[chat log] Team Gaia dinner [Leigh, Tentsuke, Nejiko]
Leigh: *bounds over to just outside the decided meeting point and patiently waits for the others*
Tentsuke: *comes slowly up the hill, attempting to figure out a way to hide his head*
Leigh: *sees Tentsuke and perks* Hey!-- *gawps at his (in her mind) shorn head* WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR HAIR.
Tentsuke: *sheepish* Ah... well.... um.... training accident?
Leigh: ...You had a training accident?
Tentsuke: I was a bit distracted. Look, it was a miscalculation.
Nejiko: *arrives in time to hear the last bit* You made a miscalculation? Over what? *eyes his hair (or lack of)*
Tentsuke: *eyes her rather obvious bruise* Nothing. What the hell happened to you?
Nejiko: *resists urge to cover the hand-shape on her face* *flatly* Leigh.
Tentsuke: *looks over at Leigh* What did you do?
Leigh: *thinks it's kind of obvious* We had a talk yesterday.
Tentsuke: *rolls his eyes* Wonderful. You two talk like a couple of pit bulls make conversation. I'm surprised that a bruise is the only thing I'm seeing.
Leigh: I figured since she was already sporting a sprained ankle I didn't need to do much else. *to Nejiko* Speaking of, what happened?
Nejiko: I told you: training.
Leigh: *looks to Tentsuke*
Tentsuke: *frowns* Training. Which Nejiko should obviously not be doing if she's twisting ankles and getting bruised so easily.
Leigh: Well, in her defense, it was a bit of a sucker-punch.
Nejiko: A bit?
Leigh: *grins* Okay, a lot of a sucker-punch. But she has been staying off her feet, since you can see she's barely limping.
Nejiko: *sigh*
Tentsuke: That's not... *throws hands up in defeat* Forget it. Let's just go sit and eat.
Nejiko: Excellent idea.
Tentsuke: *wanders inside with a hand in his hair, signaling three to the matire'd*
Matire'd: *nods and indicates* This way, please. *leads them to a table*
Leigh: *waits for Nejiko and Tentsuke to sit*
Nejiko: *sits*
Tentsuke: *sits as well and lets go of his hair*
Matire'd: *gets their drink orders and departs*
Leigh: I don't know why you're covering your hair, Tentsuke. It looks nice.
Tentsuke: There's so... little of it and *pats the top* No more damn buns.
Leigh: But they looked so cute on you.
Tentsuke: *frowns* Yeah, cute is not the look I'm going for.
Leigh: Then what, rugged and manly?
Tentsuke: ... something like that. Just sounds funny coming from you.
Leigh: *blinks* Why?
Tentsuke: Because you're anything but *ruffles her hair*
Leigh: Gah! *tries to ward of his hand and fails*
Server: *comes over with drinks* Would you like any appetizers?
Leigh: Edamame and miso, please!
Nejiko: A salad, please.
Tentsuke: The same.
Server: As...
Tentsuke: Oh, as both of them. *pats stomach* Growing boy and all.
Server: Ah. Back in a bit. *leaves*
Nejiko: All right. Team Eight.
Tentsuke: *nods* You want us to rotate training them right?
Nejiko: Yes. We need to find out how they are individually before we start working them together as a group. Meaning strengths, weaknesses. Stamina, definitely.
Leigh: *perks up*
Nejiko: *notices* But to begin with, we'll take it slow. We're assessing more than testing.
Tentsuke: That means baby weights, Leigh *winks*
Leigh: But...
Tentsuke: Like Nej said, just to begin with.
Leigh: *pouts* All right. *flicks her braid over her shoulder* So who are we pairing up with? *to Nejiko* I'm assuming you'll be helping Hinaji-san?
Tentsuke: Nope, that's all me. I've got some practice assessing and training Hyuuga. *smiles*
Leigh: *sticks out tongue* I get to work with him next, then.
Nejiko: That's fine. In the meantime, you'll be working with Hoshino, Leigh.
Leigh: That sounds... like fun, actually. She uses those bugs that eat chakra, which I don't use.
Tentsuke: You'll give a challenge that's for sure. And Nej's get Kiba. I should apologize for any weapon she uses against her. Probably my influence there.
Nejiko: *eyebrows lift* You've been training her?
Tentsuke: A bit. A few people actually... *decides not to comment further*
Nejiko: *curious* Like whom?
Leigh: *finds something else to look at*
Tentsuke: Oh! Here comes for the food. *must remember to leave a nice tip*
Server: *comes with appetizers* *takes orders for entrees* *leaves*
Leigh: *dives into the edamame* <3
Tentsuke: *is attempting to be civilized in eating*
Nejiko: *eats*
Tentsuke: We should do something at the end. Like a simulated mission run to test them.
Nejiko: Sounds doable. Rank equivalency? *is thinking C, mayyyyyybe B*
Tentsuke: Depends on how they perform. I'd say at least C. If they're any good, we can bump it up to a B.
Nejiko: I wish Kureno-sensei had told us how long he believes he would be gone. It would make planning this a little easier.
Leigh: But where's the challenge in that?
Tentsuke: Even if he gets back, we can tell him we're not. If we have free time at the end, we can swap the teams around, get team seven and ten into the fray.
Nejiko: *frowns at the mention of team seven* Team ten I wouldn't mind. Team seven... Naruko and Sakurai wouldn't be bad to train with. But I draw the line at the Uchiha.
Tentsuke: *shakes his head* All the more reason to add her. The more you train with her, the better ready you are if she defects again.
Nejiko: She shouldn't have been allowed to rejoin the ranks, even if Tsurude-sama is keeping her at genin level. Despite the fact she's about jounin in ability. Training with her might show us her weaknesses, but it will show her ours as well. The biggest problem are her eyes. I don't trust her not to copy anything.
Leigh: *is staying out of this conversation*
Tentsuke: Look, Tsurude-sama let her back. I have to believe that means he trusted her. And if our Hokage trusts her...
Nejiko: Sadly, being Hokage doesn't make you infallible. Or incapable of making the wrong decision. Need I remind you about Sandaime-sama and Orochimayu?
Tentsuke: *frowns* Sandaime-sama was not wrong, she was human. She made a choice concerning her student and no one in this village faults her. And in the end, she did sacrifice herself to undo that wrong. Tsurude-sama does not have the attachment to Uchiha that Sandaime had to Orochimayu. The circumstances are completely different.
Nejiko: Be as it may, she's still a traitor. I'll work with Naruko and Sakurai. I will not work with her.
Leigh: *being conspicuously quiet*
Tentsuke: That's a great theory but in practice it fails. Uchiha will be assigned a mission with you and then what?
Nejiko: And why would Tsurude-sama put us on the same team?
Tentsuke: A dozen different reasons. And as jounin, you shouldn't rule her out as a useful addition. No one can do what she does. No one's asking you to give her your back to stab, but to just write her off is a waste. Someday, you're going to need her. Are you going to put an entire mission in jeopardy rather then take a risk?
Nejiko: *narrows eyes, opens mouth--*
Leigh: *cuts in* She asked me to help her with her taijutsu. *will let Tentsuke tell Nejiko about his training Sachiko*
Tentsuke: *goes back to eating sullenly*
Server: *comes over with their entrees, then leaves*
Leigh: *continues* I've been wanting to talk to both of you about that, but since Nejiko's been gone so long, it's been hard.
Nejiko: *looks at her* And?
Leigh: And what?
Nejiko: Are you?
Tentsuke: She should. Training her with senbon wasn't that bad.
Nejiko: *snaps head to look at Tentsuke* Excuse me?
Tentsuke: You heard me.
Nejiko: *stares*
Leigh: *quietly but firmly* It's our choice to help if we want, if approached for individual attention. I know how protective you both can be of me, which is why I was holding off on deciding until speaking with you guys. But Nejiko-- ultimately it's we who need to decide. Not you.
Nejiko: *still staring*
Tentsuke: *sighs* I trust my Hokage. And I don't have the luxury of picking my teams. Sometimes, I get assigned with other chuunin, outside this group. Maybe I just don't like the idea of going into anything unprepared.
Leigh: I trust Naruko-chan. She believes in Sachiko. *fixes Nejiko with a surprisingly cold look* Or do you doubt her?
Nejiko: *is silent, struggling to come up with a reply* *still in a state of minute shock/disbelief*
Tentsuke: *eats silently*
Nejiko: I don't doubt Naruko,--
Leigh: *cuts her off again* Then it's settled. ^^ We'll help team eight, and then we'll see about teams ten and seven. *eats*
Nejiko: *spears her food before putting the chunk of meat in her mouth*
Tentsuke: Probably won't matter anyway. Kureno-sensei'll be back before we know it.
Leigh: Depending on our progress, he might let them stay with us even after he's back.
Tentsuke: *nods a bit... not really looking to be a sensei but...* Heh, Aburame called me sempai.
Leigh: She did me, too. :D No one's ever called me sempai before.
Tentsuke: *grins* Respect, that's a nice thing to have.
Leigh: Not squishing the bugs will be hard. I don't want to get Hoshino mad at me. D: I saw what she did to that Sound kid during the preliminaries.
Tentsuke: Yeah... don't think you want to squish the bugs Leigh. Just avoid them... carefully.
Leigh: But they're so tiny! How'm I going to be able to keep track of them? D:
Tentsuke: Thing of it like a challenge! Every bug you step on, five hundred laps around the village.
Leigh: *for the first time in her life, pales at the thought*
Tentsuke: *smiles a bit*
Leigh: ...I'll think of something else, if that's all right.
Tentsuke: I'm sure you will.
Nejiko: *brooding*
Leigh: You know, Nejiko, for someone who chastises us about how we need to be less emotional, you're sure one to hold a grudge.
Nejiko: I nearly died on that mission to drag her ass back to Konoha.
Leigh: So? So did I. So did Naruko-chan. So did Chouza and Shikako and Kiba and Akako. We're shinobi. That's the risk we take for being shinobi, that we could die on a mission.
Nejiko: She's a defector, a traitor.
Leigh: And our mission was to bring her back, which we did. If any of us has the right to complain and be angry, it's Naruko-chan.
Nejiko: So you're just fine with this?
Leigh: Personally? No. I don't like what she put Naruko-chan through, and is still putting Naruko-chan through. I don't like she's so wrapped up in getting revenge that she's an echo of you before Naruko-chan beat some sense into you during the chuunin exam fight.
Nejiko: !!!
Leigh: And what I'm best at - my strength and my taijutsu - is where she is her weakest. I'm not particularly keen on helping her improve in that area, which is why I didn't answer immediately. But Naruko-chan trusts her, and believes she can still change and become an asset to the village, instead of an enemy. *sips her water* I put my faith in Naruko. And, to a lesser extent, in the fact Tsurude-sama still lets her wear a Leaf on her forehead. She's therefore our comrade, and we help our comrades. End of story.
Nejiko: Even if it brings our downfall?
Leigh: *inner sigh* *mutters* I don't know what you've been doing in ANBU, but it's really done nothing for your faith in humanity.
Nejiko: ....
Leigh: Think of it this way, then: if we help her, and treat her with the respect due a fellow kunoichi, the less reason she'll have to be angry, and who knows? We may even help to get her to stop viewing the village as the enemy - that's the biggest concern. Otherwise, it'll just be a repeat of how the village treated Naruko-chan before. Sachiko isn't our enemy, and it's time we started showing her that.
Nejiko: She's not our enemy, yet.
Leigh: Exactly. Yet. And I for one would rather keep it that way.
Tentsuke: *follows Leigh's earlier advice and stay out of the conversation*
Nejiko: This is foolishness.
Leigh: You know I'm right.
Nejiko: *glares*
Tentsuke: *looks over at Leigh to tell her to let it go for now*
Leigh: *shrugs back at Tentsuke and eats*
Tentsuke: *eats as well, trying to avoid the glare*
Nejiko: *focuses on eating* *chews rather hard*
Tentsuke: *waves over server to order a beer... so needing it right now*
Leigh: *trying to think up a way to lighten the mood*
Server: *comes over* Whatcha need? *smilesmile*
Tentsuke: Beer. Dark. Big glass.
Leigh: Maaa, Tentsuke-niichaaaan~ D:
Tentsuke: *raises an eyebrow* I'll be fine. Tsurude's my idol and all.
Leigh: Tsurude-sama's also a mednin capable of flushing out his own bloodstream and fixing his liver. D:
Tentsuke: *rolls eyes* Hence why I'm good friends with his apprentice.
Leigh: Shizuya-san?
Tentsuke: Pinkie. *points to his hair*
Leigh: *sticks out tongue* His name's Sakurai-kun, niichan.
Server: *waiting* So is that a "yes" on the beer?
Tentsuke: *nods at server* Easier to keep track by hair color among the guys.
Leigh: In that case, I should call you "Brownie". Fine. :P *to server* May I get a pitcher of ginger ale then, please?
Server: *nods* *to Tentsuke* And you wanted a glass of draft?
Tentsuke: Sounds good.
Server: *nods and leaves*
Tentsuke: *tries to not wait too impatiently*
Leigh: *ruffles his short hair*
Tentsuke: *sticks out his tongue at her* Knock it off.
Leigh: No!~ *grins and uses both hands!*
Tentsuke: *flails slightly and grabs her wrists*
Leigh: What? :D
Tentsuke: *holds her wrists with one hand, uses the other to ruffle her hair*
Leigh: Hey! Hey! Hey! No fair~! *squirms*
Tentsuke: *smiles and lets her go, having proven his point*
Leigh: *tries futilely to fix her hair*
Tentsuke: *smirks and runs a hand through his, letting it settle back into place*
Nejiko: Would you two grow up.
Tentsuke: Eh? Why would we want to do that?
Leigh: Because the scruffy, manly look would look weird on a kid.
Nejiko: *eyetwitch*
Leigh: *to Tentsuke* You gonna try for the scruffy look?
Tentsuke: Sure would save time in the mornings. *rubs chin*
Leigh: You'd look good. ^^
Tentsuke: *shrugs* Worth a few days effort anyway.
Leigh: Dooo iiiiiiit. Then get a picture taken and give me a copy.
Nejiko: Why would you want a picture?
Leigh: It lasts longer. ^^ I could give you a copy if you'd like.
Nejiko: *coughs and thumps chest*
Tentsuke: *shakes his head* We'll see Leigh. We'll see.
Leigh: D: Pleeeeeeeeeeease, niichan?
Tentsuke: *fails at saying no to the cute face/tone* ... one week. We'll see how it goes.
Leigh: Yay!
Nejiko: *just sighs and shakes her head*
Tentsuke: *is way too much of a sucker*