Deep Thoughts

['Sai]

Kadohata Hayaka lay sprawled over a large tree limb. In her left hand she clutched her iron cougar card. She thurmed the face of it idly, staring at the etched cat. It stood on a mountaintop, looking enraged and out for blood.

She frowned at it, then flicked the weapon up into the branch above her. It sunk into the wood with a dull thunk. Several gashes in the bark showed that this wasn't the first time she'd dug the card in.

Hayaka narrowed her eyes at the innocent card, shifting her arms behind her head. She was oddly quiet and pensive for once, her gaze never leaving the card.

I wonder who my team'll be... And my sensai... And what they'll do when I -

She quickly shut down that train of thought, glaring sourly at iron card. Well, I'll just have to make sure I'm better than my comrades, so I don't have to use it. Otherwise, it'll go downhill really fast.

She smiled bitterly, but inside she was nervous. Why was the Hokage waiting so long to assign the teams? At this rate, Natsuko would graduate and be assigned sooner than she would.

No, the Hokage must have a reason, she mused silently. He wouldn't keep the new Genin waiting much longer. Right?

[[→ near;;]]

<sub>The water fleeing down the fall played a song unique to itself, heard by none but a certain male shinobi currently settled underneath a tree beside the girl's; he'd been aware of her presence for some time now, but had not bothered to make conversation. After all, he wasn't much of a talker. His sanguine eyes stared ahead, absorbed in the progress of the gurgling brook, but his ears were elsewhere; every chirp, coo, screech and cry was registered by the young Kurogane.

He loosed a soft, eerie cry, letting it echo over the forest and the trees around him; the call of the loon had always been his favorite. It sounded so haunting, so lonely. . . turning his eyes to the heavens, he observed the stars dotting the blanket of midnight blue; he could see patches of the night sky filtering through the thick treetops, and rays of moonlight lashing the grass, giving it a silvery sheen.

It doesn't look the same. . .

He lowered his gaze, sighing slightly, and grasped a small, round pebble in his hand, feeling it in his palm, until he finally flung it into the river with a splash and a curse.

"Nothing's the same!" he uttered with regret, resting his folded arms on his knees and leaning his forehead on his arms, effectively concealing his face and the tears that forced themselves down his face.</sub>

['Sai]

OoC: The more the merrier. ^^

BiC: At the sound of Seirei's voice, Hayaka whirled around. Unfortunately for her, the air next to a tree branch isn't that solid.

She said a word her mother would have grounded her for as she managed to find a grip on the branch with one hand. She hung there for a moment, scowling at the limb, then managed to clamber up atop the branch. She reached up and yanked the card out of the tree limb, and stuffed it hurriedly into its holster.

Then she leapt down, landing neatly several feet away from the shinobi. She opened her mouth, then realized that she hadn't thought of anything to say. So she stood there dumbly for a moment, her mind frantically grasping for words. Finally, she managed a simple, "Hi."

And then started in on herself. You jump out of a tree you nearly fel out off, land right by this guy, and only say 'Hi'?! Do you even have a fully functional brain? Or do you get by just on instinct!?

[/size]

[[→ near;;]]

<sub>The faint thud in the grass beside him alerted the young shinobi; he raised his head from his arms, and gazed at Hayaka for a moment, as she clearly struggled to decide what to say to him.

"A greeting would be the best thing to do."

Seconds later, she finally uttered a simple 'hi', causing Seirei to roll his eyes pointedly. Nonetheless, he shifted into a more comfortable position, crossing his legs Indian-style and placing his hands in his lap.

"Kurogane Seirei." he introduced himself, inclining his head ever so slightly out of respect for the fellow shinobi.</sub>

['Sai]

Hayaka's eyebrows drew together ever so slightly at his sarcasm, but dipped her head slightly, returning the respect. "Kadohata Hayaka," she said as an introduction.

"You don't get many people out here at this time. And you don't hear too many birds at this time either." She raised an eyebrow at him, but said nothing else, crossing her arms.

[[→ near;;]]

<sub>Seirei offered her a slight smile, as if in apology of his recent sarcasm, and glanced back toward the gargling brook.

"True. I like the peaceful atmosphere out here, and during the daytime, there are some birds I like to listen to. If there aren't any at night, I improvise." he replied, cocking a brief, mysterious smile.

It wouldn't do to tell her just yet that he had been responsible for that loon's cry just moments ago.</sub>

['Sai]

Hayaka's curiosity was immediately aroused, and she smiled slightly. "I think the only birds you would hear at night are owls."

Suddenly her body stiffened and the hairs on the back of her neck rose. "But what would I know about birds," she said, suddenly bitter. "I can barely control-" She shut her mouth quickly, and bit the inside of her cheek, glaring at the ground.

What are you thinking?! Are you just going to open up to a freaking stranger about the cougar? He seems alright, but he does not need to know. At all.

[[→ near;;]]

<sub>Seirei's eyes narrowed in laughter, as he leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees, studying the girl with rising curiosity. She was clever, he thought, for noticing such a thing so quickly; the Kurogane smirked inwardly, but did not say anything.

It wasn't wise to reveal your jutsu to a complete stranger, be they from the same village or not.

A moment of silence passed, and Seirei broke his gaze, turning his eyes to the brook sloshing merrily against the rocks; he didn't have much to say, and obviously neither did this girl. . . what was her name? Haya. . . Hayaka. Kadohata Hayaka.

He could remember that.</sub>

['Sai]

Hayaka was still bristling slightly after her last slip. She held the boy's gaze, almost defiantly, until he looked to the brook. She heaved a light sigh, wishing she wasn't so stupid sometimes. She ought to follow her younger sister's hypocritical advice at times like this, but her pride wouldn't allow her to stoop to listening to a ten-year-old, especially an overconfident sister that age.

She smiled wryly at the thought as she continued to watch Seirei. He was an interesting person, quite mysterious, despite the fact that he couldn't be much older than she was, if he was older.

And things hadn't imploded yet; that had to be good, right?