"Oh my," Ashiko opened her eyes and straightened her posture in one fluid motion, offering up a serene smile. "If it isn't Ishida-san. I was wondering when I might bump into you next." It wasn't the most subtle nod to the frequency with which their paths crossed, but she was tired. Tired, and a little cross with the idea of a foreign shinobi lurking around her master's country in the wake of recent events.

But that was hardly reason to be impolite or turn him away.

"Won't you join me? It's practically tradition by now." She gestured to the unoccupied side of the booth, her dark eyes lingering on his hair. Black was hardly a rare color, really, and neither was the length, but it brought to mind the glimpse of the masked ninja that had sortied with her master she had stolen before the world had exploded in white and then pain.

"How have your...travels been, since we last spoke?" Ashiko asked, doing her best to muster up energy and interest.