Tea and Sand

[Paksennarion]

Paks lifted one slim hand, running the pale fingers through her loose hair nonchalantly. Dark garnet eyes surveyed the streets coolly, lighting upon the passing people in an assessing manner. The short girl was sitting at an open tea house, quietly sipping hot tea and attempting not to allow the grit and sand in the wind to fall into her cup. It was supposed to be a relaxing outing, or something like that, but as with most things it wasn't. Really, whomever came up with the idea of open restaurants obviously thought that the people of Suna were more social then they really were. Or more paranoid. The latter being much more likely, and perhaps why she had chosen this particular place to take her tea.

Cupping the steaming teacup in her hands, Paks watched as the vapor slowly rose and curled above the gaudy porcelain. Exhaling lightly, her eyes slid back towards the street again as another person passed by without issue. There was no one else in the tea house other than the civilian who ran it for which she was grateful. Even without being the most sociable person it was hard to get time to herself lately. Although perhaps it was sad that she had to run off to a tea house to get that time. Then again, perhaps she was just ingenuous.

Taking a small sip of the bitter brew, Paks slowly held the liquid in her mouth before swallowing. She hadn't added any sweetener, and it bit rather sharply. But that too was a good thing. She would have to get up soon or else the proprietor would begin to shoot her strange looks. Overstaying ones welcome was not something Paks liked to make a habit of, nor did she want the woman to really remember her presence later in the day. Mulling that over she lifted her cup and took another sip.

[Lee]

Sanosuke Raitaga stepped out of his office, barefoot, savoring the warm sand beneath his feet. He hadn't felt this glorious sand in a while, and was beginning to miss it. He had been so caught up in work over the last few days, that he practically never went outside. His village was strikingly low on Shinobi, and he was trying to incorperate as many people as he could. His village was completely open for attack, and that barely made him comfortable. He hadn't been out in a while, and he needed to see how his village was doing, and not by just watching it from his office window.

He began walking towards the left side of his village, as the kages office was placed smak dab in the middle of his village. He was hoping he would have an interesting day, if not a horrible one. A few of the villagers still suspected him of being the murderer of the previous Kazekage. Him being cooped in his office constantly was not at all helping that.

He strutted along through the village for a few minutes, greeting villagers as he walked along. Some would bow lightly, coming back up very quickly, with genuine smiles on their faces. They would say "Hello Kazekage sama! Nice day today, isn't it?"

"Sure is!! Have a nice day!" Sanosuke would say as he walked by.

And then there were the villagers who had that look on their face.. that look. The look that said, "I know what you did, you fu**ing murderer. You power-hungry bastard, you'll never lead ME." That was what the look meant. Sanosuke payed no attention to them, they brought him down. He didn't like it when people like that brought him down. There were only a few places that Sanosuke had never been too, and the peculiar tea house was one of them. Ever since he was a young child, he never thought it important enough to visit this place, for he never quite had a liking too tea. This is why Sanosuke took his little walks. Now that he was the Kazekage, he should have known the village like the back of his hand. Maybe some tea would relieve him.

Stepping inside of the tea house with no doors, he saw a small young woman in which he recognized all too well. Paksannarion. One of the best jounin of his village, Sanosuke had met her when he was still a jounin himself. Upon becoming the Kazekage, he doesn't remember too much about talking with any nof his old companions. He walked to the table in which Paksannarion was sitting, taking a quick glance at the owner of the place. Never met her either.

"Hello, Paks. Remember me?"

[Paksennarion]

Finally finishing her cup, Paks gently placed it back on the tabletop. Shifting her weight she moved to stand and go pay, but before she could complete the action another person entered the tea house. Relaxing, if only superficially, she eyed him speculatively. Sanosuke. Well well well... It had certainly been awhile since she had seen him, last she heard he had been appointed to the rank of Kazekage. Of course what with the current Kazekage holing up in his office she had never checked up on that rumor. It appeared that it was true. Interesting.

As the older man sat down across from her, Paks folded her hands in her lap. Linking her slender fingers together. The proprietress bustled over to their table, bowing shortly to Sanosuke before setting another cup down in front of him with a dull thunk. Pouring a stream of tea into his cup without a word, she then refilled Paks'. Bowing again, the lady hurried to the back of the room, and began fiddling with some of the dishes. She was far enough away that conversation wouldn't carry.

Openly looking her new companion up and down, Paks inclined her head slowly, "Kazekage-sama, it would be hard not to remember you."

[Lee]

Sanosuke laughed a bit, remembering his good ol', stress free days as a jounin. Well, at the time, it wasn't stress free, but looking back at it from his current position was sometimes relaxing. The Kazekage rank came with it's good sides and it's downsides. A couple of the bad things that came with the job were worrysome and responcibility. Paperwork, paperwork, paperwork. Kazekage wasn't all that exciting. He thought back to the good days when he used to spar with his fellow jounin, Paksannarion being one of them.

The shortest, but the best. That was Paksannarion. He remembered that noone ever underestimated her because of her great fighting skills. Sanosuke questioned if even now, as the Kazekage: Could Sanosuke take Paksannarion? He had no time for village fights, and he wasn't really in a hurry to find out how powerful she was. Sanosuke then thought about something he had been meening to do, and how Paksannarion was to be involved. Might as well have told her here and now, see what she though.

"So, Paksennarion. Let me tell you something, that i've been meaning to tell you. I'm starting an elite group of jounin, and other high ranked ninja of the sand. Lately, the Akatsuki have been tinkering with my village, and I need an offensive team of ninja. What do you say, Paks?"

{EDIT: Stupid spelling errors. STUPID computer!}

[Paksennarion]

"You are asking if I would be up for joining this group," she voiced softly, not exactly asking. A small smile, more smirk than anything else curled at her lips. Closing her hand around the cup she lifted it off the table and took another sip, eyes falling shut for a moment.

It was true that Suna had a low number of shinobi. She didn't know much about the current actions of Akatsuki, but most likely those nin were making trouble as usual. With their relatively low manpower, it would be hard to keep up with Village's like Konoha who had several times over the active-duty shinobi Suna had. An elite group would certainly help alleviate that issue, provided the selection for members was made carefully.

Setting her cup down, Paks idly traced patterns on the tabletop with her finger. Meeting Sanosuke's eyes with her own steely gaze, she nodded. "I believe I could be amiable to joining this group of yours." Then she looked at him shrewdly, noting the differences from the last time they had seen each other. Sanosuke was no doubt a different person now, with different goals and dreams. The stress of his occupation lay somewhat heavily on him, that much she could tell from this meeting. They had worked together in the past, been comrades in arms. The least she could do was help allay that stress.

"Who else are you thinking of asking Kazekage-sama?" she asked demurely, the soft tone covering her keen interest. She would not commit without knowing who it was she was to work with. Teammates made all the difference and Paks wasn't about to jump into something without thought.

[Ushiro Hyuuga]

OOC:is this open to any one?

[Lee]

Paksannarion would probabaly allow, but it's her topic. Sure, come in..

[Paksennarion]

OOC - Vork-san would you wait until Paks and Sanosuke finish their conversation?

[Lee]

Sanosuke thought a bit, not really knowing which of the jounin he had practiced with before were still in the village. He didn't keep up with his old freinds at all, and now he didn't know who the jounin were. Seeing that Paksennarion had ordered another tea, probably getting tired with the drink by now, Sanosuke descided to give it a shot. He raised his hand, then asked for a cup of tea. He didn't know the different kinds, or if it needed sweetener, or anything. "Just Tea.." he said. The lady behind the counter fiddled a bit with the tiny cups. "Yes, Kazekage-sama". The place was nice, now that Sanosuke had sat down in it for once. He would have gone here more often, if only he had known about it.

The tea was brought to him, set on the table above a glass coater. Sanosuke eyed it for a bit, not really wanting to take a drink of it now that it was in front of him, for some odd reason. He tapped the glass for a moment, thinking of a few familiar names. "Demon Drac..." Sanosuke said, picking up his tea and bringing it to about chest level, but not taking a drink of it just yet. "He's only a chuunin, but his power matches that of a strong jounin." Sanosuke took a small sip of his tea now. Sanosuke was let down in a way, for he had been expecting a sea of flavors. He had heard so many talking of tea, and they need a nice tea to relax. Tasted like...heated up water.

"Hizoku Tenshi, a few others. I've sort of lost track of all the ninja in my village. I only merely talk, nonetheless know of, a few others, including you. I spend my time out of the village talking to young chuunin and genin."

[Paksennarion]

Paks nodded slowly. "Alright Kazekage-sama... And who will lead this team?" She toyed with her cup, turning it to the left until the tawdry design was lined up with the edge of the table. For a blank moment she merely stared at the symmetry, before twisting the thin porcelain to the right. The cup was hot; enough so that her hands felt a bit too tight, but Paks ignored the discomforting sensation to continue fiddling with it.

Looking back up from the table, she watched Sanosuke calmly. The smallest of twitches as her mouth fought to smile and her mind fought not to as he took the first sip of tea. Few people enjoyed such bitter brews. Then again few people enjoyed bitter things to begin with, be it beverages or people. Perhaps bitterness was something that had to grow on you.

She idly searched her mind, trying to remember if she had ever heard the names of the Shinobi the Kazekage had mentioned. Some of them seemed familiar, people she had no doubt passed on the street or overheard someone else speaking of. Gossip, however thinly veiled, seemed to be a pastime with the other members of her Clan.

A stiff breeze picked up, swirling silt around in patterns that could have been appealing had they not the tendency to rub skin raw and blind people, nor get into tea, she groused while lifting a hand to cover the top of her cup. Long purple hair fluttered like a caged bird but remained somewhat orderly as the wind died down. Wonder of all wonders. She wasn't sure if it was considered a blessing or not that her hair hardly tangled in the desert wind. If it had tangled, perhaps she would have chosen another way or presenting her hair by now. Shrugging delicate shoulders the girl slid her eyes back towards Sanosuke, waiting for an answer.

[Lee]

Sanosuke pondered on this a bit. He thought that he would lead it, but he was usually busy with other matters, and he wouldn't be able to go to many meetings, nonetheless call for them. It would be better for someone else to lead this group, someone who would most likely be a bit more involved. He took another sip of his tea, enjoying it a bit more this time because he had been expecting the bland taste. He set it down on the coaster, for he was done with it. "Paksennarion. I was hoping that you would lead this group. You seem to be intact with the ninja world, and you care a bit about village matters. I would be honored if you would take the position, and develope a name for the group." The Kazekage said, looking at his former companion. He had complete faith in her, for she was always a lot more organized then he was. "By the way, there is no need to call me 'Kazekage-sama'. Sanosuke, or Sano, will do just fine.

[Paksennarion]

Paks blinked slowly, thick lashes obscuring her view for but a second as she took in the other man's words. Her? Were they really that low on active duty Shinobi that he would pick her to lead this group? Cogitating, she turned the idea over in her head. Looking at it from various angles in a meticulous and patient manner as if doing so would provide her with the answers to the future.

At the moment, she had been occupying her time with training and staying away from her home. The excuse of actual duties would certainly put a dent into any complaints her family could come up with, and perhaps if she tried hard enough she could avoid the Clan Compound altogether for a while. That prospect seemed worth the hassle of dealing with other Shinobi, and since this was supposed to be an elite group it wasn't like she was going to be babysitting anyone. If they were all skilled, it may even be a somewhat enjoyable scenario.

If she disagreed however, there was also the thought that she would then be under someone else's command. It wasn't that Paks didn't like authority, she followed orders fully and explicitly, but it had been some times since she had gone on any sort of team mission. It was easier to be the one in control.

The drawbacks of course would be hard to get used to, but Paks was nothing if not flexible. Placing her hands on the table, fingers spread apart, she nodded solemnly. "Wakarimashita Kazekage-sama." At his last comment, she raised a slender eyebrow before putting special emphasis on the word Kazekage. Paks wouldn't drop decorum for the sake of familiarity, no matter who was asking.

[Lee]

Sanosuke found Paksennarions formality to be humorous, but a little bit uncomfortable. Throughout most of his years knowing the clever ninja, she had usually adressed him as "Sano-san", or just "Sano". The Kazekage-sama was getting to him a bit, the fact that everyone HAD to call him that. It was kind of depressing, but Lee had to cope with it. He would feel weird calling the Kazekage anything but "Kazekage-sama" as well. He stood up and stretched a bit, then, with his arms up in the air strecthing, he glanced down at the purple haired shinobi whom hadn't changed much at all. He was about to get up and leave, although he didn't quite wish too, so he sat back down. He had lots of things to do, but he felt that this was of more importance to him.

"By the way, Paks, please let me know whenever you have any meetings. I wish to be informed on all of your group actions, they are of upmost importance to me, and the village as well. I trust that you will lead this group all to well."

His hair blew back in the wind while the lady came around again to refill his cup. He gave her a nod and a smile, then she was back on her way. Through the wind, which was now picking up and becoming a bit more furious, Sanosuke picked his cup of tea up. He was growing a liking to the tea, and was sure to discover more types of it later on down the road. He took a large sip of it, almost as if he were addicted. He could feel another presence approaching.

[Ushiro Hyuuga]

Ushiro hyuuga showed up nearby buying noodles and some kunai as he look to his left and saw two people talking he could only see there chakura points but know who is whese by there Chakura as Ushiro hyuuga walk over and said hello im Ushiro hyuuga as he place his kunai in his pouch and greet them with manners.

[Paksennarion]

OOC - Choppy and rushed. XP

Paks inclined her head deeply, a non-verbal signal that she had heard Sanosuke and would do as he asked. Brushing a lock of hair back behind her ear, the young Jounin sat in silence. Without pressing business to speak of, she was never a good conversationalist. It was good then that Sanosuke seemed to not require speech in order to enjoy things.

Looking up from her ruminations, Paks turned callous eyes on the newcomer. She wasn't aware that Suna had made an acquisition of the Hyuuga bloodline, and it was with a small jolt of surprise that she registered the name he offered up. Realizing that he had finished speaking, she nodded to him, "Hyuuga-san," she greeted softly.

[Ushiro Hyuuga]

OOC:paks my character always cover his eyes

[Paksennarion]

OOC - O.o With what? I'll go edit.

[Ushiro Hyuuga]

OOC:with cloth

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