Pick your fights? HAHAHAHAHA

Tsumi was walking along through the crowded market. It was about mid day in kumo and it was quiet in comparison to what was happening in Iwa at the moment. Still such things hardly mattered to Tsumi. He was a simple man and things that didn't involve him directly didn't matter. At least not to him. As of yet all he had purchased was an apple for breakfast but truth be told that was about all he could afford. He was smiling all the same as he walked though. Not really a care in the world as he had food and energy and all his limbs. Not to mention he had very recently managed to get his headband after being held back for years. He couldn't be happier as he was using it to keep his long red hair out of his face for the time being. The metal plate shining with fresh polish from behind his two, long, black, noteworthy horns. Clearly he was a Yokai which made him stand out in the crowd. For those that new a slight red tint to his skin marked him as an Oni path. The path that believed strength prevailed. For now he was wearing a white kimono with pink flower petals along it with black trim and a tight black belt for it. Under it he was wearing black shinobi pants with sandals over white socks. Not a single piece of shinobi gear other than the headband rested on him and he held the apple in his right hand.

Tsumi was built like a fridge though. He stood about a head taller than most around him already without the horns and his muscles virtually looked like solid rocks. His upper chest was fairly visible from the V neck of the kimono he was wearing. His golden hued eyes seemed to match his smile though anyone looking at him wouldn't consider him human. Nor did he for that matter. Still he would take a bite of his apple and humm in satisfaction from the feel of food sliding down his throat to his hungry belly. Truth be told now that he was a shinobi he didn't really know what to do next. Common sense said report for duty but he had always lacked that. So he was fairly distracted when he rounded a corner into an alley and slammed chest first into some thugs face. He was surprised and it made him drop his apple in the dirt. He would blink in surprise before muttering an apology. His eyes shifting to his apple in the dirt and sullied before he registered that his meal for the day was gone. Sullied and never coming back. He would blink twice before kneeling down to scoop it up and look it over....damn...it wasn't salvageable. He was oblivious to the laughter of the mans friends sitting on crates and talking all around or the man scrambling back to his feet and cussing. He didn't even see the boot coming.

The man would haul off and try to kick Tsumi in the gut which connected fully. Tsumi would feel that with enough to bring him back to the scene at hand. It hurt. The bugger had just attacked him! Tsumi would grunt before rising to his full height. His yellow eyes glowering at the man who now based on the look on his face was regretting that decision. With one swift motion Tsumi would raise his foot and spartan kick the man square in the chest and send him flying backwards through a stall with a clatter. The entire stall collapsing with dust rising. There was silence for a moment before suddenly every man there rose to his feet and grabbed a weapon. To this Tsumi would grin as he stood tall and pointed a thumb at himself.

"Oy? You lot really wanna do this? Imma warn you this once. I'm a fuckin legend in the making. And I ain't paying no ones hospital bills."

"You ever notice that the marketplace seems to be one of the areas that needs patrolling yet no one ever volunteers? Like it's strangely ever-present thing that at least four shinobi are around despite the fact one of the worst crimes that's happens, sans Jashin 'outliers', are basically all misdemeanors? It's great to do for a day, and one of the few times we ever get to knit now."

Ever since he became head of the Kurama Clan, they'd been forcing him to do training even harder, and given what had happened both Mort and Id were inclined to actually work together on this one. Today though, they really needed a break from being in the same head space, and as such they had made a clone, as constantly swapping was just a headache, and they didn't really feel like mentally talking today. As such while Mort was dressed in his usual battle-kimono, big hat, and several swords at his side; while the clone was wearing something akin to a shugendo outfit. right now they were just doing a small volunteer patrol through the Plaza, having talked with one of the on-duty shinobi just to let them know they were gonna be in the area for a few hours. "Honestly I don't even notice them. I don't pay much attention to them, and in return they don't pay much attention to me. However, given the worldwide issues at hand it makes sense. Oh yeah, we never discussed who'd be in control for lunch. I believe it's my turn today."

"That's tomorrow, today you get din-hm?" The thought was cut short as he heard the sound of a stall breaking in the distance. Given how loud it was, it probably wasn't far, but at the very least it was something they sould check out, as the other on-duty shinobi were elsewhere in the outlet. "Oh boy. Sounds like we actually have to act like Chunin." Id would shrug. "We? I'm the one wearing the extra effort copied clothes, if it turns into a fight it'll be on you and not me this time." And annoyingly Id had a point, as their outfit was an absolute pain to get to work, as he had to clone then change outfits. "Fine, but in return I get to test some new fuinjutsu later on you." "Deal."

---

1 Shadow Clone, each have 67.5/135 CP

Tsumi began to laugh as three out of eight of them charged him anyway. He would reach out with his lengthy arms as two of them were faster than the one in the center. His large hands grabbing them by the face as their eyes widened in surprise. It was uncommon to charge straight into an attack unarmed against armed opponents. It was just plain foolish to do so. Still as soon as his fingers closed over their face they knew one thing. They had fucked up. The couldn't resist his pressure even a little. He would slam them both down into the ground hard enough to knock them out cold but careful not to kill them. A head hitting solid rock after all was an easy thing to crack. Like coconuts. Mmm he did love coconut water. However his thoughts of a juicy beverage kept him from truly preparing for the third. A solid blow cracked him over the top of the head and he would stumble back rubbing at his head. Oh man that smarted. Maybe he was enjoying a good fight and holding back for their benefit but they sure were taking this a lot more seriously. Damn that hurt.

Luckily for him the guy that hit him didn't actually expect him not to drop from it and just kind of blinked at him dumbfounded. Standing between his two unconscious mates. He blinked in surprise before looking down to where he had dented the pipe over his head. Damn if Tsumi didn't have a thick skull at least. The remaining five would move from their positions to step forward now. It was clear that Tsumi was a fighter to them but the numbers were in their favor and he could be hurt. Of course his dumb ass was too busy checking to see if his head was bleeding to notice them surrounding him. When he did look up he would see just how much of a pinch he was in and glance around to a series of angry, fairly ugly faces. All armed and all ready to rush him by the looks of it. Well this was a shitty position to be in. He wasn't sure he could use his taijutsu techniques without killing them. He would blink a couple of times with golden eyes before smiling and straitening up. His charm on full blast even if it had no effect on this lot.

"See what I mean? A legend in the making. Three dudes and only got hit once. Soooo uh...who wants to grab a beer and have a laugh over this whole thing? You? Yeah you're feeling me....no? No one? Well shit."

Rounding the corner to the source of the noise, Mort and Id would stop as they saw the brawl going down. Eight men surrounding what he assumed to be an Oni from the Yokai Clan, with a broken stall holding a ninth person, though it seemed that their lights were out. "By the Paths it is a fight." Man he was hoping he could knit today, or hell sew up some of the holes that were forming on his undershirt, but nope, today he really was going to have to act like a proper shinobi as he noticed the Oni's headband. Must be a newbie then.

Mort would generate a small whirlwind around his feet as he approached the group; not enough to take off, but enough to some some small papers and shake some loose signs. Ever since that fight in the Drainway, the Swords had lost some power, but at the same time he had figured out a way to get them to work without any drain on his chakra. The tradeoff, while not quite the best in his opinion, was still nice as he could present himself as a proper authority at times such as this. At the same time he'd put on his Genji gloves, as if things were going to get ugly he'd rather not mess up his hands. Calluses or not, he was gonna get a manicure later and roughing them up before his appointment would be such a pain.

Walking forward, hat tilted down slightly to cover his face, he'd stretch his arms out and waved for them to stop, his shoulder band with the Kumo symbol engraved into the metal facing the Oni. "Okay people, break it up. You know as well as I do that fighting is only allowed in sanctioned areas like a dojo or the training grounds. If you all behave civilly, I'll let all of you off with a warning, but if not-" He'd tap the hilt of his Bokken, the wood making a nice and pleasant sound on his metal gloves. "-I will be required to remind you why I was given the title of 'Seraph of Swords' by the Raikage herself." He'd raise his head slightly, allowing for more of his face to be revealed, grinning to everyone in sight. Hopefully that would spook all but the Oni into just leaving, but even if they didn't he could easily incapacitate them.

Giving a quick glance to the Oni, he'd jerk his head and move his eyes to indicate that they should move over to their clone, who was currently sitting down on a crate giving a small wave to the both of them. At best, they'd be civil and the Oni could talk to Id, who was behaving well enough today, and at worst have someone who could protect the newbie in case things really got bad.

---

67.5/135 & 67.5/135 CP

In all honesty Tsumi didn't even notice the slight pick up in wind in the area. It was obvious to everyone else there but for him...nah just a breeze. He would raise his hands to crack his knuckles and smirk. At least with all of them against him it was a fair fight in his mind. He could see the fear in the eyes of the ones in front of him. See them doubting the idea of surrounding him. Man he must be a beast if they...the sound of Morts voice made him blink a couple of times before looking over his shoulder to see another shinobi coming into the alley with wind pressure pushing off of him. He was warning them to break it up with a nod to Tsumi to go stand over next to....a differently dressed him? Well that was odd...maybe it was from that twin clan? Yeah that had to be it. Still the idea that the fight had to end made Tsumi's shoulders slump and his bottom lip stick out slightly. Despite his predicament he seemed entirely disappointing that there would be no more fighting. In his mind Tsumi was gonna win and be the hero and everyone in the market would cheer.

Still much like the thugs who grabbed their three downed friends and dragged them off Tsumi complied. He would walk quietly with his shoulder slumped over to where the clone was as if he was pouting. Going so far as to kick an old cabbage on the way. He would clog over to the clone and lean against the wall. His golden eyes glaring to the side like a scolded child. It was clear that he was not happy. He thought that now that another shinobi had come to save him he looked like a punk. Like someone that started something and had big brother come in to finish it. Only after the thugs were gone would he grumble under his breath to the clone that he assumed was a twin to the original. "I woulda won you know....legendary and all....I would have." He stopped grumbling and crossed his arms already acting defensively as he fully expected to be scolded for his behavior. If Mort came over to him before Mort could say anything Tsumi would glare at him and speak up readily to defend himself from the scolding he was sure was coming with the most childish argument.

"They started it."

With the troublemakers clearing out, Mort would ease up on the wind, letting it go back to it's natural route. He couldn't help but be a little disappointed himself that they hadn't tried to engage him, but at least they had the brains to know when to quit. However, with them gone, there was the rookie shinobi that ne needed to talk to. Giving him a better look over, he could see that is initial assumption of them being an Oni was correct, the eyes especially. Even now he was still a little jealous of the eyes of an oni, being one of the few things he couldn't quite replicate with his passive genjutsu. He had to assume it was the same reason why the Chinoike's Frog-eye was a pain to replicate despite their simple design.

Walking over to the kid and his clone, he'd note the poor cabbage and the fact he really wasn't all that happy. He'd let the Oni speak his mind before replying. "Kid, I don't doubt for a second that you couldn't take them on given how poor their fighting style and unorganized their attacks were, but part of our job is to make sure that we avoid fighting inside Kumo unless necessary. Took me a long time to learn that."

The clone would laugh at his comment, doubling over and falling off the crate. "HAH! You haven't learned shit mind-meld, you still get in a scuffle at least once every other week because you jump the gun." And Mort would look back, giving his clone a stink-eye. "You're one to talk miss brain-drain." And then he'd turn back to the Oni. "Anyways, point is I'm not really concerned with if you started it or not, that's someone else's department, not mine.

He'd make a 180° turn, pivoting on his right leg and making his way out of the alley. "Now then, it's almost lunchtime and I'm pretty sure you're hungry Mr Legend, so why don't we grab something and talk about how an Oni like yourself plans on surpassing me, the most legendary warrior of all?""

Tsumi would wait for a scolding and maybe even the threat of a write up on his record for picking a fight and damaging the street. He had held back so as to not put them in a hospital but truth be told the stone was cracked and that stall they dragged their friend out of was toast. Sure it was just a cabbage stall but the owner wasn't around and the cabbages were mostly...rotten? Maybe it was just left there. Yeah, they couldn't be sold anymore at the quality they were at sooo no harm no foul...right? Still his yellow eyes would look sheepishly to the man approaching him. The wind dying down but it wasn't any less of an interesting thing. He barely felt a connection to his own element and lord knows hadn't figured out how to actually harness it yet. He had dreams of a flaming straight punch or an inferno flying kick. Like some sort of super hero for the people. Someone who burned away all his enemies attacks and socked them right in the nose every time. However he wasn't certain he would ever actually be able to focus his katon into his taijutsu. At least not at the rate he was going.

The scolding however would be surprisingly minimal and quickly followed by aggressive laughter. The banter between the two didn't really make sense to him. After all he had no idea of their connection or that one was even technically a clone with it's own personality split off from the original host. To him they were both people. Still he would hang his head like a kid being scolded despite being a massive being of sheer muscle virtually looming over the other man by about a few inches. Nearly a head taller before the horns. It was an interesting dynamic for anyone to witness. Still he nodded his understanding about trying not to get in fights in the village walls or outside of designated areas. Still he blinked in surprise as the other one turned and suggested lunch. Tsumi would grin almost having completely forgotten his guilt or troubles that quickly while assuming this guy was planning on buying him lunch because now he was penniless. He would quickly catch up to walk next to him. Nearly stumbling over his own feet to do so as he glanced back the way the others guys had gone. He would scratch at some stubble of a beard as he thought about the question. Barely a five o'clock shadow but it was there all the same. He clearly wasn't the daily grooming type.

"Surpass you huh? Well lets see...First you should know the name of a future legend I guess. Yokai Tsumi is the name and punching people in the face is the game. But uh...well I do a daily ten kilometer run in the morning followed by some muscle building. Then I go do my delivery job which is more cardio and weight lifting at the same time and uh before bed I practice my taijutsu for two hours. When I can afford it I keep a high protein diet and when I can't it's all protein shakes and vitamins. Affordable stuff. Aunty says all that work out stuff shrinks my brain but you don't need to be a big thinker to rearrange someones jaw ya know? Although I was wondering. How did you do the thingy with the woosh when you arrived? I was tested as a kid and had the katon element but I've never been able to actually bring it out."

The clone would get up and follow as well, keeping back a little as they really weren't in the mood to talk with this Oni and more interested in what was around them. Mort however would just keep on walking, slowing a little bit to let the horned hero catch up as they spoke. After listening, he had to stifle a small chuckle when the oni mentioned his game, but other then that he'd listen and nodded when appropriate. "Well nice to meet'cha Tsumi, you heard my title earlier, but I'm Mōtimā of the Kurama clan, though I usually just go by the name Mort as diacritics aren't fun to write or really speak in my opinion. As for the clone, just call them Id, makes it easier to differentiate given they..well you'll probably pick up on it soon enough."

He'd round the corner back into the main area of the Plaza and stop as he though about the best place to get some grub. What would an Oni like to eat? Sure they were human, but bloodlines made some strange biological quirks he couldn't account for, let alone allergies. "Your auntie does have a small point, though more in just you should supplement that protein with some carbs every so often. Sure you don't need a big brain to do that to a jaw, but you still need a brain. That and just take a day off every so often to just relax and let your muscles repair themselves, as chakra can only do so much at your level. Personally I weave or do yoga since that isn't strenuous, but those aren't for everyone."

Right, there was a small joint that opened up nearby that served a whole bunch of burgers, even high-protein and vegan burgers, maybe that would gel with the Oni's diet. "As for the wind? Well I'll admit I have a little help thanks to some gear that I have, but without them, unless you've got the knack for it like my teammate or know a specific way to work around it, you gotta use hand seals as a foci. Heck, while I'm a natural when it comes to channeling my element through my weapon, actually using ninjutsu without them? That's something I've had to work hard at doing, and I still haven't hit my skill ceiling in that regard."

What would be a good way for him to start expressing his elemental affinity? Sure there were plenty of Katon jutsu that were in the Kumo jutsu library that he'd looked through so he had an idea of what he was up against, but when it came to learning them he was a little surprised to see how much of a learning curve Katon users had to go through compared to the other elements. "Ah, I think I got something. I myself can't preform them given I have no affinity, but I know of the, given my status. I think they're called...Flaring Embers and Exploding Flame Shot? Yeah that sounds right. Out of all the fire techniques to learn, those are probably the best to start with since they have a smaller range. If I understand it right, the former creates more fire from preexisting flames, while the latter you make the fire in your hands, to chuck them at enemies."

Tsumi would follow as he shoved his hands in his pockets. He was a bit of a mess when it came to being a shinobi. Not really any formal posture to speak of. He had a good build for taijutsu and likely was trained in at least one form of martial art but he didn't really carry himself like a soldier. He would glance back at the clone following them as the mention of him being a clone brought his attention to the reality. He didn't even know clones could be dressed differently or talk different than the original. It was kind of making his head spin a little. Still the whole explanation of the clan and his position of it didn't make a whole ton of sense to Tsumi. All he really got from it all was the guys name was Mort. It wasn't but he went by Mort sooo since it was the only thing Tsumi could easily remember he would call him Mort. Simple enough he supposed. Altogether though he would follow Mort into the market as he wasn't sure where they were going but he wasn't picky. Usually he was lucky to get better than a cup of noodle for a meal outside of his diet of protein shakes.

They would walk through the market almost side by side while Tsumi looked around. The mention of mixing in some carbs almost made Tsumi laugh. Carbs were almost impossible to avoid when eating on a budget. Still the idea of taking a day off to let his body heal made him rub his belly. He was sore as of late. Still picking up a non strenuous hobby and improving his brain? Why did one need to be smart to fight? The goal was to make the other guy hit dirt before you. Real simple.

"Uh well, I guess I could...uh...lets see...not lifting or running...no working out....Body has to be relaxed huh? I don't really have anything I do for fun outside of listening to music...I guess I could go grab some manga. Those always looked interesting and truth be told it takes me a minute to read them. I'm a bit of a slow reader."

Perhaps reading was what the guy meant by improving his mind....If he learned to read faster that meant he was getting smarter right? Still the guy would explain about his wind and soon enough it came to the topic of ninjutsu and hand seals. The man was trying to be helpful but soon enough Tsumi began to understand that he was borderline failing this guy. He would glance down at the ground and hunch his shoulders as lunch went to the back of his mind. There was a big issue with what the guy was suggesting for Tsumi to practice with. After all he had managed to pass the exam by sheer willpower and years of being held back. Mostly because he was only good at one thing. Taijutsu.

"I um...I...Well I can't do Ninjutsu. All I was ever good at was taijutsu. And I don't think there are many hand seals for taijutsu like there are for Ninjutsu. I think people just like...channel it somehow through their body. Ya know?"

Was his advice working? He couldn't tell, but he hoped it was. Trying to do this whole 'I'm a higher rank so I have to act like a mentor' thing was something he wasn't used to, but at least with a yokai he had some sort of fallback in the fact their bloodline may require different methods then a more mental bloodline like his own. Maybe. "I mean, you don't want to just stop all of your working out on those cooldown days. Doing a small jog won't hurt as completely stopping a workout routine can be almost as bad as constantly working out without letting your body take a breather, ebb and flow, that sort of thing. And manga ain't a bad way to get some reading in, the fighting manga sometimes have neat tricks you can learn to hit a dude harder."

Mort would keep looking for the shop, knowing it was somewhere around here, but for the life of himself he couldn't recall. That would be put on pause for a second though as his companion mentioned something he hadn't expected. "Oh? I think you're the first Oni Shinobi I've met who couldn't do some sort of jutsu. N-not that that's a problem, sometimes it just takes longer to get the hang of it. Heck, while I'm a swordsman, I'm shite when it comes to taijutsu to the point where you could probably throw a punch harden then I can."

That limitation would make things tougher to teach him some of what he picked up, but it was still doable continuing to walk again he'd keep trying to give advice. "But you are right, some people do channel raw or elemental chakra through themselves. My teammate who I was talking about before, he actually specializes in lightning-based taijutsu, so you could probably do the same thing with a fire affinity with flame punches, thermal jumps, or something along those lines."

He'd finally found it, the food joint he was looking for. it was an open shop, similar to one of those open market stalls, so it'd be easy to order their food. "Ah, here's the food joint I was looking for. Whaddaya want to eat? Bill's on me today, just don't go overboard."

Tsumi would follow along listening to the words his superior was saying. Most of it kind of flew over his head a little but he got the jist of it. If he could figure out how to properly channel his chakra than he could replicate some of the signature moves from his manga. He could see himself standing against an army of evil and shouting his signature jutsu as a battle cry before wiping them all out. Some sort of ground shatter punch that burned away all the wicked in the world. It would be kind of amazing if he was being honest with himself. Still it seemed like he would need to figure out his element. However Mort would go on to explain that he had a team mate that channeled lightning into his taijutsu so Tsumi should be able to do the same thing with fire. He would take a breath and steady himself as he considered the possibilities. One of the villains in the manga used fire taijutsu but the moves could be used for good. There was an arc where he helped the good guys. Although it had been temporary it meant that it was doable. The inferno fist. What a powerful guy...

Still Tsumi would blink as they arrived at a small joint where the food smelled great. He would move over as his eyes lit up looking over all of it. It all looked so much better than the apple he had lost. When the man next to him said to order whatever and that he was paying for it tears would well up in Tsumi's eyes as he looked to him. "Do you really mean it Mister? I can have barbeque?!" He would happily order some bowl of barbecue meat and stir fried rice as he sucked in air through his nose to stop the bit of snot from escaping. As soon as they both had ordered and it was paid for Tsumi would turn and pick Mort up in a powerful bear hug as he sobbed into his chest happily. His strength making it difficult to breath more than likely as anyone with less constitution would have their ribs cracked almost instantly. If nothing else Tsumi was remarkably strong.

"Thank you so much sir! I have been (Sniff) living off of ramen and water for so long (sniff) that I had begun to forget what real food tasted like. I am forever in your debt!"

Mort would nod, a little confused by the oni's tears of joy. "Well yeah, just be reasonable, I don't have the paycheck of a kage or anything like that." He could see that his clone was laughing at the them, but if it kept them pacified he's let the Id laugh for now. He himself would order some pork-spiced tofu with a side of rice himself, not having tofu in a while. Tofu was just one of those foods he and Id actually agreed on as a good food when made properly. He'd then hand over the payment and started to move away to sit down when he was unexpectedly picked up by the Horned Hero-in-Training.

The hug was a lot more then he expected, and if it weren't for his many breathing excercises to improve his Fuuton skills, he probably would have lost his breath, though to say he was having an easy time breathing would be a lie. He'd channel a little chakra to recycle some of the air in his lungs so that he wouldn't pass out at least. "N-no problem Tsumi! Just...lighten up a little on the hug please. I'm the Seraph of Swords, not the Seraph of S-Sturdiness." While his ribs weren't in danger of cracking and his battle kimono helping decrease some of the pressure, his assumption on this kid being able to hit harder then he could was definitely correct.

In the distance, he could see Id having a truly good time, smacking the roof of the house they were sitting on. they pulled out a camera and snap a photo of the bonding moment, and he knew it'd be used as some sort of blackmail.

The Oni was not a common daytime goer, but sometimes society didn't always play in her favor. Twenty-four hour stores weren't commonplace yet meaning Andariel often needed to dedicate a weekend to breaking her normal sleep cycle in order to get necessary shopping done. Andariel wore a long dress in accompaniment of some black sandals, keeping a comfortable yet casual outfit. Her long jet black hair cascaded down her back taking no particular fashion. Her natural hair color fit well with her fairly pale skin tone and golden amber eyes. Despite her modest appearance she stashed a dagger within the waistline of her dress to not be completely defenseless. It was something she learned by living alone to never be left without a weapon, even if it's something as simple as a knife. People often underestimated her raw physical strength, which was common among kunoichi. In order to avoid a confrontation in general she found it effective to have a blade of some sort; people feel they can take a punch, but a stab sounds a lot less appealing. Within her arms she embraced a brown bag filled with a lot of frivolous bath products, such as scented lotions, perfumes, and bath bombs as well as soaps and other essential bath goods. Needless to say, a quick glance at her bag would suggest she takes her self-care very serious.

Keeping her pace with the crowd she cut through the Takamaki Plaza, one of the busier parts of the city. It was the faster way home, however, so she had to bare the crowds before shutting herself in for the next few weeks until she was doomed to go out again. The Oni always remained vigilant. Although the people in the city started to accept her kind, one could say her trust with humanity could never be restored. Her high-alert status she kept constantly when outside her home was mentally exhausting, generally making shopping the only activity she does for the day. This meant she needed to find something she could take to go on her way home or she likely wouldn't eat for that night. Among all the street vendors and snack bars she generally was not interested in food which represented Japanese cuisine so well. This meant noodle or rice dishes were out the window which, frankly, consisted of a lot of places.

A fairly neutral restaurant caught her eye among the buildings in the district, which seems to sell a variety of dishes instead of a few staple ones. Another thing caught her eye too, which was the man sitting on top of the restaurant which strikingly resembled the one sitting on one of the stools within next to another man different in appearance, sharing some sort of close bonding moment. Immediately the Oni's eyes began to blow a bright amber and in that instance her appearance would change. Andariel would take the appearance of her exact same self with the only differences being her height which was once a towering 6'3 dropped to a reasonable 5'7. The set of horns on her head were also absent giving Andariel a much more humane appearance.

Wait... She thought to herself taking a moment to analyze a very natural reaction she did whenever seeing a healthy male. Her heart racing and breathing just slightly elevated. Her subconscious possessed her actions once again. Something Andariel often just let happen and take its course without second thought. But today was different. It seemed as if for once she took the time to consider her action. However, like the demoness she was, her humanity was flushed down. Her heart was pumping and she sought what she desired. It was out of her control at this point. A heartwarming smile spread across her face as she approached the two men in the eatery. "A wonderful day, isn't it?" Andariel was mostly fixed on the purple haired male, as something conflicting about the other one's aura gave off no signs of compatibility. But the purple haired male had no relation to the Oni making him a prime victim.

---

Technique Used: Devil's Eye: Human Guise | D-rank

Stats
Strength: C++
Constitution: A
Stamina: B
Speed: B
Coordination: C
Intelligence: B
Perception: B

Chakra Usage: 182/185

Tsumi would of course release the man quickly once he sounded distressed over it. Chuckling a little at the joke about being the something of sturdiness. Honestly he didn't know what a seraph was. He assumed some kind of beetle? That kind of made sense he guessed. Silly humans and their silly names. Still his meal had arrived quickly. Cooking the meat right in front of him on a flat grill and he felt his mouth watering. Oh god how long had it been since he had meat? He could only afford noodles and tofu and tofu tasted terrible to him. He wasn't great at hunting either so there was that. He supposed he could buy some kunai or something and work on his aim but then...how did one prepare meat? He assumed you had to take the fur off somehow and (Searing noises) Oh god that smelled good. His bottom lip trembled as he waited. Watching the juices boiling off the meat as seasoning was added and the scent hit him. Oh god how his stomach rumbled. He wanted it so badly he could just reach over and grab it. But aunty had taught him some manners. Still when it was done and plated he clapped his hands together in thanks before grabbing a pair of chopsticks. Using them to shovel meat into his mouth as fast as he could.

The heat burned his mouth but he groaned and continued to chew anyway. It tasted so good he thought he had found heaven. However it was unfortunate his mouth was stuffed as it happened. Because a very high ranking member of his clan happened to show up. She casually seemed to pop up next to them because to be honest Tsumi wasn't aware of anything outside of that meat. He would blink when she spoke and look up to spot her. Coughing on the meat a little bit but chewing some more. Just enough to swallow some so he could speak. Through a mouth full of food of all things. "Dis id a gud mornun!" He would say before realizing he was being rude again. Taking a second to chew before swallowing and quickly chasing it down with a glass of ninjaraid. Once that was done he would clear his throat before speaking. His words were not the brightest and honestly he would have been better off staying quiet in the presence of his betters.

"Bloodworth-Sama this is my friend Mort...He's the uh...surfer of swords!. Wait...that isn't right....what was it again?"

Mort would stumble a little as the air came back to him in full, recovering from the Oni's hug. He'd been bear hugged before, but that was the bearest of hugs so far. Unlike his more inhumane underclassman, when the meat came out he would take his time eating his tofu & rice, letting the extra juices soak into the rice so they wouldn't go to waist. It made what happened to them a little funny when yet another member of the Yokai family came up to them. He almost didn't even recognize she was one, clearly having put time into her looks.

She was okay. Sure she was a yokai, but she didn't show any of the traits of a Tengu. If anything, outside of the eyes he wasn't completely sure if she was of the Oni lineage or of the Baku lineage given her lighter skin.. She certainly had the muscle tone to be an Oni and some of the physique, but that was it. Hell, he didn't even have her horns to go off of, and if anything that put him off more. He did however have the eyes to go off of.

While he himself was unaware of it, the genjutsu aura around him had kicked in, his eyes displaying the traits of an baku's demon eye in the form of their everchanging, galaxyl-ike eyes and small, flamelike wisps of chakra flowing from their edges, though his would mirror Tsumi's deactivated eyes more then Andariel's. Even if he had noticed it, he wouldn't've reacted due to how common it was to feel his chakra leak from his eyes after he had dueled Ryuko. It was actually a little concerning, and Id didn't even know it was happening until he brought it up.

He'd finish his bite as Tsumi greeted her, he'd give a smirk at hearing 'surfer of swords' before speaking up himself. "Why that it is miss Bloodworth, though I would appreciate it if you didn't have your eyes activated, many would see that as rude, especially with you having removed the other major indicators of your lineage. And it's 'Seraph of Swords' Tsumi, though 'Surfer of Swords' does sound more interesting, I'll give you that."

He'd look at the woman, wondering to himself if he was in a genjutsu or if she had cut off her horns instead. He debated on using Kai to see if she was using a genjutsu on him, but refrained against it. He was having a good time today, and he wasn't aware of any new techniques made by the clan that created a clone that could interact like she was. Id however had gone onto the alert. While they had been preoccupied with taking the photo, they had also missed the Oni's arrival, and seeing them walk up to their body without provocation was a bit odd. They wouldn't leave their spot though, keeping a watch on the Oni in case anything happened.

---

Clone tech still goin'
Cosmetic Genjutsu UA active

Andariel's sudden parade of confidence was drained out of her immediately as her posture deflated, the Oni's hands clasping together gently as her fingers fumbled between each other. "Oh...yes. Sorry. I-" And in just a blink of an eye the illusion was cancelled. Andariel grew significantly, eight inches that is, as her height returned to normal. With this change her body broadened and a pair of horns appeared on her head. She was looking more like her true self. But with this true form came a massive hit in her former confidence. Fingers still fumbling together nervously she took a seat and turned to face the bar. Andariel expected Tsumi to find out no problem. She had an unforgettable appearance and being the Oni Leader she had some influence. That being said, Mort was able to effortlessly see through her illusion and she had no idea who that boy was until just a few seconds ago.

Am I losing my touch? She thought. The fear that one day disguising herself would be an ineffective way of concealing her identity haunted her. The barkeep approached her expecting an order. "Oh, ummm. I would like an order of the thinly sliced beef and - ummm - the barbecue pork, no rice. To go, please." Andariel had zoned out for a moment before remembering she had just greeted the two beside her. She was at a loss for words.

Tsumi would listen to them both as he continued to stuff his mouth with food. Barely tasting it's wonderful pallet as he seemed intent on wolfing it down as quickly as possible. Even with someone so powerful in his clan and influential he seemed intent on feeding himself first. Although as the man with him mentioned her eyes being activated he would glance again at the both of them. Did they have the same eyes? That was kinda cool. He supposed he could make his all shiny too if he pushed himself but he didn't see a need to try and match them. Both of them were way beyond him anyway. However as she transformed Tsumi would stop mid mouthful as he watched. He had no idea how she hid her Oni side like that and it was impressive to watch. One day he might be able to have a human appearance too. Then maybe people would be less afraid of him. Still she seemed to change her demeanor and Tsumi would blink before swallowing his food. Having been corrected from Surfer to Seraph. Boy he sure wished he knew what that word meant. He had never heard it before in his life.

Still her demeanor had changed and Tsumi began to wonder if he had misstepped. He wanted to pay for her lunch but to be honest....he was already the one being treated here because his ass was broke. Still he would clear his throat as he found his courage. He had never actually met her in person before but everyone in the clan knew of her. She was impossibly strong they said. A demon on the battlefield. He wondered if that was an exaggeration or a description. Still he would swallow some water with his food to wash it down before nervously clearing his throat and speaking once more.

"Uh..Ms....Bloodworth-Sama...do...I know you don't probably know me...I'm a freshly graduated genin....I've only done like two missions so far but uh....If you want to...it would be an honor if you joined us...maybe...if you want to..."

He sounded very nervous and looked to Mort and then his clone which seemed to be nervously watching now. Why were they all so on edge? She came out to eat and it wasn't like the Yokai were going to openly attack some human in the village they called their home right? At least Tsumi didn't see a reason for it. He rather liked humans. Even if their culture broke some of the spirit laws that governed the ancient world. They weren't as attuned as the Yokai anyways so that was understandable. Still he felt his throat tense as he swallowed nervously. Was this really his first meeting with his clan head? Get it together man!

Both the clone and Mort would relax once the illusion was broken, both glad to see it wasn't anything major they needed to worry about. Id figured he'd be fine, so they'd jump off the roof and go exploring for a while as Mort did whatever he was doing now. Speaking of said not-quite-a-jounin, with the dojutsu deactivating on the Oni, the illusion over his own eyed dropped as he leaned back a little and clapped, looking to where her eyes were now.

"Ah, so it was an illusion! I was worried for a moment that you had physically removed your horns, but I'm glad to see I was wrong. I get why some yokai do it to an extent, but it...actually, this ain't the time or place to talk about it."

Taking another look at the Oni, he'd note that she was in fact taller then him now, and that was kinda cool, though he was a little concerned now as since he had been looking at where her eyes used to be, which was right where her bosom was and Mort was a good boy despite Id constantly making that very very hard to do. Was it some sort of power dynamic for her? Or just convenience? That was something he'd rather not know for fear of Id exploiting it. But this was a perfect opportunity to do something he'd been meaning to do for a while.

"Tsumi, that a pretty good idea, why not come and sit down with us for a spell? This kiddo pulled off a pretty cool stunt when I ran into him earlier, and I've been meaning to try and properly meet all of Kumo's clan heads seeing as I'm head of the Kurama now. Heck, I'll pay for your meal; consider it an apology for knocking the wind out of your sails."

---

Still keepin the clone up.

Tsumi would begin to feel a little awkward now having demolished his clan leaders plans by the looks of it. He didn't even consider Mort at fault as well either. Simply thinking she hadn't wished to be introduced so he would swallow the food in his mouth. Picking up his drink and downing that as well before realizing his dish was empty. He had managed to scarf down all the food on his plate and not even noticed. He would glance to Mort and his half eaten plate and then to the clan leader who seemed to be content on avoiding them now. Not replying to their invitation to join them. Man now Tsumi felt like a fuck up again. The feeling of a full stomach soured as he would frown and his shoulders would slump. He hadn't meant to fuck up like this but his mind was just bordering on idiocy all the time. He never thought before he spoke and he was scolded for being an idiot more often than not. So he would clear his throat and avoid looking up to make eye contact with anyone. Ashamed of himself again instead of being the legend he wanted to be.

"I'm actually not feeling great Mort Sama....if you will excuse me please. I'm grateful for the meal. "

With that Tsumi would dip rather quickly from the situation. He felt like an asshole now. His aunts taught him better but he had brought shame upon his clan head of all people. He would feel his stomach tie up in knots as he moved out of the food stall and quickly turned to jog to his modest apartment. Feeling like a fool again. He hated this feeling. He was supposed to be a legend but he kept getting reminded that punching stuff wasn't all a hero did. People knew he was an idiot and he could see the respect fade from their eyes whenever he had to do something like mouth out the words to something he was reading. He of course misunderstood the situation as he had never met the clan head in more than passing before. So instead he would race home to continue training. He may never be the smartest but he could fix that with indomitable strength. If he could just get stronger people would forget he was stupid. People would forgive little mistakes and he would be a legend....he just had to improve what he was good at. Which was one thing. Punching faces.

Exit thread
9 posts at 20 exp a post = 180 exp

He was a little surprised to not hear the clan leader reply, but he wasn't too worried. He knew he often was a bit overbearing, and sometimes that put people off. But what surprised him was that his food...guest? recipient? treated student? Well he wasn't sure what to consider Tsumi at that exact moment, but he was still a little surprised to hear him not feel well.

"Oh, okay. Well I'll see you around then Tsumi, and I hope you feel better!"

He'd finish off his meal, wondering what it was that could be ailing the kid. stomachache? Possible, he still didn't fully understand the minds and meals of the Yokai, though he thought for sure meat would be fine. It could have been just being nervous around the clan head, if his understanding was correct the Kurama were a lot more lax when it came to being around their clan head (him of course), but maybe because of their demonic traits there was a more structured hierarchy? While he may know a decent bit on Yokai biology, their clan structure was something he didn't know much on. Getting up and heading home himself he'd pick up some small supplies for the work ahead, and then stopped in his tracks, realizing something so simple he slapped himself in the face.

"Of course I forgot that I'm a trained healer, I could've just checked him right there! Oh well, hopefully it was nothing serious."

{Exit}