Round 6: The Prince's Prodigy

[S h i k o]

Two days after Round 4.

"There. All done."

Shikome dusted her hands off, then looked around at the work she'd done. It wasn't much, because she and Izumida had brought only the necessities with them, but she had finally finished placing her own personal touches on their new apartment. It was larger than she expected, but still a tight space:

Luckily for her, her father once had friends in high places, and she was able to catch a break. It was freshly evicted, but she wasn't one to be picky.

"Okay, now..." she walked back into the living room and sat in front of the tiny TV. They didn't have a working one in the apartment before, so despite it's size it was a vast improvement. Izumida -- who was off taking his genin ID pictures, getting his team assignment, and taking care of other new graduate paperwork -- would love it. She wanted to go with him today to help him with his stuff, but he insisted that he could do it on his own. Though, after the event days before, she couldn't help but worry a little.

The girl sighed and laid down on the chair. She felt so much safer. They were on the top floor of an izakaya that only held three other apartments with theirs. No one aside of the owner knew they were there. Well, him and one other soul she trusted...

[so|NY|]

Mako sang her song. It went a little something like..."Na Na....Na na...Nananana Na na." Where it had come from Hanz had no idea, but if she had a song in her heart...she could let it out. The tune of it was actually quite catchy and he had caught himself whistling it quite a few times. Her head moved back and forth in a Chris Tucker fashion, minus the snaps and the extra neck movement. In fact, it was pretty much just moving right to left, and left to right. Hanz was in the kitchen. With a scroll on the kitchen counter, there were items lined up ready to be sealed away within it. Rubbing his hands together, he looked them over once again before he would put them away. Picking Mako up, she was his little helper, even though their wasn't much she could do. Placing her on the counter, she reached out and would attempt to mess up his neat little stacks of things. Seeing as that was a mistake, he picked her up and held her in his arms. Pointing at each thing, he confirmed it with her before moving on.

"Diapers.

Wipeys.

Extra clothes.

Milk..."

As he went down the list, she didn't confirm anything or deny anything. In fact, she probably had no idea what he was talking about. She was more concerned with his bottom lip. Taking it in her hand, Hanz bit down on it, minus the teeth. Using his lips to chew on her hand, he knew everything was there and wouldn't even finish the list off. Instead, he would spit out her hand and then form handseals behind her back. The items would glow, and then the scroll would roll up. She enjoyed watching Hanz in action. Laughing at first, she then applauded and put her hands in the air before letting out an "ALL GONE!" Tucking the scroll into his back pocket, he stared Mako in the eye. His brow furrowed and nose wrinkled. She looked back at him with the same intense expression, and for a minute...it would seem as if the two of them were getting ready to scrap, however, Mako began to giggle as she headbutted him in the face. Hanz turned and caught it on his cheek and then began to laugh as well. At that moment...they got a visitor.

Moving toward the door, Hanz opened it up and a girl stood there with a blush on her cheeks. It probably had something to do with the fact that he wasn't wearing a shirt. Thinking nothing of it, he handed the girl Mako, who protested right away. Pouting and reaching back for him, he placed a hand on her head as he gave her the scroll, Hanz reached into his pocket and pulled out a few coins.

"Half up front just as we spoke about. I'll give you the rest when I pick her up tonight. Thanks again. Mako be good for Daddy ok? I'll see you soon."

The girl nodded and then adjusted Mako on her hip. Kissing Mako on her forehead, he watched her tear up and then start to cry. Where he was going was dangerous so he didn't want her to be with him for the day. Though his baby sitter seemed young, she was actually a little bad ass. She could kick more asses than most and that's why Hanz trusted her with watching Mako. That, and the fact that she would bring her to work with her in the Kage tower. No one was breaking in there. Grabbing a shirt and throwing it on, he made his exit. He had someone to see...

FAST FORWARD

Woo Woo...Woo woo...Woowoowoo-- Damn that Mako."

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Raising a hand, Hanz looked at the door for a minute before lowering that same hand to the knob. It was open. Going up to the third floor, he gave a knock on the door. Today's mission, make sure Shikome was alright, and begun the little guys training. Though he was reluctant to do so, he gave his word.
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[S h i k o]

Shikome's eyes began to get heavy as she watched the small TV sitting in the corner. She was tired, but there was no rest for the weary. But maybe, just maybe, she could get a few winks in before Izumida came home...

Knock. Knock. Knock.

The knocks startled Shikome from her almost-sleep, making her shoot straight up to a sitting position on the couch. Her instinct wanted her make her yell, "coming", but she had no idea who it could be. Izumida had a key, so he would have come straight in. The girl walked with socked feet past the dining table and into the hallway where she began to tip toe lightly. If she could pretend she wasn't home, maybe whoever it was would just leave. But when she made it to the door and peered through the peephole, what she saw made her heart jump into a lung, then fall and settle into the swarm of butterflies in her stomach.

It was Hanz.

Quickly, she opened the door and peeked out, then stepped back to let him in. It wouldn't be good for him to stand in the hall for too long.

"Hey, you. Come on in." She stepped back to let him in, and would close the door behind him after he entered. "Welcome to my little hole in the wall."

The girl wasted no time heading back down the hallway to the living room and planting herself on the couch.

[so|NY|]

Hanz had been lost in his own world as he looked to his left and down the small hall he had walked down. His lips puckered and moved forward, then to the right as his teeth would chew at his inner cheek. It was a bad habit…but it was better than smoking or drinking. Moving to the right, he would hear the knob turn and then turn his attention forward. She looked tired. Giving her a nod, he stepped in through the door and made sure to close it behind him.

Turning the lock, he moved forward after her, looking around at their new place. He didn’t completely agree with her decision to move, but he could see why she made it. Peeking at her as she walked away, he couldn’t help but to look just below her waist. Hanz was a warrior, a father, a friend, and many other things. One of which was a perv, but admiring a nice shape never hurt anyone. Noticing the TV that was in the corner, he looked back to see her on the couch. He noticed that Izumida wasn’t around. Maybe he was off signing his life away. In essence, that’s what becoming a genin meant. Agreeing to be a genin and filling out the paperwork was just that. Property of Kirigakure…but it wasn’t so bad.

”This isn’t too bad. You should get me your realtor’s number…”

As she sat on the couch, Hanz took a seat with a cushion in between them. This was the first time seeing one another since…the moment. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the bowl he stole the last time he was at her house. Placing it in between them, he easily sunk into the couch. Raising an eyebrow, he sat forward and bounced up and down a couple times. ”This is a comfortable ass couch…” Pressing down on either side of him, he then leaned back and regained focus.

”You holdin up aight?”

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[S h i k o]

"I feel much better here." Truth be told, she wanted to move out of their other apartment ever since their parents fled. She had to keep the insane debt collectors from her brother's eyesight as well as any other random crazy people from their neighborhood. Thank goodness for owed favors, or she wouldn't be living as snug as she was right now.

Shikome observed his contentment with the couch and let out a little scoff. How fitting was it for such a slick Don Juan to be contented with that specific piece of furniture. Either way, she was still giddy about the kiss they shared not even two days earlier, and decided not to skirt around the issue. Hanz seemed to be a guy who was very upfront, so maybe was the time to test the waters.

"Think I have cooties?" she said, looking down at the cushion between them. "I mean, even if you thought I did, you already kissed me."

She loved winning. She won the last time, and she planned on winning again this time. Now, time to see where his head was at.

[so|NY|]

A vote of confidence was always good to hear. Even though she seemed tired, she was up today. Last time they kicked it she had the Earth on her back like a Jansport backpack. Leaning to his left, his legs angled toward her a bit as he posted up on the arm rest. As he heard her little laugh, his eyes narrowed and tried to see what she was thinking. Raising an eyebrow as she brought up cooties, he realized that he did sit kind of far away from her. It caused a smirk to play upon his lips as she was obviously trying to get at him. Verbal sparring was something that Hanz enjoyed. He considered himself quick witted and his previous “sessions” confirmed it. He could go toe to toe with the best of em’.

”Girl I got my cootie shot years ago.”

Turning a bit more, one leg would rest on the couch as the other was on the floor still. Bent at the knee, his foot hung off still. Hanz didn’t know about this win/loss column that was going between them. Had he been keeping score, he was the one that got her to cook for him and then got a kiss out of the deal. If that’s not a W then I don’t know what is.

”After I kissed you, and you kissed me back, you locked yourself in your room. I figured you needed some space.”

The fighters had come out of the corners swinging. Let’s Get Ready to Rumblllllllllllle!!

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"Touché," she said, giving him a slight bow. She wasn't really great at verbal spars. She just wanted to gauge him. He was pretty nonchalant about the kiss. It didn't phase him in the slightest. Or he had his ninja-ness working full time and was concealing his real intentions. The mystery surrounding him kept her coming back for more. Much of her mystery had been expelled only two days before when he was thrust with no warning into her complicated life, but the interesting part to her was that he was still here.

He won this round, but only because she was too tired to come back with something witty.

"Thanks for returning my dish. As you can see, this place may be furnished, but I need all the items I can get, you dig?" She turned and faced him just as he had done her, sitting in such a way that it was the exact mirror image of the way he was sitting. "So, it seems you know more about me than I was willing to reveal. Don't you think it's time I learned a little about you?"

Who was this guy? Really? It was time she knew who she was dealing with.

[so|NY|]

Hanz watched as she gracefully bowed out. It was good for her really, some simple verbal spars had ended up becoming physical battles due to Hanz’s sharp tongue. The last thing he wanted to do was turn a friend to a foe. Especially when they were as attractive as Shikome was. She had the whole girl next door thing going on, but he knew that there was so much more behind her pretty face. Hanz was always drawn in by complex women.

”Feel yo—“

Hanz raised an eyebrow as she took the same position he was in.

”You tryin to be cute?”

Tilting his head, a sly grin played on his lips as his finger pointed downward at her leg and then up and her upper body. Hanz heard her questions and figured that it would come sooner or later. While he found out so much about her, she had yet to really know who he was. Actually…everyone knew who he was. She would be one of the few privileged to learn what he was about. Giving her a nod, he figured he could drop some information on her if that’s what she wanted.

”I see…you get me on the couch and want to ask some questions. Is this daytime television?”

Turning to his right, he placed his elbows on the back of the couch and peered behind it. Looking over his shoulder and then around the room, he turned his attention back to her and pointed at one of the doors. He wasn’t sure where it led, but that made no difference.

”Is my moms back there in the green room?”

Using his fingers to get the hair from his face, he wiped the corners of his mouth and smoothed out his eyebrows. Putting on a serious face, he clasped his hands together in his lap and leaned forward slightly.

”Roll em.”

This was his way of telling her to go ahead and ask away.

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Shikome had no idea he'd be so open to questions. She was caught like a deer in headlights now, not exactly sure what to ask. Maybe she should start with the questions with obvious answers and then work her way up to the more cryptic ones. With lips pursed and a slender finger tapping her chin, she racked her brain for a good question.

"Well...just tell me about you. You know, Hanz in 50 words or less." She moved her hair behind her ears and tilted her head curiously to the side. "What make you tick?" With her last word, she took that same thinking finger and touched his forehead gently.

This was a simple question. Something that wasn't too intrusive or meddling, but it still gave him a chance to reveal what he wanted her to know. The last thing she wanted to do was come off as nosy and clingy.

[so|NY|]

It would seem as though Hanz's reception to her had thrown her off. She seemed to be lost in a world Who's, What's, Where's, When's, and Why's as she apparently had to draw in her thinking finger to help her. Hanz smirked at her thinking face. It would seem as though she didn't think this through thoroughly enough. Considering up until now, it had been mostly small talk and a couple jokes back and forth, he knew that eventually she would need a little bit more from him. As he thought about what she would ask, he realized, she pretty much knew nothing about him.

"Extraordinary."

It was a simple question. So he gave it a simple answer. The second part wasn't really as simple. Hanz was a thorough dude. He never really had a reason for doing it...he just did it. It was like...retribution. Now he had his thinking face on as he looked away. Puckering his lips, they poked out and moved to the side again as he began to nibble at his inner cheek. Those jovial crimson eyes of his took on a more serious look as he entertained her question in a sincere manner. Taking a deep breath, he would stop that bad habit he had formed and looked up at her. In his most sincere of sinceres, he gave a shrug.

"I never really thought about it. Something to do I guess."

Unfortunately, that was all he had for her in regards to what made him tick. Hanz became a shinobi because it was what he was trained to be and he was damn good at it. He served Shou because he took him in when he was still a boy and had no place else to go. The thing that motivated him...that was a mystery. Most people hate their jobs, but Hanz didn't mind his at all. At times he was a little disgruntled, but there was nothing else he would rather be doing.

"It could be the thrill. You can call me a thrill seeker. That's prolly why I'm chasing you."

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[S h i k o]

Shikome watched him intently as he talked. She was taking in every word, every blink, every gesture and every twitch of his body. She was good at reading body language, but from her deduction, this guy was twice as good at hiding his. Something she could expect from one of Shou's shinobi.

Upon her mind drifting back to Shou, she thought about her twisted fate. She had to go back tonight. As a matter of fact, she was supposed to be there right now for a meeting, but Izumida came first in her life, so Raigyo and his buddies would just have to wait. Besides, she enjoyed Hanz's company more than their company anyway. If only there was a way to sneak him in and take him with her, he could see the sinister spectacular spectacle that was the Underground. But noticing she was in a daze for a second, she snapped back and nodded.

"Oh. Well. I'm flattered. But, I still know nothing about you," she began, raising a brow at him. She sighed with a smile, then sat back on the couch the way she had been before. "But that's fine. We have time to...I guess...learn about each other?" She had hoped they would keep seeing more of each other. Shikome had never really had any guy around outside of Raigyo when she was younger.

[so|NY|]

Hanz was observing her as she observed him. The thing with shinobi was that they always searched for whatever was underneath the underneath. Hanz got paid to do it, but it was also something that he did for fun from time to time. That would pay off here as he would see that she was a bit turned off by his answer. You can't really bullshit a bullshitter. She smelled it a while away and called him on it. As she wnt back to sitting properly on the couch, Hanz shifted his weight. Both foot would touch the floor for a second before he broke her "bubble". That would be him laying his head in her lap and looking up toward her. Personal boundaries were things that Hanz had a habit of breaking. Since they never really existed between the two of them, he figured she wouldn't mind. After all, he had touched her booty a few times, and they shared a kiss. This was taking it down a step in actuality.

"My story is much more than 50 words."

His feet would remain off the couch. One leg up on the arm as his foot hung off and the other rested on the floor still. Looking up at her, there was a lot to tell her, but he didn't really know where to start. He didn't want to jerk a tear or anything out of her since his story was sad...but it'd make for one hell of a movie. Adjusting his head so that he could get a good look at her from where he was laying.

"You know...if I ain't know any better, I'd say you had a little crush on me."

A smirk...but then again...what else would she expect to see from him. Of all the expressions he displayed, it was the most popular of them all. However, with her...it was more of a smile. Reaching up, his finger aimed to poke her in the left cheek. A little flirting never hurt anyone.

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[S h i k o]

"Crush?"

She was astonished. Shikome couldn't believe he had the audacity to say such a thing. He was so full of himself, arrogant, conceited, and totally hot. How dare he make her blush like this. To play it off, she rolled her eyes and grabbed his finger. She was tempted to warn him that if he wanted to keep all of his fingers, he'd ever so kindly keep them away from her face, but Hanz (as one reading this story should know by now) was not the average guy to Shikome. She hated being vulnerable and transparent, and some how Hanz knew how to see right through her. He made her feel naked, the way he looked at her and spoke to her. He didn't have to break through the walls she'd put up. He could just phase through them like a superhero. Or, it was like he had Superman's x-ray vision, only it was the soul penetrating version.

"What makes you think I have a crush on you? You kissed me before, so therefore you obviously have a crush on me, ne?"

And there it was. Her rebuttal.

[so|NY|]

Hanz watched her as she put up the barrier again. The confirmation of his words, the rolling of the eyes, the grabbing of his finger, it all gave her away in his mind. Hanz smirked up at her as she went about it and knew that something good was about to happen. Not something good like…winning $100 on a $1 scratch ticket, but still an enjoyable experience. As she brought up the kiss again, Hanz took it as a hint.

Sitting up, he spun around and draped his legs over hers this time, instead of laying in her lap. Now that they were face to face, Hanz could talk shit. He knew that being in such proximity would make it harder for her to get to Front Street and pop off like she was doing. Leaning forward, he moved closer until his eyes needed to refocus to look into hers. His were playful as she would be able to tell. From the outside looking in, Hanz was good for her in one respect. While she was all serious and going through a tough time, he would be the sweet center. It was like a sour tootsie pop. Your face scrunches up the entire time, but you let out a satisfied “Mmmm…” once you taste that chocolatey goodness.

”You should just kiss me and get it over with.”

Hanz’s voice was arrogant and he would come off as if he was talking down to her. It would be obvious that he was joking by the look in his eyes, but the tone was the only part of the joke.

”You keep talking about it like you regret it not lasting longer. So why don’t you do yourself a favor and just put one on your boy.”

With his last statement made, he licked his lips as he nodded in agreement with himself. Yeah she was pretty good with taijutsu, but Hanz was sure that he was stronger than her, and with his legs over hers, she wouldn’t really have any place to go. But he wouldn’t take it from her, instead, she would let her give it to him.

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[Senkyo Izumida]

The industrial-strength locks that their new apartment was outfitted with turned loudly, Izumida having to put nearly all his strength into turning the little key to open the door. Though he was sure they were far safer with these locks, he wasn't sure that he'd ever build up the strength to open this door on a regular basis.

"Shikooome~!" he called down the hall, dropping his bookbag onto the ground next to the door. It had a Genin ID and other various things that came with his new occupation. "I'm hooome~!" he said, walking down the hall slowly. Had he known Hanz was there, he would never have spoken so openly... but alas, he had no idea.

Outside the window, he heard a couple arguing. The woman was screaming about whether or not the man loved her, and he could not for the life of him answer. Feeble requests to "let me sleep on it" fell on deaf ears as she pounded into him for a response. However, one moment later, a sudden light show came on outside their building as the man burst into song, shouting his love for the woman to the heavens. He shortly stopped though, as one of Izumida's new neighbors threw a cat at the man with astounding accuracy.

He entered the living room. What he saw there is up to the next poster...

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