Akio leaned over to whisper back to Keiyaku as he had asked him about the Senju's unique bloodline techniques.
Yeah, we can do all kinds of things with woo-uhhh" As he began to speak the girl simply snatched the plant from its comfy home within the small pot, shoved it into the her mouth, and swallowed. The young Senju boy fought back the urge to react brashly and instead looked fearfully over at his grandfather. The old man was kindly, sagacious, and usually slow to anger. But for someone to take what he'd lovingly nourished into life and simply snuff it out... Well, Akio knew that wouldn't go over well.
"Y-yeah, Keiyaku. I, uhh, better go try and settle things down before they get out of hand..."
Senju Itsuki gawked, his eyes going wide, his mouth hanging open, and the wrinkles on his face intensifying as he tried to stomach the thought of the girl he'd presented such an apt opportunity to literally eating one of the seedlings he'd raised. Aria would barely have been able to get her introduction out before the old man dropped his pipe from his mouth, raised his cane to start waving it, and the generally composed and calm demeanor he carried exploded into a fit of curmudgeonly exclamations.
"EHHHH~!? HOW DARE YOU EAT THAT PRECIOUS PLANT!? ARIA? MORE LIKE ARE-YOU-A SENJU!? WHATDIDYOUTHINKIMEANT!? INSOLENTGIRL!YOUWANTTHATFIGHT!? I'LLSHOWYOUCOMEOVERHEREANDACCEPTYOURPUNISHMENT!"
The outburst was loud, fast paced, and considering the man's usual state of being, surprising to say the least. Akio, however, had acted quickly, placing himself between the clearly confused young girl and his grandfather.
"Come on grandpa! She prolly just didn't know better!" The grandson said chidingly as he wrapped his arms around Itsuki's waist and pushed him away from her, creating some distance as his grandfather continued yelling, his words becoming nearly inaudible at this point.
"It's okay, it's okay! He'll calm down soon!" Akio said with a red-faced smile as he looked back towards Keiyaku and Aria, still holding his grandfather back. Sure enough, just like the sunny young boy had said, the old man eventually calmed his raised temper and returned to his usual sensible and tranquil state. In fact, looking at him now, it would've been difficult to even think he was the same person mere moments before.
"Ahem~... I'm sorry. I let my temper get the better of me." The old man said to Keiyaku and Akio in his characteristically kind tone, then turned toward Aria.
"As for you, Aria, it is abundantly clear that you don't understand what your name means." His face slightly tilted down, his line-like eyes looking straight into the young Senju girl.
"We can do something about that, however. Please take the time to come to the east edge of the clan complex. Akio can show you the way." The old man added with a tone that spoke both sternness and kindness at once. Then, within the space of a blink of an eye, the old man was gone and Akio was left holding a potted plant in his arms where his grandfather had once been. Placing it softly onto the rooftop, Akio simply gave an embarrassed smile and scratched the back of his mop of sandy blonde hair.
"Well, that's one way to introduce yerself." He said with a disarming laugh.
"Grandpa's right though. If you're really a Senju, he can show you what you can really do. He taught me all I know!" Akio said, his smile brightening as he waved his hand over the pot and a full and beautiful orchid bloomed from what was once a tiny seedling.
"But for now... I hate to tell ya, those weren't dojos you went through today. Those are places that normal people go to eat. Why don't we go take those signs back to the owners and apologize?" The amiable pre-adolescent continued, picking up a bundle of the signs.
"Come on cuz. Let's go." Akio added with a wave and a smile as he casually hopped down to the streets below.