Dango of the Day (DCP)

The fact that Konoha was pretty lax with its security helped Ishihara alot. Actually, the fact that he probably wasn't even registered in their bingo book as a Missing Nin helped even more. But why would Ishihara even risk going into Konohagakure no Sato? Sure, they probably didn't know who he was, but IF they did... It could only mean trouble. Was it the food of Konohagakure? The weather? The nostalgia? Or was Ishihara a one dimensional guy who couldn't resist playing the field for chicks? Of course it would have to be the latter...est...

Today, just like everyday, Ishihara wore his dark colored orange jumpsuit along with the black headband to keep his hair from running wild. Unfortunately, Ishihara elected to leave his beloved Yama Fuji back at his campsite just outside Konoha. Mounting a huge sword on his back would have raised suspicion as well as repel the ladies. They probably would have thought he was compensating for something.

As Ishihara strolled down the street, he planned out where he would be scouting out the ladies of Leaf. The weather was just right, so it was only natural his prey would be out and about. But what did girls his age love to do? Ishihara was still a teenager, the time in everyone's life when their metabolism was still strong, so obviously most of the ladies would probably be at some sort of food shop, right? It was in this manner that Ishihara decided to hit up the local Food district of Konoha.

Just as he surmised, plenty of women were at the food district. What luck Ishi had! There was just one problem: Ishihara couldn't find any of the women at a restraunt that was actually of notable worth. In essence, from Ishihara's observations, the majority of these women were at food shops that depended more on presentation, popularity and propaganda rather than the good old recipe book. And what did that scream to Ishihara? Shallow Women who didn't really care about what the man was really like, but how he looked.

Finding himself quite depressed after taking a stroll down the Food District, Ishihara would find himself reluctantly leaving that area. Until a fragrant smell permeated the air in which his nose breathed in. Ishihara would follow this smell to a small, almost dilapidated wooden structure. Ishi could barely make out what the sign of the store said. "Daiki's Dango".

Well, if the smell brought him there, it couldn't be THAT bad, right?

It was in this fashion Ishihara would find himself sitting upon the porch of the small wooden structure while munching on Red Bean Paste Dango along with a side of green tea.

The sun was shining. The weather was beautiful. The birds were singing. The small animals were out and about. It was a gorgeous day. The day was travelling at a fair pace, but it was moving faster than some. The darkness of the room was being vaporized by the incoming light. That light shined brilliantly through the window, signalling the new day. The new day was to be respected, and all were to rise. That is if they were of the norm. There were two types of mornings for Oni Kuro. She either awoke very early and walked through the forest or slept well past the rising of the sun. It just so happened that the day was the latter. Kuro was sleeping later than usual. But, that didn't keep her from awaking to the sounds of the morning that played well into the early afternoon song. The ballad of the darkness faded into nothingness, conquered by the orchestra of the light. And, thus, Kuro groaned as she lifted the covers from her bed. Standing, she did little to show her concern for the day. All that was on her face was a bored look in her jaded purple eyes. She yawned, and she waved carelessly at the light... as though trying to tell it to go away. Clothed only in black lingerie, she slowly slid her feet across the static-filled carpet over to her dresser. Her short black hair flapped against the nape of her neck and the sides of her ears. A small smile weakly developed. Perhaps, she would care about the day. She reached very gently into her dresser, touching the light fabric of her clothing. It was black, yet it was light. Air could easily pass through it. She wondered about why she wore that type of clothing. Was it because of the light touch? Was it because of the pleasing feeling of the gentle breeze against her skin? Whatever the cause, she knew that she did it from habit. It was who she was. It helped to define her. She softly gripped the fabric, pulling it from the drawer. She then proceeded to flap it out, and she let it hang in front of her. The black sweatpants that hung in front of her were soon placed onto her bed. She then walked back over to the dresser and grabbed a crimson shirt. She slid it over her head and allowed it to fall onto her body, loosely pressing on her shoulders, chest, and arms. With that, the dressing mantage began. She had bathed the previous night, so she found it of no concequence to attack the day without the bathing and cleaning mantage. She reached into her dresser once more and grabbed a black skirt. She then proceeded back to her bed and placed the skirt on the bed. In turn, she grabbed the sweatpants and slid her smooth feet into the leg holes of the sweatpants. She then slowly and gently gripped the waistband and slid them up her slender [yet muscular] legs to her waist. After, she sighed, and she grabbed the skirt. She slid the skirt up over the light sweatpants to her waist. The tight waistband of the skirt gripped her waist over her airy sweatpants. Almost done, she went to her very small closet. There, she grabbed a black hoodie. The hoodie was covered in random zippers. The zippers were everywhere, lacking any real purpose. She slipped it over her head to join the crimson shirt. The hoodie, too, was light and airy, just like the sweatpants. With that, she shook her head, her hair flapping out once more. She flipped back the hood, her entire head visible. With a sigh of relief and a smile, she went to the door and put on her black sandals. Fastening them, she was ready. She grabbed her black sachel packed with her notebook and various items. The day should have been ready for her. True or not, Kuro was heading out the door, immersed in the orchestral beauty of the early afternoon light.

The early afternoon was buzzing with people. Hungry, Kuro headed to the crowded market. The smells and sounds filled the air, buzzing around and nagging at her senses. Each step was a new one, ever changing in the direction. She was unsure of her destination, but she wanted good food. There were many restaurants around the place. But, none of them truly had the food. Yes, the atmosphere was great and buzzing, but it was lacking in the satisfaction of the food itself. Those restaurants weren't selling food. They were selling atmosphere. That was not the true purpose of a business that sold food, so Kuro avoided such establishments. She allowed her sense of smell to be the judge of where she was to dine. So, she closed her eyes. That was a dangerous thing to do in such a place, the fear of bumping into another person definitely vaild. She followed her nose, though. It was as though she was just gliding through the crowd. She barely made any contact with another person as she slid through the mass of people. Her sachel bounced at her side with each step. Her essence just glided past the other bodies. There was a scent that carried her through the crowd. It stuck out like nothing else in the entire world. It was the smell of real food. Well, at least it stuck out over the smell of the weaker food. She walked with a purpose, toward the scent of the real food. She eventually exitted the crowd to a smaller sidestreet. The scent was strong. She couldn't help but go toward it anymore. She found herself at a smaller, more broken shack that sold food. She looked around the front of the shack to find a sign that read "Daiki's Dango". The smell was very powerful there, so Kuro opted to purchase some food. Coming from the small building, she sat on the front of the porch. She had purchased some Red Bean Paste Dango and some Green Tea. She loved tea, especially the naturally flavored tea. She was about to eat when she noticed that she was not alone on the porch. There was another person there, a guy, who had gotten the same thing that she had gotten. She thought little of it and turned back to her food. The aroma of the food was very strong and savory. She then twirled a finger in the Red Bean Paste Dango and stuck it into her mouth. Her eyes closed involuntarily, and her right hand shook slightly. That was real food.

{1,113}

Refreshing was one word to describe the Red Bean dango. Satisfying was another. This list could go on, but why think about it when Ishihara could just stuff himself with Dango. After finishing his first plate, it was such a shame each plate only got two sticks of Dango, Ishihara would order a second plate that would arrive shortly. And when it did, one could surmise what Ishihara's intentions were.

Just because Ishihara was happily munching on his anko dango didn't mean he was unaware of his surroundings. So of course his attention would be immediately caught by a young female approaching Daiki's. Ishi didn't like the idea of baggy clothes too much. Not only were they not form fitting, but it often meant that a person was hiding a lot, whether it be body fat or darker, deeper secrets. Especially if the person was wearing sweats on a warm and beautiful day.

Next, Ishihara would have to take note of all the black she admonished herself in. Sort of a shame in Ishihara's opinion. While he hadn't seen her smile, yet, he sorta knew that the dull aura her clothes were giving off would take away from the smile. Something like that. Ishihara knew what he was talking about, alright? Aside from her wardrobe, the girl herself wasn't bad looking by any means. AND she actually chose to eat at quite a good shop if Ishihara would say so himself. That was a big plus.

Yes, it was with that Ishihara decided that this young woman met the qualifications to be hit on by Ishihara. What came next was natural. He would lean back on the porch with his arms outstretched behind him to support himself. He would slightly turn his head in her direction whilst flashing his best smile and say:

"Someone die today?"

This was a little joke. Ishihara was sure there were a thousand ways to react and a master skirt chaser wouldn't allow for that many variables to be present in the opening act. But Ishihara liked to do things his own way, and joking around was one of them. Afterall, how could it go wrong? She was wearing a lot of black and it was PRETTY safe to assume no one died since she was at a Dango shop in the middle of the day. Besides, if Ishihara got rejected here he could always turn to his Dango for comfort.

Kuro sucked on her finger for a brief moment, thinking of the sensation that her senses were undergoing. The savory taste and smell was going to her head in a very pleasing manner. She then opened her eyes, sighing with relief. That Red Bean Paste Dango was great to her taste buds. And, she began to consume the rest. It was delicious, her skin shivering very briefly. Her spine shook, as well. It was quite the sensation, and she loved it. She soon ate the entire plate, though it contained just a couple with which to begin. She smiled and breathed as she finished the plate. Those dangos were great. She set the plate where it belonged and came back to the porch with another cup of green tea. She drank it very slowly, savoring the taste of each little drop of tea. Kuro continued to keep a sort of watch on the guy next to her. She wasn't looking at him, but her peripheral vision kept tabs on him. She leaned back on the porch, her very light sweatpants dangling loosely from her slender legs. The hoodie pressed against her chest and shoulders, though it only revealed humps, not the smooth skin that was beneath the baggy clothing. Her clothing was actually misleading to her looks. She was very attractive. She very little fat on her body at all, less than most. She had muscles all over her body, which might've given the illusion of fat from underneath the baggy clothes. She wasn't ripped like one who works out, but she had been working on building muscle of late. With thoughts of her physique in mind, she wondered if the guy next to her had noticed said features. But, the odds were against her. Most would have just assumed that she was hiding fat with her baggy clothing. In fact, it was just the opposite. She had nothing to hide. Giving the illusion of hiding something was something that she kept. She kept it so that she would be able to judge another person accurately... if that person was of the intellectual field or not. Black was her color. The color expressed who she was. She kept herself enshrouded in mystery with her baggy black clothing. It was also a way to stand noticibly from the crowd. She was different. She did not conform just to conform. She did what she thought was necessary. Whether that was conforming or not was a complete coincidence; she just did not want to look like a conformist when she involuntarily conformed. It was her way of saying that she was her own person. She was not just another person in the crowd. But, such things were double-edged. It mattered not for the time, though. The guy next to her leaned back in his spot, and he began to speak. Was he checking her out... possibly flirting? The thought definitely came across her mind. But, what the guy said was very unorthodox. "Someone die today?" Kuro grinned. This guy was making a sideways attempt at flirting. A brief sigh crossed her mouth. She then looked at him with her gazing purple eyes, shining in the light. She answered. "Someone dies every day.... What's your name?" That was definitely the weirdest beginning to a conversation ever. Asking if someone had died was definitely a REAL pickup line....

{563}

Quite a clever answer. This is probably what Ishihara meant when he found it impossible to deduct all the reactions to his little joke. But what made the situation even more difficult at that time was that the girl unknowing gave Ishihara a little information about herself. The difficult aspect of this laid in the fact that to gain information... he would be assuming. And everyone knew the old saying about assuming. Still, in Ishihara's art it was necessary to take some chances and throw yourself out there. What fun would life be without the risks?

It was pretty safe to assume the girl was a direct person. The fact that she went straight for his name inferred that information to Ishi. The hard part was how to deal with this. Of course Ishihara would reveal his name to her truthfully, he was flirting and no risk was too great whilst flirting. Even if that risk involved Konoha recognizing him as a missing ninja. There were two approaches Ishihara saw as viable options. Be the regular care-free guy he was or continue with the line of joking. Seeing as how his last joke was retorted easily, Ishihara elected to just play it out as a regular guy.

Before speaking, Ishihara also noticed from out of his peripherals she was directly looking at him. Well then, it was only right for Ishihara to return the favor, right? Ishihara would turn his head to meet her purple eyes with his own light brown eyes. This accomplished two things in Ishihara's favor: 1.) Showing he was confident enough in himself to directly look her in the eye. 2.) Mimicry. A psychological method of flirting. It was in essence imitating what the girl does. The advantage behind this is that the girl will begin to think, subconciously, that the guy mimicking her is somewhat alike. Was Ishihara totally sure of this method? Of course not, he just read about it somewhere. Or... Heard about it. One of the two.

"You know, it's rude where I come from to ask for a person's name without introducing yourself,"

Ishihara smiled.

"but I guess things around here are different. People call me Ishihara."

Huh... Ishihara thought he was going to play it safe and... well... not try to mess with her, but guess Ishihara changed his mind at the last second. Spontaneous people...

(sorry to interrupt but considering your a missing ninja in konoha, this shouldn't be a private thread)

No one could ever deduce every single thought within a person's mind. In fact, it was the human nature of things that made such an action impossible. The random aspect of the human mind was too great to figure how a person ticked EXACTLY. One could always assume certain actions, but they were never concrete facts. Her answer had revealed actually the opposite of her nature. Though being direct was very common for early meetings, Kuro appreciated metaphors and word play. Her mental involvement in coversations was always present, and her thoughts revolved around a few things. For one, her mind was always attempting to process the actions of the other person. In direct relation to that, she used said information to attempt to predict the actions to come. Of course, she would be mistaken many times in the early parts of the conversation when dealing with a sporatic person, but she would become more and more acquainted with the person as the coversation continued. Her mind was just a single machine, processing information possibly to save her ass in the later times. If she could predict the actions of a group of people based on a common ground, then she could use such knowledge in future confrontations to predict the other person's thought process, and, in turn, she could predict what the person could do next. Thus was the mind of Oni Kuro. It was an ever calculating one, but she did have a personality. And, she regretfully knows that her personality affects the machine. Whether it is a positive or negative influence mattered little; it was just who she was. She wondered what this man was thinking. In all respects, he probably did not expect a straightforward response like the one that she gave. In fact, if he meant any harm at all, it was a good thing. If he meant for mere casual talk, then he would know that she was variable on certain unknown factors. At least, either way, it worked to her advantage.

Kuro had been looking at him with her purple eyes, gazing upon him with a great interest. Whether she actually had interest in him in such a manner or not did not matter. However, it definitely made her more approachable and amiable. His light brown eyes then locked onto hers. The brown and the purple met, creating an interesting blend that could have meant many things. He could've been just wanting to confirm the respect and look at her. He could've been mimicking her as a sign of alikeness, perhaps even flirting. He could've been wanting to show his emotions in his eyes in an attempt so as not to speak. Of course, it could have been many of these possibilities and more, but she kept those at the top of the list in her calculating mind.

"You know, it's rude where I come from to ask for a person's name without introducing yourself, but I guess things around here are different. People call me Ishihara."

Ishihara had smiled to accompany his amiable feeling. He was giving the impression that he was a sort of carefree person who love to talk and speak his mind. However, he had stated that people called him Ishihara, not that it was his name. She spoke in a similar manner, always inserting that subconscious doubt using her words. In the end, no one could have been knowing for sure who she was or what she had said for certain. In any case, she liked to keep certain doubts amongst others. It allowed her to be herself without actually telling facts with complete truth. In essence, it was the best way to show that she was a kunoichi. Many kunoichi were used in infiltration missions, but she didn't care about whether she was infiltrating a base or fighting soldiers in the field. So, she was about to reveal more about herself with her following statement. Her head slightly tilted to one side in a slightly endearing fashion, and her head leaned every so slightly forward, having to look "up" at him, more endearing fashions of actions. Her smile was innocent as her purple eyes shined and remained locked with his, the blinking never truly breaking their eye contact.

"Well, then, it is a pleasure to meet you Ishihara. I am known as Kuro."

Her eyes closed, and her nape-long hair swayed lightly.

{735}

Oi, this wasn't too good. Probably the strongest weapon in Ishihara's arsenal of socializing was reacting and adapting. Or that's what he liked to think anyway. His thinking did not really mean much however, as one could tell from previous actions. Despite the fact he liked to thoroughly plan ahead and worry about such and such, Ishihara always relied on his spontaneous side to pull through. But thinking about situations had prevented his mind from wandering from the topic at hand, allowing for Ishihara to focus. Ishi never seemed to realize just how spontaneous he was. He always thought that he was a well organized person, a man with a plan. How would he ever have so much fun if he were though?

The problem here was Ishihara felt that Kuro had not put much of herself out there for Ishihara to work with. Sure, she gave him her name, but Ishihara felt like that wasn't too big of an accomplishment. Moreover, it didn't give him much to work with. Because her words weren't enough Ishihara would have to rely on her body language to formulate the next phase. Of course this wasn't too much of an avenue he could pursue since he had decided to lock eyes with her and breaking the eye contact to look over her body for any notable signs would probably come off as alarming. Aside from the idea that he could come off as a raging pervert, Ishihara also realized he was quickly becoming entranced by her eyes. Not a good thing.

She had pretty eyes, pretty PURPLE eyes. That wasn't something a man got to see everyday. But there was a problem with that. The fact that he felt tingling feelings arising from inside his chest meant he was beginning to lose the game. The object of the game was to win and to win one has to make the other subject to them, or in other words attract that person to themselves. The person who could keep their cool and resist temptation would of course become the winner. Guys, being the fiends they are, have always had a natural disadvantage at this game. Only one thing allowed for Ishihara to pull himself out of her eyes, his drive to win. This will to persevere forced him to get this plan in motion.

"Kuro? That name's almost as cute as you are."

Wait... That was definitely not the plan. Even with a blunder in the middle of his stage time, Ishihara's simple no-showing of teeth smile would keep strong as would his eye contact. Ishihara really should get himself under control before getting involved with women, at this rate the only thing Ishihara is gonna win is a nice little bruise. Ishi couldn't help himself however. While he liked to try and map out his actions in his mind, subconciously he knew doing a wretched thing such as studying a female and calculating her like a math problem would be wrong. Ishi inherently just knew that he had to roll with what he felt since feeling is first in these sorts of situations.

"Do you come to Daiki's often?"

It was here an actual part of Ishihara's original plan would come into effect. Ishihara would bring up his cup of green tea that came with his order of dango to his lips, allowing hime a short period of reprieve from those enticing eyes. No, now that Ishihara thought about it, it wasn't just her eyes that drew him in (for Ishihara had been leaning forward towards her without realizing) but she had also taken up a sort of stance that made her seem more friendly...? It was interesting. Interesting enough to make Ishihara wonder what sort of body accompanied an easy to look at face. What? Ishihara was a guy...

After sipping, well... no.. Ishihara wasn't elegant enough to sip the tea. It was more like after taking a nice gulp of tea, Ishihara would quickly look over the young woman to find hints within her body language before returning his eyes to her own. There was nothing suspicious in that action, right?