Matsuri

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GM: Jay Kalton
Co-G: Hmmmm...

If you wish to submit a character, please see the character skeleton and submission rules below.

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For many years, Konohagakure has seen nothing but peace. Everything seems to have settled down since the end Third Great Shinobi War, and everything seems to be going well. Missions have been running smoothly, and the upcoming Chuunin Exams is just around the corner (by a good few months). However, recently, strange occurrences have started to ensue outside the outskirts of Konoha and the Land of Fire itself. A rising in rogue ninja worldwide has caused the Kages to take action in the shadows, and, if not acted upon, could lead to future dilemmas. Although this unknown terrorist organisation continues to clash with other ninja in deadly silence, it's about time to train the future generation to its fullest potential. Harsh tests and trials are about to serve as dangerous obstacles for the soon-to-be Genin of the Hidden Leaf, and it's only going to get worse from there.

You happen to be one of the handpicked Genin chosen to join a certain squad to help protect the Hidden Leaf Village. This is the time to show your full potential, the time to let your true colours shine. Will you choose to fight alongside the Jonin of the Leaf?

Because it's about time us shinobi take a dive into the darkness.

Naruto: Into the Darkness

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Heyo! I present to those new and old to this RP Naruto: Into the Darkness. This was originally an idea from another fellow RP-er, but after many attempts of trying to get everyone and everything sorted, both previous RPs have unfortunately died. However, I have learned from my mistakes and decided to make a new RP with events set in mind and even a vague ending planned out.

This RP is set in a sort-of AU. All of the writers will be playing as above-average Genin who have been handpicked and assigned to a special squad after having endured many years in the Academy. Although the purpose of forming this special squad is still unknown to them, normal missions will still be carried out. As they learn, develop their skills and interact with other squad members, the threats that keep on scratching at the walls of Konoha are becoming more and more prominent. Different enemies will be encountered and, hopefully, this RP will last as long as it can! Challenge your characters, interact with other characters (huehuehue) and most of all, have fun with your characters!

CS Skeleton (a li'l different this time.)

(image of character)
(character quote)

Basic Info:

Name: (For the love of Freckled Jesus, please, use a Japanese name for your character! I can't stress this enough with different OCs.)
Nickname/Alias: (Nothing like 'Kawaii Sky Goddess' or 'Samurai Rapunzel'. I will pelt you with sunflower seeds.)
Gender: (Male or Female)
Age and date of birth: (Preferably fifteen years old. I know ninja typically graduate at age twelve, but I think fifteen is a more appropriate age.)
Age Appearance:
Sexuality:

Parents: (Would appreciate it if you put their parent's status, e.g Alive or deceased.)
Length and build: (Japanese boys and girls are relatively smaller than European teenagers… so if your female character is say 5'8, she's gonna seem pretty damn tall in front of other women. Hell, Mei Terumi is one of the only female characters in Naruto who exceeds 170cm.)
Weight: (Japanese people also tend to be lighter as well. Just don't go too overboard.)
Favorite weather and season:

Village: (Preferably Konoha. Remember, even the Hokage himself won't just simply take in some random stranger from say Amegakure. It's just not safe.)
Birthplace: (Again, preferably Konoha.)
Organization: Shinobi Forces

Clan/Bloodline: (canon or oc)

Rank: Genin

Chakra Nature: (Water, Wind, Earth, Fire or Lightning.)

Character Appearances:

Appearance: (Just a description of your character. Hair colour, eye colour, height, body type and casual and combat attire are some things you might want to describe.)

Personal Information:

Personality: (At least a paragraph)

History: (At least a paragraph)

Theme Song: (Main, and battle theme, maybe even one where your character goes insane. If not, just go with one theme.)

Battle Arsenal

Weapons/Items: (Specific weapon that they often use. Everybody carries a set of kunai and shurkien with them.)

Name of Weapon or Item:
Description:
Appearance:

Skills and Techniques:

Skills/Abilities: (Describe what their advantages and disadvantages in combat are e.g poor Taijutsu. This can help with possible future training sessions with your glorious sensei.)

Special Traits: (Things they were born with such as low/high chakra levels)

Kekkei Genkai: (Optional. Canon or original, must be balanced. If I see a kid with both Byakugan and Sharingan, I won't just pelt you with sunflower seeds, but I will find you.

And I will kill you.)

Traits/Abilities of Kekkei Genkai:

Jutsu:

Canon Jutsu: (E.g basic Academy techniques.)

Custom Jutsu:

Name of Technique: (Preferably in English just so you don't post some weaboo trash that you got from Google Translate.)
Type of Jutsu: (Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, Kenjutsu, Nintaijutsu, etc.)
Rank: (E, D, C, B, A or S. Preferably ranks E-C for all you adorable Genin.)
Range: (Long, Mid, Close etc.)
Nature Type: (Water, Fire, Earth, Wind, Lightning
Handseals:
Description:
Weakness:

====================

Name of Technique:
Type of Jutsu:
Rank:
Range:
Nature Type:
Handseals:
Description:
Weakness:

Rules that you better take your time to read

Of course, rules are very important. This is gonna be pretty straightforward, but I do expect you to take some time to read these lovely jubbly rules.

Rule no. 1: If you don't agree with someone or something, you can tell them/me that. Nobody is going to feel insulted because of that (lest you don't follow rule no. 1) and most actually feel like you helped them. However remember that I always have the last word. So please, if you don't have a legit logical reason to back up your argument, just listen to what I say.

Rule no. 2: Create a Genin and only a Genin. I'm quite active in this website, so I'll be the one in charge of controlling the Jonin for this squad. I don't want to give an important position such as a Jonin to anyone who (I have no idea how to rephrase this to make it sound less offensive) that can't handle the position, e.g not as active because life sucks etc. I don't want anyone to feel pressurised at all, so please, create a Genin instead.

Rule no. 3: Don't be a jerk. To put it in plain, simple words; there is a difference between having an opinion or disagreement and attacking someone and treating them like they're stupid. Don,t crush someones ideas or creativity, it's just not nice. What isn't natural is bullying them into quitting the rp. If an argument escalates, be the better person stop it or ask me for some assistance.

Rule no. 4: Keep your characters logical. Nobody has ever seen a Genin with the power of a Kage. It has to make sense to be accepted. I know this is an RP where the Genin are above average, but still, they have their weaknesses too! Just imagine that our squad is basically the Rookie 9 shoved into one group.

Rule no. 5: Please try to be as active as possible. I am fully aware that all of you have your own lives to live outside Roleplayed Guild, but if there's a lack of replies, the roleplay is guaranteed to die one way or another. Especially for an RP like this, it almost demands that we reply as soon as we possibly can. You have fights, witty comments and important information, all of which should be replied to as soon as possible. I'm pretty sure we all get hella busy at some point, even me, but when people don't reply, it just becomes a problem. I know it sounds harsh, but this RP literally thrives on how often we post.

Rule no. 6: Don't spam the OOC. Either take it to PM or add jay.kalton on Skype so I can add you to our amazing ninja squad chat.

Rule no. 7: All RPGuild rules ALWAYS apply!

Current Squad Arrangements

Jonin: Fuyuko Wakahisa - Played by Jay Kalton

Genin: Asuka Koizumi - Played by Jay Kalton
Genin: Seichi Hino - Played by SayZun
Genin: Reiji Saikumo - Played by Vongola_Hasayo
Genin: Katai Miataru - Played by Kazure
Genin: OPEN
Genin: OPEN

Submission Rules (Extremely important!!!)

To submit a character, please follow the character sheet provided. After you have finished, post it in the OOC to be reviewed.

If we have more than two people willing to join the RP, I will decide which two characters are approved by the end of the deadline. If your character sheet has already been reviewed by me, you are free to edit your character before the deadline comes to a close. After that, I will be reviewing all the character sheets and selecting the two I think are best suited for the RP.

Remember, this is not first come first served. I am looking for good quality in these character submissions, and only the best of the best will be picked. Also, I am looking for dedicated RPers. I won't have this RP die for a third time just because one character is holding back everyone else and the plot itself. As you know, this type of RP requires dedication and a lot of posts to keep it alive and the plot moving. Before submitting a character, keep this in mind.

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For now, the plot will progress as usual, with myself and two other RPers pushing the plot forward. Once our first mission is completed, the selected two characters will be able to start posting from there.

Naruto: King of the Dusk

To all the RP-ers of Naruto: King of the Dusk:

So, it's come to my attention that this RP has become very inactive lately. We tried once but failed, and then at the second attempt we ended up failing again. I think the reason being is that (no offense intended) the GM, who is vital for the plot's movement, is frequently busy with life, and can't be online all the time to help move the plot forward. I don't want anyone to feel pressurized with having a need to be online frequently to move the plot forward, so I have decided to once again create a new RP with the future events and missions planned out. I will try to be as active as possible so that no one unfortunately loses interest, and so that the plot can move much quicker.

I'm deeply sorry @Izaka Sazaka for having to resort to this decision, but I think it's for the best. I'm not trying to imply that you're not suited to control an RP, I just think you're better suited for handling smaller roles since you're busy so often. Again, I don't want you stressing over something that's supposed to be a fun pass-time, and if you still want to be part of this new RP idea, of course you can.

As for all you lovelies, I'll be doing a rollcall to see who's still interested. If everyone's still into this RP, I'll get the new RP up and running as soon as I can.

@Izaka Sazaka
@SayZun
@Aegis1650
@Shard
@TheFourthIV
@geminironin
@Vongola_Hasayo
@Dawkins

Naruto: King of the Dusk

Hey @Ploxerdon, so I came across your CS just now. I'm not sure if the GM is accepting any more characters now, but since he's been extremely busy with the atrocity known as Life, I decided to review your OC (original character). Don't think I'm being a bitch while I review this, I just want you to look over any mistakes you seem to have placed into your work. If you don't agree with something, don't be afraid to tell me.

(Also, I am fully aware that there are some points in your CS that may have confused me, so I decided to make a few assumptions will Akashiya's past. Please point out any mistakes that I have made about it.)

(Anything in italics is also part of my review.)

Akashiya Uchiha


"For years I had to live in fear. Afraid of what happened if they found out I'm still alive. This ends now. The world is mine."

The Hatsune Miku vibes here are STROOOOONG

Name: Akashiya Uchiha (At the start of the rp, she will hide the fact that she is an Uchiha.)

Well, to be honest, Konohagakure is where the Uchiha clan resides… However, since this is an AU RP, I still have yet to know what sort of things are different, other than our large squad being the main focus. If the Uchiha clan had been slaughtered in this universe, I'm guessing it would make some sense for her to hide the fact she carries Uchiha blood.

Nickname/Alias: Akashiya Bloodmoon, Akasha, Aki

Hmm…

Hmmmmmm…

HMMMMMMMMMM…

My experience with certain OCs on Wattpad make me feel a bit iffy on these nicknames. Don't kill me yet, I still have some work to do xD

Gender: Female
Age and date of birth: 16, August 13th (on a friday)
Age Appearance: 18
Sexuality:Bisexual

Parents: Lilith Uchiha (mother, Dead), unknown rapist.

Fucking hell, shit just got dark.

Also, I have this small pet peeve with (not all) anime OCs not having Japanese names. Especially with an anime based around largely on Japanese culture, it gets me quite annoyed to see an anime character with a non Japanese name. If you were going for a name like Lilith, then how about trying the name Yuri instead? This name means lily, so I think it would be a suitable name for your character's mother.

Length and build: 1m75, Slim but strong, average length.

175cm… Pretty damn tall for a Japanese female teenager, but since we have a lot of tall people in this RP, why the fuck not? Us ladies can be triplet giraffes together.

Weight:65 KG
Favorite weather and season:
She appreciates both spring, as she loves seeing blossoms fall, but she is also a fan of snow.

HAS MAJOR TOKYO GHOUL ROOT A ENDING FLASHBACKS

I haven't watched the entire anime but c'mon HIDE


Village: Konohagakure
Birthplace: Konohagakure, grew up in an unknown village with samurai.

Are you perhaps talking about the Land of Iron? Their military is consisted entirely of samurai so…

Also, if she was raised there, how would she know if the Uchiha clan had been slaughtered to the point where she would have to conceal her identity? Just a question.

Organization: Shinobi Forces

Clan/Bloodline: Uchiha/Sharingan (hasn't truely appeared yet!)

Rank: Genin

Chakra Nature: Fire/Lightning



Appearance: Average length, she is quite lightweight.
Her black eyes resemble her Uchiha heritage, though she doesn't realize she is one herself.
She is really proud of her waist-length black hair, she thinks its her signature feature of her own body. She usually wears a black-white kimono combined with the usual ninja sandals and her shinobi headband from Konoha.



Personality: Due to her past, Akashiya is used to have no friends. She is quite the loner, but she is friendly. Really friendly. This is due to her clan's Curse of Hatred. If the person she likes dies or wounded however, she snaps. You could consider her the famous "Yandere" type of person, but she isn't as extreme as most Yanderes are. She has respect for her opponents, as she believes that she has the potentional to become the next hokage. She is a calm person, though she gets heated in battle. She quickly trusts strangers, which is a good and bad thing.

Yes, quickly trusting strangers can also be a bad thing…

Random Pedo: hey gurl come into mah truck and i give u da candy

Akashiya: lol ok

See the problem? xD


History:
Akashiya has had a cruel past. Her mother was a very weak person, and she was very weak. Once, during a dark night, Lilith was traveling to a local village owned by samurai.

Wait, why was she travelling there in the first place? Unless she was going on a mission, I wouldn't have expected her to travel all the way to the Land of Iron all by herself.

While traveling there, she was assaulted from behind, and raped.

So, she got raped in the snowy mountains. Youch.

Also, going back to my previous question, why had she travelled to the Land of Iron in the first place? If she was on a mission, she would've been fully equipped and ready to fight off any threats. However, looking back, Lilith was a very weak woman, so I honestly have no idea why she would want to go out into a snow covered country where she could die of frostbite without the right clothing and/or anybody accompanying her.

She actually passed out from the attack. When she woke up, she was in the village of Samurai.

I'm guessing there must be some sort of village in the Land of Iron. It is a country, after all.

She soon realized what happened, and due to her injuries she was unable to walk. The samurai took care of her, but soon after she gave birth to Akashiya, she passed away.

I'm guessing there's a possibility the samurai would've taken her in, but I'm still a bit iffy on this one. Just because the Land of Iron has remained neutral for the past three ninja wars, doesn't mean they would just take in some random stranger into their walls, whether they are injured or not. This goes for all Hidden villages too.

The samurai decided to threat Akashiya like one of them, not knowing what clan she was from.

This is also a danger to their village. What if Akashiya had a completely different kekkei genkai that could blow up an entire mountain at will and the people had no knowledge of it whatsoever?

Akashiya learned the way of the samurai, becoming an apprentice in Kenjutsu. The samurai were quite impressed by her talent in sword-fighting, she had a lot of talent for a shinobi. Around the age of 14, Akashiya was dueling one of the other samurai, when she suddenly used some kind of genjutsu. Her eyes turned red, almost like a sharingan, as she created some kind of mirror image of her sword, making it close to impossible to block the attacks.

The only way to possibly unlock the Sharingan is for her to experience extreme emotions, such as rage, depression, or even intense life or death situations. Since she was only sparring, I don't see how she could've unlocked the Sharingan in any sort of state. Also, if it wasn't the Sharingan, I doubt she would be able to perform any type of jutsu, especially since she had no knowledge of basic genjutsu and ninjutsu. The Samurai in the Land of Iron use a different technique where they cloak their swords with chakra to increase their length and lethality, so I don't think they would have taught Akashiya the basics of genjutsu, let alone how to wield it.

That night, during a meeting, the samurai came together. They had no idea what kind of jutsu that was, but they knew for sure that she could be a great shinobi.

'They had no idea what kind of jutsu that was, but they knew for sure she had to be thrown out into the mountains for good as she posed a risk to the village.'

After a week or so, they decided to tell Akashiya the news: She was unique, and she was better off as a shinobi. At first she refused, but she later on realized that it was better. They brought Akashiya to the village of Konoha, who hesitated at first, but when they explained that she had already shown talent in genjutsu, they decided to take her in.

There are quite a few things wrong with this, but, going back to my previous comments, you might know where I'm going with this one.

Her first year at the academy in Konoha was hard, as she never used any jutsu as far as she was aware.

Then how was she able to use that wacky genjutsu technique in the first place if she had never used any jutsu before? Genjutsu requires hand signs too, you know. Also, children actually tend to enter the Academy at around age 6. Akashiya would have missed out on a lot.

Her second year however was quite easy, as she ended up being a genius. She was one of the best in her class in most areas besides Kenjutsu, where she was the absolute best.

The Mary Sue vibes are strong here. If she had entered when she was fourteen, how could she have risen up to the top of the class in only a year? Other students in her class would have attended the Academy way longer than Akashiya, and would have been way more knowledgeable. Even if she is an Uchiha prodidgy, I don't see that as an excuse for someone who hasn't practised the art of ninjutsu and genjutsu before. Attending the Academy is basically school but with sparring sessions to display simple techniques during Physical Education lessons. There's a lot of stuff to learn about the ninja world, which is why young kids start off at six and graduate many years later after going through many tests and trials.

Akashiya later on heard that the Samurai village she lived in got attacked, nobody survived.

Nah, the Samurai village would have been left unscathed. Remember, this is the Land of Iron we're talking about. It's covered in snow and ice and surrounded by big ass mountains. Their forces are very strong too, so I doubt anyone would have died if some random village decided to attack a village full of well equipped samurai.

Akashiya realized at that time that Konoha was her home. It took her a while, but at her age of 16, she finally managed to become a proud genin!
(Poor Akashiya, she doesn't even know what her future of being an Uchiha will bring her...)

Theme Song:
Battle:youtube.com/watch?v=4Ka9qDAII-c
General:youtube.com/watch?v=5e_cbtp4Yo0

Weapons/Items:
Katana
Name of Weapon or Item: Katana
Description: Famous weapon used by japanese warriors in history.
Appearance:



Skills/Abilities: (Things they are good at also include things they are poor at. Helps with training)
Her skill of Kenjutsu is way above that of others her age, even among samurai. She has a natural talent for Genjutsu. Her ninjutsu skill is quite low, due to never practicing it. She never uses Taijutsu. She relies on her katana a lot.

No, she would most definitely have to use Taijutsu, one way or another. Actually, she would probably be more skilled in it than any other form of offense (excluding Kenjutsu, of course), since she wields her sword so well.


Special Traits: High chakra levels, has a natural talent for Genjutsu, she is talented at Kenjutsu. She hasn't awaken the Sharingan yet.

Then what was that thing she did when she was sparring with Mr. Samurai? Even if there's only one tomoe visible, it still counts as awakening the Sharingan.


Kekkei Genkai: Sharingan

Traits/Abilities of Kekkei Genkai: The Uchiha clan are most feared for their dōjutsu kekkei genkai, the Sharingan. They can use their Sharingan to see chakra, cast various genjutsu, and, most infamously, copy opponents' jutsu. The Sharingan is such a versatile ability that many ninja consider it wiser to flee than to face an Uchiha in one-on-one combat.[14] Sharingan can be evolved into Mangekyō Sharingan by experiencing loss of a loved one, granting the user new and more powerful jutsu. Overuse of the Mangekyō eventually robs the Mangekyō of its sight, something that can only be restored by receiving another's eyes, preferably a sibling's, to create "eternal" Mangekyō. The Mangekyō's mechanics were long poorly misunderstood by the Uchiha, causing many to personally kill their loved ones to gain power.


Jutsu:

Canon Jutsu:
Academy Basics


Custom Jutsu:

Name of Technique: Sword Flicker Technique
Type of Jutsu: Genjutsu
Rank: B
Range: Long Range
Nature Type: None
Handseals: None
Description: Her eyes turn slightly red as she focuses on her sword, making the one she faces in battle think her sword is at another place than it actually is, faking the position of the sword. This causes strain on her eyes, and if she uses it too much in one day, she slowly starts losing sight and eventually becoming blind, aswell as causing physical pain to her eyes. This is easily recovered by taking a rest in the early stages, however the higher stages require medical attention (its cureable though).

Wait, so if her sword was in her hand, would she be able to cast an illusion that made the enemy believe it was an inch close to being shoved up their ass? That's pretty frightening, if you ask me.

Weakness: It requires the user to focus on his/her blade, the opponent to look at the caster, and it causes strain to the eyes besides costing chakra.

I can't really see a 'strain to the eyes' weakness to this jutsu. All in all, it seems like a basic genjutsu that anyone can perform to me. Genjutsu doesn't typically make your eyes feel like they're about to blow up. It also isn't necessary to use the Sharingan if all it's going to do is deplete your chakra and strain your eyes. It can just be classified as a simple D or C rank technique, really.

Running from the World

Yep, I'm still here

Mirror, Fox, Key

Still here! Hope I'll have time to get a post up soon :)

Naruto: King of the Dusk

Sorry guys for being so inactive lately >.< I'll try and catch up with you guys as soon as I can. If it's possible, I'll try getting the plot moving a little faster since the great Izaka has been extremely busy with life this week.

Naruto: King of the Dusk

okay so like

i just saw gemi's post

TaiGetsu ship still going strong IN MY BRAIN

Edit: @Shard Yeah, I think it's best to put an end to le restaurant scene in a few posts or so. I'll just get to the facts with my post later on.

Naruto: King of the Dusk

Seichi, Reiji, and Seiji.

Yes, @Shard, t'is a mouthful xD

Naruto: King of the Dusk

*posts la posts*

*rereads post*

*recalls every other shonen she's watched*

(Specifically the Talk no Jutsu)

FRIENDSHIP IS MAGIC

Naruto: King of the Dusk

Asuka Koizumi and Kanon Nakamura

The young Koizumi stood outside the building, leaning against the wall as she gazed up at the darkening sky. She inhaled and exhaled, her face finally returning to it's usual colour; pale and ghost-like.

Just… Just how did it end up like that? This whole day has just been an entire mess…

"Kanon-san seems to be back at one hundred and ten percent, eh? She really must want to be at the center of the group if she's drawing that much attention."

Looking to her left, the blonde haired Shingetsu appeared, standing tall amongst the other coming and going customers. The two made eye contact with each other for a moment, until the blonde decided to hide herself behind her jacket's collar, sighing.

"She didn't mean anything by it, Asuka-san. You know how she is, always speaking before she thinks it through."

Asuka remained silent. Of course Kanon didn't mean it. They had been friends for as long as she could remember, so why had she gotten so flustered and frustrated that time? Not that she didn't usually get flustered and frustrated during those type of moments, but yelling at her to shut up when she was merely teasing was something pretty old and unheard of. Kanon was definitely one of those people, and Asuka had already learned how to cope with her at times. This event, however, was an abnormal exception.

"I know that fully well, Shingetsu-san. It's just that… I'm not exactly in good shape today, " Asuka responded, clutching her injured arm. "I don't want to go back inside either just yet… I'm actually extremely embarrassed right now. Not because of Kanon, rather my own reactions towards her… Jeez, what sort of person am I to just walk out on my teammates like that?"

Mumbling the last few words so Shingetsu wouldn't hear, Asuka shuffled away a bit, concealing herself with her curtain of hair. This wasn't a side Asuka would show very often; she would go from a 'scary sister' type of girl to a girl that can't handle her own social awkwardness. Of course, talking to people wasn't a big problem for Asuka, but after what had just happened, her paranoia levels shot up way over nine thousand.

If I keep letting my embarrassment get the better of me, what could happen on future missions? Or when I'm talking to everyone else and something slips from Kanon's mouth? Why is it that I wasn't able to control myself then? A Koizumi shouldn't – no – I shouldn't be acting like this. It was a joke. I know it was.

"Asu-chan? Asu-chan, c'mere!"

Out of nowhere, Kanon shot towards Asuka, half of her face shadowed by her oversized hoodie. Grasping the smaller girl's shoulders, Kanon stared into Asuka's bright amber eyes, breathing heavily.

"Asuka, can I… talk to you in private for a sec?"

---

"I'm fine, Kanon, just let me calm down for a bit, please."

"Seriously, Asu-chan, what's gotten into you lately?"

The two were now arguing with each other face to face at the back of the restaurant, hiding in the darkness of the alleyway. Asuka stood there silently, taking her eyes off her red faced friend.

"Asuka Koizumi! You're not the kid I gave hearing problems all those years ago, right? Quit ignoring me!"

Realising that her friend might not be as talkative with her at the moment, Kanon silenced her self for bit, actually thinking over what she was going to say next. She didn't want to anger Asuka, nor sadden her, so a revision of suitable word choices was a definite yes.

"Look... I'm sorry. I just thought that… you know… you wouldn't take it as seriously. But then you just went and apparently screamed at me to shut up. Is there anything wrong at all? I'm your friend, Asuka, I don't want to see you all sad like this! This isn't like you!"

"Kanon… I'm very sorry as well, especially for shouting at you earlier on. Please, don't let yourself get dragged into my own problems."

"Asuka, quit mumbling! You know I can't hear properly and that you don't know sign language, so at least make it visible to me whilst you're talking. I'm trying to speak with you properly, you know?"

Asuka repeated her sentence, this time a bit slower, and much clearer. Kanon shook her head.

"That's not what I want to hear! I don't want a sorry, I just want to know why you're acting all grumpy all if a sudden! Does it look like I'm joking around here?"

"Kanon, please… I've just been a bit stressed lately, all right? I've been training nonstop for the past week, and I barely got any sleep today too-"

"This is why I've been telling you over and over again to give yourself a break! I bet you there isn't anyone out there who can train nonstop for hours on end without resting. Just look at yourself, Asuka. You're only fifteen years old. You've still got your whole life ahead of you before things actually get really, really serious. I don't know what's been going on with your clan, but I don't want you working yourself to death. I'm supposed to be your friend, Asuka. I'm supposed to be there for you. No one's going to get all pissy at you for not letting yourself slowly deteriorate."

The two were drowned in their own silence once again, staring each other down. With a big wide smile plastered on her face, Kanon tugged on Asuka's arm, pulling her out into the moonlight. Face blank and oblivious, the young Koizumi stared at Kanon. Those words had likely sparked Asuka with thought and relief.

"Well, looks like we better get back in! Can't miss the famous Mikaboshi sushi I've been dying to eat for ages! C'mon, don't want to miss it while the others start gobbling it all down, right?"

Asuka smiled. A simple, gentle smile. This was why they were friends in the first place. They were each other's everything. One with a strict and firm personality and another with a playful and big heart. Although they seemed vastly different from one another, there was now doubt Asuka and Kanon were the best of friends. Sure, they had their ups and downs, but in the end, everything was guaranteed to work out.

"Kanon?" Asuka whispered, tapping the girl on the shoulder as she was dragged back to the entrance.

"Hm? Is there something wrong, Asu-chan?"

"Thank you… very much."

Giggling, the girl beamed at Asuka, eyes glittering with joy. "Heh, no problem. At least I know never to use the word 'harem' in your presence ever again."

"Hmph, I sure do hope you better remember that."

And just like that, the negativity that had cloaked them previously was completely gone. Now wasn't the time to get all sulky and mad. This was a time for smiles of joy, a time to finally let out bursts of laughter and random jokes about random things. This was a time to finally relax.

Of course… It's not like I'll get a final result in only a few weeks. This technique takes a while to perfect… But still, I must get stronger. Not just for the squad, but for my clan's sake as well.

After all, it's only going to get tougher from here.