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[i]Mid morning // Land of Fire: Konohagakure - Kawaguchi household[/i][/right]


"In a little while, kids. Why don't you just sit down and talk?" Azumi said as she hugged both Natsuko and Kazuhiko in turn. She ruffled Kazuhiko's hair when she pulled away from him before returning to the kitchen.

Koharu had been excited to see her teammates, but her reaction was much more subdued than Azumi's had been. It was just a simple wave and slight smile. She didn't miss the gentle giggle that Azami gave when she started to talk to Kazuhiko about her new sword. She kept it sheathed out of respect for her sensei and his wife, but the sageo, the braided rope that looped around her obi, was tied around the saya and into her clan's preferred knot. This katana was slightly different than her other one but she didn't know if her teammates would see the differences. The tsuka-ito was a pale blue that matched her clan symbol and a standard of all Wakahisa swords. The Tsuba, the small metal piece that prevented her hands from sliding onto the blade during combat, was stamped with her clan symbol. Her last sword had been plain. It was the little differences that made it truly special. She loved the saya the most. It was all black except for her clan symbol that was stamped on the outside edge in the sane pale blue of the silk wrapping of the tsuka-ito. 

[color=8882be]"Both, actually. My other sword actually belonged to ny Uncle Osamu when he was a boy."[/color] she said, cheeks coloring slightly at his words. Koharu had never talked to her teammates about such things. [color=8882be]"My clan has roots as samurai in our homeland so proper techniques and good swords are our customs. We learn with real swords until our training with ice release has progressed enough and then we train with ice swords. We use both in combat."[/color] Koharu felt that it was important to tell her teammates such things now that she had the opportunity. They'd seen her train and fight primarily with a sword, using her ninjutsu as supplementary elements. She wasn't the fastest or physically strongest so she primarily used her ice to snare feet and catch enemies off guard. But they'd also seen her practicing a lot on her own, going through the motions of combat with invisible enemies. 

[color=8882be]"That's why I practice my kata. They do have some practical uses in combat, but ultimately they are a form of meditation. You both have seen my ice...act out. My clan isn't unstable by any means but when we're young we can't control it as well as the adults can. The kata help by giving us something to focus on."[/color] Koharu trusted them greatly. They were her team and she'd grown used to their fighting styles. Her kata also helped to strengthen her spirituality and mental resolve. It gave her time, while cutting down invisible enemies, to think over why she was making each cut and what it meant to take a life. 

She looked at both of them, green-gray eyes flicking back and forth. Koharu noted that Natsuko was staring and her cheeks flared pink. [color=8882be]"I know that right now my skills aren't much and I practice by myself a lot...but I hope to make you two proud!"[/color] Koharu was a little too awkward to have made many friends in the academy and if she was honest her days in the academy had been rough. Kids had learned early on to not tease her about the ice or her hair. If they did then they'd usually suffer ice down their clothes or trapping their feet. She'd made a friend in the academy but she hadn't seen him in a few months.[color=8882be]"And Kazu-kun? When you and I become heads of our respective clans, I hope we can be allies. You too, Susu-chan."[/color] She grinned slyly at the girl, using the cutesy nickname she'd given her when tossing her in that temple. [color=8882be]"Even if you aren't the heiress of your clan, you'll always find an ally in mine."[/color]

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[i]Mid morning // Land of Fire: Konohagakure - Kawaguchi household[/i][/right]

Azumi was listening quietly to the genin. She liked that Koharu and Kazuhiko had some common ground. She'd noticed that Koharu was hesitant but just under the surface she was like Natsuko. She worried for Kazuhiko, who was much more serious than either of his teammates. "I don't think I've ever heard her talk so much." She told her husband, gesturing to the pale haired genin.

He smiled and looped his arms around his wife's hips, pressing his chest against her back and resting his chin on her shoulder. [Color=gray]"That's a good sign. See how she went from excited to serious though? I think she's been wanting to tell them this for a long time."[/color] Minoru had talked with Osamu extensively over Koharu and the expectations the clan had for her. It mirrored the conversations with Kazuhiko's parents. It was nice to see his genin all getting along. Here they could just be kids, not two heirs and the last child. [Color=gray]"Kazuhiko and Koharu have so much piled on them. Their shoulders are so small."[/color] Despite Kazuhiko being tall for his age, he wasn't as broad shouldered as Minoru thought he would be as an adult. In stark contrast Koharu was petite. How anyone could expect someone so small to be the heir to a clan was beyond him. 

"I know, honey. All we can do is support them and give them some relief from all that stress and pressure." Azumi said, checking on the rice she was making. "But they have you and they have Natsuko-chan to help them." 

Minoru hummed, thinking on her words. He wondered what they'd be like as adults. [Color=gray]"The day when I realize they aren't kids anymore is going to be hard."[/color] The kids--[i]their kids[/i]--were important parts of their lives. He'd been their sensei for a year already and he knew that eventually they'd all go their own ways. Minoru wasn't sure about how far their paths would take them and he worried. Listening to Koharu offer to be their ally when they were older warmed his heart. He remembered when her clan had come to the village, seeking asylum. They'd been welcomed but villagers loved their gossip. He wasn't sure if that gossip had colored Natsuko or Kazuhiko's views of the Wakahisa or not, or if Koharu being on their team was something that had pulled them above such talk.

"Isn't that just cute?" His wife giggled again, covering her smile. "We probably won't have to worry too much about them. She is offering to be their ally. Yes, things might change in ten years but if I know anything of that child, she cares for them. I doubt Koharu would let them stray too far from the right path."

[Color=gray]"You've got that right. She'll glare them into submission."[/color] Minoru laughed. Koharu already had a wicked glare that he'd seen mirrored in her uncle. He feared that when she was an adult, it would only grow even more wicked. [Color=gray]"Lunch is done kids. Natsuko, leave the mochi alone. Koharu, you can put your katana in the living room on my stand."[/color] 

The genin nodded and disappeared into the living room with her katana, coming back empty handed after a minute or two. Minoru helped his wife take the food to the table. Lunch or dinner at their house wasn't uncommon so they flowed quite smoothly.

[@Typical]