Should he have taken a left or a right at the last road? Kichiru looked around confusingly as he realized that at some point he must have taken a wrong turn on his way home from the Undersea. Today was a rather special day as he had caught a rather large fish that he currently held in his arms with his fishing rod strapped to his back. Due the excitement he found himself taking route which led him not to the residences where his home would be but in the midst of the Grand Palais: A place that his father had warned him to avoid at all costs. He admitted that he had always been curious as to the place, but he generally didn't like disobeying his father. Either way his main concern would be bringing his catch home as soon as possible to avoid the chance of it becoming inedible, something which could easily happen in the climate of Sunagakure.
Scanning from side to side he took in his surroundings, which consisted of trash strewn across the walkways, a myriad of homeless people on each street-corner, as well as a group of individuals who were staring straight at Kichiru. The three seemed to be dressed in similar-style clothing, each donning a black cloth that covered their mouth with the design of a row of sharp teeth on each of them. Most people would likely have tried walking off whilst keeping their eyes glued to the ground in hopes that they would continue on unnoticed by the three men. However, Kichiru was not most people.
“Hi! I like your face thingies!” He shouted out, waving with one hand as he held the fish with the other. The men looked at one another for a moment before erupting in a chorus of laughter before advancing towards Kichiru. From left to right they stood at different height and statures. The one on the left was the largest of the three, muscles bulging out from the clothes he wore that did very little to hide the scars that ran up and down his arms. The man on the right seemed to be built the exact opposite, having a rather slender figure and long silver hair. Finally, the man in the center was somewhere in the middle of the two. To the outside observer he would likely, at least without the bandanna, look like a normal villager. It was this man who spoke first “You're funny kid. For that we'll skip the beating and just take that nice fish of yours and be on our way.”
“Huh? Why would I give it to you? I'm the one who caught it.” He tilted his head to the side as he stared confused at the three men, seemingly not fully grasping the situation before him. “Anyways, I like your mask things. See ya!” He smiled and turned around, intending to simply walk off and continue attempting to find his way back home. Instead he was met with a hand that held him still, it was the larger man.“Me think it best if little man listens to boss.” He spoke slowly and with a rather rough accent that made it almost difficult to decipher what he was saying, but his intention was rather clear as he began squeezing down on Kichiru's shoulder in order to keep him in place, forcing out a pained “Ow!”. The center-man, who was referred to as 'Boss', moved around Kichiru and forced the fish out of his hands.“I wasn't asking, punk. Now get out of here before I change my mind.”
Kichiru stared up at the man in anger, tears forming in his eyes simply out of frustration that he couldn't seem to escape the simple grasp of the man behind him. He was supposed to be training to be a shinobi, and yet he couldn't deal with these simple thugs? His hand slowly moved towards his belt-pouch before a voice came out from behind them“I wouldn't recommend that darling.” The voice came from the third slender man who spoke with a rather feminine inflection. The one known as Boss inched closer to Kichiru, moving slightly down towards the boy's level as he began chuckling to himself, causing the other two men to look towards one another as if they were aware of something that Kichiru wasn't. The man soon began speaking, causing the larger figure to let go of Kichiru and back up a few feet.“This is how it works down here brat. You come through my street, you pay up and then you go. But apparently you are too stupid to understand that.” With the last few words the man thumped the pad of his thumb against Kichiru's forehead.“You act this way over a stupid fish? Maybe we'll follow you home. See how you act when we decide to take something else. A friend, a pet, Oh.. Maybe you have a real looker of a sister.” Kichiru's face transformed instantaneously from that of fear to one of rage. The tears in his eyes dried up rather quickly as he stared forward towards the man , who seemed amused by the murderous intent emanating from the child.“Oh? So you do. Perfect. Hear that boys? Sounds like his sister want a piece o-”
THWACK
And there Kichiru stood, grasping the fishing rod which he had pulled from his back and slammed into the side of the Boss's face, who had seemingly become distracted by his own lecherous thoughts. It wouldn't take long for the Boss to lift himself off the ground, wiping blood from his lip as he glared directly at Kichiru “You're done.” Without hesitation the three men slowly began approaching Kichiru from every angle. He only had about a second to act before they'd be upon him and he'd certainly be done for. What could he do? Was there anything he could do?
Scanning from side to side he took in his surroundings, which consisted of trash strewn across the walkways, a myriad of homeless people on each street-corner, as well as a group of individuals who were staring straight at Kichiru. The three seemed to be dressed in similar-style clothing, each donning a black cloth that covered their mouth with the design of a row of sharp teeth on each of them. Most people would likely have tried walking off whilst keeping their eyes glued to the ground in hopes that they would continue on unnoticed by the three men. However, Kichiru was not most people.
“Hi! I like your face thingies!” He shouted out, waving with one hand as he held the fish with the other. The men looked at one another for a moment before erupting in a chorus of laughter before advancing towards Kichiru. From left to right they stood at different height and statures. The one on the left was the largest of the three, muscles bulging out from the clothes he wore that did very little to hide the scars that ran up and down his arms. The man on the right seemed to be built the exact opposite, having a rather slender figure and long silver hair. Finally, the man in the center was somewhere in the middle of the two. To the outside observer he would likely, at least without the bandanna, look like a normal villager. It was this man who spoke first “You're funny kid. For that we'll skip the beating and just take that nice fish of yours and be on our way.”
“Huh? Why would I give it to you? I'm the one who caught it.” He tilted his head to the side as he stared confused at the three men, seemingly not fully grasping the situation before him. “Anyways, I like your mask things. See ya!” He smiled and turned around, intending to simply walk off and continue attempting to find his way back home. Instead he was met with a hand that held him still, it was the larger man.“Me think it best if little man listens to boss.” He spoke slowly and with a rather rough accent that made it almost difficult to decipher what he was saying, but his intention was rather clear as he began squeezing down on Kichiru's shoulder in order to keep him in place, forcing out a pained “Ow!”. The center-man, who was referred to as 'Boss', moved around Kichiru and forced the fish out of his hands.“I wasn't asking, punk. Now get out of here before I change my mind.”
Kichiru stared up at the man in anger, tears forming in his eyes simply out of frustration that he couldn't seem to escape the simple grasp of the man behind him. He was supposed to be training to be a shinobi, and yet he couldn't deal with these simple thugs? His hand slowly moved towards his belt-pouch before a voice came out from behind them“I wouldn't recommend that darling.” The voice came from the third slender man who spoke with a rather feminine inflection. The one known as Boss inched closer to Kichiru, moving slightly down towards the boy's level as he began chuckling to himself, causing the other two men to look towards one another as if they were aware of something that Kichiru wasn't. The man soon began speaking, causing the larger figure to let go of Kichiru and back up a few feet.“This is how it works down here brat. You come through my street, you pay up and then you go. But apparently you are too stupid to understand that.” With the last few words the man thumped the pad of his thumb against Kichiru's forehead.“You act this way over a stupid fish? Maybe we'll follow you home. See how you act when we decide to take something else. A friend, a pet, Oh.. Maybe you have a real looker of a sister.” Kichiru's face transformed instantaneously from that of fear to one of rage. The tears in his eyes dried up rather quickly as he stared forward towards the man , who seemed amused by the murderous intent emanating from the child.“Oh? So you do. Perfect. Hear that boys? Sounds like his sister want a piece o-”
THWACK
And there Kichiru stood, grasping the fishing rod which he had pulled from his back and slammed into the side of the Boss's face, who had seemingly become distracted by his own lecherous thoughts. It wouldn't take long for the Boss to lift himself off the ground, wiping blood from his lip as he glared directly at Kichiru “You're done.” Without hesitation the three men slowly began approaching Kichiru from every angle. He only had about a second to act before they'd be upon him and he'd certainly be done for. What could he do? Was there anything he could do?
