Birds of a Feather

Akihiro looked at the empty table in front of him. It was a long, made of fine oak wood and probably quite heavy. Elegantly crafted with dozens of small carvings which depicted several events of the Shinobi World History. On top of the table was a world map beautifully painted with bright colors and detailed locations. Of course, most Hidden Villages weren't depicted on the map considering they must have still had their location as a secret when this artwork was painted. But everything else was on it, from mountains to lakes, the names of small towns and even the names of portions of the ocean were on it. The map itself was covered by a layer of glass which served as the actual table surface. The chairs were made of wood as well, tall and elegant each had a significant event carved on it as well. Akihiro's chair had Hagoromo's comet carved on its back.

This room was private. It wasn't hard to get such a room when you had the reputation and resources the leader of the Mockingbird managed to acquire over the years. He smiled as he counted the chairs. His group of misfits had certainly grown. There was a time when only he was a part of this organization but over the last couple of years others had joined. Some had sought him out for knowledge, others had sought him out for help and remained by his side. Others even were still unaware of what exactly they were about to join. He counted the chairs around the long table: One at the head of the table, his. Then another at the end of it, and finally two, four more along its sides. There would be six people in total meeting up here today.

Some of these faces Akihiro hadn't seen in over a year while others he hadn't ever talked to at all. He couldn't help but wonder if they'd fit in well with the group. But there wasn't much to worry about, the Mockingbird was a tight family and they looked out for each other. Any sane person would see the immediate benefit in that.

Every ninja was bound to visit the Heavenly Emporium at least once, and that was how Akihiro informed them of this meeting. He'd paid off the employees of one of the most famous tea shops to look out for certain ninja and deliver them a letter, one which would summon them here on this particular day.

He sat down at his chair, ever the early bird he waited patiently for those who had yet to arrive. His attire was no different than usual, the long black cloak covering the jade armor he wore underneath it. The cloak itself was heavier than your average piece of clothing due to the eel leather sewn between its layers, but it was still light enough that someone with Akihiro's strength could comfortably wear it without tiring.

"I wonder who will be the first one to arrive... "

Kimiko was the first to arrive after Akihiro. She wasn't one to keep people waiting that much. She had forgone any armor this time around, seeing as the Heavenly Emporium was a neutral zone and she wasn't really expecting any combat, although she had brought all of her stuff with her, leaving it in a bag in her room. That way she could armor up for her return trip back home.

Still, she was wearing a large black cloak, something most members of Mockingbird wore. Underneath, her outfit was rather casual. Her shirt was a simple black t-shirt with the neck cut out so that it rested with one of her shoulders exposed. Under the shirt was a plain black cami, just in case the shirt slipped. Her pants were a pair of jean shorts that went a couple of inches down her thighs but left most of her legs fully exposed. She wore a pair of shin high black combat boots with the laces half undone, but her look was usually like this when she wasn't fighting.

Entering the room, the Uchiha girl took a seat that was at the corner of the table, next to Akihiro's. He was gone quite a bit, and she'd been involved in the war effort for Konoha, so she didn't really want to sit further down the table from her, in case they didn't end up seeing each other for a while again.

"Sup?" Kimiko threw a quick nod Akihiro's way, her hair covering half her face as always. She'd refrain from any public displays of affection, in case someone were to come in, since she knew that more people were scheduled to arrive as well, and she wouldn't want to embarass Aki in front of his friends. She didn't know the other members nearly as well as he did.

Sliding her chair back a little, Kimiko balanced the chair on the back two legs, putting her legs up on the table to hold the balance and relax a little. It was really just the soles of her boots that touched the table top, but she didn't really seem to hold much care for decorum as it were. Staring up at the ceiling, she started to count the ceiling tiles, arms crossed behind her head.

A part of Kureji had wondered if his bump into Ikomiki was purely coincidence, or intentional. The letter that Kureji received had given him mixed feelings, where did the group go before the war? why did Akihiro suddenly disappear? he had questions, and he mostly accepted the fact that he would never see them again. Ikomiki was a surprise, but he imagined that to be one-off case. He didn't expect to receive a letter a while after. He can only assume if he received the letter, that other members did as well, Ikomiki included. He had spent most of his time on the Emporium working for the hospital, treating those who are affected by the war. An ugly business, but one that he kept his head on straight for.

He knew that the ideal outfit for Mockingbird is to wear a black cloak, but he believed that'd raise more suspicion than blind people off his trail. If six people with black cloaks all entered the same place, that would be more obviously suspicious than anything, to break the trope, Kureji wouldn't put off his attire that he more in his hospital setting. A white buttoned shirt, black pants and smart shoes. Akihiro would notice his growth into a man, his frame more built, his height more taller and his features grown more decently. He was no longer the sixteen year old Genin back in Konohagakure that knocked on his front door for knowledge.

Kureji found the place easy enough by following the instructions of the letter, being the third person to arrive. He nodded his head towards the direction of Akihiro and Kimiko, acknowledging them both. He wanted to plain out ask where Akihiro had gone, but he had a feeling that would be explained in the meeting. He went to the other head of the table, opposite from where Akihiro is facing. He pulled the chair back, making himself comfy on the seat and crossed his legs over, planting his hands together with his elbows on the armrest. He moved around quite a bit in his chair until he was in a posture that was both professional and comfortable.

He wouldn't say anything, only silence emanated from him. He had nothing to say to the people currently in the room and would only say something once words were given from the others, or once he had a better understanding of what this meeting is about.

Kiku was a fresh recruit after meeting Ikomiki and being invited to some sort of social gathering. Her outfit didn't change from the streets to the location she found herself at now. Entering the building she followed the directions given to her into the private room. Kiku wore her casual outfit consisting of a set of black sandals to be accompanied with long black stockings which ended just above her knees. These paired well with her short black shorts, barely providing full leg coverage combined. Around her waist she wore a utility belt which carried her gear. Two dark blue holsters were strung up by the belt, one on her left side and the other on her right, while her tool pouch was stored around her back side which was a common configuration by most ninja. On her torso she wore a uniform black button up top which was designed with white trimming and brass buttons. Kiku oddly left her centermost part of her shirt unbuttoned exposing a rather glorious display of cleavage. Her outfit was finished off by a white haori she wore as an overcoat.

Kiku's skin was fair which was common for ninja living in Kirigakure. The mist and typical overcast conditions blocked out a lot of natural sunlight making most residents light skinned. This went well with her natural light green eyes and long, pink hair which fades into a neon green at the halfway point. She dressed her hair in three thick braids with five shorter clumps hanging over her face as bangs. Wearing her forehead protector around her neck like a collar she had the Kirigakure emblem facing outwards to verify her identity as a Kirigakure ninja.

Upon entering the meeting room she gave a quick glance to identify the people already present. They all seemed like a bunch of misfits, but so was she. Not knowing anybody in the room she kept quiet and scurried to the nearest seat she could find which was besides Kureji. Nesting herself in she pulled forward with her back erect to maintain an unnecessarily tight posture for this gettogether.

A bizarre woman would enter not too long after Kiku, the new recruit, made herself present. She didn’t stand out immediately, especially not beside the dramatic hair color of Kiku, but her catlike features made themselves clearly evident as soon as anyone took a steady glance at her. Emerging from her head were a pair of cat ears, the same silver color as the long hair that seemed to flow down to her lower back. A similarly colored tail would swish back and forth behind her, swatting at the air in a show of her emotions. The outfit she wore would be the same as she had been wearing on the streets just moments prior, a familiar mainstay that anyone who was familiar with her likely had seen her in. It was a rather pretty dress that transitioned down into a skirt, mainly black but with white and blue acting as accents. Or at least, it had at one point been a pretty dress. Through overwear and the various shenanigans this streetcat usually got herself into the once beautiful outfit was now full of rips, tears, frays, and other imperfections that made it appear second hand. Her stockings were of a similar quality, clearly well used from all the holes and tears that were spread throughout them. The similarly dirty, scuffed up appearance that she had, along with the clear tangles and messy appearance her hair had made her appearance more similar to a stray alley cat than she was particularly comfortable with. It had been a long time since she had last bathed, cleaned her clothing, or washed or brushed her hair. Despite her hygiene there was no significant odour coming from her, other than perhaps the subtle smell of dirt. The only piece of clothing she wore that wasn’t scruffed up and half-ruined were her boots, made from a sturdy leather that seemed to be at least holding up adequately well with her lifestyle.

Her eyes, a bright emerald green, would glance around the meeting hall. She was familiar with nearly everyone here with just one exception. At first she would say nothing, for some reason feeling as though there was some formality in the air that kept the silence strong. Standing on the edges of the room, Ikomiki would wait for another to speak first. Perhaps Akihiro or Kureji.

"Of course..." Akihiro's thoughts echoed throughout his mind as he witnessed the first arrival. It had to Kimi, and he was glad it was. Mostly because he too longed to see her again outside pesky Uchiha Clan meetings but also because her early arrival assured she'd sit by his side. "Yo" he'd wave at her, watching as she sat on a chair and placed her feet on the table. Perhaps the employees wouldn't be happy about her attitude but Akihiro really didn't mind. He wouldn't mind it not because it was Kimiko doing it but because he wanted everyone to feel safe and relaxed here. Mockingbird had evolved from a cold espionage organization to a cold espionage organization worked by a tight family.

Well, some of them were tight. Others hadn't even seen each other's faces before and would likely not trust them at first. In time, that too could be mended. But only if everyone felt safe and at home in each other's presence. The next one to arrive would be Kureji. Akihiro expected at least a "Hello" from the guy he'd given the salamander contract and blast release to but he supposed Kureji was now at the age during which some shinobi became all edgy and shit. Oh well, at least he took a seat.

Then a new face arrived at the meeting. One Akihiro hadn't seen before, the face of a new recruit. Her choice of clothing was rather interesting for someone who lived in Kirigakure no Sato where temperatures weren't unusually high. He wondered if that was a clever trick to distract enemies and ended up concluding it probably worked.

A strange scent would invade the room with Ikomiki's entrance, one which Akihiro recognized despite its oddness. Funnily enough he'd come to associated this particular scent more with Ikomiki than with dirt and grass, which meant that dirt and grass smelled like Ikomiki instead of it being the other way around. "Have a seat, Ikomiki." He'd invite the girl into joining them once it was made clear she wasn't going to take a seat. Once that was done, he would begin speaking.

"Hello all and welcome to this meeting. Apparently we're still missing a person but I do believe this is the first time everyone in Mockingbird has come together like this. I'm certain there are faces all around this table some of you do not recognize, but that's precisely why we're all here today. If we are indeed going to be working together, it's important that we at least get acquainted with each other.

In that spirit, I'd like for each and every one of us to introduce ourselves. I'll start. My name is Uchiha Akihiro, and I'm the one who put this organizaton together. Mockingbird started as an independent espionage and information gathering organization, but it has gradually evolved into being more than just a business. There aren't many rules to Mockingbird.


The first principle is to look out for one another. Despite our differing backgrounds and abilities, a ninja hardly survives alone in the world. And more than surviving, we're looking to prosper. I understand each and every one of you will have your individual interests and pursuits, but it is my hope you'll understand that we'll achieve all of our goals faster if we work together. Some of you came here for power, others for information...and perhaps some of you don't know what you wish yet. But Mockingbird has delivered before, and it will do so again. So long as your goals do not clash against the fundamental principles of this organization, we'll get there together,

As for operations and missions, any of you is free to suggest either and I won't ever force anyone to participate in them. You are free to refuse an operation, but I ask that you try to help out each other to the best of your abilities. None of us will go far if we're selfish about it.

The other principle is absolute secrecy. Working together implies knowing each other and it's inevitable that we'll find gaps and weaknesses in each other's fighting styles. Some of you owe allegiance to your villages, others to your clans. That's alright. I'm not asking you to betray those allegiances, but I am asking you to keep out work in secret for the sake of all of us. "

He made a small pause, this could be a lot of information to digest.

"That's all I wanted to say before we get to know each other better here, names at the very least. Who'd like to start?"

Once singled out and requested to take a seat by Akihiro Ikomiki would sit down amongst the other members of Mockingbird. There would have been little that could have convinced her to do so other than this, a direct request. Of course, if it had been Kureji who asked her to sit down, the response would have been very different. Ikomiki would end up sitting on the other side of Kureji, the one that wasn’t occupied by Kiku. After settling down into her seat the girl would cross her arms over her lap, sitting back and attentive. She was familiar with most of the people here… Her eyes flashed to Kimiko for a moment, the only of Mockingbird she hadn’t already met. They would pull away after just a second though, not wanting it to be obvious where she was looking or who she was looking at. She couldn’t help but be a bit meek in a formal setting like this in the company of strangers, a far cry from her usual behavior.

Akihiro would give his speech. Ikomiki had never taken him as the type to do these sorts of things, but it was probably just necessary if you were in a position of leadership like this. She didn’t mind the unofficial sort of situation she had with him and Mockingbird, but she also didn’t mind a transition into a formalized work environment. It was all the same to her. Everything he said was acceptable to her. Looking out for each other, secrecy, not being forced to participate in any operation. Akihiro was a pretty relaxed leader, the sort that few would chafe under. No unnecessary rules or restrictions that were just about asserting his own authority. She respected it, although with how biased Ikomiki was she probably would have supported Akihiro no matter how he decided to rule his organization.

The only thing that was annoying was his insistence they all introduce themselves. Ikomiki shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Even if she were to be working with these people there were things she obviously didn’t want them to know. These things would inevitably come out if they ever were forced into a combat situation together, but that was something she could plan for then. Akihiro was the only person who knew she was an Otsutsuki right now, and that's how she wanted it to stay. The entire thing with the Senju DNA fell into the same category, as despite her ignorance of a lot of human society she was at least aware enough to know that if her killing a Konoha genin came out to be public information there would likely be consequences she would have to face. Even among allies it was important to keep your secrets.

Her ears shifted back and forth, scanning the room. It was pretty clear just from her body language what she was thinking. Once Akihiro had finished the room had fallen into silence. She cleared her throat after a moment, somewhat reluctantly.

“My name is Ikomiki. No last name.” She started without much warning seeing that nobody else seemed to want to start. “I come from Konohagakure. I met Akihiro during the most recent Chunin Exams in Kirigakure.”

She paused, halting for a moment. Ikomiki hadn’t prepared for this.

“... That is all.”

"I'm Uchiha Kimiko. Aki and I are dating. He's the brains, I'm the brawn, although I'm almost as smart as him." She turned her head to Akihiro and winked at him, holding eye contact for a moment before lazily rolling her head back around to look at the rest of the group. Lifting her legs off the table and swinging them slightly, her chair tipped forward, a sound of its front two legs planting it firm on the ground as it should have been resounding from her spot.

Mockingbird did primarily deal in intelligence and information, so it made sense she wasn't a complete brute, although she was a good enough mixture of combatant and brains. She was one of the few that could make use of Fuuinjutsu mid combat without preparation.

She looked at the rest, analyzing each of them. Ikomiki was the first one she gauged, as she was the first to say anything. Kimiko hadn't actually met her in person, but she had known that she had participated in the exams. Her eyes narrowed slightly on her as Akihiro had invited her to sit in the seat opposite her. She flicked a second quick glance to Akihiro, before coming back to rest on Ikomiki. The girl was partially a cat, something that separated her from the rest of the humans here. Weird. She was probably more of a sensory type, if she had to peg her as something. The ears would likely be good for hearing. Physically, she didn't seem that intimidating, but Kimiko was also fairly unassuming herself, so who knows.

Then there was Kureji. Kimiko hadn't really interacted with him, but he'd been a member of Mockingbird for a little while. She knew about as much of him as she did of Ikomiki, that was to say, none. She knew he was one of the intellectual types, but other than that, he didn't really seem too impressive. All she knew was he had the Salamander Contract, so he wasn't probably a real hands on fighter.

Then there was Kiku. She was sitting in a tense position, obviously nervous. Closest to the entrance, seemed unsure of herself. Must be more new, and likely didn't know anyone here except perhaps Kureji, as she'd sat closest to him? Although maybe that was coincidence. Realistically, it didn't matter, she'd learn more in a moment probably.


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Analyzing everyone 1/2 posts

He eyed the people coming in after him, Kiku, Ikomiki, with Kureji's eyes catching onto Kiku when she sat next to him. Not that he didn't mind, but surely she would've sat next to someone she did know. Ikomiki not sitting down was also weird, not even thirty seconds into the room and the atmosphere gave him the feeling that something weird was going to happen. At least, until Akihiro's voice went across the room and explained what was going on. The talk of allegiances and to keep the work of Mockingbird secret was a given, but he rarely had any ever since he left Konohagakure for Mockingbird. The only thing he's been working at the moment is being a doctor for the Emporium, where he saw plenty of wounds that would give him enough images for a lifetime. It also gave him a few chances to look at some kekkei genkai a bit more closely, since he had no doubt people of such calibre would be in the frontlines and in extension, get injured and carried to the Emporium hospital.

The introductions were something that he had no trouble with, but found it a bit amusing that the first two to speak up were so quick about it, first Ikomiki and then this Kimiko woman. He hadn't heard about Akihiro having a lover before, but that was interesting to know. "Not a race, you guys." Kureji jokingly said, before sitting a bit more comfortably into his chair, making his introduction. "Kureji Toukei. I come from Konohagakure, or... I used to anyway. I have an interest in kekkei genkai and this organisation has a history of coming across several good ones, so that's why I'm here mainly. I come from no clan, but I do have a kekkei genkai. I can fight if I need to, but I can be a medical ninja as well if you need me to be as well."

He didn't feel a need to stand up from his chair, he stayed sitting down the entire time. "I hope to know you guys better in time because as it stands, names, villages and partners don't tell me much about you. That's all from me." he said his piece. It looked like Kiku might be next, or maybe Akihiro needed to introduce himself to the new person, but that's his guess since he could tell Kiku looked a bit out of place.

Her eyes darted around the room. They rested on Kimiko, as they had been earlier, but just the same they would be pulled away roughly as to not give the impression that she was staring. Even after these meager introductions they still felt like strangers. Perhaps that was the limitation of these sort of formal introductory events. Normally she’d take this opportunity to screw around with Kureji, or to test Kiku’s moxy now that they had already met. She was already a little more well behaved in front of Akihiro, but Kimiko’s presence prevented her from acting up at all. Not just because she was a stranger, but because…

Dating? Her ears perked up when she heard that, and she couldn’t help but really stare now. She was Akihiro’s girlfriend? Not only that, but she was the brawns in the relationship and also almost as smart as him? Ikomiki couldn’t help but take that all at face value, without a hint of skepticism. Her opinion of Akihiro was already swelled to the size of the moon, so if Kimiko was stronger than him…? She must be some sort of demigod. And then to be almost as smart… For some reason Ikomiki got the impression she had come across somebody incredibly dangerous. She idolized Akihiro more than anything, but this new factor made her more than a little nervous. Her ears flattened to her head, and her tail fell down, limb beneath her and nearly touching the floor.

Without a word she would turn to Kureji now. Sitting between him and Akihiro it was only natural that he would be the person she would turn to in a situation like this. Not just because he was introducing himself, although that did help draw her attention to him. That he didn’t stand made things easier. Under the table she would reach out, slowly taking his hand from under the table in hers. She wouldn’t do anything with it, other than holding his hand with an unusually firm grasp, and after contact was made she wouldn’t acknowledge it whatsoever. Just a slight nod in his direction once he finished his introduction, and then she would turn to stare down at the table.

After his introduction, he felt that tight hand grip onto his own. He tried to stay focused with the matters on hand and while it didn't really hurt him, the tightness was a bit irriatile to Kureji and he saw Ikomiki's nod, his face only growing more confused at what she's trying to do. He freed his hand from hers, without consideration of what she might be thinking, he went on ahead to say. "That, was thoroughly firm, please don't do that again." and that's what he said before turning to the next person who might introduce themselves.

He had his eye on Akihiro, expecting him to say his piece next but of course, he kept an eye on Kiku, good to look at but he had hoped for her sake that there's more to her than eye candy. The organisation and deeds they did weren't for the faint of heart, and depending on the type of person she is, it might be best if she wasn't here at all. His impression of those who have introduced themselves are mixed, while it was interesting to hear Akihiro has a partner, he didn't know much about her more than that, on the other hand, he already knew about Ikomiki so her introduction only touched on what he already knew about her.

Jingo had made his way to the Heavenly Emporium as a bit of a vacation of sorts, having gotten sick of the silly political squabbles involved in the Senju clan. He really didn’t expect to have much to do with the current war effort while he was spending his time here, nor did he expect himself to stand out at all, but apparently he was well known enough that some random paid off goon thought it necessary to hand him some sort of invitation letter. He didn’t really know anything about the organization mentioned in this letter, but given this was one of the most secure places on the planet, Jingo thought he might as well go check it out to see what was going on. Some time before the meeting, Jingo had adorned himself with all of his pointless baubles and trinkets, along with a gaudy blue kimono with gold trimming. In general, those who looked at him would likely just assume he was some rich dandy fop wandering around wasting his money on all the wonders of the Heavenly Emporium.

He traveled towards the location of the meeting with a large smile plastered across his face, curious as to what sorts of things he may encounter when he arrived. The ninja world was quite a strange place, and its inhabitants even stranger still. Eventually he made it to his desired location, but it appeared that he had misjudged the time and arrived a bit late. Hopefully that didn’t upset the people who invited him, but even if it did, Jingo didn’t really worry too much about such things. He made his way into the room and looked around at the assortment of characters occupying their own chairs. The most interesting thing to Jingo of course, was that two very famous individuals within his village were at this meeting. Though he had missed all the conversation associated with who the people in the room were, the mere presence of Akihiro and Kimiko meant that the rest of the people in the meeting room were no slouches.

Seeing that he was late to the meeting, Jingo just smiled as he entered the room and said, “Apologies for being late.” He then made his way over to the remaining empty seat, all the while observing the reactions of the rest of the group.

She was rejected instantly. Kureji ripped his hand away from hers, even with the tight grip she had been giving him. Her attempt at reaching some sort of secret comfort from him had been destroyed immediately, and she was left more alone than she had been before. The shock behind being rejected so immediately by Kureji when she assumed she could rely on him to help steady her emotions was enough to freeze her in place for a moment, eyes widening. The fact that he went on to immediately out her, speaking aloud an acknowledgement of what she was attempting to do in secrecy under the table in front of everyone… It seemed that she had miscalculated to an incredible extent the amount she could rely on Kureji.

It took a second for her shock to wear off. The moment it did she would shift her arm downwards. Still under the table, she wouldn’t be reaching for Kureji’s hand this time. Instead she reached directly between his legs, colliding her fist to his most sensitive parts with all the force she could muster. The shot to the testicles would be immediate retribution for stepping on her emotions. Kureji honestly deserved much more, but she couldn’t really castrate him right now in front of everyone like she wanted to. This would have to do for punishment for now, but maybe later she would be able to further express herself to him.

Her expression turned away from its earlier meekness into something narrowed. She glared at Kureji for a moment, before turning her attention away. Despite sitting next to him she wouldn’t look at him after punching him in the balls. Instead her attention turned to Jingo, staring at him for a bit as if nothing happened.

Kureji tried to focus on the meeting and before the next batch of people could do their introductions, they had a latecomer. He assumed that was the sixth person Akihiro mentioned, his eyes were quick to scan him, just like Kiku, he had no inkling of who this man might be. It only made him think, who was this mysterious person? what are their goals? answers that would hopefully be answered soon. He kept a bit of observation on Ikomiki, as he imagined that she wouldn't take his neglect so easily. He read her body movements, her expression and the disappointment was clear as day. He knew she'd do something about it.

As a precaution, he used earth spear to harden his jewels. She couldn't do anything in retaliation in front of everyone, so it'd have to be under the table. That's what his guess is and when he felt what was a light tap against his private area, his guess was correct. He continued to pretend that nothing was going on under the table and instead, focused onto the meeting once more. He'd keep Ikomiki within his peripheral so she won't be able to pull anymore surprises like that.

Making contact with Kureji’s testicles, Ikomiki would pull back her arm in shock. For some reason they were hard. Hard as a rock. She had actually hurt her hand a bit slamming it into his balls like that, that was how hard they were. And Ikomiki, while not particularly strong, was pretty rough and tough from all her years living in the wilderness. It was actually shocking, and she would turn her head to stare a bit bewildered at Kureji now. She had been enraged earlier but now she didn’t know how to react. Were his testicles… Were those real? Were they rocks he shoved in his pants? She had made fun of him for not having testicles in the past, but… Was it really true that he didn’t have any? Or maybe did he have some terrible disease that shriveled them up and made them hard as a rock. From his lack of reaction it didn’t seem like he had noticed her attempted hit either.

Slowly her hand would retreat, pulling back to a natural position under the table. Hopefully nobody would have noticed her movements trying to punch Kureji’s balls- Or at least if they did hopefully nobody would say anything. Of course, she was obvious to the fact that Kureji had seen her attack coming and defended against it, and likely there were many others in the same room capable of the same thing. Rubbing at her sore hand now, Ikomiki would be left not knowing if she should still be angry or not. Her first instinct would be to attack even harder, but she knew that inside the Heavenly Emporium that wouldn’t fly. She would have to wait until later and inspect what happened here in closer detail. And hopefully someone would speak up to prevent this clown show from continuing.

Kiku took the moment to introduce herself amid the chaos that has ensued. She was a bit relieved to know that Mockingbird was an independent organization, and not just a bunch of stray cats like Ikomiki. In fact, Kiku did recall Akihiro Uchiha in particular. He was the Uchiha clan leader and a well known fighter. His achievements were especially known in Kirigakure due to his impact he's had with saving the Chuunin Exams from some retarded cat Kage and defending against the Society. It seems Mockingbird did what it wanted for the most part and chose their battles. A smirk rose across her face at the prospect of being independent. Kiku more or less obeyed ninja law within Kirigakure, but without restraint she could truly behave freely. That sort of independence made a teenage girl such as herself giddy on the inside and a true rebel. Kiku cleared her throat harshly before speaking in a bit of a louder tone to ensure she could be heard over the ball grabbing.

"My name is Kiku Yoshida. Former Kirigakure ninja. I don't have much in the way of personal goals other than my desire to be independent. Being in a room full of likeminded individuals it is my pleasure to meet you all. I hope we can all have some fun together soon." She said with an even wider grin as if she was apart of the cool kids, being apart of a rogue organization away from the national and political interest.

Before she sat down she shifted her head towards Kureji, the one young man she found mighty bonny compared to the rest. Serious, sinister, and likely full of surprised. She's give another smirk directed at the boy before taking her seat and getting comfortable. Ikomiki and Kureji were having some sort of feud during the time she was distracted. She could tell that much seeing how upset Ikomiki looked.

Finally, introductions were away. He listened to Kiku's introduction, and while that gave some gateway to who she was, it didn't quite open up as much as he'd hoped. At least it was a better introduction than Kimiko's and Ikomiki's. He had noticed her smirk at him, not taking it as anymore, he simply gave an approving nod to her before his casual, calculating face fell onto Ikomiki. It was a face of "That's what you get" which was clear as day when he could tell by her body movement that she punched his stone-hard balls. His face went back to Kiku, who introduced herself finally. "I wouldn't say fun is the right word, but it would be nice to have someone light up this gloomy organisation."

His attention then shifted to the late arrival, who he expected to do the final introduction. "Your turn, late person." Kureji wasn't the punctual type usually, but considering the nature of this meeting, showing up late to a meeting where everyone finally meets each other didn't exactly give a good first impression in his eyes, but he kept his eye on Ikomiki as well. He didn't know if she'd be ballsy enough to try something else, but he wanted to keep an eye in-case she did.

Kiku, who was already seated next to Kureji, scooted back into the table in her chair. While doing so she intentionally moved in at a slight diagonal to close the unnecessary distance between her and the boy. Leaning forward she made her way into Kureji's peripheral vision. "If fun isn't what you're after, then why are you here? Why don't we go out sometime and see some places? Kirigakure is a dump, I can tell you now. Anywhere will do but there." Truth be told, Kiku didn't exactly hate her native village, but she didn't like it either. The constant mist and gloom made for a fairly depressing atmosphere. She preferred clear skies, sunlight, and diverse terrain. She didn't have much in terms of spending money, but Kiku was mostly interested in getting into petty trouble than going on a shopping date. She figured Kureji was an established member of Mockingbird and could hold his own in a fight. Together the two of them would scare the wits out of any victim they found.

That was rather bold of her, asking as she did. He could at least appreciate someone who knew what they wanted, unlike a certain someone. "I've been to Kirigakure, but I'll take your word for it... how about Konohagakure?" as the new member of the organisation, she'd let her have the choice of where they'd go but the suggestion was there. "A place that has my interest is Iwagakure as well, but they haven't been doing well the past few years." Konohagakure's constant interference with the Land of Earth had it's effect he assumed, but the real reason he wanted to visit is to learn more about his kekkei genkai, and there's no better teacher than the Kotoshura for his case.

There was a bit of relief when she knew she didn't have to argue against going to Kirigakure. Truth be told, the place had pretty solid security. Kiku was pretty familiar with the city's layout, and unfortunately that meant the city was familiar with her. Showing her face again with another person would just drag Kureji into more trouble than what it's worth. Konoha was a place she felt she could gain easy access to without having to worry about any problems with the law. Iwagakure also sounded unappealing. It was pretty common knowledge the village was used as a battleground. The only entertain to be had there would be war, but Kiku was the least interested in national politics and frankly didn't want to get caught in crossfire. No, her idea of fun was mostly petty crime and getting into scrapes with the locals.

"Konoha it is, then. When are we gonna head out?" She said leaning in a little closer each time. The others in the room more or less seemed content with themselves in the tea shop. She expected a bit more excitement, but on the other hand the organization seemed fairly independent. With each individual pursuing their own goals and coming from different cultural backgrounds there was no surprise a lot of them didn't care to break the ice. She felt some considered their involvement with the organization to be purely business. But for Kiku, knowing how weak she was compared to the others, creating ties might just serve in her favor.

Kureji could tell how eager this person was, the body movements, cues and her constant closing of the distance between them made that clear. If it were any other situation, he'd tell her to back off but he's meant to be in a room of people with like-minded goals, with those that he can trust upon for his own goals and to help with theirs so he'd let her be as close as she is. "How about after the war? not a good time for visits to any village, really." he had the war in mind. The security were going to be tight, and they couldn't just waltz in.

"In the meantime, tell me a bit more about yourself. Why do you want to go to Konohagakure? I get the feeling you don't want to go there just for the sights, just a lot of trees on the way really." he could attest to that, being a shinobi of Konohagakure. His eyes, and attention were fully on her now. It was hard to tell if she really had any deep goals for herself or she's just jumping along some kind of bandwagon.

Kimiko sighed and pushed her chair back, standing up. This meeting was kind of pointless. Ikomiki was acting strange and randomly swatting at Kureji after trying to hold his hand from under the table and being rejected. Plus with Kiku flirting with him, it was all just rather annoying. Kimiko liked to have her fun, but she was also getting bored watching all this shit.

"Why don't ya just go fuck? Plenty of hotel rooms and empty closets around here. If not, cool it off."

Kimiko threw a secondary apologetic glance to Akihiro. She was just annoyed by them wasting time with pointless flirting in front of the group. Truth be told, she was primarily here to spend some time with Akihiro and the organization, considering that he wasn't around super often, and she liked being around him. Still, she wasn't going to broadcast in front of everyone how much she did or didn't want to fuck him.

Pacing slightly at that point, Kimiko looked to Jingo, who had still yet to identify himself other than to apologize for being late.


She had enough tact to leave that out, obviously.

Her ears flattened even further. If there was a way for her to feel more humiliated by this situation Ikomiki didn’t know how, although with how things were going she was sure to find out. Her head would lower, and she would stare to the table in shame. Now Kureji and the new girl were chatting and having fun together after he denied holding her hand, and Kimiko was scolding her for what she did earlier- Ikomiki had something of the appearance of a puppy that had been kicked. She gave up. Seeing that her first attack didn’t work and she had already made a bad first impression there was no point in further ruining her reputation within Mockingbird. She had thought that Kureji and her had a special bond or something from their shared time together, but apparently not.

“I’m sorry. I'll behave.” She would say quietly towards Kimiko, although not making eye contact when she did. Ikomiki had only come here on Akihiro’s behest, but now she wanted nothing more than to leave and be alone. Kimiko was now pacing around the room though, and she didn’t exactly feel like she could leave this meeting without permission.

Instead Ikomiki would glance to Akihiro, her expression nothing short of pathetic, begging for help. Maybe he could say something to distract from the current situation at hand and make her feel at least a little better- Although she had thought the same of Kureji, and he let her dow