[h3]   [/h3][hr][h3][color=indianred]Natsuko Rinha[/color][/h3][hr][sup][i]Morning  ||  Konoha[/i][/sup][indent] [/indent]
[color=indianred]“Cute, but so cliche I might die from retelling their love story,”[/color] Natsuko said, stopping to pose, a back of her hand to her forehead as she looked up at the sky. [color=indianred]“And then it was like night met day. Mariko and Kazu-chan touched hands, and they knew—just knew—they were meant to be together despite their warring families. ‘To death do us part,” they said to each other.”[/color]

Minoru’s gently chiding voice carried over, causing Natsuko to break from her scene and flash the jonin a mischievous grin. [color=indianred]“Am doing!”[/color] she called. She hadn’t even started grilling anyone yet.

Koharu’s question made her flick her eyes to her teammate, scanning the light-haired girl’s face for clues. Although Koharu had started to let down her walls around her, many of Koharu’s thoughts remained unvoiced, more due to the girl’s personality than her lack of trust in Natsuko. As such, Natsuko had to watch closely, reading in between Koharu’s words and silences to guess what her friend really meant. Right now, it seemed like Koharu had chanced upon some unpleasant thought or memory, which meant it was up to Natsuko to brighten her mood again. 

[color=indianred]“With you and Kazu-chan watching my back, what do I have to be nervous about?”[/color] Natsuko asked, grinning. [color=indianred]“We’re going to have so much fun!”[/color]

And such was true. At home, Natsuko was a quiet, unnoticed presence with her four older brothers dominating most of the attention. Her parents were always more concerned with this accomplishment and that successful mission, leaving her little time for Natsuko, who didn’t have much to add to the list anyway. Outside her home, though, Natsuko felt liberated—free to be herself, say her mind. So, as a general rule, the farther she got from home, the happier she was. A trip to the Lightning Country? That was an adventure that Natsuko couldn’t wait for. 
[h3]   [/h3][hr][h3][color=lightsteelblue]Kazuhiko Taketori[/color][/h3][hr][sup][i]Morning  ||  Konoha[/i][/sup][indent] [/indent]
Kazuhiko didn’t even bother looking over at his teammates. On average, Natsuko liked to bring up the supposed romantic tension between Koharu and him at least three times a day—one of those times being when they first gathered together. Though he’d gotten used to shrugging it off, he was glad for Minoru’s chidings that, while clearly ineffectual, reassured him that he would have a sensible authority figure to turn to if Natsuko got out of hand.

[color=lightsteelblue]“I’m making progress with taijutsu,”[/color] Kazuhiko said in response to Minoru’s question. During the past month or so, he’d had frequent sparring sessions with Mariko Hyuuga in order to practice his Taijutsu. The Hyuuga heiress had more than a leg up over him due to her dojutsu, which alerted her whenever he attempted to use his. However, Kazuhiko had discovered a loophole in this pattern a few sessions ago: If he distracted her—focusing her attention elsewhere with an attack to the side or something similar—he would be able to utilize the Sensaigan to his advantage and turn the tables. Hyuuga were well known for their Taijutsu prowess, but his the Taketori were a close second.

At the west gate, the team was met by the daimyo’s guards. There were six of them altogether, all armed with sheathed katanas, as well as a carriage in which their charge likely sat. 

“Minoru Kawaguchi?” one guard asked, stepping forwards to discuss details with the team captain. As they did, Kazuhiko turned his attention to the carriage, which remained silent despite his team’s arrival. He’d heard few details about the figure they were to deliver other than the fact that it was someone with relation to a daimyo currently residing in the Lightning Country. The person they were escorting, therefore, was most likely a family member—the wife or, say, a brother.

“Why’s your hair white?” a voice asked. Kazuhiko snapped around to see a little boy standing next to Koharu and Natsuko, looking at Koharu with puzzlement. “Are you sick?”

“Young master!” a guard said, rushing to the boy’s side. “Please, stay in the carriage!”

[color=indianred]“Aw, aren’t you just the cutest,”[/color] Natsuko said, bending down to the boy’s height and reaching out to pat the boy’s head. 

The boy batted her hand away. “Don’t touch me, ugly,” he said, then glanced between her and Koharu. “Why’re you both so short? Are you really shinobi?”

“Young master, please, this way,” the guard said, guiding the boy back to the carriage as Natsuko stared gape-jawed after him.

[color=indianred]“He—he just called me ugly!”[/color] she said, eyes wide.

“Forgive the young master. He can be quite… hasty with his words sometimes,” another guard said.

[color=indianred]“I don’t think I’ve ever been called ugly,”[/color] Natsuko whispered, gazing blankly at the carriage into which the boy had disappeared.

“Positions!” the captain that had been speaking to Minoru shouted, evidently having finished discussing plans. The guards immediately flanked the carriage, hoisting it up. 

[color=lightsteelblue]“Natsuko?”[/color] Kazuhiko said, walking over to his teammate, who looked up with a tight smile. 

[color=indianred]“I'm fine!”[/color] Natsuko said, smile wider than usual. [color=indianred]“But if that twerp gets within three feet of me again, I can’t guarantee the safety of his pretty little head.”[/color]

[hr][@Sunflower]