A flute in the midst of desperation (open to all)

Long thin fingers traced the small intricate openings in the instrument crafted from bamboo. Pursed lips gently pressed themselves against a slightly larger opening on one end as air would rush from lungs into it creating an almost lengthened chirping melody. Up and down the melody would pitch as semi-soft, semi-hard skin plugged up the openings one or a few at a time before releasing and plugging other openings. The melody sounded much like that of a bird's singing, and fit in rather well given the current surroundings.

He rested on the soft grassy ground with his back against a wall. His golden gaze observed the student and master bond forming between many before him as intense training ensued. All the while, he fingers traced the intricate instrument he wielded and his diaphragm blew the air into it which made it play.

He had no interest in attempting to work with others as a teammate on a four man cell, after all, he hadn't even been assigned one yet, so he doubted he would ever receive such a cell. His fellow villagers, most of them heck maybe even all of them referred to him as some sort of monster. So why would they risk three shinobi to be his partners? That right there seemed like a suicide mission, after all he still did not wield the best control of the sand tanuki that rested within him. Even so, however, he did find it interesting at least to observe these bonds between sensei and student, between comrades, and their teamwork.

After all, even if his chances were slim, there was still a chance the young Jinchuuriki would receive comrades to work with of his own someday. The possibility was always in the back of the genin's mind.

Hotaru made her way through the common training area. She hadn't really been here many times. Most of her training had been in private with a member of her clan. She never thought about coming, but today something just drew her here.

She looked around at the teams of genin with their jounin sensei. How she longed to be able to do something like that. She wanted people she could talk to. She wanted friends around her age. She really hadn’t gotten any missions as a genin either considering her lack of a team. She kept a stable lifestyle because of her clan, but she couldn’t rely on them forever.

Suddenly, her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a graceful melody. She hadn’t heard music so beautiful in a long time. Not since her mother died. She followed the sound, mesmerized by it. Then she made it to the source. A boy around her age with red spiky hair was carefully playing a bamboo crafted flute. She couldn’t help but close her eyes and enjoy the music. “That’s beautiful you know, yet that tune seems to have a bit of sorrow, a bit of loneliness.” She smiled at the genin.

His fingers continued to trace the delicate tool even as the girl approached. A girl of equal rank to his own, and yet she didn't seem to know who he was, or even what he was, for most tended to stray away from the eleven year old genin. His tanuki-like black eye rings should have surely given him away, but no, she didn't seem to be bothered by it. Could it perhaps be his flute playing that made her come near?

“That’s beautiful you know, yet that tune seems to have a bit of sorrow, a bit of loneliness.”

He stopped playing for a moment, carrying off the song softly before it faded away. "A bit of sorrow... Yes, its a song I remember well from my much younger years. It's all I really remember of her." His voice was rather hushed and almost secretive, as if it wasn't used very much, but it was also a bit high pitched, much as boy's voices at his age. He placed a hand on the large gourd of sand that rested next to him, using it as leverage to stand up. "You don't come here often, do you?" His fingers traced over the instrument again, as if searching for any impurities in the shape of the beautiful tool. Yet found none.

“You don’t come here often do you?” The boy asked.

“Actually, I really haven’t been here much. Most of my training has been done in private with a teacher from my clan. They say it’s safer that way.” She seemed to trail off, thinking of the many rumors of the Takeshi clan. That’s why they trained in private, to be sure no more rumors started. “I’m Hotaru by the way.” The boy seemed to be intrigued by her. It seemed as if he wasn’t used to being talked to. There was just something about him she couldn’t put her finger on.

He nodded his head, that would figure as to why she did not come often then. Of course, he too trained in private out in the desert most of the time, just in case he lost control.

"I'm Hotaru, by the way," She introduced herself so calmly as if she didn't care whether or not she spoke to the Shukaku Jinchuuriki. However, she seemed awfully intrigued by how he seemed to be studying her movements. It was almost as if they were sizing up each other. It was quite funny really, how both of them were be cautious, well at least he was.

"Hotaru, hunh? Nice name." He gazed down to his flute before he removed a hand from the delicate piece and reached within his holster-vest to pull out the instrument's case. Opening the case easily with one hand, unknowingly to Hotaru sand would have actually opened it for him, he would place the flute back within the confines of the case and return it to his inside vest pocket where he knew it would be safe. "Kaito Hokkai," he stated simply. He didn't indicate as to what the two words were with his tone of voice or anything, he just simply said his name, whether she would understand it for his name who knew.

Hotaru’s face seemed to light up when the boy said his name. “Kaito,” she repeated as if taking it in, “I like that name.” She really enjoyed talking with the genin. She never really got to talk to anyone her age. She didn’t really have many friends. She couldn’t help but think it was because of her clan. People seemed to think that everyone from the Takeshi clan were mindless warriors. This was, however, quite understandable considering the clan’s bloody past. The one who began the clan had died of his own insanity. Many members in the past had gone off to be serial killers, assassins or missing nin. That was only a very small percentage, but, as always, the bad ones were what they heard about. It was quite sad.

((Sorry it took so long. I’ve been sick and everytime I tried to type my reply it crashed on me…DX))

"You're interesting, Hotaru..." He closed his golden eyes as a dry gust of desert wind rushed past the two genin. When he reopened his eyes he gazed up toward the canopy that provided shade for their training area. "No one ever talks to me..." It was true, no one ever did talk to the boy, and it was rather unfortunate. The boy grew up without friends, ostracized because he happened to be the new Tanuki host. He happened to be the Ichibi Jinchuuriki. It was sad.

He shook his head at the though of something that transpired long ago before gazing to the other genin again. "People always say, stay away from him..." He paused as a small smile crept upon his face, "Like they think I'll hurt them or something... It's so laughable." He dropped the smile as he ran a hand through his dark hued red hair. “They don’t get it, but I get the feeling, that you do. Right, Hotaru-san?”

Hotaru nodded. “I think I understand what you’re saying. People also tend to avoid me. I’m sure the reasons are different, but it’s still the same situation. People are truthfully afraid of the Takeshi abilities.” She swallowed. “Especially the ability I have yet to learn. To be able to turn pain into strength, even at the cost of your own life, is kind of scary, even to me and most of the other members.” Sorrow showed in her eyes. She hadn’t chosen her family. She hadn’t even known about her clan until she graduated the academy, but they were the only ones who really cared for her since her mother died.

((sorry for the wait. lack of muse))

Kaito gazed to his fellow shinobi. So many thoughts running through his head. He was actually kind of surprised to see that someone knew what it was like or at least something similar to what he has and had been through. The Takeshi eh? Kaito did not understand what was so fearful about the clan, then again, he was a Jinchuuriki, so what was there really for him to fear in one of the other clans?

Folding his arms across his small chest he shook his head. "Human beings are awfully cruel creatures." It was point-blank. Humans were cruel, end of story. Short and sweet, right? Kaito thought so at least. However, there was always a catch. "Humans are so cruel, yet they cannot live without one another. Heh. I'd like to see a single human that has lived in solitude all their life and is still sane." The thought of seeing such a human amused the Jinchuuriki, but only to a very miniscule point. The boy after all, was not amused too easily.