The rain pattered against the leaf carpeted floor gently, filling the air with pleasant ambiance as Hattori's ears tipped forward to listen. Though the canopy above was thick enough to keep most of the rain out, it really was coming down out there, resulting in a slight drizzle at best beneath the towering trees. Hattori didn't mind, getting a little wet would do him no harm certainly not after how warm last season had been.

He settled in the communal area, stoking the fire and giving it more fuel as he put some water on to boil in a hanging pot. Tea always tasted better in weather like this, helped fit the mood...though some company wouldn't be entirely unwanted either.

All was quiet among the bamboo's boundaries as chilly weather settled in. A drizzly morning patrol left her coat damp with relief from a previous warm season. Thankfully the predators had decided to stay outside the confines of their territory for today. Having made her rounds and circled back toward the communal area to relax until the afternoon left her wanting to pace some more, Tenshi was pleasantly surprised at the sight of Hanzo. Giving her coat a shake to rid of excess droplets, she approached with a curious glance toward the boiling kettle. "Room for one more?" Tenshi asks softly, a smile playing on her lips that she seemed to be saving more for his company than others as of late.

Hattori couldn't say he was overly surprised by Tenshi's appearance. For some reason or another she seemed to enjoy spending time with him, sought him out when others would not. By now he trusted her well enough, didn't think she was slipping poison into his drinks or waiting for the moment he turned his back to strike, but he couldn't say he understood her either. Why, that as a stone wolf, she was so quick to adapt. To move on and let go of past grudges.

He himself realised that holding onto the past, clinging onto things he could no longer change did no one any good and yet... His people had hurt hers irreparably, in ways that should not be spoken of in polite society and yet here she was, smiling at him as though none of that mattered. He narrowed his eyes into a squint, eyes glowing in the encroaching shadows.

"Yes." He said eventually, shuffling a little to unstack a mug for her use. "Though why you wish to join is a mystery to me.."

There was a lot to be said about the conflicting feelings that brewed within her. Yet, at times, it would be best not to dwell on the past or the confusion and simply enjoy the life she would lead now. At first, she thought perhaps he would shoo her away, intent on having some alone time on this rainy afternoon, but fortunately, she would luck out. Wiping the smile from her lips and settling into a stoic expression as she took a relaxed seat nearby, Tenshi accepted the mug he offered. Looking away from the squinty gaze of Hanzo as he questioned why she wanted to be in his company, Tenshi looked around the clearing they lounged in. Droplets of rain pattered around through the leafy canopy, leaving a speckled appearance on the packed dirt floor. Listening to the sounds of the maze around them, she let out a sigh, relaxing while also shoving everything else away before she addressed him. "I enjoy your company," her steel blue gaze was steady on his face as she let her simple response sink in.

She enjoyed his company? Why? What about it? He did not think she was lying, there was an air of openness about her as she spoke and yet he still found it hard to believe. Felt an urge to deflect or pretend she simply hadn't spoken. Instead, he settled for a deep rumble of acknowledgement, the sort he'd offer if someone was remarking about the weather. Yes, it was very rainy today.

"Have you thought about your position here?" Surely she did not want to settle and be a Chinpira forever. It was a very middling rank, nothing special, just another face in the crowd. "Is there a name you wish to make for yourself?" A purpose premade just for her. Or would he prefer a role already set in stone, so to speak.

He looked down into his mug, frowned slightly as a rain droplet landed right in the middle. Creating a ripple that swelled outwards, ruining the peace of his carefully held tea.

The first question voiced by Hanzo piqued her interest. Could she call him that now? Hanzo. It almost sounded too personable for the Kaicho. She did enjoy calling him Kaicho, but maybe Hanzo was more fitting now. Realizing her mind was straying as she glanced down at her own cup of tea, Tenshi released a rumble of a response. Of course, she had contemplated her position within the pack. In her past, she had been a revered woman of power, respected and looked up to. Having to work her way up from the bottom all over again hadn't been pleasant, but necessary in her situation. "I have, yes," she pauses as she lifts her gaze up to his features. She notices him staring at his rippling cup and she wonders what he thinks of her. It had to be something if he was offering her something outside of the pack's norms, but he was a hard read... "Yakuzaishi is tempting, but I feel Sedna may be better utilized there. I am more than a healer, but do you see me worthy as something more?" Leaving the ball in his court, her gaze steadies on him, curious and wondering. Could he see her as the Kumiho? Something else? What was she worth to him?

Hattori would not decide for her, not when her fate was a path she had to mark out for herself. He knew she was capable enough and knew better than to overvalue her worth, so giving her time to think about it seemed like a fair request on his part. Raising his gaze up at her, the pale of his brows furrowed in thought. She was more than a mere healer, even if he had to admit he could see it, but not say it.

"Then you shall be Isha, whilst you give it more consideration." He told her then, his thoughts on it final.

Her subtle attempt at getting more out of Hanzo failed, but Tenshi would take it. While his mysterious ways would perhaps always leave her wondering, she would also not give in so quickly. As much as she wanted to swoon, she knew she would not be the only one in Tojo that had their eyes on the man. His quiet, albeit stiff, demeanor was in some ways attractive and the more she got to know him, the more she understood why he was the way he was. It was then she got an idea as her chin would nod in agreement with his statement. "I appreciate it, Kaicho," her voice soft as she sips from her cup. "In the meantime, may I ask why you decided to lead your own pack? What made you want to be a leader instead of a follower?" Tenshi's piercing blue gaze lingers on Hanzo for a moment before sipping once more from her raindrop-disturbed tea. There was no reason for question other than to get to know him more. While she was not as curious as some, she knew that others enjoyed regaling about themself. Maybe Hanzo liked to boast every once in a while.

Hattori sighed, his shoulders tensing for a moment before they relaxed as he exhaled. The truth was long and storied, thoughts and feelings he hadn't cared to vocalise to anyone, kept them stored away in the back of his mind as though they were secrets to take to the grave. It wasn't quite so serious any more, the dust had settled and what was done was done, but he knew he'd left cracks in his wake. That some would always judge and question the choices he'd made in life, might even call him an enemy for them.

"It is my birthright to lead." That was the short and simple response, what ought to be written in the annals of history. But Tenshi was smart enough to know that was a political response, she'd no doubt see it for what it was. He raised his gaze and watched the leaves above, saw them flick as the raindrops fell upon them. "Though I suppose many believe that. It was after the long night, it made me think and I decided that my life was not as it should be."