ploy? Was that girl in on it? This had to be some kind of trick. He couldn’t have conveniently been put in this situation, unless it was planned. Sneaky. Such was the life of a playboy. Hina would roll her eyes and continue marching toward her home.

Okami would close the distance between them, bumping Hina’s shoulder. The Senju could only sigh, deciding not to be so angry about it. Why did she care anyway? It wasn’t her place to choose what he did with his life. With the way he treated the girls around the village, their relationship would never go any further than just best friends. She wouldn’t subject herself to such vulgar stupidity. ”You think a girl like that could offend me? Please? ‘Oh, sir’,” She would scoff at the outrageousness of how polite she was. ”Come on, she’s like a child or something. Not worth my time.” Hina would say, rolling her eyes. ”Then again, so are you. You two would be perfect for each other,” the Senju would chuckle after she said this. Of course, she was just teasing him at this point, but she’d have to see what he responded with.

As the two walked along, they would finally make it to the Senju compound and Hina would lead the Uchiha to the gardens. They were massive in comparison to anything else around the village. There were all kinds of different trees, vegetables, fruits, spices, and pretty much anything else that could be considered flora. In one smaller corner of the garden, there was a patch that was roped off with a sign that read, “Risa’s experiments. Don’t touch.” She was the only Senju that took a more outlandish approach to growing things. She was currently working on figuring out how to splice plants together. Not without fail, of course. She had managed to grow quite the peculiar flower, however Hina had a set of rules for her companion. ”Alright, you. There won’t be any funny business. If you touch my niece’s hard work, I’ll make sure YOU disappear and not even Rei will find your corpse. Got it?” She was sure she didn’t have to say it, but she would anyway.