Scroll 4, Chocolate Problems:
Crystania looked sharply across the board to Abisu. She was in dire trouble and she knew it. Her most valuable asset was threatened. Her chess King was locked into the corner in nearly eight ways.
"I lose. I cannot move enough in one action to save my king. You win Abisu." The frail, yet healthy Hyuuga girl smiled across the chessboard made of bread. "Even without my Byakugan could I win this day."
It was a bright, sunny morning as the hospital patients enjoyed the outdoors. Crystania Hyuuga Jokou sat across from her two newest friends: Abisu and Yuro.
"You're such a push-over, Cry-sama." Yuro smirked with his thin lips. "We should teach you to be an ass-kicker!"
"Do not fault your eyes my good friend. They possess the ability to see the world, quite a lot of it, around them but only at that moment. I think that if you could see the future, you would be the most valued nin in Konoha." He smiled and laughed at Yuro's words. "But then we would have two ass-kickers Yuro-san, and that would offset the balance. I think one is enough." He looked around, wondering if he should set up chess again or propose the idea to go eat.
Abisu looked around, standing up and holding out his hands to help the others up. "Are you ready to go? My brother said he has our rooms set up. And Yuro, have you decided to accept Ebisu-sama's offer and stay with me and my clan along with Crystania?" Abisu wasn't too sure what all Yuro had for options, but he would like to remain as close to his friends as possible.
"Tch, yea I'd have to stick with you two wet-sticks, otherwise you'd bore yourselves to puddles of…" Yuro looked like he was word-lost as Crystania picked up her peach-carved king-piece and stuck it into Yuro's mouth to get a facial reaction.
"You don't mean that, Yuro-chan, do you?" the one-eyed Hyuuga laughed as she stood up. "You're as ready to get out of this place as both Abisu-chan and I are!"
Abisu laughed at Yuro as the white-brown haired Sasuke-personality-mimicker male's green eyes went wavy as he wrapped his thoughts around the peach king in his mouth.
"ACK, Cry-sama, don't embarrass me here!" Yuro reached up and exhumed his food to properly set it in his mouth. "Just think of the implications…a girl giving me a pe-"
Crystania giggled even louder as she took both her hands and scooped up grape bishops, apple knights, cherry pawns, orange rooks and a melon queen and squished it all into Yuro's big mouth.
"You talk too much, Yuro." She hiss-giggled as she followed Abisu to the gate leading to the Med-center's exit. "Let's go see our new rooms, Abisu-Chan. Yuro-chan's too busy eating our game board."
"Crystania! I was going to eat some of that! Oh well, I guess it will just be that much easier to stomach my brothers cooking! He is a good man, a good nin, but if I have ever been afraid of anything, it was his cooking."
He nodded, waiting until Crystania turned to give Yuro a smack on the back to help him cough out the pieces. He then tapped Yuro's shoulder, and nodded towards the exit. He would lead them through town, talking in his normal manner about mundane things or their surroundings, or random interesting facts that would almost never be needed, until he slowed to a stop. "Ah, home at last."
They would be standing outside of a normal looking compound. It wasn't separated from the village, and didn't have too much space of its own around it so they were still in the village, and still mixed in amongst its people, but the house did have a very homey and comfortable feel to it. Like Abisu and his brother, it didn't stand out much in the crowd.
"I TOLD YOU LADY, I…DON'T KNOW!" The sound of a seriously short-tempered Ebisu was heard as the trio entered the compound. Sounds of a furious kitchen escapade accompanied the older jounin's shrill voice.
"How can you NOT BLOODY KNOW CHOCOLATE!" A strange woman's voice echoed after Ebisu's. "ESPECIALLY WITH THE GENIN YOU HAVE!"
Crystania, Yuro and Abisu entered the kitchen area to find a slightly cowed Ebisu blockaded in a corner as the scene truly looked like a tornado had spent the night in the cooking area. Nearly all the cook-bowls were in use with various brown pastes dripping down the sides of some.
"Good woman, I ask you for the last time, please leave or I shall have to call authority down upon you!" Ebisu's voice turned deadly serious now.
"Awh, come on boss, we didn't know where else to take her!" Konohamaru laughed from a counter. He, his two other team mates and Mai Uzaruki were dipping their fingers into smaller bowls, eating the same kind of brown, creamy past.
"You are a sad, sad little man!" The towering, brown-skinned woman that had previously been locked up with Kentarou had been intercepted by Team Ebisu as she was en-route to Sunagakure. Ebisu, being the jounin he was, had to take precautions and bring her in to be questioned.
"I am…am not!" Ebisu outraged indignantly. "You are the one that is prisoner here, lady."
Jino had only laughed and turned back to the large oven to watch the contents inside like a hawk. She had been waylaid since the Chibi-Cook had ditched her and sent her to join the other Wheel Nin Sunagakure. Since then, having broken out of her holding cell, she had tracked down her aggressors; only to be halted in her path of revenge by the lack of tantalizing smell of chocolate in the household.
"Ero-man, you simply MUST use chocolate to help your genin's confidence grow!"
While she was hawk-eyeing her cooking creation, she missed – or didn't care – the trio's entrance.
Abisu raised an eyebrow at the chaos before him. He was disappointed that his home-coming was thus marred, but knew that letting that show and control his emotions would only make things worse. He felt an overwhelming need for diplomacy and being polite. He looked around the room once and spoke in a calm tone:
"Konohamaru-san, if my sister catches you here with your hands covered in something that has made a mess of her home, she will be most angry with you. I think it would be a good idea, for your health and her temper, if you came back to train with Ebisu later on in the day." He'd wait just a moment in hopes that Konohamaru and his trio would take the hint and take-off, or at least hide, before turning to Jino:
"And although delicious, are you sure that chocolate is something to be used in heavy amounts on children just…coming into themselves? It may be good for you, but its side-affects may lead them astray in such…" Abisu looked around the room to emphasize his next words, "…huge amounts. Also, may I ask why you seem to have commandeered our kitchen?" He kept his tone calm, co-operative, and as far away from accusing as possible.
Yet another strange nin had been in the village, though he'd been there for a day already. He wasn't wearing a headband, so his origins were impossible to identify, but he stood out in a crowd like a fire in a dry forest. He was explosively colorful and had a guitar strapped to his back next to a violin. along his arms and legs were many other instruments of the hand-held variety. He took a deep breath in through his nose, smelling the chocolate, and wandered up to stand a few yards behind Yuro and Crystania, licking his lips as he looked at Jino. she might recognize that he was just hungry, or loved chocolate, and wasn't being a pervert.
"Ah, hello there, I thought I smelled another trace-scent of an Uzaruki." Jino crowed in triumph as the oven gave its customary 'ding' and the thin, willowy woman whisked out two sheets of chocolate-nut cookies.
"As to your question, Chibi-Ebisu-chan, I was merely assisting this kind jounin it his attempts to welcome you home."
Either Jino was psychic, or she was extremely well versed in reading the tiny, minute twitches of body language and social situations; using the skill to make scarily accurate assumptions. "I am guessing you are related to my jailer?"
Jino, using two long, strides of her creamy brown legs to stand beside Ebisu, the Ryuukage's elven-pink eyes took in the new additions to her environment – namely the three older kids: Abisu, Crystania and Yuro, as well as the guitar-owning ninja that had come up behind them.
"Open up, Ebisu-san!" Jino, making the nose of Abisu's older jounin brother trickle blood. "Not me, you silly, these!" The Ryuukage slipped a four-pointed shuriken star cookie into his mouth. "Yo, you'd better not move for the next second, kiddies!"
The suave ninja woman spun on her sandaled heel and threw a shuriken cookie at her target that was behind Abisu.
Abisu blinked as the cookie-shuriken flew past him and at the man behind him. He'd heard the nin approach, but figured he'd deal with one problem at a time.
The strange nin opened his mouth wide and ate the cookie, his body freezing for a moment as he closed his eyes, chewed twice, and swallowed. His head snapped forward, eyes wide with a semi-serious look on his face.
"That…" he stretched his arms out to his sides. "…was…" they spun in their joints until they were facing the opposite direction. "…DELICIOUS!"
His opposite-arms bent around his back and started playing and strumming the guitar, his knees bent and his head swirling around like a rocker as he busted out a quick little solo. It only lasted for seven seconds until he stopped, his arms spun back to normal, and he smiled wide and crazy towards Jino.
"YOU ROCK WOMAN!"
Abisu's eyes were a little widened, eyebrows raised, at the man's strange behavior. He wasn't sure if he should be alarmed, disgusted, irritated, or entertained. Although his stomach did growl.
Yuro, having been alert as well, had slid slightly backwards to put Crystania in front of him. But when the man reacted the way he did, both he and Abisu were perturbed.
"What…the heck are you, lady?" Yuro's mouth watered as Jino shooed the four young kids off the counter and began cleaning up after herself.
"Ah, thank so very much, I'm not Ryuukage for nothing, ya know."
In the corner, Ebisu was reduced to flushed cheeks and lovey-dovey eyes as he slowly chewed the cookie his prisoner had placed in his mouth.
"Oh, Abisu-nee-san, you simply must…try one!" Being allowed to move freely now, the shade-wearing ninja scooped up one of the cookie-sheets and moved towards his younger brother, Crystania and Yuro. "Please, try one!"
"You see! A little chocolate goes a long, long way to disabling enemies without blood shed." Jino looked over her brown-clad shoulder towards the polite Abisu and bowed her head and soft apology. "Forgive me if I came across as bold, but after I clean my mess up, I shall be on my way…taking my new friend with me." The pink-eyed lady had meant the guitar-wielding ninja.
Crystania had watch the scene unfold – all within a minute – and allowed her mouth to hang wide open.
"Oh my god! What is that heavenly smell!"
"I told you it was one of my Onee-chan's friends!" Little Mai squealed in pleasure as Moegi greedily licked her chocolaty-paste-filled cup. Next to her, Udon was smiling into his empty vestibule, wanting more.
"Big-Boss-Lady, can I have more!" Udon snuffled his nose as he too, had a look of pure bliss on his face. "Please!"
"Sorry, kid, I'm done here. I've overstayed my forced welcome." Jino's voice drifted around her as she was intensely busy with hot water, cleaning cloth and suds.
"Hell yeah! I could get so DOWN with YOU!" the man said in an almost...surfer way of talking. He seemed like he was about to strike a pose, but rather reached down and pulled a flute off of his leg. He began playing into it, the melody the exact opposite of his earlier antics. As he played, the bowls began to shake and rattle a little. After a moment, they rolled, bouncing a little almost as though dancing, towards the sink, spinning until the chocolate flew out of them to the point of cleanliness.
Any other mess would be confronted by spinning and twisting clothes that moved in unison as they got around the mess, before depositing themselves next to the sink. He paused, opening an eye, to see Abisu and most of the other kids staring at him with open wonder. Abisu was torn once more between open amazement, curiosity, and again alarm at this man's strange abilities. He smiled, stood at ease, and strapped the flute once more to his leg.
After the man stopped, Abisu turned towards Ebisu.
"I…think I am ready for your cooking brother. I need something to make the world normal again."
Snapping out of his cookie-induced euphoria, Ebisu shook his head and stared down at the cookie sheet.
"Yes! Of course, please forgive me, Abisu-nee-san." Ebisu turned around to place the sheet on the counter and looked – glared – at his genin team.
"Al right you little lazy-bums! Go job around the Hokage's office thirty times! Hop too, now! I shall join you in a while, Konohamaru-sama. Don't you dare slack off now!"
Crystania laughed as she, Yuro and Abisu entered the sitting room and took seats as the genins and Mai shot out of the Ebisu kitchen in record time. Yuro, however, was intrigued as the blue-eyed version of Yukari ran past him. The little girl had the exact same, spiky short hairstyle that Yukari had when Yuro last remembered seeing her. Bringing his hand to his shoulder then to his hip and back again; the recovered team 13 genin looked lost as Crystania pushed him into a seat.
"Thank you so very much Ebisu-sama!" Mai turned and bowed; having to be drug out of the doorway by Konohamaru.
"Come on Mai, if Boss-lady catches us here, we're dead still!"
"Oh come on, Kono-boss, Onee-chan wouldn't kill us for spying on her having se-" Moegi and Udon's hands appeared and clapped over Mai's mouth; just in time too, as Ebisu's sharp eyes and ears glinted their way.
"Mai! Let's go!" Moegi whispered into Mai's ear. "No need to tell anyone about that thing, ok!"
With or without Mai's answer the four kids ran off, planning more mischief.
Ebisu only shook his head; looked blankly at the nearly-eight foot tall woman and reached into the refrigerator to extract what ever it was he had come up with to celebrate his younger brother's return.
"I am glad to have you home safe and sound, Abisu-chan!" Ebisu smiled as he dramatically entered the sitting room; flourishing his hand-made food sandwiches. Using a pointer finger to push those dark shades up his nose via habit, Ebisu positioned himself and half-watched the kitchen and the sitting room with his other half of attention.
"And I am very glad to be home safe and sound, Ebisu-chan!" Abisu smiled, moving forward to give his brother a hug. He separated, picking up one of the sandwiches and hoping that, since it looked like this food didn't have to be cooked; his brother couldn't have messed it up. He was wrong, but not very. "I see your culinary skills are improving!" he laughed, motioning for Crystania and Yuro to make themselves at home.
The strange nin watched the trio of little-nin, and the mini-nin, run off before turning towards Jino. "So you don't seem like you belong here either, my chocolate skinned chocolate chakra'd chicka." he no longer seemed to have a surfer accent, but spoke in a mostly normal voice.
As he spoke, he idly played with a small instrument in his hand. It looked like a tiny harp, with a hole in the handle for his thumb. He would spin the object around and play with just his left hand. The sound wasn't very loud, but it did have the effect of the surrounding area seeming to be a lot more peaceful. The man stood straight, eyes not as wide-opened as when he'd first walked up, and was smiling with ease. He seemed a lot less insane now as he waited for her response.
"You'd be right; I am not from around here." The pink-eyed woman finished placing the last cooking bowl in its proper place and quietly left the Ebisu kitchen, shoving the guitar-wielding ninja in front of her and out the side door – locking it behind her. The Ryuukage had stayed long enough, and now wanted to catch up with the dragon she had sent ahead of her to Skiminachi's fellow Wheel Nin.
"I'm Jino-sama, and I would very much like to know your name, stranger."
"Me? I'm ROXXANND!" he said with a shout, his right hand slapping a hidden drum in his pants, and the other flicked, spinning the little instrument.
A quick burst of wind flew upwards from the ground at their feet, striking multiple notes on his guitar before dissipating. If Jino was wearing any loose clothing, it would also have the side-effect of blowing that upward for a moment, though by the look on his face when he introduced himself that was far from his intended purpose.
Jino laughed in joy as her hair and baggy shirt blew up in his breeze – yea, her cookies were that good.
"So now that we're not strangers, does that mean we're friends?" He smiled crookedly, half-joking.
"Well, I guess so…" Jino sighed as she looked upwards to the elite ninja that had surrounded the dusty path she walked on. "It would seem that they have finally caught up to me."
The Ryuukage grinned feline-ically and lifted her hands to the sky. "OY, I would most like to be directed to the…Hokage…'s office now!"
Roxxannd shrugged and raised his hands up in the same manner she had. "…and until I am able to locate my brother I will follow this person!" After a moment he leaned over to Jino and whispered:
"Who's the Hokage?"
"I'm guessing we'll soon find out…" Jino's smile slid into oblivion as the Konoha ninja led them deeper into the village.
XXX
Inside, Crystania had laughed freely as she ate one of Ebisu's sandwiches. "Oh, I love pickles!"
"Ah, I was wondering what that was." Abisu looked to see if Yuro was able to stomach the food well enough. He sometimes wasn't sure if his brothers cooking really was that bad, or if he'd just gotten so used to it being bad it always tasted that way. "So, not for today at least but…" he paused to take a bite. "When do you think we might be able to get back to training, brother?"
Yuro had taken one bite of his sandwich and was now comically choking on the pickle – due to the tone of voice Crystania had used on the word 'pickle.' Yuro had taken it as a sexually-loaded threat, and had reacted like Sasuke would have reacted. Ebisu had merely perked up an eyebrow at the boy and pounded the platinum blonde-haired kid on the back.
"Training, ah yes." Ebisu once again slid his shades up onto his nose. "I have yet to discuss the subject of getting you a new sensei to train under."
"Where is Jamaru-sensei?" Yuro asked blatantly. "And my other two team-mates, Sudokari and Yukari-san?"
Abisu paused, not quite sure what to say. he had inquired into Yuro's past, wondering if something similar had happened to him, also wanting to know more about a person that he might be inviting to his home. He just wasn't sure if he was the person that should tell him or not, so he looked to his brother with a questioning look on his face.
"To put it bluntly, kid, your sensei was a traitor and, like his brother Mizuko-sensei; was sentenced to be excommunicated and sent to prison." Ebisu's face had a seriously serious look on it as he – eyes being hidden by those black-shades – looked sadly at Yuro Maso. "As for your other two friends…Sudokari Misaruki is dead, and Yukari Uzaruki is out on a mission."
"…" Yuro sat there, his fingers templed to his lips as his navy-blue shirt rustled in his action to lean forward to slide into his best brooding pose.
"Oh it's so very sad, right Yuro-chan?" Crystania, being the odd one; laughed and slapped Yuro on the back; making him shift overly forward and land his face into the chip-dip.
Abisu grabbed Crystania's wrist if she went to smack him again, putting his finger to his lips and making a silent motion. He thought Yuro would either act like nothing was wrong and be his usual self; or break down and cry or attack something. He sighed, knowing this kind of news was never easy to take in.
Yuro grunted and pulled his face out of the chip dip and stood up. "I'll be outside, if anyone cares…" Then, turning on his heel, Yuro – his face now partially matching his hair color: white – left through the closest exit; the front.
"I'm sorry…I didn't mean to push him into the table…" Now Crystania looked like she was about to cry.
I'm an absolute freak, slapping my friends like that… The Hyuuga girl thought to herself as she too, stood up and quickly moved into the kitchen – where she promptly started in on those shuriken cookies Jino left behind. The Hyuuga girl was socially inept to the point of painfulness.
XXX
Jack was still walking around the village, though his other two brothers had left at about the same time the rest of his family had with the Wheel and leaf-nin. He'd been rather contemplative over the past few days. He had, over the past year, had a long term goal he'd wanted to achieve and little else entered his mind.
But recently the possibility of another kind of life, however faint that chance was, had entered. So now he was looking for Meiko. He saw a smaller version of Yukari up ahead so just waited, waving to her and Konohamaru's group. He hoped they stopped, as it always got awkward chasing people down.
"Shhh!" A soft, feminine voice hissed at Jack. "Don't let those losers know you're here!" Meiko's hand shot out and grabbed Jack's elbow, using enough strength to pull him onto another dirt-path that Konoha had lots of. "Mai'll only pester you until you go insane!"
Meiko Uzaruki stood in the shadow of the building that now stood between Konohamaru, Moegi, Udon, Mai, Meiko and Jack. "She is just as annoying as a sunbeam."
"I was wondering who was watching me since I'd ordered all of mine out of the village. I'm already a little off in the head, and I like sunbeams: I didn't see one until I was six." Jack was extremely pale skinned, like the rest of his family – he grew up out of the sun's rays and like per said, didn't see the sun till age six.
Jack let himself get pulled along though, smiling for a moment as he just quickly thought of something. He made it seem as though her pulling him caused him to trip over something, then used that to send his body falling, turning to give her a hug and put his arms around her. Like his usual habit, he was silent, waiting for her response.
Meiko's face went red as her eyes; her arms reactively catching Jack as he fell. Feeling his arms around her, Meiko canted her head and smiled. Is this what it feels like to like-like somebody?
XXX
The dude smiled even wider as he walked deeper in, staring for long moments of time at the oddest places. "I can see WHERE he's been, but not where he went…hmmmm. He said he had something he really wanted to tell me too. So what brought you here Jino?" He asked, acting as though the other ninja around them didn't exist.
"Well, I suppose I was brought here by an old, idiotic friend of mine; chances of fate, as it were. I've spent the whole of last night and yesterday scouting the areas around here. So I've figured I would be escorted to the Hokage, their leader, when I was caught yesterday evening by a team of Leaf Ninja." Jino smiled as the Konoha Elite ninja held out his hand; wanting her weapons.
"I'll have to ask you to remove any weapons you have, Ona-san." One of them asked. Jino shrugged gave her kunai and senbon right up; keeping only her ninja-headband that hung off her waist.
"It's time to meet the Hokage!" Jino laughed, sending the Konoha ninja into a tense situation.
Roxxannd sighed, bowing his head when the ninja asked for weapons removal. He took off his guitar, his flute, violin, a kazoo, mini-harp, and a wind-chime. He unzipped the back of his shirt and took out a harp, pulled an ocarina out of his pants, a recorder out of his shoe, and what looked like it might be a wind instrument on the end of a string that was attached to a stick. He then pulled off a cap he had been wearing, reached into his shirt to pull something, and his hair came out, landing in the cap in a large ball. His hair had gone a little past his waist; it was a large ball of hair. He then shook his legs one by one and all the standard nin-weapons fell out, shuriken, kunai, etc.
"I always forget how big my collections grown. I think I've forgotten a few, it's been so long since I used them." He did hold one wind instrument in his hand though. He kept a pretty good grip on it, as though it might have more personal meaning than offensive. "Please don't let anyone play those, it might kill them." He said as he turned towards Jino and smiled. He was just going to follow her lead for now, though he might've been a little extreme with taking off so much.
"Ona-san, please remove your body armor." Haiko, the snotty-assed ninja that teased Yukari asked Jino again. "It the presence of the Hokage, you must not have any weapons."
The rest of the Konoha ninjas there sweat-dropped as Jino brushed her hands off as she entered the Hokage's office un-escorted. Haiko was on the ground, critically injured with punch-marks.
"Come on, Rox-chan, the Hokage hates to be kept waiting." Jino motioned at him.
"Somebody smells like they've had too much whoop-ass." Roxxannd stepped over Haiko as he followed Jino into the office. He looked around the office, then leaned and looked around Jino's side to see if he could spot the Hokage. Without his hair, hat, and instruments, he looked like just a weird, but very colorful, man.
Jino smiled to the black-haired lady that stood stoutly in front of the Hokage's office door.
"I'll not let you pass, stranger. The Hokage is busy now." Shizune said as Tonton oinked from next to her.
"Ah, are you the Hokage, then, youngling?" Jino stood at least a head over Shizune and smiled down at her. "That's a neat animal you have there, what is it?" the Ryuukage bent down and scooped up the Pig. "This animal is soo cute!"
"OINK!" Tonton wriggled in Jino's grasp. "OOOINK!"
XXX
Jack cracked a smile while Meiko couldn't see it. That worked out rather well. He coughed; then unwrapped his arms from around her, standing up straight and dusting himself off. "Sorry about that, you caught me a little off guard there so I didn't balance in time. So were you just in the area or were you watching me?"
"I was NOT spying you…I was looking for my older sister, Yukari-san. I wanted to ask her if she could get me in to the Rookery to see the baby birds." Meiko's face was still red as she watched Jack remove himself from the hug. "I wanted to get my own messenger bird soon, and I wondered if I would choose from this clutch."
"Haha, if you say so. Yukari? She left sometime yesterday on a mission that I'm told is going to be very long. A bir-oooo, I had almost forgotten that your family is good with birds. I am used to many other kinds of messengers. Myself." Jack hadn't planned this out, but he was still shirtless, wearing only pants like he always was. He was decently lean and muscled. It looked like the only thing stopping him from being a physically-built bad-ass was his age.
"She has? YES!" Meiko did a little dance. "Now I'm the oldest Uzaruki girl in the Village! Sweet! Like your body. Let's go find out if we can sneak in and find those birds!" Meiko grinned fearlessly and motioned Jack to follow her on the rooftops.
XXX
Abisu sighed, grabbing a couple of clean towels off the counter. After a few quick hand signs and there were two of him in the room. They turned towards each other, nodded, nodded to Ebisu, and then went through different doors to get to their varying friends.
"Use this to wipe your face off." He said as he held out a towel for Yuro.
"Please…forgive her. I think that since she has been cooped up most of her life and had no real friends, she doesn't know how to act around others sometimes."
"Well, I don't know what to do either. The Med-nin says it's been two years since I slipped into a coma and life has changed all around me." Yuro muttered evenly.
"Then Ebisu-sama up and tells me that my team mate is dead and my sensei is a traitor. I'm just relieved that Yukari-chan is ok." The blonde-genin smiled weakly and tilted his head back to feel the sun on his face. "My world is twisted and broken like my team, Abisu-san. I don't know what I should do next. Sudokari-san was our leader…"
"Your world is not twisted or broken, just very stretched by so much time that has passed without you. You will be able to see this Yukari when she returns, and you can always find where your Sudokari's grave is to visit. I myself do not know how you should feel about your old sensei, and for what to do next? Keep living. You have me and Crystania now, and you can live here for now. Soon, we will begin training again. Even if it does not feel like what you should do, stay with us until everything makes more sense." He smiled and gave his friend a pat on the back.
Yuro lowered his face and smirked at Abisu. "Sure. Let's move in to a place and then go heckle that Blonde-Hokage to tell us everything of what we should know."
XXX
The Abisu-clone walked into the kitchen and closed a hand around the hand of Crystania's that currently held a cookie.
"Slow down a little; enjoy it more. Besides, we may want some soon as well." he said before sitting next to her. "Don't feel too bad. Hopefully, Yuro-san will see you don't have much practice with this sort of thing…and will forgive you. If not, there is always something you can do to make it up to him."
"But, I was such an ass: he heard his team die, and he leaned forward like he was going to explode." Crystania's better eye shed a few tears as her hand lowered the shuriken cookie. "I wasn't going to let him do that to himself, no way. Yuro-chan is on our team now. You and me and him."
The Hyuuga reject girl babbled on, not caring if Abisu was going to hit her to get her to shut up or not. "Yuro was so sad looking. I hated that."
"I did not like it either. But the next time somebody is sad, be sad or silent with them for a moment. At least, do not laugh. Yuro will understand once you explain it to him, or maybe he will just figure it out all his own. He'll forgive you."
" – sniffle – I hope so, I like Yuro-chan, he's so brave and…and…normal looking." Crystania put the cookie back on the counter and turned to the door. "Let's go see what he's doing now!"