Preparing for the festival.

[youngesthokage]

He had a neat pile next to him on the counter, black and silver leather rabbit god mask at the very top. It was a bit morbid, the story of that, but it seemed like everything about this festival was morbid, so that was actually appropriate, in a way. He had the pale off white and frost blue kimono pulled most of the way up his shoulders, and he turned carefully one way, then the other as he examined himself in the mirror.

The reason? He was playing around with Oiroke, but he was doing it behind a closed door in the bathroom, and he sincerely hoped no one came to see what was taking him so long. He was just... curious. After all, he'd never spent much time in the shape and he had a memory of doing so.

Still, did it really change so little about his appearance?

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[youngesthokage]

He nodded slightly and fell quiet, fingers stroking her hair.

[bunsofsteel]

"Be careful, there's needles in there," she murmurs against his chest, nestling in comfortably before glancing up. "Is something wrong?"

[youngesthokage]

He shook his head at once. "No, it's fine."

[bunsofsteel]

She hums questioningly again, but doesn't press it, instead just squeezing him tighter before stepping back. "Okay~ Come on, let's finish getting ready for the festival, yeah? It looks like fun!"

[youngesthokage]

His lips quirked again and he nodded. "Of course." He brushed his fingers over her shoulder and collected his mask to pull on.

[bunsofsteel]

She ducks out of the bathroom to grab her own mask and a long jacket to throw over her own dark blue kimono to match the gold-and-blue dragon mask, then wait by the door, almost bouncing. "Come on, Itachi-sama, hurry up~"

[youngesthokage]

He nodded and waved her ahead. "Go check if Sasuke is ready, I'll catch up."

[bunsofsteel]

"Is he coming?" She sounds almost surprised, but she just nods and moves through the house to search for the younger Uchiha, hands clasped behind her back as she peeks from room to room.

[youngesthokage]

Itachi just quirked his lips and turned back to his preparations. Of course Sasuke was going.

[thepuppetuchiha]

Sasuke, by that point, was making the final adjustments on the deep navy Yukata he had picked out for himself, an ivory sash tying it together while he shifted the layers underneath. He had to make sure he'd be warm enough for the festival, as he was being forced to go. Well, it wouldn't be so bad... Provided that Itachi didn't get drunk again.

[bunsofsteel]

"There you are!" As soon as she finds him, she darts in with a smile to wrap her arms around his neck to press a kiss to his lips in her usual greeting. "Itachi said to leave without him and he'll catch up, are you ready~?"

[thepuppetuchiha]

He returned the kiss with some heat, arms automatically wrapping around her and only pausing to make sure that his arms weren't skewered by whatever she might have possibly had on her, "I didn't think he'd take so long."

[bunsofsteel]

She has her usual kunai and senbon hidden within the folds of her own clothes, but all of them should be flush against her body in such a way that he wouldn't accidentally stab himself. Not with casual contact, anyway. "He's messing with his clothes still," she says, respecting Itachi's wishes not to tell the other exactly what the other was up to, and leaning in to give him another short, warm kiss. "Are you ready? Where's your mask?" She points to the top of her own head, where a blue-and-gold dragon half-mask is perched comfortably in her hair.

[thepuppetuchiha]

He could feel the weapons there alongside her supple skin, and it reminded him of just how lucky he felt to have girl like Tenten in his life. He didn't dwell on it long however, looking at her after the kiss and frowning just a little, "I don't have one."

[bunsofsteel]

"Sasuke!" The look she gives him is almost one of exasperation then, sighing and shaking her head. "Then we definitely have to leave early and find you one! It's a masked festival, after all!" She tugs the mask down, the shape enough that it covers around her eyes and over her nose, and shifts a hand down to twine her fingers with his own. "Let's go~"

[thepuppetuchiha]

He made a little noise and stumbled briefly before walking after her, returning the threading of fingers as he caught up to walk at her side, "... All right."

He wasn't sure if he wanted to argue, but he knew that it would be easier if he didn't. Plus, there was just something about her enthusiasm that made him possibly want to go through with it as well, and he was curious to see where it led.

[bunsofsteel]

It would be fun~ She'd been out earlier to see the different masks, the way people milled about. Even if it was for a more solemn festival (which she didn't really get), the people themselves seemed to be enjoying it. And what wasn't to enjoy?

"Itachi, we're heading out~" she calls on their way out the door, then proceeds to keep moving to the festival itself. "What kind should we get you? Like, maybe an animal one..."

[thepuppetuchiha]

He paused, frowning just a little but not really paying the fact that Itachi wasn't ready yet any mind as he simply went along with her pull, "I don't have a preference."

[bunsofsteel]

She hummed thoughtfully, keeping her fingers tightly clasped in his as they walk. "Do you have a favorite animal? Like I went with the dragon." She pointed to her mask, grinning again. "Itachi got himself some kind of... rabbit god? But there's plain ones, too."

Hugging his arm a little closer, she glanced up with a bit of a softer smile. "Thank you for coming with me, I know you didn't want to~"

[thepuppetuchiha]

He didn't respond verbally to her gratitude, only squeezing her fingers before he closed his eyes and tried to relax a little more, "... Hawk."

[bunsofsteel]

Sometimes it felt like getting words out of Sasuke was like pulling teeth, but it was a start. She hummed again and nodded, squeezing his fingers in return so he would know the gesture hadn't gone unnoticed. "Then let's find something like that, huh? Maybe we can get one with a sharp beak so you can stab people with it."

[thepuppetuchiha]

"Maybe," He nodded, looking around for any stalls that might have been selling appropriate masks for the festivals. Which likely wouldn't be hard to find, but finding something so specific might have been another story.

[bunsofsteel]

As awesome as a mask to stab people with would be, she kind of doubted any of them would be sturdy enough for that. "This way~" She tugs again, pulling him through an alleyway to another street, this one near a stall of masks. "Make sure you try it on so you know you can see~"

[thepuppetuchiha]

It took a while, but Sasuke finally seemed to spot one he liked. He picked it up without hesitation, trying it on before simply looking at Tenten and waiting for her nod of approval. Even if the colours clashed with his Yukata a little, it was the closest one to one he wanted that he had seen so far.

[bunsofsteel]

She'd seen several more she'd like for herself while Sasuke was browsing, though she stayed close behind him. She gave the mask a thoughtful look, smile tugging at the corners of her lips, then reached out and brushed her fingers over the feathers. "I like it! Now give it here so I can buy it for you~" She extended a hand and rested her other comfortably on her hip.