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Post by izumo on Aug 7, 2014 4:51:28 GMT
The day had been as long as ever for the two assistants, running petty errands and thumbing paperwork that looked suspiciously half-assed, as was usual from the Jounins. Things had been even more frustrating since Naruto had become Hokage--the guy was an amazing fighter, Izumo would give him that, but he didn't quite seem to understand that the village wouldn't run itself via two chuunins and Shikamaru. That said, it seemed like Kotetsu had been helping out a little more, which made the whole affair worth it. He'd been so impressed thaat he'd offered to make the man dinner, which he supposed he would have offered anway. It wasn't as if Kotetsu's diet was healthy, and Izumo couldn't help but feel it was his responsibility to take care of that. His own cooking skills had always been execellent, thanks to his high standard of eating and living. It wasn't as if his partner was hard to please: oden was such a nice dish to make.
They'd had to stop off to gather some fresh ingredients--Izumo was not going to food his partner anything less than the best food--before heading back to Izumo's apartment. He'd dropped the ingredients onto the kitchen counter, making sure to do so softly to reduce the chance of bruising the vegetables. He didn't even need to ask what Kotetsu wanted to drink, opening his fridge and picking out the ramune that was specifically stocked for Kotetsu. He didn't have any personal preference in the bright designs--and sometimes strange flavours--but they seemed to attract his partner's attention and that was enough to amuse him. "Here," Izumo passed it over, returning to the counter to gather all the equiptment needed.
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Post by kotetsu on Aug 7, 2014 5:34:35 GMT
Kotetsu couldn't remember the last time he had worked so hard in his life. Ever since Naruto had become Hokage it was almost impossible to slack off...that and Izumo was really cracking the whip this time around. He was utterly exhausted. Reading through all of the paperwork always made his eyes hurt, and give him a killer headache...at least that's what he tried to tell Izumo to get out of it. Now, after lying through his teeth, karma had come back to bite him. He rubbed his temples as he followed after Izumo automatically, dragging his feet behind him. The chuunin had promised to make him dinner for being so helpful, and Kotetsu never turned down one of Izumo's meals.
He was a good boy while they were at the marketplace, silent as Izumo bought the ingredients. Usually he was so boisterous and bothered his friend, but not today. He was very, very tired. So tired he didn't even remember the walk over to the apartment, merely plopping down in a seat and setting his chin on the table. Izumo always seemed to be reading his mind, because the ramune magically appeared and lifted Kotetsu's spirits instantly. "Ah! Thanks Izu!" He popped his head up from the table, smiling.
He opened his soda and took a few chugs before complaining, "Izumo...I'm so tired. When will Naruto learn how to do his job? Is paperwork always this terrible?"
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Chūnin
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Post by izumo on Aug 7, 2014 6:28:56 GMT
It was incredible to think that Kotetsu had no idea what hard work felt like, even though they were thirty and had been in their position for as long as Izumo could rememeber. Still, he was in a good enough mood not to bring up that point, and even found it slightly endearing. It was nice to see that he'd tried his best, feeling pride in how much effort Kotetsu had started to put in recently. He'd even felt slightly bad at how complacent he'd become, trying to get the meal cooked as quickly as possible--not that odean was a particularly quick dish.
"Paperwork has always been that terrible," he agreed, chuckling under his breath. "But isn't it easier when we work together? I don't think I could keep up with this without you recently." His attention switched to the freezer, trying to locate the dashi he'd prepared earlier in the week. It wasn't unusual for Izumo to offer to cook for Kotetsu, and he often had leftovers and preperations for the main dishes he ended up cooking his partner over and over. Oden was his obvious favourite, and it was a simple enough dish to make once the dashi had been prepared. "Don't worry, you'll get used to it soon." He reached across the table to ruffle Kotetsu's hair, before pulling back and reaching for the hand santizer on the counter--it wouldn't do to have dirty hands in the food. Pulling out a pan from underneath his sink, Izumo began to heat up the dachi over the hob.
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Post by kotetsu on Aug 7, 2014 16:31:05 GMT
Kotetsu groaned. "It doesn't matter if we work together. At this rate, we're both going to die while doing paperwork." He didn't even realize that Izumo was trying to compliment him, so caught up in his own complaining. "Our tombstones are going to say, RIP Kotetsu and Izumo; Get back to work, you gophers." He slumped into his chair, balancing his soda bottle on his stomach. His eyes followed Izumo's every move in the kitchen; in truth, Kotetsu was starving. It felt like it had been years since he'd had lunch, not hours. It was always a treat to have Izumo cook for him too...the man was such a good cook compared to what he made. Kotetsu specialized in cooking instant meals, not home made. Izumo's cooking abilities were a quality that Ko admired about the man, and only a small reason why he liked him so much. Not that he would ever tell Izu his feelings, for fear of ruining their friendship and mostly, rejection.
Ko only grunted as Izumo ruffled his hair. "I wash my hair." He muttered as the man lathered up with hand sanitizer. The chuunin was so cleanly, his apartment meticulous. There was a reason that the two usually hung out here instead of at Ko's place. Anytime Ko invited him over they ended up cleaning. "You know sometimes I wonder if they purposely don't pass us on our jounin exams. 'No, Izumo and Kotetsu know the ropes it would be too much trouble to train someone else to do their extensive and busy jobs.' " Ko sat up straight and was imitating one of the village leaders, the old foagie dude. He was entirely convinced that there was a conspiracy to keep them gophers.
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Post by izumo on Aug 7, 2014 22:04:48 GMT
There was nothing Izumo could do but laugh at Kotetsu's rant, letting his friend voice the grievances he'd had for the day. He reached into the bag for a daikon, always happy to include his favourite food into Kotetsu's. Izumo began to wash the radish, reaching for a knife as he cut it into chunks and began to peel the skin off each section. "I'm sure you won't die," he offered, still unable to say it sincerely through his quiet chuckles. That was until Kotetsu said the 'g' word, and Izumo cut over him. "Hey, I told you to stop saying that," he frowned, knife paused from the daikon to point at Kotetsu. He quickly remembered kitchen safety, stopping himself from threatening his partner for too long as he turned it back to the remain daikon skin.
"Ah, but how often do you wash it?" Izumo teased, although Kotetsu wasn't really that bad. Sure, he could probably increase the frequency of showers a little, but he didn't have a personal issue with touching his partner. Kotetsu continued to ramble on as Izumo started to cut the seaweed into strips before rinsing them and tieing them into knots. "Usually I would say that you're just being paranoid, but I'm starting to agree with you. There is definitely a conspiracy against us," he sighed, reaching into the freezer for some rice water and starting to heat that too. "Still, even that sounds kinda nice--at least they'd be regarding how well we do our job." Such recognition was enough to keep Izumo happy, smiling as he retrieved some octopus to start putting skewers through.
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Post by kotetsu on Aug 7, 2014 22:34:06 GMT
Kotetsu was about to protest that they were going to be killed by the paperwork, but was quickly silenced by the knife pointed his way. He ducked quickly under the table to avoid it if it were thrown. Not that he seriously thought Izumo would do so but...it was better to be safe than sorry. His eyes peeked over the table as he watched the man turn back to his cooking. Phew, a close one. He sat back in his chair and took another swig of his soda, scowling as he muttered, "But that's what we are..." Why did Izumo always threaten him?! Kotetsu didn't get it, he didn't do anything wrong...at least so he thought. Where Ko was relaxed in his lifestyle, Izumo was more precise and detail-oriented...which is probably why Ko drove his friend mad at times.
He let out another annoyed grunt, still scowling. He wasn't scowling for long as he felt a familiar cat rub up against his legs. "Michi!" He smiled, reaching down and picking up the fat cat, putting her in his lap. "Boy, you've gotten fat." He said, petting her as she began to purr. His attention turned back to Izumo, and his face immediately turned into another scowl. How could his friend be so content?! "Ugghhh!" He groaned loudly, throwing his head back and staring up at the ceiling. "I don't want to be a chunin anymore!" He almost stomped his foot like a child. "I want to go out a fight bad guys, and be as cool as Kakashi-san or Yamato-san!" Kotetsu had visions of grandeur. He wanted to be as revered as his friends. "We never have to train anymore, I hate it! I just want to go on more missions that require more than a pen as my tool."
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Post by izumo on Aug 8, 2014 1:50:23 GMT
Izumo couldn't help but smile at Kotetsu and his cat, glad the two always got along so well. That said, Michi would probably enjoy anyone who slipped her free food under the table, but Izumo liked to think that she could tell what a nice guy Kotetsu was. He pretend not to hear Kotetsu's reply, almost feeling guilty for threatening him. The war had been an eye-opener on a number of issues for Izumo. First and foremost, that Kotetsu was the most important person in his life. Not that he hadn't already known that, or been acccepting of it--but the second lesson had been one he'd struggled with before. There were always going to be people in the village who were stronger and better than Izumo and Kotetsu; they were average ninja, it couldn't be helped. Staying a chuunin wasn't as terrible to Izumo, he knew Kotetsu would stay alive, and he knew that while they were replaceable on the field, they could never be replaceable as a vital cog that kept the village turning.
It seemed Kotetsu didn't agree on this matter, and Izumo couldn't really blame him. He felt bad at the man's frustration, mouth quirking into a frown as he thought it over. It wasn't as if Izumo hadn't considered the alternatives, he just didn't always like them. Still, his selfishness about coddling Kotetsu was clearly making the man unhappy, even if it wasn't completely Izumo's fault that the village didn't seem able to find anyone else to do paperwork. "I know Ko," he agreed sympathetically, finally able to drop the daikon into the rice water. "Maybe we could talk to Hokage-sama, but we'd have to make room for physical training again. I guess you'd be even more tired," Izumo teased, cutting the konnyaku and finding a pan to boil that in too.
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Post by kotetsu on Aug 8, 2014 4:51:12 GMT
There was some small part of Kotetsu that though that if he was as cool as Kakashi or Yamato, then perhaps Izumo would like him as more than just a friend. He knew it was a foolish thought, but for as long as he'd known Izumo he had wanted to impress him. He sighed at this thought, his lips forming a pout. He hadn't done much that was useful in the war, like save Izumo from certain danger, or all of their friends for that matter. Kotetsu was not satisfied with the status quo; he wanted to move on to bigger and better things, and somehow be cooler than their ANBU friends. Not that it would make Izumo like him as more than a friend, but he couldn't help but hope.
He sat up straight, sighing again. "We could talk to him, but I doubt Naruto would consider assigning us elsewhere, not even for a day. He's helpless without us." It was times like these that Kotetsu really missed Shizune in the Hokage's office. Why didn't Naruto hire himself an assistant? "But, you know, I'd be happy to train again! I'm mentally exhausted right now, not physically. I'd rather feel some physical exertion!" He asserted, pounding his fist on the table. "That and I could do with some training, I'm out of shape! How am I supposed to call myself a ninja and a good looking guy if I'm out of shape?!"
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Post by izumo on Aug 8, 2014 7:42:02 GMT
"You're good looking enough, aren't you?" Izumo quirked an eyebrow, a smile on his lips from how silly Kotetsu could be sometimes. It wasn't as if the man was lacking in the first place, and Izumo genuinely thought the man was handsome. He supposed the bandages could be potentially off-putting, but he'd never seen an issue there either. There wasn't really anything he could fault in Kotetsu's appearance, but he was already aware of his own biases there. "I thought you had all the ladies chasing after you; I hope this isn't just a tactic to get yourself laid again?" He wasn't even sure if he'd put that past Kotetsu at this point, although he did understand that his partner was being earnest about his desires to advance in rank. He was also aware that his partner seemed to have a long string of escapades with women, a fact that did not at all contribute to the sharp cuts the poor fish cakes ended up receiving.
"Even so," he continued, rooting around for the last couple of ingredients. "I wouldn't mind training again. I still want to be able to beat you in a fight one day," Izumo teased, wondering how possible it could be. They both knew each other's weak points, and compensated their skills to that. With everything finally chopped and boiled, Izumo was able to start piling the ingredients into a pot, having made the recipe enough times to know exactly how to fit everything in. "This is gonna have to stew for two hours now, you know that, right? I have some snacks to tide you over if you want those."
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Post by kotetsu on Aug 8, 2014 16:48:46 GMT
Kotetsu blanched as Izumo said he was good-looking. No, he couldn't mean it sincerely, he was probably just playing along with his antics. "Pfft. Far from it! My face may have aged well, but the rest of me," He stuck his gut out as if for emphasis, "Has not done well. I'm getting fat. I wanna be built and lean, like Genma!" He took a swig of his soda, only to choke on it as Izumo accused him of trying to just get laid. He had to take a deep breath to keep himself from spluttering like an idiot. "N-no! Of course not, I'm...I'm genuinely concerned about my own health!" He nearly shouted. In truth, Kotetsu bragged about being with a lot of ladies, but that was a big fat lie. He was a virgin, plain and simple, and he hadn't been on date with anyone. He could never bring himself to tell Izumo he had been lying all these years. He was in this lie for the long con. "B-besides," his face was steaming red, "Like I have time for girls, not with all the paperwork we've been doing." He tried to argue. This lie was his biggest shame, he wouldn't admit to it so willingly.
He was glad for the change of subject. "I bet you could beat me now. I don't think I've gone to the training grounds in at least a year." He sighed, still petting the cat in his lap. "Besides, we work better as a team. Maybe we could ask...uh..." He was struggling to think of someone to help them train, someone who wouldn't totally kick their butts, "...we could ask Kiba to help us train!" He had wanted to suggest Kakashi, because the man was so easy going that he was sure that Kakashi wouldn't actually put much effort into it, but then he remembered that his friend was quick to teasing. Kiba was a good compromise, he was a nice guy and Kotetsu really liked Akamaru.
At the announcement that the food would take two hours, Ko groaned for the millionth time. "Okay, but they better be some good snacks!" His voice was so loud that Michi had had enough, jumping off his lap and stalking away. "What do you want to do? Maybe we could play a game or something..."
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Post by izumo on Aug 8, 2014 18:43:48 GMT
Izumo chuckled at Kotetsu's defensiveness: obviously the man had become shy around the topic, and maybe he'd even grown a sense of modesty as their absolute adulthood creeped closer. He decided to drop it then, letting Kotetsu pass it off as 'caring about his health'. If he really cared about his health, Izumo could think of a few snacks he could start laying off on first. Nonetheless, he was still reaching into Kotetsu's cupboard to throw him a packet of cheese puffs--he'd basically deserved it at this point. Izumo selected some roasted peas for himself: healthy and small enough to let him eat a nice portion of the meal; not that Kotetsu's stomach and cheese puffs was going to stop him from that anyway.
"Ah, but I want to beat you on fair terms, your lack of training is not a satisfying win." That said, Izumo hadn't exactly been keeping up either. He still liked to do the basics, but trying to make room in his schedule was a nightmare, and after days of moving furniture and paperwork, all he wanted to do was come home and fall asleep reading a book with Michi. "Kiba would probably be willing, I've somehow ended up spending a lot of time with him recently: although I think Akamaru would give us all a run for our money," he laughed, leaning against the chair opposite Kotetsu at his next suggestion. "A game? Are you not scared that I'm going to beat you if you're so mentally exhausted?"
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Post by kotetsu on Aug 12, 2014 4:52:06 GMT
Kotetsu caught the cheese puffs and ripped the bag open with vigor. He was hungry. It had been a tremendously long day, and waiting for food only made it drag on. Munching on his favorite snack, however, was a good way to pass the time. That, and having food in his mouth would keep him from saying stupid things or lying more about his 'lays' than he already had. He munched away happily at the cheese puffs, some of the crumbs falling all over his chest and lap.
"Hm?" He questioned, swallowing a mouthful of cheese puffs. "Who cares whether or not you can beat me...we work better together as a team anyway!" He argued, shoving more junk food in his mouth. He was happy that his friend agreed to have Kiba help them, though. "Ah, they're not anything we can't take! We've got thick skin, we can handle a couple of scratches and bruises." He nodded. In his opinion, they probably deserved a good beating around to remind them how much they needed to train.
He snorted at Izumo's assumption. "I'll be fine for a game, just don't put paperwork in front of me or I'll melt." He answered. Kotetsu was fiercely competitive, and he didn't like to lose to Izumo. "We could play cards...or something stupid like 'never have I ever.'" Those were mindless games, weren't they?
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Post by izumo on Aug 18, 2014 22:57:05 GMT
Izumo could never really understand how the universe had decided that himself and Kotetsu were destined to be best friends. Even from across the table, his eyes could spot every inch of cheese dust slowly fluttering onto Kotetsu's jacket, sometimes falling down onto the table or floor. At least Mitchi The Sentient Vacuum™ would soon be along to clean up the mess on the floor, which had Izumo wondering if maybe Kotetsu and Michi had been destined to find each other in a past-life. Maybe Izumo was simply the initiator for such a symbiotic relationship to form. Or maybe he just needed to stop watching Kotetsu shove puffed corn in his mouth while pondering existentialism.
"Just because we work as a team doesn't mean I shouldn't be able to beat you, isn't knowing each other's weaknesses key to working as a balanced team?" That said, Izumo didn't think there were many weaknesses left to discover about Kotetsu. He was sure he knew the man better than he knew the back of his own hand, and their techniques already worked in motion with each other. It was what made fighting Kotetsu so hard, because Izumo could never surprise him with a new technique or movement. It was nice to hear him enthusiastic about training again, already convinced that it was the right decision to make now. "Alright, I'll talk to him when I begin the next round of 'How have you graduated from school without the basic understanding of how to write your name and 500 words on a form?'"
"Never have I ever: isn't that usually a drinking game?" Izumo laughed, amused that only Kotetsu could think of such games to play after finishing a day of work. "Besides, isn't that too easy as well? Never have I ever been eager to train to further my promiscuity," he teased again, never one to complain about having the upper-hand over his partner.
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Post by kotetsu on Aug 31, 2014 21:36:59 GMT
Kotetsu nearly choked on the cheese dust from his snack. His entire face turned red and he had to smack his own chest as he coughed, trying to regain his breath. Sheesh, how many times was Izumo going to tease him about sleeping with girls? It was especially embarrassing because none of it was true. Yes, it's true; Kotestu is a complete virgin. He didn't want any of his friends to know about it, not even Izumo, no matter how many times he had toyed with the idea of confessing to his best friend. Izumo would never let him down for it. Would Izumo be mad? Would he laugh? Ko had no idea, but he did NOT want to risk it, especially when he was so madly head over heels for the guy. "H-hey, that's not why I want to train at all! I-I genuinely want to get stronger!!!!" He shouted, steam practically coming out of his ears. He shoved more cheese puff into his mouth, frowning as he did so.
He quickly moved on to the next subject, happy to think of anything but the long con he was pulling. "Yeah yeah, it is too a drinking game. We could drink a little. Why not?" It wasn't like this game would be particularly hard for either of them. They knew each other so well, it was frightening; they'd been friends since childhood. "Never have I ever spent the entire day scrubbing my tub to get rid of water stains." He challenged with a grin.
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