Mukai Kohinata walked through the forest, the cool air thick with the scent of earth and pine. His Byakugan flared briefly in his left eye, scanning the shadows ahead. He paused, listening to the faint sound of footsteps approaching.

"Got some smoke, there?" he called out, his voice low and gravelly, a hint of playfulness in his tone.

He spotted a figure just beyond the moonlight, waiting for a response as his fingers brushed the tobacco pouch at his side.