Granted he could t see much, hearing the uneasy exchange of words between everyone was not all surprising, he knew his brother was bothered since the loss of his friend and he knew it was going to be a tough time for him to recover. He sighed, looking over at Sakuya, the only individual that he hung out with. ”You think they’ll ever forgive him?” he asked curiously. Everyone seemed to have forgiven Kotatsu way more than Sigmund and partly because Kotatsu was almost rendered useless and far less weaker. Kotatsu didn’t have much of a memory of the events that had happened while he was lost to the darkness but he remembered enough that changed him too. ”You know...” he uttered as he looked away, hearing Sigmund’s footsteps disappear. ”While I get everyone’s concern that Sigmund could always turn back, nobody will ever understand being stuck in your own body...soul..,” he explained.

”You lose yourself you know. Any anger or negative feelings manifest inside you. That’s how HE keeps his control,” he explained to Sakuya. ”Promise me you won’t fall prey to this okay? We have lost enough good people to this,” he told her, a bit of concern in his deep voice. Everyone seemed to have taken a liking to Kotatsu; call and collected and even more wiser than his Sigmund. He was definitely a changed guy compared to last year’s attitude.
This message was lightly edited by the player at 06:57, Mon 12 July 2021.

Amiko gave a polite bow to the pair of Uchihas and Nara.  "Nara-san, Uchiha-san, Uchiha-san, Harusame-san.  Good morning, congratulations on the reunion of your team.  Should I take my leave? So you four may celebrate?" She asked shyly as she began to feel a little less confident with the sudden addition of four more, she didn't really know any of them that well. She wondered if any of her team might be around, she atleast knew Nakano from the last year.

As if on cue, Kyoko came along, timidly approaching the gathering from Amiko's side, she mumbled. "A... Amiko, I looks like we are in the same team, lets get along." She didn't really know the others gathered there, nor Amiko all that much for that matter but she knew Araumi far better than them. "Ar-are you hungry?" Nakano figured it may be a good idea to actually get to know her teammate, or so she remembered learning from a rather outgoing previous teammate, how times had changed...

"U-un... You take care..." Sakuya managed a reply to Sigmund when he bid her good luck on her upcoming mission. While she still felt uneasy when Sigmund was around, the medical nin felt she should put some effort in making amends too. He was an ally now after all, and one should look out for their allies whenever they could.

Kotatsu then asked her if the others would be able to forgive Sigmund for what has happened before. She remembered that they were brothers, thus her reformed friend worried for his sibling. She afforded Kotatsu her company since she thought of him still as an ally, probably even more so after how he saved her life. She therefore would do what she could to help him out as well.

"I would like to believe that everyone else would forgive your brother too, despite what happened..." Sakuya mustered a reply as she looked to Kotatsu's way, "Maybe it will take more time, but I hope things will turn for the better."

He then explained what Sigmund had to go through, that dark emotion that could consume one's being if left unchecked. Sakuya remembered various cautionary tales similar to that told before by her parents when she has yet to become a genin, warnings about that side that one should not cave into.

"Hai, Kotatsu... I'll remember to watch out..." she said with a nod before looking to the others. She was surprised at how Nanami was able to move so quickly, disappearing from where she stood one moment and then appearing to land a glomp onto Nori when the latter arrived. There were old and new faces around too.

"Ah, you don't have to go..." Sakuya assured Amiko, her arms waving up and down in an attempt to show that it was fine to stay before she bowed politely to introduce herself, "I-I'm Harusame Sakuya, by the way...! I-it's a pleasure to meet you!"

In reply to Nara Nanami (msg # 24):

It wasn't as if Nori didn't want to see Sigmund or Nanami. She did. They meant something to her after all. But the three of them had been through a lot together and without the year of seeing each other, she was sure that even more changed and they grew distant. Maybe there was part of her that was apprehensive to go back because of how much distance there was between them now not just mentally and emotionally, but no doubt in their physical abilities, too. Was she ready to face that just yet? She wasn't sure.

Before she could even think to walk away from the scene, she suddenly heard Nanami's voice from beside her, causing her to turn her head to look in her direction. It was in doing so, though, that she felt herself tackled into a hug. Nori's eyes widened slightly at the sudden action. "N-Nanami-" she began to say as she brought up her hands to press against her back. Wait. Wasn't she just with Sigmund a second ago? "I-It's nice to see you, too." She turned her head and looked over in the direction where she had seen the two together, but it was in doing so that she caught the sight of Sigmund's retreating back heading out of the academy grounds. It was a sight that she had seen many times before and it still had the same effect on her. She lowered her eyes before she blinked and looked back down at Nanami. "Um...how are you, Nanami?" she asked.

Amiko smiles at Kyoko and slipped back away from the teammates as they begin to reacquaint themselves. "Let's go get something to eat Kyoko, it was a pleasure to meet all of you, tell me how this turns out later" She said with a light bow before gently reaching out to take Kyoko's hand and let her lead on to wherever she wants to eat.

Nakano wished that Shinji was there, that rascal seemed to have extensive knowledge of the best places to eat at. She dragged Amiko along with uncharacteristic determination. "Do perhaps you like Yakitori? I know of a place... That is, if you would like to, there are other places too. M-my treat." Kyoko mumbled in contrast with her recent recent outburst of confidence. She was no Shinji but a fair amount of his expertise had rubbed on her over time.

Amiko smiled and happily let her teammate lead her along.  It was much easier to let her decide on what they would eat since it'd guarantee that it was something that Kyoko would like. "I'm fond of all kinds of Yakiniki, so yes Yakitori is good." she said happily as she watched the people around her, feeling much more at ease now that there were less people crowded around and she only had to impress an individual instead of a team.

"Lets then." Kyoko affirmed tugging again on Araumi. Shinji would be so proud of her, she almost could pass as an adjusted member of society!

The place in question was on the smaller side of the scale, almost feeling squeezed into the larger whole of the building. Once inside however the place was spacious enough for what it was, various stools along a counter and the kitchen in plain view just beyond. Watching one's food cook was part of the experience and it's scents permeating everything pry one's appetite open, that is if one didn't mind that kind of thing and the smoke.

Nakano took a seat gesturing for Amiko to follow suit while she timidly got the attention of the cook and ordered. "Excuse me, c-could I get tsukune and bonjiri?" Her attention now on her new teammate. "Order whatever you want please. My treat."

Amiko looked around the building with interest taking note of what she saw others eating before making her order. "May I have some Torinegi, and Tsukune, please." she said before turning back to her teammate.

She gave the girl a proper once over for the first time, ever really.  She thought the short hair gave the girl a cute look, not that she was really into girls.  "So, shall we introduce ourselves properly?  Name, likes, dislikes, goals, elemental affinities, and such?  If we're going to be teamed up together we'll have to know how to cover each other's back and work together after all." she asked curiously

The cook took their orders and promptly got to work right before their eyes. This was why Nakano loved this kind of place, seeing the food one is to eat prepared right before them had many advantages, if nothing else the delicious scent never failed to cheer her or her appetite.

Kyoko gave Amiko an awkward nod before fidgettig on her seat for a couple of seconds, seemingly thinking her answers. Her new peer seemed rather straight forward but accommodating enough. Nakano leaped from her stool and di a bit of a dynamic introduction. "I am Nakano Kyoko, nine to ten I am more or less a genin!" After which, what felt like an eternal silence followed. Painfully slowly, Kyoko go back on her seat, getting as red as some of the raw meat waiting to be cooked.  With her gaze now sinking into the floor, she continued in a far less energetic way. "... I like cats, snakes and ice-cream. Hate storms and the ocean, other stuff too. I want to make money, I guess. E-earth... Don't really like fighting, much, the way people do here. Nin-ninjustsu is deception, I think... Win first, jab a blade in them after."

As the two genin chatted excitedly they were suddenly interrupted by a voice from the doorway of the yakitori shop.

Excuse me... do you know where Baker squad went? I was told they went this way...

The speaker was a tall, rotund young man wearing a black zip-up hooded sweatshirt, a pair of sunglasses and the kind of disposable medical mask that visitors to the hospital get handed. He looked like an overgrown civilian child playing ninja. Only two details showed that this wasn't an obvious joke. One was forehead protector which was shiny, new and real.

The other was the official Mission Scroll open in his hand with the words "Notice of Assignment to Existing Genin Team" printed on the top.

"That would be us, have a seat.  I guess I should go next, Araumi, Amiko.  If you haven't heard of my clan, its because we're small, and we had to flee the purges just two generations ago, so we're rather new to the Fire County, I like fluffy animals, books, and sunrises, I hate bullies, and fire works.  My goal, is to one day bring honor and respect to my clan and possibly become as great a medic as the great Senju Tsunade-sama, my primary focus on training has been medical and water jutsu, although I have a slight earth affinity." she said to them both as she scooted over to make room for the Aburame.  She wasn't sure if he was an Aburame, but he had to look of one atleast outfit wise.  Hopefully if he was, she wouldn't find to many bugs in her sleeping bags.

Nakano glanced over the newcomer. Gosh, this had to be a joke, it wasn't but it had to be. Not that she could do anything about it, they had a creep in their team... Kyoko hesitantly raised her her hand as to vouch for Araumi's affirmative answer. "That, that sounds nice Araumi-san. I suppose a sense for family is something to treasure." She looked back at Hayate. "W-what about you?"

Hayate's heart pounded. He wasn't prepared for this. Not just the finally getting a team. Not just the suddenly being introduced to his team outside of an official, comfortable context. But they're both kunoichi and both... Bad thought, Hayate. Punishment thought.

Hayate squared his shoulders like he was preparing for a spar and took a seat on the offered middle stool. Despite his dingy appearance he smelled...fine? Like the potted plants that people put up in offices.

He pulled the mask down under his chin revealing a broad grin, a dusting of spidery mustache hairs and what looks like a big, dark-brown wart just off his lower lip and turned his head from side to side as he talked, trying to look both of his new teammates in the eye at once.

Hi, my name is Aburame Hayate....

I'm a genin, I just had my graduation exam half an hour ago...

I turned thirteen yesterday...I know that's late, they started me in the academy late. They said I wasn't ready...And then there was the war last year. But I think I'm pretty ready now...

He scratched the back of his head as if this moment was only the regular sort of awkward instead of kind of mortifying.

Right...what I'm good for. I'm an Aburame, of course... but I'm really good at Taijutsu, like, it's the first thing that makes sense. Y'know how when your body and your bodies are in motion and working like they want the same thing?

Hayate stopped himself. Of course they don't know. It's impolite to expect them to know. He cleared his throat and started again.

Also I have a wind affinity which isn't that common...I've only just got the hand seals down but I think it'll really help us out.  I'm also an Aburame, sorry I already said that, but I know I'm kind of not shaped like one...that's a choice. When I get older I don't want to have to use a jar, so I'm preparing the territory now.

He clenched his fist crumpling his transfer orders as he turns to face Kyoko again.

I like...uh...I like my swarm of course but that's like saying you like your hair. Is it OK to like something that's part of you if you take care good of it? Or is that conceited? I also like it when I can be helpful to be people. I really don't like how the new school is made of metal. Really how everything here is too new. Too clean.Nowhere to hide.. My goal, our goal really, is to attain enlightenment. But I think being a shinobi with you two will help.

Finally he stops, and Hayate's shoulders sag, like he's just carrieded a hundred pound bale of rice up a mountain. Which is when the wart on his face choses to wake up. revealing itself to be a kikaichu. Its antennae twitched once, twice and then immediately scuttles up his left nostril, where it's safer.

Amiko listened attentively to the introduction and was about to common when she saw the bug move up his nostril.  It caused her to pale slightly at the thought of something climbing around inside her, but that was the Aburame way.  She could deal with that, it was nothing right, it'd all be fine.   "Well, I'm glad to welcome both of you onto our team, we just have to meet Abiyama-sensei now I guess, wherever he is.  I hope we can learn alot from each other and become good friends." She said with a hopeful helpful tone to her voice.

Kyoko seemed like a very nice girl that she could easily get along with as long as they worked through their mutual shyness.  Putting on the extravert act was a bit tiresome both emotionally and a bit physically.  Atleast their common love of fluffy adorable animals would be something to bond over, as well as their common earth elemental affinity.

Hayate, would be the harder one.  He seemed even worse then Kyoko when it came to shyness, and hadn't yet developed the mask to fight introversion.  She could sympathize with him, she really could.  It'd taken her almost two years to get to where she was and it still was awkward, especially around large groups of people.  Maybe he could help both of them improve their taijutsu though.

Nakano really wished he had kept the mask up. She didn't really have anything in particular against bugs, some were kind of creepy and alien looking but that was about it. However, there was a great divide between bugs one stumbled on the countryside and the thought of the living and scurrying away in and out of one's body, the later gave her a cold sweat at best or she found utterly repulsive and reminiscent of maggots and other vermin feasting on a carcass. Needless to say, it wasn't exactly the kind fo imagery one wanted looming in their mind during lunchtime, but such was the ninja world, full of the outrageous, subtle and gross.

"Aburame-san. Do you... Do you, eat?" Inquired Kyoko, not entirely sure she wanted to know the answer to her question. She gave Amiko the kind of glance that spoke volume of her dismay, at the very least, about having to eat lunch nest a walking infestation.

Hayate's eyes went wide behind his shades. His face fell. Not here a minute and he was already being made fun of. New team, old school. All the same always the s...

Stop. No tears. She's not Konoha.

Hayate stopped and looked at Kyoko, really looked. At her eyes. At the style of her hair and clothes. At the way she addressed him with a san like a civilian or....foreigner. One Who Doea Not Know. Of course. This was a Real Question not a what did you do question or a who do you think you are question. Safe.

Oh. Um. Of course I do. He patted his stomach like it was all a big, safe joke.

Way more than a lot of my cousins. We get taught early on to let the swarm, you know, our kikaichu do most of the hard work. But I don't listen so good, I train like I have to work for a living. You feed the body, body feeds the swarm.

It's not a closed system. The swarm eats my chakra but I have to eat to refill that. I'm not a monk. When I was nine I thought I could teach my swarm to eat solid foods and then eat the individual bugs. Problem is, they're full of my chakra. And so eating them all at once fed the chakra back into my system too fast and overloaded the chakra coils. Like one or two won't hurt but even a rice bowl full...I had to go to the hospital.

Hayate smiled at Kyoko as if what he said was a normal teammate sharing a mildly-embarrassing childhood experience.

Don't just talk about yourself, you were raised better than that

"Oh. Wait, sorry. I talk too much...?"

Wait. Was she scared? Why was she scared? What have you done?

"Am I scaring you?" Hayate tried to sound calming, neutral but his voice came out as a buzzing monotone...

Amiko was quick to reassure Hayate, maybe a little to quick in all honesty. "Oh, of course your not scaring us.  Kyoko just has never met an Aburame before since she didn't go to the academy in Konoha.  It takes some getting use to, to think about your swarm..." she wasn't sure how to really put it, in all honesty the concept of a colony of insects living inside someone was creepy and disquieting.

To a medic such as herself it was also an interesting premise, a symbiotic relationship that must influence all aspects of the body.  She tried not to think about the idea of little bucks crawling around in tunnels throughout his skin.  She'd never seen the actual tunnels, in fact her clan knew next to nothing about Aburame outside of a few theoretical writings that she'd more heard of then actual read.

She turned her attention back to her other squad-mate and gave a slight sigh. "Its a complex topic, I suppose the simplest way of putting it, would be kind of like how our body is made of cells of various types.  The Aburame just have a second species that acts kind of like a secondary lymphic system?  Wait...do you know what the Lymphic system is?  Never mind, its a symbiotic relationship, the bugs eat chakra, and Hayate's body provides it in return for the loyalty of the colony that resides inside him.  Hayate still needs to eat, but the kikaichu inside him feed on his chakra network, or those that he directs them to feed on in combat." She was getting a headache trying to explain all of this.  Her clan specialized in being doctors, either civilian or battlefield ones.  What she knew about the body, and what your average ninja did were vastly different.  If it wasn't taboo, she'd have taken a kunai to herself and pointed things out, its not like it'd have permanently hurt her after all.  However she'd been warned a long time ago, not to do demonstrations of her bloodline in public, even if it was the easiest way to explain things.

It was only a few seconds after her rant finished she realized, she was coming off just as weird to her new teammates as well.  A faint blush crept onto her neck then took over her face causing her to shrink slightly back into herself, something she tried her best to hide, while feeling like at the same time she was curling up into a ball in embarrassment.

Nakano glanced from Hayate to Amiko time and again, somehow now making direct eye contact. Her right eye twitching slightly even with her affable smiling face. In fact, if they didn't know better, one could even say that her hair was having a sudden small case of gravity deficiency as she clenched her fists. Kyoko eventually took a deep breath, looked back down to the floor and stretching out one open palm as if to keep them at bay she said. "Enough! Enough... I don't want to hear another word."

With that out of her chest, her outstretched arm dropped dead by her side and she gestured towards the kitchen right before their eyes. "So you do eat, order something, if you would like... Just, just keep those things out of sight." Out of sight, out of mind. Besides, she didn't presume the cook or the other patrons to enjoy the sight of vermin crawling about.

The first thing Hayate did was turn to the waiting cook.

Hasami, please, with tare sauce and...I guess a tsukune. No sauce, ease.

Gizzards were healthy and there wasn't much organ meat on the Aburame table. Too discordant a flavor and hard to digest, besides. The tsukune was obvious, every else was getting one.

Then to Kyoko. His words in the practiced apology all Aburame were taught to used with spooked clients and disgusted diplomats.

Thank you. I apologize. I'll make sure you see no more of them than necessary.

And if Hayate was still at the academy, that would have been that. He'd have made a game of hiding his bugs. Sneaking them just at the edge of her awareness. Until she went to the teacher or just got quiet and left him alone.

But that was no longer an option. She wasn't his classmate, she was his teammate. They were going to be responsible for keeping each other alive. He turned to Amiko, his voice quiet and stern.

What you said was informative and accurate. Why didn't work? Why is she still disgusted and scared?

He looked down at the little bottle of mixed pepper and the napkin rack.

How do we fix this?

Amiko gave him a sympathetic look. "Give her time, and respect her wishes, she'll accept it and you with time.  Sadly it might also be where we are talking about your symbiotic friends?  Many people find discussing body anatomy disquieting at the dinner table?" She didn't want to go into how some patients might find such details disquieting or even disturbing in general.  How her description of it might also have offended, either by making Kyoko feel she was being talked down to, or being far to detailed in nature.  She was sure they'd all work well together and hopefully in time accept their differences. "To a bright future together, and friendship?" she offered up a toast with whatever had been provided for drinks while they waited for their food to arrive.

"That's not... Forget it, just... Mind yourselves,there is a place and time for everything, a season for every purpose under heaven, or so they say. Even for reveling about vermin under your skin." As if on cue their orders began to come through, one of the many virtues of that style of cooking. "Lets just eat." Gods was this exhausting for her, was this what they called a cultural divide? Whatever it was, food was there, bug free, just made grilled meat on a skewer, some tea (in her case),life just didn't get much better than that.

With both hands full, taking bites from each in turn, any unsightly imagery and thoughts were quickly washed away and her mood was reset. "So. You pack a good punch and do whatever it is you do with those things, and you are a medical nin. I suppose I can heal too, after a fashion. But anyway, I mostly hide and ambush. Guess we aren't some kind of storm team..." She ended with a slight chuckle as if laughing at her own joke. This was the most talkative she had been in forever but with the right mood and for the occasion, it was well worth the effort.

Tenshi had been listening to his new team. He smiled just a little. The team was shaping up to be interesting. His eyes would look around. He did not know what other things would happen. The mission board being opened again was an interesting team. He would catch up to the group who seemed to have found themselves. With a smile would introduce himself.

"Amiko, Kyoko, and Hayate. It is nice to meet all of you. I am Tenshi Akiyama this squads leader. It is nice to meet you. So seeing as you have all been talking among one another. Why not make this formal and introduce yourselves, and the role you would like to play on the team?"

He would say as he seemed to be very calm and cool. He would smile and wait for them to do so.

Amiko gave a quick salute to Tenshi and blushed deeply.  He was attractive and it didn't help her being a teenager.  "Araumi Amiko, team medic, and possibly water ninjutsu specialist? Sir," she spoke in a militaristic tone, seeming to tense up at the presence of a commanding officer and being told to introduce herself.