Chapter 24

Sunagakure
Ryoma, Jonin

“You’re still wearing it?” Supervisor-chan grumbled at him as they walked through the streets, towards the entertainment district. She had shown up at his door again, saying that Captain Gentai asked her to pick him up for Karaoke Night.

He wasn’t expecting an escort, but he didn’t really mind it either. “Yep. Asked the guys in Security if it was alright, they gave me a thumbs-up.” He explained casually, eyes roaming around to memorize the route.

“Hmp. Then I won’t say another word about it- if you asked.” She huffed, arms crossed in front of her chest and head raised high. She had a peculiar way of walking, with her upper torso so straight that it leaned back and her legs kicking up relatively high with each step. It was like she was trying to burn extra calories or something, each bootfall resulting in a quiet but noticeable ‘click’ as her heels hit the paved road.

Ka-click, ka-click, ka-click, ka-click.

“That’s a cute little character trait.” Ryoma commented with a half-smile and a lazy gaze.

She turned a slightly baffled eye towards him. “B-whuh? What the heck are you talking about?” Her arms spread out in front of her, again as if to shield her body from his gaze.

“The goofy little heel clicks you do when you walk.” He pointed down at her tall boots, still making the noise he was talking about.

“G-goofy?! I- that’s just how I walk! There’s nothing goofy about it!” She pulled back slightly, glancing down at her boots before turning back up to him.

He shook a hand at her. “You can’t pull a fast one on me- I’ve studied this exact thing for at least thirty years now. I know the difference between a normal walk and a goofy walk, and that’s most certainly a very goofy walk. It’s downright silly. Humorous, even.”

“You’ve studied the difference between funny walks and normal walks for thirty years?” She asked in a dry and annoyed manner.

“Yerp.” Ryoma nodded at once, eyes closed and face scrunched up for emphasis.

“40-064. You’re one year younger than me.” She glared. “You’re not thirty years old.” Judging by her tone, she really wanted to call him an idiot.

“I never said anything about being thirty years old- that would be ridiculous. Don’t put words in my mouth.”

“You couldn’t have studied something for thirty years without being at least that old!”

“Nuh uh.” He denied it in a very serious and mature manner. “I learned it fast.”

Supervisor-chan’s face was flushed and scrunched up in frustration, staring up at him with eyes narrowed into little slits and nose all scrunched up. She turned towards again, growling in frustration and speeding her pace. Her fluffy black hair bounced as she broke into a power-walk to get ahead of him.

Notably, she was still walking in that goofy heel-clicking way. Ka-click, ka-click, ka-click.

He let out an amused exhale and increased his pace fractionally, his long legs letting him easily keep pace with the short powerwalker. Shortly after the Karaoke place came into view, looking a lot like any other building in Suna but with a large sign saying ‘Koboyashi Karaoke Hall’ and the picture of a drunken songbird.

Honestly not bad, top tier advertisement mascot. Supervisor-chan glanced back at him in a short-tempered way, making sure he was behind her, before stepping forwards to push open the doors and enter. The interior was relatively dim, with walls and roof painted dark brown and floors painted white.

“Hallo! Do you have a reservation?!” A bubbly girl at the door greeted them. Brown hair, brown eyes, and a cropped geisha-dress on.

“Two more of the Puppeteer Corps.” Supervisor-chan stated plainly, politely nodding at the girl. The girl bounced, nodding and stepping over to point at a section of the interior.

“Right that way!” Greeting-girl bounced, limbs practically made of springs with how energetic she was being with a relatively mundane task.

Supervisor-chan nodded absentmindedly, walking past and towards the room in question. Ryoma made sure to smile with his eyes and nod at the serving-girl as he walked by- never hurts to be polite to the customer service.

“She must be new.” Supervisor-chan mumbled with a glance backwards. “I’ve been here too many times before. Most know us already.”

“Supervisor-chan loves karaoke, I see.” Ryoma teased.

“My name is Toyoko!” She snapped, face scrunching up at him. She was about to say something else, before thinking better of it and pushing the door open. This was accompanied by a little frustrated huff.

As soon as the door opened, the sounds of laughter and commentary could be heard.

“-swear to it! As soon as they realized I was under them- Boom! Eyes boggled out of their heads! They looked like this- Booo-wooohmp!”

“Hahaha! You’re exaggerating!”

“I’m serious! Bwwuaaahh-omp!”

“Captain- your daughter is here. She brings a boy with her.” A feminine voice drawled.

The inside of the room seemed relatively stereotypical for a karaoke place. A sort of ‘C’ shaped couch surrounding a short table covered in drinks and snacks. Two projectors were mounted above, pointing at either side of the walls and displaying a ‘select your song’ menu.

Sitting around the table were a number of what Ryoma presumed were his fellow puppeteers. Captain Gentai was present, sitting on the corner and legs bunched up tremendously to allow the giant of a man to sit in the normal-man sized seats. The only difference between his current and normal outfits was that his flak vest was currently unzipped.

Sitting next to him was a woman with well-tanned skin and dark pink hair tied back into a long braid. She wore a long-sleeved variant of the Suna flak vest, opened to reveal a chest bound in bandages and exposed stomach, which ended in a tight black pants that went all the way down to sandaled feet. As the voice was feminine, Ryoma was assuming this was the one who spoke last.

On the other side of the table, a lanky man with long white hair and a crooked grin sat. He wore the sunagakure headband down enough to cover his eyebrows with an extension that came back to cover the top of his head entirely. His flak vest was worn loosely over his shoulders, body covered by a tight black bodyglove that came up far enough to cover the bottom of his chin.

The last present at the table was a bulky man who was well into the last stages of balding. A total disappearance of any hair on the top of his head, all that remained was a section of shortly-shaved hair that ringed around the sides just above his ears. This bald dome was embraced with the elaborate tattoo of a scorpion plastered upon it. He was dressed in a similar black bodyglove as the previous man, save that his was covered in a layer of old-fashioned samurai armor with a tan coat folded up and draped across his lap.

Their laughs trailed off and their gazes turned towards the two of them with curious expressions and toothy smiles.

Gentai nodded sharply. “Toyo, Jonin Ryoma. I’m glad that you’ve arrived!” Despite his bombastic claim, his face was still locked into a serious glare and scowl.

“Hmp. You didn’t tell me what a hassle he was, Papa!” Supervisor-chan click-stepped her way over, Gentai and the woman stepping out to allow her to slide past and take a seat.

So she was the captain’s daughter, huh? Neat. Ryoma meandered his way over as Captain Gentai raised his brows. “A hassle? Jonin Ryoma has been diligent and reserved in all my interactions with him!”

“She’s telling the truth. I’ve been a troublemaker, a rabble rouser, and all around entirely too rambunctious for my own good around her.” Ryoma shook his head in faux-regret. “She called me a dog the other day and I started barking.”

“She did?!”

“That didn’t happen! You liar!” Toyoko slammed her hands on the table, pushing herself up and pointing dramatically at him. “I never said so much as one rude thing to you!” She hissed, slapping herself on the chest.

“You didn’t take your shoes off when you entered my apartment.” Ryoma smirked, giving her a side eye. She froze, staring at him with a shocked expression. He sighed and shrugged. “After I invited you in and cooked breakfast for you too, it’s just heartbreaking really.”

“T-that, b-buwh, that’s not-” She raised her hands and fumbled through words before the heavy laughter and soft giggles of the strangers present cut her off. She practically melted into her chair, retracting in on herself in a seethingly embarrassed manner.