Starring:
Katsurou, Takahiro
Date: May 25, 2014
Summary:
Katsurou comes across Takahiro who is lost and lone without any direction
"A New Direction"
Ruins of Land of Water
The sun was shining in the late afternoon, a gentle wind would blow through the big street, that once were a great town. The smell of cooked duck would arise in the air, and there would be one ruined house lit up. There was a little fire burning inside. The house, Almost completely roofless, was what would have been a little shop. In the middle of the house, a soft fire would be burning. Next to it sat a boy. The boy, age of ten, would wear a black long jacket, that would be from shoulder from ankle. The boy would wear a dark brown shirt right under it, which is tucked in his black pants.His clothes were very filthy. Multiple pieces were cut off by something that might be caused by branches scratching open his clothes.
The boy would hold out a little stick, on which would sit a little flesh mass. Next to the fire, was a small wooden knife, bloody and all, next to it laid something that would look like a little pelt and feathers. The boy would mutter softly in himself. "Smells good". The ball of flesh, who was held a long time above the fire, would be a nice gold brown color, and the pieces wore close to falling off the stick. "Time to eat."
It was the day after Katsurou had resigned from Kirigakure. The Shirayuki knew that it was only a matter of time before the hunter nin came after him. He had to take the time to devise a trap for them while also preparing himself for the night. Unaware of the fire currently going as he trots up to the ruins with his horses, he dismounts and hurries the two horses inside.
Once he heard the sounds that would tell him that he was not alone he tied the horses up against a nearby wooden post that seemed to be sturdy enough. From there he quietly walks to the sound of the crackling flame. He wasnt sure if he was walking into a trap himself.
The boy, being completely into his food, had no clue what was going on behind him. Takahiro didn't spend many days eating, and when the moment arrised on his path, he would take the full advantage of it. He would hum a melody while he reached for the small wooden knife. The knife was apparantly self-made, and not that sharp. The boy would reseat himself while taking it, revealing a sword held in between his legs. The boy would pick up his Chokuto, holding it up as he moves the wooden knife softly on the sharp edge of the blade, sharpening it. "I hope it cuts better this time." The boy would mutter into himself while reaching for a somewhat flat stone next to him. He would carefully lower the duck onto it, and slicing it in half, checking the color of the duck's meat. "Alrighty, that's good I guess." The boy would mutter, before starting to eat with his hands.
This whole time Katsurou was scanning the area more so than actually paying attention to what the boy was doing. Seeing that there was no obvious threats, Katsurou slowly steps out of the shadows to reveal himself to the boy. "Are you here alone?" The Shirayuki asks in his usual soft spoken voice. Even though the area seems to be without any threat, he was still cautious about what could be lurking in the shadows. As he steps around in front of the fire facing the kid, he now takes the time to study the boy.
Takahiro, would be eating enthioushasticly before Katsurou's voice would be heard. The boy, who didn't see or speak a human in around six months, would jolt up, reaching for his Chukoto as he would hold it up to the side, ready for action while Katsurou speaks. As Katsurou would approach, Takahiro would study the man in front of him. "I am alone, but who are you?!" The boy would look frightened, not knowing what to do. His eyes would wander off in thoughts, but it would shift back to Katsurou directly, raising one eyebrow.
Katsurou notices that Takahiro looks a bit frightened. "Do not be afraid. I mean no harm." The Shirayuki looks down at the fire then to the roasted duck that the boy was once eating. "Have you…been here for long? Do you not have any parents or guardians here to care for you?"
Takahiro would lower his guard a little, but his face does not turn to a happier state. The boy of ten would be thinking back of his parents, before looking at his Chokuto, holding out any emotion before taking another look at Katsurou. "My parents were killed in our house by lightning hitting a tree next to us. They…" The boy would say before interupting his sentence with a loud sigh. "I have been moving throughout the wilderness ever since, but I have no clue where I am, where I belong and what I should do." He would state before lowering himself on the ground.
The boy would reach in his jacket, taking out another duck, as he starts to remove it's feathers slowly, and carefully putting them on the pile of feathers from the previous duck. "Are you hungry? I killed these freshly this morning". He would say, while starting to remove it's intestines. Takahiro would look up with a faint smile to Katsurou, nodding over to a place next to the fire.
Katsurou watches as the boy eases up. He listens to Takahiro's tale about how his parents died and how he has been wondering without a sense of direction. "You sound a lot like me." Katsurou says. As Takahiro cleans the duck the Shirayuki would stroll over to a nearby pile of rubble that was only a few feet away from both Takahiro and the fire. He sits down and continues watching the boy with interest. Feeling as though he is fine for now, Katsurou reaches up to remove his mask that hid the lower half of his face. "I am sorry that fate has dealt you such a hand. You are young to have to go through what you are now. Now you are here fighting to survive. How long have you been without your parents?" For now it seems Takahiro's question of Katsurou being hungry goes unanswered.
The boy, still busy removing the intestines of the duck, would follow Katsurou's movements carefully. "We are alike?" Takahiro would say, before slicing out the final intestine. Takahiro's hands, now bloody and filthy, would reach inside his jacket once more, taking out something that seems to be a little napkin. It looks more like a piece of filthy old cloth, but what can you expect. The boy carefully cleans his hands and the blade with the napkin before reaching for his stick once more, mounting the eatable meat onto it.
"I have been alone for a good hundred and fifty days. It must be more, but I lost track after hundred and fifty." The boy would say while carefully roasting the duck above the fire. "I always grew up in the wilderness, so that is the easy part of it." Takahiro would be grinning while saying that, however his eyes weren't laughing, they were full of pain.
Katsurou stares at Takahiro for a few awkward moments after the boy finishes speaking. "That is a long time to be alone." The Shirayuki finally says. His eyes then cut down to the weapon the boy wielded just a few minutes ago. "Do you know how to use that?"
Takahiro would nod slowly. "My mom taught me how to use a sword, however I'm better in ninjutsu." The boy would say with one eyebrow cocked up. While the duck is being roasted, the boy would switch his gaze constantly between it and Katsurou. "Do you know how to use a blade?" He would say before moving one arm down on the ground, letting him pose relaxingly on the ground, while holding the duck with his other.
"I do not." Katsurou simple says in response to Takahiro's question. When the boy mentioned ninjutsu, it struck a cord inside of the Shirayuki. "You say you are better at ninjutsu? Show me what you do know." Katsurou's eyes scan the area again while making sure no threats have slipped past his vision while conversing with the boy.
Takahiro would nod slowly before kicking himself up, while walking to a nearby tree, grasping a few branches of it before braiding in the ends of both branches. The boy would then carefully place the duck ontop of the braided structure, making sure the duck wouldn't hit the fire, but neither would be away from it. "Alright then." He said while reaching for his Chokuto and sliding it ontop of his back as he would step back from the tree.
The boy would focus some chakra in his body, making two handsigns before moving his hands in front of him like a pistol. A small bolt of lightning would hit the tree, setting it on fire. "That's what I mostly use!" He would say with a satisfied face.
Katsurou watches the boy with interest as he performs his technique towards a nearby tree. The Shirayuki becomes lost in thought as the tree burns in the distance. A few moments go by then the fact that the tree on fire finally catches his attention. If he was being hunted that burning tree would lead anyone right to him.
In a show of skill and power along with ensuring his own survival, Katusrou stands up from the pile of rubble. He takes a few steps forward and begins to perform a series of handseals with a lightning fast pace. The fire on the tree begins to dance wildly in different directions which signifies the changing of winds around it. Soon the winds grow to be so strong that a whirlwind forms with the tree in the center of it. Even some of the wind makes its way towards the two as their hair and loose affects on their attire would flutter wildly in the wind. Seconds go by and whirlwind eventually dies down enough to where it disappears. The fire had been put out and in its place are patches frozen tree limbs. Upon further inspection would could also see that parts of the tree had been eroded and shaved down from the Freezing Whirlwind technique.
Katsurou looks over to Takahiro. "With the proper guidance you can be a powerful fighter. What you choose to fight for is up to you. I can only offer you the guidance. You will be taken care of and educated with what I know if you decide to travel with me. However, if you accept my offer there will be certain terms you nust abide by. No negotiations. Also…" Katsurou turns and makes his way back to a pile of rubble to sit down on as he finishes. "I am a wanted man. I recently resigned from Kirigakure. That makes me a liability to them. If you follow my instructions I can ensure you will be safe at all times." He then goes quiet to let the boy think over his offer.
The boy would look with great amazement towards the whirlwind of fire, wind and Ice before reaching for his chin. ~Wow… he's good.~The boy would think before then observing the tree after the whirlwind. He would still be amazed while Katsurou does his offer. "What is Kirigakure?" The boy would say while frowning his eyebrows. The boy, never being part of a village did not even had taken a guess of what a village was or why someone should be hunted down if they leave a village. It was just a place to live for Takahiro, but apparently something else is going on in there.
"If you can offer me guidance and training, safety and help, I am yours." The boy would say before taking off the duck from the braided structure. The duck, now roasted carefully to a gold brown color, would be close to falling off from the stick. "Can I offer you some food or are you not hungry?"
"Kirigakure is the village hidden in the mist. It is one of the military villages in the world. I was once a shinobi in its military." Katsurou says as he looks at the roasted duck the boy offers. "Yes. I will take some food." While Takahiro preps the duck for eating, the Shirayuki raises up once again from the pile of rubble and walks toward the same direction he came in. A few moments later he returns to the fire with two horses following him. He places the reigns around a few standing stone pillars then looks to Takahiro. "These will be how we travel from now on. This one is yours." He says pointing at the smaller brown horse with a black mane. "Feel free to name it whatever you like. If you are traveling with me your job is to tend to both of the horses. You will be in charge of saddling them, caring for them, grooming them, and feeding them. Also, I will mainly be the one providing the food however, it will be your job to prep and cook along with the clean up. Do you accept these terms?"
The boy would listen carefully to what Katsurou has to say while readying a big part of the duck for Katsurou. He would reach again for the flat stone, moving the part of the duck he prepared for katsurou onto it. Takahiro would move the flat stone with food towards the spot Katsurou had been sitting before he went to take his horses back. He would be a little scared of the horses, as he never had seen one. The boy however smiled after he heard the little horse was his. "I will accept, but before I do, make sure you like my food before I become your cook." The boy would grin softly, while letting out his statement.
The boy would move his hands together, while a second Takahiro would appear right next to him, as they both would start to clean up the camp. The boy would smile, thinking of finally having someone to talk to again for such a long time. "So when are we leaving?" He would say before having packed everything, including the intestines from the duck.
"I am not worried too much about the quality of your cooking skills." Katsurou says as he makes his way to pile of rubble that has become his chair. "Just like the rest of your skills you will get better with in time. I will make sure of it." He says with a slight smirk. He takes note of the clone Takahiro creates as he takes a bite of the duck but does not speak on it at the moment. "We will stay the night here and be gone at sunrise. We cannot let the fire burn all night as it will give our position away. We have to be cautious about how we travel at least until we leave the Land of Water."
The Shirayuki takes a few more bites of duck and realizes he is more hungry than he had originally thought. "My name is Shirayuki Katsurou by the way. You can address me as Katsurou-sensei or just Katsurou. The choice is yours. What is your name?"
The boy would nod as his clone would start around in he ruined home. He would be moving around some leaves and start making a pile off them, in a form that would look like a bed. In the meanwhile, Takahiro self would be standing in front of Katsurou. "Alright, so we will have to leave the land of Water… I take we are there right now. Where will we go to?" The boy would say while nodding slowly. As the clone would have been done making the bed, Takahiro would make a few handsigns, and the clone would zap away in a jolt of lightning. "My name is Miyamoto Takahiro. I suppose that I am born in the Land of Water, but never been inside a village. I mostly avoided them, military or normal." He would say before moving himself to the bed of leaves, lowering him onto it and laying down relaxingly.
Katsurou finishes his duck then nods at Takahiro. "And that is what we will continue doing if we are lucky enough. At least for the a few months. By then most will have forgotten about me. Tomorrow we will catch a ferry to the mainland and from there we will go where ever I feel we are needed." Katsurou stands up and begins to walk away. "Continue cleaning up and preparing places for us to sleep tonight. You will find I have a sleeping roll in my pack on my horse. You can use it for tonight. Tomorrow we will set out to get the supplies needed for your own pack. For now I am going to scout the area and set a few traps. Do not leave this campsite." With that said, Katsurou turns the corner around a ruined home and disappears from view.
