Girls love mysterious boys

It was a given that no one was allowed to enter the bamboo unless given permission. Even finding the entrance would be difficult to do unless one knew where it lay. The bamboo provided a sense of privacy that their Kaicho preferred. Akito didn't mind this. He used it to his advantage. Trailing the paths along the outer edges, enjoying a slightly warmer breeze after a bout of terrible rain. Listening to the tap of his paws against damp leaf litter, he allowed his gaze to search the shadows for lingering predators. A typical day for the newly deemed Hohei. A title he took more seriously now that Hattori had even requested adopting him and his other siblings. Those feelings were still a little raw within him, but he was okay shoving it down for now. He would come to terms with the whole father thing at another time.

A call that rang out for him is almost greeted with relief. Something to distract him other than the bamboo stalks that knock together. Pausing as his ears perked, he tries to figure out who it is first. Since he had never heard her howl before, it was almost unrecognizable, but the ending tone clued him in finally. Akito couldn't describe the feeling he felt in his belly after he realized who had come to see him, but he made sure the smile was wiped from his lips before he made it to where she waited for him.

Emerging from the bamboo like the shadow he was, Akito laid eyes on Clove. Just as he had, she had grown and matured. No longer was she a puppy, but a fine young lady with curves and femininity to match. And just like her, he had grown taller, but far taller than her. Practically towering, Akito approached with his eyes lingering on her. His own frame lithe, not an ounce of fat on him from months of training. Tilting his head to the side lightly, he comes to stop inches from her. "Clove," Akito starts, standing there feeling all sorts of nervousness as he takes in her peony scented perfume, "you finally made it," he adds, his lightly wagging tail giving away the emotion he attempted to hide beneath stoic facade.