Becoming friends [Kumo shinobis only!]

[Yuki-chan]

Where this take place: Here.

Yukiko's parents: These two.

The female was on her way to a small Chinese restaurant with her parents. But they were expecting one more guest.
Parents had to approve the teammates if their child was below 16 and a Genin. "Looks like we're early" said Kenichi while he looked at his wristwatch. It was 11:55 AM; they was supposed to meet Atlas at noon.

"Yukiko-chan, can you please tell me a little about your teammate?" asked Akiko as they sat down. "Uhm...I met him that day I was going to buy Shoujo Jump for two weeks ago.
He said he was going to take a mission and I wanted to go with him. After that, you two approved him for a couple of missions" said Yukiko. The older woman nodded in agreement.

"We'll let you be with him for a couple of minutes. We want it to look like we want to pay his dinner since he has accompanied you on your first missions" said the older man.
"OK" said the girl before she went to a small both that was straight across theirs. That way, they could see her easier. She had told him when and where they would eat.

[Estilo]

°Enter°

Atlas strode into the restaurant and gazed upon its somewhat classy interior. Tables and chairs filled the center of the large restaurant, while booths in the back and to the sides stood up against the walls. Chinese artwork and styles covered the entire scene, and the sweet smell of cooked pork wafted through the air, among the chatter of people conversing with one another. A young host at the entrance, dressed up in what appeared to be a legitimate expensive suit, stood up straight upon the ninja's arrival, standing behind a counter and clicking his pen as he dangled its tip over a sheet of paper.

"Good evening, sir. Seating for one?"

"I'm actually expecting to meet someone here." Atlas answered. "A little girl- yay high?" He would continue, gesturing towards Yukiko's approximate height. "She's here with her parents."

"Ah, yes. The Fuyumori family. They're right over there."

Atlas would follow the direction of the host's pointed finger, but see only Yuki in a booth afar. Wasn't she supposed to be here with her parents, too? He simply figured they weren't here yet. After thanking the host for the help, he would stride past the occupied tables and chatting patrons before stopping a few feet away from Yuki. "Hey there, kid." He would smile, sliding into the seat opposite from hers. "Did I come a bit early? I'm anxious to meet your folks." A grumble would emit from the pit of his stomach. "And eat breakfast." He'd add.

[Yuki-chan]

"Hey there kid" said the male as he slid into the seat that was opposite from hers. "Did I come a bit early? I'm anxious to meet your folks. And eat breakfast" said Atlas while his stomach grumbled a bit.
"My parents will be here in a couple of minutes; I arrived early so I could get a nice booth" said the female with a small smile.

A pair of adults sat in a booth looked at the man with their clear blue eyes. "He does not look that threatening to me...but he seems a little old to be a Genin. He looks to be somewhere between 24 and 28" muttered Kenichi in a low voice so the said man did not hear them.
"Maybe he moved to Kumo in his teens or something and had to start at a lower rank because of the war. One of my classmates were degraded to Chuunin for a couple of years" said Akiko as she looked at her daughter.

Back at the table, Yukiko decided to start the conversation that her parents had asked her to do. "I took a purikura* with my brothers today. Look" said the girl before she rummaged around in her wallet a little.
She then hold up a passport photo that had three people in it; two of them were boys with medium ashblond hair while their eyes had the same shade as hers. They looked to be about 7 years and had a funny smile at their faces.

"These two are my brothers Hisao-kun and Koji-kun. Do you have any siblings?" asked the Genin while she laid the photo back in her wallet.
Her parents had told her to ask him about family if he had not told her about it. It was not unnatural since he was here to meet her parents and had never said anything. Coming to think of it, he had never mentioned his family or friends but neither had she.

Purikura = This.

[Estilo]

Atlas would lean forward in interest as Yukiko showed him a picture depicting her and her younger relatives. "These two are my brothers Hisao-kun and Koji-kun. Do you have any siblings?"

"Siblings?" Atlas would repeat. "Noooo... I grew up as an only child actually- in the Land of Bears. But I do have several cousins who I'd consider my siblings." He smiled as he tapped his forehead in thought. "Let's see... my cousin Gintaro lives in Kusagakure. He's a strange sort, like me, but much smarter. Then there's my cousin Zel, too. He actually lives here in Kumogakure, but I don't know what's been happening with him lately, to be honest. I believe he's in Kuma no Kuni, right now. Visiting my mum."

He wondered whether he should venture any further- into the volatile relationship with his heartless father, or the fact that he had a wife and a brother-in-law, or the fact that he used to have a son- but he quickly corrected himself of these thoughts. They were not for the ears of children such as Yuki, and, quite frankly, Atlas didn't like talking about those topics anyway. Instead, he turned his attention back to Yukiko's photo, reaching out a hand to gently hold it and smile. The three looked happy, smiling toothy smiles as kids their age normally do, and he was reminded of his relationship with those cousins of his he had mentioned. They were young men now- still teenagers, practically- but when he himself was a teenager, he used to take them to carnivals and trips. Thus, he had a good idea how much of a handful younger siblings could be. And, in turn, he developed a new respect for little Yukiko.

"I had no idea you were an older sister, Yuki-chan." He would say, handing back the picture with a smile. "Do you like taking care of your little brothers? I bet they're a handful sometimes, huh?"

[Yuki-chan]

"Siblings? Noooo... I grew up as an only child actually- in the Land of Bears. But I do have several cousins who I'd consider my siblings." said the male with a smile, tapping his forehead in thought. The female leaned forwards, curious to hear what he had to say. This was interesting.

"Let's see... my cousin Gintaro lives in Kusagakure. He's a strange sort, like me, but much smarter. Then there's my cousin Zel, too. He actually lives here in Kumogakure, but I don't know what's been happening with him lately, to be honest. I believe he's in Kuma no Kuni, right now. Visiting my mum." said Atlas.

Both of her parents listened intently to what the young man had to say; it seemed like he was an average guy so far. "It's a good thing that he is close to his cousins since he does not have any siblings. But I wonder why he did not mention his father" muttered the male with a hint of suspicion in his voice.
"I agree with you on that. But I would believe that a man his age should have - or had - a relationship with a woman" said the female.

"Perhaps he does not want to share the details with Yukiko-chan since she's so young. I can't see any ring on his finger, so perhaps that's why" said Kenichi.
"I had no idea you were an older sister, Yuki-chan. Do you like taking care of your little brothers? I bet they're a handful sometimes, huh?" asked the young man.

"Yeah...sometimes they won't listen to me, break into my room, mess up my things or stuff like that. But it's nice to have someone to play with and they can be quite nice sometimes. They bought me my favourite chocolate and a pair of smiley earstuds for my last birthday" said Yukiko before she tucked her hair behind her ears.
A pair of bright yellow smiley faces were on her earlobes; childish perhaps but it was something special to her. "Why do you pair up with me on missions and not someone else?" asked the girl with a curious look on her face.

[Estilo]

Yuki-chan cheerfully displayed the gift her brothers had given her for her last birthday- a pair of bright yellow studs placed on the lobes of her ears. But just as abruptly as she had done so, she asked him another question. "Why do you pair up with me on missions and not someone else?" A curious expression would appear on her face as she asked it, and Atlas would pause a moment before answering. Had she forgotten the first day they'd met? He'd made a silent promise that day, that he hadn't exactly made clear verbally, but was one of the sole reasons he was teaming up with the child to begin with.

He'd mock thinking for a bit, propping his elbows up on the table and placing up his chin on the palm of his hand. "Let's see... why do I team up with you..." Closing his eyes, as he continued the charade, he would suddenly fling them open and snap his fingers. "Maybe cause you're so darn cute!" He'd smile, tapping Yuki's forehead gently. "Or maybe because I made a promise to you the day we met... remember?" He wondered whether she still had the coin he'd given her that day. Its importance was more to him than she could have ever imagined... but he felt right giving it to her for safe-keeping. He'd been holding on to it for far too long, anyway. And the memories that came with it... he'd had enough of them.

"I made a promise to you that day," He continued, taking off one of his gloves, before reaching for one of the two glasses of ice water the waiter had left just recently. "I'm going to help you find a team. And until I do so, I don't need to be bothered with anyone else."

He tipped the edge of his glass towards his lips and chugged down a gulp of cold water, releasing a satisfying 'Ah' when he was finished. He pondered whether he should go on any further- to tell her he saw potential in her skills as a ninja, and character as a human being. He couldn't exactly explain it, but helping her achieve her goals was something that fulfilled and reinforced his reason for being a warrior. But he would remain silent instead, taking a moment to glance around at the restaurant and see if Yukiko's parents were here yet. Did they normally leave Yuki alone like this? He found it hard to believe so.

[Yuki-chan]

"Let's see... why do I team up with you..." said the male before he closed them for a couple of seconds. "Maybe cause you're so darn cute!" said Atlas and poked the female's forehead.
"Or maybe because I made a promise to you the day we met... remember?" said the young man. "Promise? Hmmmm" said Yukiko while she tried to remember what he had told her for about two weeks ago when she ran into him.

Both of her parents listened intently; this was probably the reason why this person teamed up with her in the first place. "I made a promise to you that day, I'm going to help you find a team. And until I do so, I don't need to be bothered with anyone else." said the Genin as he sipped the water.
"I think we should get over there now...I want to know this guy" said the older female while the male across her nodded.

"Sorry we're late" said Kenichi as he sat down next to his two beloved women. "That's OK daddy. Mum, dad, this is Atlas-senpai" said the girl while she gestured towards him. "Senpai, this is my dad Kenichi and my mum Akiko" said the Genin as she gestured in their direction. "Nice to meet you" said both of them in unison.

"Senpai has been on three "C"-ranked missions with me where we have escorted wagons with chips, reconstructed the city and caught a dog with...rabies" said the female. "Thanks of taking care of Yukiko-chan. Sorry if she's been a handful" said the older man with a small smile on his face.
"I've been a good girl dad! He's a nice guy; when we caught that rabies dog he made sure that I didn't get injured" said the brunette.

"Now...I don't want to be rude but it's a bit unusual that someone at your age teams up with a 10-year old Genin girl. If Yukiko-chan is going with you on more missions, she needs our approval since she's so young.
I decided to take you to dinner since I don't know you that well" said Akiko. He did not know that they had listened to the whole conversation, which was what she intended to do. She was Jounin for a reason after all.

[Estilo]

Out of the corner of his eye, Atlas spotted two unknown figures standing up from their seated positions and headed towards the booth in which he and Yuki resided. It wasn't difficult to spot such activity, as the people in question had been seated in direct view of the booth- only a few tables away. He would turn to them just as the woman he perceived to be Yukiko's mother slid into the booth beside her daughter, followed promptly by a casually dressed man. The father, he presumed.

The man would apologize for being late and Atlas would smile as Yukiko replied, promptly introducing him to her parents. "Mum, dad, this is Atlas-senpai." She said, gesturing towards him. "Senpai, this is my dad Kenichi and my mum Akiko." Atlas would bow slightly from his seat after she'd given his introduction, and proceed to greet them appropriately. He wasn't quite sure why they hadn't joined them earlier, instead of staying seated at a different table, but he would put that in the back of his mind for now. After all, he had a good idea why.

"Charmed to make your acquaintance." Atlas would say with a smile and, in unison, the both of them would reply.

"Nice to meet you."

"Senpai has been on three "C"-ranked missions with me," Yukiko would suddenly speak up. "Where we have escorted wagons with chips, reconstructed the city and caught a dog with...rabies."

"Thanks of taking care of Yukiko-chan." The father would add. "Sorry if she's been a handful."

"Oh, not at all." Atlas would assure him with a cheerful look on his face. "Yukiko has been a great help."

"I've been a good girl dad! He's a nice guy; when we caught that rabies dog he made sure that I didn't get injured." Atlas chuckled, a little unsure whether her parents approved of him having taken their daughter to a potentially dangerous dog snatching mission. Just as he had wondered about that, Yukiko's mother suddenly spoke up.

"Now...I don't want to be rude but it's a bit unusual that someone at your age teams up with a 10-year old Genin girl. If Yukiko-chan is going with you on more missions, she needs our approval since she's so young.
I decided to take you to dinner since I don't know you that well."

Atlas would straighten in his seat, nodding in approval. "Well, you don't know me at all, miss. And I completely understand that. I mean, a twenty-four year old such as me, in the line of duty with a child such as Yukiko- your concerns are valid and comprehensible. I know that with time, however, you will find that I am in no way, shape or form, a danger to your family. And please, allow me to treat you both to dinner tonight. I feel it is only right, considering I had failed to contact you both earlier than I had intended to. Thankfully, we finally have the opportunity to meet one another tonight."

[ OOC-- Pulled a Benjamin Button and changed my age to 24. ]

[Yuki-chan]

"Well, you don't know me at all, miss. And I completely understand that. I mean, a twenty-four year old such as me, in the line of duty with a child such as Yukiko- your concerns are valid and comprehensible. I know that with time, however, you will find that I am in no way, shape or form, a danger to your family. And please, allow me to treat you both to dinner tonight. I feel it is only right, considering I had failed to contact you both earlier than I had intended to. Thankfully, we finally have the opportunity to meet one another tonight." said the male.

"Good to hear that you are responsible at the least. You don't have to treat both of us; one of us is more than enough" said the male as he glanced at Atlas. "The waiter is on her way. What do you guys want to order?" asked the female.
"I want a glass with Coke and miso soup with ramen, chicken and vegetables" said the young female with a grin. She was one of the few kids who didn't hated a lot of vegetables and fruit.

"Are you ready to order?" asked the blond woman that stood at the end of the table. "I would like fish strips with trimmings and a glass of black tea" said Akiko. "I think I'll go for okonomyaki with green tea" said Kenichi.
"I want a glass of Coke and miso soup with chicken, vegetables and ramen please" said the girl. "What about you sir?" asked the waitress while her cool, brown eyes looked at the young man.

[Estilo]

"I'll have a single order of the Moo Goo Gai Pan, please." Atlas politely replied. "As for a drink, I'll just stick to my water. Thanks." The waitress promptly nodded, scribbling the last details of their orders on a small notepad. It was only when she finished, that she spoke up again, doing so in a bubbly and enthusiastic tone.

"Ok, you're meals should be arriving shortly!" With a grin and a nod, the waitress would stuff her pen into the front side of her apron and walk off towards the back kitchen to leave the order with the chef. The table was theirs once more, and Atlas turned back to Yukiko's parents to continue where they had left off, or perhaps drive the conversation elsewhere. After all, he'd been asked his fair share of questions, and complied in answering as clearly as he could. Learning a bit more about the Fuyumori family and their origin would be interesting.

"So, Akiko... Kenichi. May I ask where the both of you are from? I find that the more I know about a person- where they were born, where they have lived, the professions they have had- the better I can understand them." He'd take another drink from his glass of water, smiling at the three person family that sat across from him and inhaling the sweet smell of what he presumed were their meals, in the distance. "I'm from Kuma no Kuni myself." He'd add. "The Land of Bears, far to the west. But I moved here when I became a ninja, at the age of nineteen."

Thoughts of yonder years, in mid-travel as a teenager, surged back through his mind. Those had been much easier days, when he had only been a swordsman, and not a shinobi of war. Before his wife, before the Great Conflict and the Great Flash. He had been truly free during those days and now that he thought about it, it all seemed like a distant dream. A lot of things had changed since those years, including himself, and he wanted to find some way to return to that tranquility and peace that used to exist. Brushing those thoughts out of his head, he diverted his attention to the Fuyumori's as they began to speak up.

[Yuki-chan]

"So, Akiko... Kenichi. May I ask where the both of you are from? I find that the more I know about a person- where they were born, where they have lived, the professions they have had- the better I can understand them." said the male with a smile.
"We are from Yuki no Kuni; it's a country further up in the north. We moved here 7 years ago due to cheaper housing and the number of friends and family members" said the older male with a neutral voice.

Yukigakure was on good terms with their village, so he did not see it a reason to keep it a secret anymore. "I'm from Kuma no Kuni myself. The Land of Bears, far to the west. But I moved here when I became a ninja, at the age of nineteen." said Atlas.
"Sounds interesting...what brought you here to Kumogakure?" asked the female with a slightly curious voice.

'Why did he become a shinobi so late? I mean, most people become a Genin when they are 10-12 years old. Wait...perhaps they did not have an Academy in his home village or something' thought the youngest female while she glanced at a nearby painting of a geisha.
The waitress appeared with their drinks. "Here are your drinks" said the female while she placed two cups of tea, one glass of Coke and a small mug of water on the table.

"Please let me know if any of you need a refill. You have two free refills on the tea and one free refill at the Coke since this is a main course meal" said the waitress. "Thank you" said Akiko before she took a sip of her tea. The man in front of them seemed like an interesting guy, in a good way. But Kuma no Kuni was so far away...why did he ended up here and not in a closer village like Konoha or Suna?

[Estilo]

"Sounds interesting..." Akiko had replied, as her daughter gazed upon the painting of a geisha on the wall. "What brought you here to Kumogakure?" Before Atlas could answer, the waitress had returned.

"Here are your drinks." She'd said, in the midst of handing everyone their ordered beverages."Please let me know if any of you need a refill. You have two free refills on the tea and one free refill at the Coke since this is a main course meal." And with that, she left.

Akiko thanked the young woman and simultaneously took a drink of her own beverage with Atlas, who had wrapped his fingers around his glass of water before formulating his response to her previous question. He took the confused look on her face and imagined she found his status as Genin a bit strange, though he couldn't blame her or her husband for thinking so. But a ninja was much more than just his or her title. He had stated that firmly several times before, as other ninja had stressed the topic in the past. But, instead of delving into that once again, he would simply take another sip of his water and respond the question she had previously asked. Why had he chosen to live in Kumogakure?

"Anyways, in response to your previous question, I have family here as well." He'd start, dangling the half-filled glass of water over the surface of the table. "My cousin Azazelo moved here two years ago. He comes from a different country, the country where his mother lives today. His father was my uncle and a ninja of Kumogakure, so that's how we're related. I moved here with my uncle to become a ninja... but mainly to enhance my skills as a swordsman. Which may add to the reasons behind me still being a 'Genin'."

He gave the couple a smile as they listened to his story. All in all, they seemed like a good pair of people. He could see the relation to little Yukiko, in physical attributes and general personality. And they definitely fit the profile of those who are said to be from Yukigakure- visually, at least. It was as he glanced at the two that he was reminded of his own parents, and the colossal differences between them both. While his mother and father had been involved in a nasty divorce years ago, this couple was bright and strong, and it made him smile.

"So, tell me, what professions do the two of you carry?"

[Yuki-chan]

"Anyways, in response to your previous question, I have family here as well. My cousin Azazelo moved here two years ago. He comes from a different country, the country where his mother lives today.
His father was my uncle and a ninja of Kumogakure, so that's how we're related. I moved here with my uncle to become a ninja... but mainly to enhance my skills as a swordsman. Which may add to the reasons behind me still being a 'Genin'." said the male.

"You're a swordsman? But why didn't you used your sword at the chip delivery mission for example?" asked the female while she looked at him for a couple seconds. "So, tell me, what professions do the two of you carry?" asked Atlas while he looked at the two adults with a smile on his face.
"We are both Jounins, but we don't do any life-threatening missions since we have three children to take care of" said the older male with a small smile. He hoped that the young man would not ask him about Yukiko's ice jutsus, but perhaps he would think it was natural since they were from Yuki no Kuni.

Both females took a small sip from their drinks while they waited for the food to arrive; they were a bit hungry. "I wonder when the food will be here" said the girl and glanced over at her parents for a few moments. "I'm sure it'll be on our table very soon. I can smell it" said Akiko with a small smile. The Genin was not very impatient, but waiting for food when you were hungry was always a challenge.

[Estilo]

"You're a swordsman?" Akiko had asked. "But why didn't you used your sword at the chip delivery mission for example?"

"I tend to refrain from brandishing my weapon during simple missions like that." Atlas replied. "As my previous masters have taught me so, my sword is more than just a tool to be used habitually. I need good reason to use it. But Yukiko's snow swallows proved to be more than enough to handle out situation. You should be very proud of your daughter." Atlas would compliment, promptly going into his next question.

"So, tell me, what professions do the two of you carry?"

"We are both Jounins," The husband had answered. "But we don't do any life-threatening missions since we have three children to take care of." Jounin... the fact sunk in as the man finished his sentence.

So they were ninja after all- Jounin, in fact- which could explain their method of eavesdropping earlier. Atlas hadn't even noticed they were there until they had risen from their seats. Their presence had been given away fairly easily due to the protectiveness that came with being a parent- the most probable reason for situating their position so closely to Yukiko's table, in clear sight for their daughter to see. But, brushing away that fact and deeming it understandable, Atlas would continue on, remarking on the Fuyumori's choice of job.

"That's very admirable of you both." He would start, as Yukiko spoke to her mother about the meal awaiting them. "You must be honored to have Yukiko following in your footsteps- following the family tradition, hm?" It was funny, that he spoke of family traditions but had never really experienced one himself. He was a blacksmith during his early teens, his mother was an artist, and his father a business man. So he didn't exactly come from an organized or themed family. The entire clan was a melting pot of careers, ideals, and interests. Which wasn't that bad, he supposed. But a little constancy helped sometimes.

[Yuki-chan]

"That's very admirable of you both. You must be honored to have Yukiko following in your footsteps- following the family tradition, hm?" said the male. "Yes. Most people in our family are shinobis, but not all are in the field and doing missions" said the older female. The waiter then appeared with a small tray that had four plates on it.

"Let's see...one okonomiyaki, one fish strips, one chicken soup and one Moo Goo Gai Pan. Enjoy your meal" said the waitress and placed the said dishes on the table. "Thank you!" said the younger female with a smile on her face.
"This looks delicious. Let's eat" said the male before he started to eat the okonomiyaki on his plate.

All of the Fuyumori's were enjoying their meal; it was not very often they were eating out without the twins. Not that they were a bother, but they could be a little rowdy sometimes. "How does your food taste like senpai?" asked Yukiko while she tried to catch some ramen with her chopstikcs.
She had never seen or heard about the dish that he had on his plate. What was it exactly?