Open A Step Into Reality

[Nanjirou Soku]

Freedom, that was the meaning of the fresh air blowing across her cheeks meant to her. It had been long, too long since she had stepped foot outside into the village. Rumors had flown, gossip had spread ever since Soku had been confined to her estate under guard, the long-haunting memory of a wound, an memory and an attack that had left her vulnerable in more ways than one. She had all but faded from acknowledgement but to a few, days had passed, months even but even that had failed to bring her to her demise,

It waas a sign perhaps, a flag that maybe there was hope yet.

Hope for her, hope for Konohagakure.

Her legs dangled off the edge of the clifface where she sat, a nice view of the village below was being provided to heer, a secluded spot away from civillazation where no one would be any the wiser that the kunoichi had returned to herself, to being what she was.

"Seems buiser than normal, that's something good, I suppose." Soku murmured to herself more than anything, she had barely made it up here in a hooded cloak lest anyone recgonize her. She was sure the news would spread like wildfire that the former Sennin was in fact not dead, she briefly recalled the curious sovuneir left to her by the stranger.

That was still an interesting converstation she was recalling. What had they intended? An hymn to rebellion, whatever it was, the blade rested back in the clan house where Soku passed by it every day, appealing in it's own right begging her, pleading her to pick it up and she feared if she did so, there would be a much higher price to pay.

She had come here to clear her head of those monstrous thoughts taking in a breath as the scent of the wind drifted through her nostrils.

A relief.

 

[Chikamatsu Shin]

Shusuke finds him self darting roof top to roof top. He was attempting to increase the speed he had so that he could prove to Keiji-San that he would be a worthy candidate to enlist into the Black Ops. His eyes were focused on a red winged black bird that was soaring through air above the village. He could see it heading towards the direction of the Hokage Rocks. Dropping his head down low he picked up speed and focused his chakra into his feet to help stick to the surfaces he was gliding over as to prevent his feet from slipping. This was until he came closer and closer to the cliff face itself. Pushing off with a burst of force he also concentrated his chakra to his hands to help him catch the smoothly carved stone surface.

Launching up above the walls of the cliff face the boy would flip in the air before conjuring a chain from his middle finger that ended in a hook. Swinging his arm forward the chain would wrap around a branch of a tree within the forest before the hook would eventually finish wrapping and sinking it’s tip into the wood. Pulling his arm back he would use the conjured weapon to pull himself forward so that his feet could find purchase on the sold and horizontal ground.

”Hey, Obasan, did you by chance see where that black bird went? I lost track of it before I got up here.”

 

[Nanjirou Soku]

Quiet would never last for long. The clatter of something close, something near caused her head to dart up half-rising to her feet instincvetly watching as a youthful personality materialized itself clearly in hot purusit of something or someone as she eyed the chain warily. "Quite the introduction." Soku replied relaxing finally, these days, everything had her on edge tilting her head as the boy continumed rambling on about..a bird? Her expression registered confusion at the syllables that kept spilling out of his mouth.

To be honest, black bird was not a very helpful description. They littered the sky in the thousands, maybe millions so to pick one out among the plethora of winged creatures that overlooked Konohagakure was quite the impossible task. "I don't know if you noticed but black birds seem to be a rather common occurence here." Soku nodded towards a flock in the relative distance, the sounds of their cries and flapping wings in the distant background as the burning question at the back of her mind finally came to life.

"Dare if I ask why you seem so hellbent on chasing this particular bird? What has it done to offend you or likewise?"

Soku asked quirking an eyebrow. People had a lot of motivations for chasing things, some of them good, some of them bad. She had seen it all lacing her fingers in front of her taking in the newcomer, a rather youthful appearance to him. Too young for a fully-fledged ninja but Soku had been surprised before.

Soku gestured to the open spot next to her as she resumed her sitting position, her legs just hanging off the cliff edge, a pose that would have perhaps a less bolder shinobi shy away. "Come, sit and tell about this bird and your vested interest in it. There are a lot of birds in this world, you'll only get to see a few."

 

[Chikamatsu Shin]

Letting out an exacerbated sigh the young boy looked at the millions of crows and other dark colored birds that are visible up here. "Well damn. I was following a black bird through town trying to keep up with it to work on my footwork, but it was pretty isolated looking down there." He says pointing his thumb back and over his shoulder at the village below. Snapping his fingers the conjured chains would dissipate once again into the nothingness from which they were summoned.

Looking over at this woman, she was either a young civilian or an elder shinobi. Shusuke wasn't sure which way it would go. Her appearance didn't scream shinobi as there were no monstrous horns or creepy red eyes that pierced through him. The Yamanka child squinted his pupilless eyes, another sign of someone being born in a shinobi clan, as he looked her up and down. "Obasan, what are you doing up here? Is it safe for you? It would be quite the fall if you were to slip." He's decided she was a civilian.

Stepping over to sit down besides the woman Shusuke turned his gaze towards the sky as he laid on his back, dangling his feet over the edge and kicking them slightly. Placing his index finger onto this forehead protector the ten year old tapped it a couple of times before speaking "I would assume you know what this is if you live here in the city." His indicator of being a shinobi was brand new and shiny, no more than a finger print could be seen scarring it's surface as the child had just recently obtained it. "I feel like people look down on me because of my age, but I earned this just like the rest of my squad. Who cares that I am younger than them? I was trying to keep up with that bird to make myself faster so I could be stronger... Strong enough so that not one questions me on whether or not I have what it takes... Apparently the headband isn't enought to some." His mind begins to wander back to his conversation with Keiji and Takeshi no more than a couple of days ago and how both of them treated him like a child. He hated how the older generation acted like they were better than him just because he was younger.

 

[Nanjirou Soku]

Soku had to smile at his concern for her, it was quite amusing in a sense. "Rest assured, I have been involved in far more unsafe activites than harboring on the edge of some mere cliff." She said with a chucke glancing dwon at the drop if some poor unforunate soul were to take a stumble. Soku was more than capable of asserting her own abilites and she thought that after all these years of experience, she had a pretty good read on something as basic as this. Still, the boy's concern and perhaps tone spoke to her as foreign. It was expected of course, it was not a face she was familiar with or if it was, it had been so long that the name must have slipped from memory.

"I do actually." She said reaching within her kimono to withdraw a headband of her own, it was batterend and worn through the ages but the village symbol still shone brightly as a revealation to the stranger, the sign of a worn veteran who had seen and heard it all by now.

"Nanjirou Soku, Jounin of Konohagakurer and former Sennin at your service." She said with a smile before pushing the headband back into her garb, the rays of the sunlight glinting off the metal of her prosthetic arrm or what was revealed of it at least as she gauged his fresh, new headband. It was still unmarre,d untried and not yet battle-tested, all the signs of an eager soul who had much to learn in her eyes.


"People should not define you. Why do you care what people think of you? Don't let them influence you, the one who tries to get others to acknowledge him has alreaady lost the battle and the respect of their peers. You are still fresh, young, untried so to some, you are still a new addition to the shinobi way and it will take time but it is all part of the tradition here, we all went through it."

Her eyes passed over his headbanc once more before meeting his gaze. "Prove yourself by doing, not by speaking."

 

[Chikamatsu Shin]

”Well, it’s not like I am worried about what my peers think. I graduated youngest in my class and have already started helping the next class practice their skills...” His eyes looks over at the ex-Sennin. ”I guess you’re actually the best person to talk about this. If you are who you say you are” His eyes narrow slightly in an almost childlike way to show the suspicions arising about the claim that she was one of the strongest Shinobi in the village. ”I think I am to be meeting with a Sennin tomorrow, or at least a branch leader, to begin my job specific training and I am worried they will go easy on me because, unlike your headband, I am fresh from the academy.” A sigh slipped from his lips.

Why was she so easy to talk to?

”I just don’t know how to prove myself though. In the academy I never had to try too hard to achieve anything, ignoring the Ninjutsu classes of course, so I guess I don’t know how. I know I can’t compare to the Chuunin and Jounin of the branch but I don’t want to be stuck on some simple guard duty far from where my specific skills would actually be useful. I’m not built to be a simple guard.” he felt like he was rambling. Flopping back to his back he laid his arms to either side in a T like pose. He watched the murder of crows high above the village fluttering around.

 

[Nanjirou Soku]

"If you have any doubts about my qualifiactions, I am more than happy to reprieve you of that hesitation but I fear that spar would be a little too quick for my liking." Her tone was measured, easy yet it held a degree of confidence to it, that Soku was not interested in vouching for what she said, she knew best what she had been through, this genin would learn over time perhaps the value of the experience and the words she was givng him starting from his hesistation in a world that was new, that was overwhelming.

She held up a finger to stop him. "That's where you're wrong. If a branch Sennin is letting you sail the waves than this village has a serious problem. That is not something you need to be concerned about, rest assured but, rather you should start worrying about whether you'll live up to their expectations and that worry will refine you into a very capable shinobi but sometimes, remember, even the most easiest task might not be easy at all. Perhaps it was designe dto look that way, an illusion."

This converstation was similar to her own thoughts, a tribute to her younger days. Soku could relate perfectly to this. The urge to do more, the want to contribute something to the village, he was eager, willing and it was a good thing but also a dangerous thing as well, something she had seen all too often.

"You tell me then, where do you see yourself fitting in then?"

He had a unique problem, one Soku wasn't exactly sure she was convinced of but regardless, it was something different as she nodded her head in appreciation of the turbulent issues he was enlightening her to. For others, it was the opposite, the struggle to reach those milestones yet here was someone who felt like those milestones were not milestones after all. "You know, even if it's something simple like standing guard, as long as you're consistent at it, you're proving something. You're proving your dedication and your loyalty, we all have to start small."

Soku had an idea brewing in the back of her idea, something unkindled, something that would erase the rust but for it to fully bloom, she'd have to seek out a like-minded individual and that had been done here.

"Your branch leaders might not appreciate the sentimental value of this advice but I do considering I was in your shoes once. If you're feel like you're up for a challenge, if you want to be put through the fire, I'm sure me and you can come to a tentative agreement, see what you're made of and go from there."

 

[Chikamatsu Shin]

Soku would see a hint of excitement at the idea of her sparring with Shusuke. She failed to realize she was speaking to a child that recently left the academy with more fight's on their record than the average. If there was one thing he enjoyed most as a shinobi it would be sparring. "Yea, I would hate to do that to you." Joking at the idea of him winning, Shusuke chuckled slightly. "I am Yamanaka Shusuke, by the way." Continuing to look up at the sky his mind wandered.

"That I don't know. I spoke to the Hokage about my skills as a Yamanaka and how my skills in Genjutsu were notable, but all he said was that he wanted to take over my squad as leader. Is it because he doesn't think we are capable enough as we are? He hasn't even seen us in action yet. My abilities lean towards espionage but so far all of my mission assignments have been similar to the ones I did in the academy." He stopped rambling for a second as Soku spoke of an agreement that the two of them may have.

Sitting up and looking at the Jounin he would raise an eyebrow at her in curiousity. "What do you have in mind, Obasan?"

 

[Nanjirou Soku]

A Yamanaka, now there was something she hadn't stumbled upon in a while. They were notorious and dangerous too for how they worked the mind and how they could influence the battlefield, it was better to steer clear of them if they were on the opposing side, the mind was truly a dangerous thing and to let someone have control of it, it could have potentially devestating consequences.

She had to smile at his other comment. "Yes, Takeshi-san can be a rigid person at times but he has your best interests at hearts, rest assured, He just wants you to get your feet wet first but while at the same time, he doesn't want to throw you to the mouth of the monster quite yet so I suspect he's trying to find that balance, giving you just the right amount of pressure while making sure you're not exposed to elements outside your control."

While Shusuke didn't seem like the arrogant type, from what she gathered, he was putting a lot of faith in his abilites. Soku had no doubt towards that but skillsets werre no use if you couldn't even grasp the basics, all of them had to climb the ladder rung one step at the time because if you skipped, you risked falling off all the way back to rock bottom and who knew whaat consequences lay at the very bottom, Soku had fallen off more times than once, the numerous battle scars spoke for themselves.

"Well, you want to prove yourself, right?"

She said letting the question linger in the air.

"Come on a misson with me, I might not be your squad leader but I can promise you they're not going to give a Jounin a misson of chasing down cats or counting the number of frogs in the lake. I suspect it will be something more tailored to what you're after and then maybe, we can see where your thoughts lie after that."

 

[Chikamatsu Shin]

"Ojisan completely acted like he had never met me when I met him in the office, but Lady Fifth even assigned me to shadow him a while back. I think he was putting on a front for that one man with the pale white eyes." Shusuke would shift to sit up and turn towards Soku. "I suppose that could be true..." Shusuke was hoping this was true. Maybe Soku was a Sennin after all, she seemed really wise, despite not being that old.

At the offer of joining a mission Shusuke's face lit up. "Oh?! That could be a lot of fun! I've done a track and report mission where I led a couple of students, and I think we did pretty great!" A genuine smile took to his face as he mentioned the mission he had taken with Kiriyomi and Keniwa.

Rolling back and pushing up with his hands he would land on his feet like an acrobat. The ten year old boy was clearly filled with new found energy. "Okay, Obasan, What kind of missions do you do! If I want to be Hokage one day I can't waste my time with kid games like toad counting in the local lake so I am excited to see what a Jounin can get up to on a mission! And don't worry about me I can hold my own! I did graduate the Academy before some kids even get admitted!"

 

[Nanjirou Soku]

"That's Takeshi-san for you. Don't let it get to you, that's just his way of doing things. He's a very busy person, I've known the man for years now but I promise you, he has your best interests at heart. If I'm wrong, I wouldn't be standing here today but he is certainly one of the more notable Hokages to date."

Her face darkened a bit at the mention of Asuka. Truly, Soku did not know what had happened to her sister, she had simply gone missing one day shortly after the village attack and it still frightened her to her very core. She did not want to find the missing Fifth Hokage the same way they had recieved news about Yukio but that was a story for an different time. Soku was captured by Shusuke's eagerness, his willgness although if you asked her, Soku thought that perhaps he was being a bit too eager.

That could be a dangerous thing in itself.

Soku had to chuckle slightly at his inquistive nature. "Well, you got that right. It's probably nothing you've seen before but firstly, I want you to realize one thing before I even consider taking you on."

Her tone took on a more serious expression as she said this making sure Shusuke was focusing on her. For this part of the converstation, she needed him to focus, to understand and grasp the true reality of the potential and also the danger that awaited them on these high-class assignments. She would be responsible for his safety and security and the last thing Soku needed was him charging headlong into a trap or something worse.

"It's good to be eager and curious but it is also a curse. Too much confidence,, too much eagerness and you will find yourself in trouble wondering where it come from. Take it from someone who's been in your shoes before." Soku said throwing back a portion of her cloak to expose her prosthethic arm, a stark reminder of the harsh realites of life and mistakes that she had learned never to make again.

"If you come with me, you have to understand something.. There is no turning back, not on missons like these. But understand also, if I tell you to do something, do it." Silence followed for a brief second almost as if the next bit weighed heavy on her tongue before it came rolling off her lips.

"That means if I tell you to leave me and run no matter the circumstances, you will do it."

If it came down to that, the situation had to be dire but Soku trusted between them, they could pull through. "I already have something in the works if the village gives us their blessing than you are welcome to tag along to get a taste of shinobi work."

 

[Chikamatsu Shin]

Shusuke noticed the change in Soku's face changed when he mentioned Lady Asuka. He would take a mental note to ask about that later. His attention was fully pulled in when he saw that her arm was a prosthetic. She kept mentioning that she was once in his shoes and now he was curios if she stood in a prodigal position amongst her peers until her accident. He let out a sigh.

"I'm sure it's not something I would turn away from, afterall I have taken lives before." Shusuke's tone was calm and collected when he stated that. Clenching his hand into a fist the spectral chains would begin to appear once again. "Despite my age I have come close to death more than once."

His mind beyond just the time when Uchiha Asuka forced him to see his own death through her Genjutsu or when Goto Daiji staged a fake attack in the class where he was beaten to a pulp. His mind landed on the missions he has already taken where he had to track down bandits within the village who pulled knives on him and their boss that broke multiple bones, including ribs, during their match. Shusuke not only had to fight that man once where he nearly died, but he fought Itsuki a second time just a weak later where he had to snap the mans neck while his legs were wrapped around his shoulder. Shusuke could feel the man's life diminish between his thighs as the large body fell to the ground limp.

Shusuke's face was stone cold serious. "I'd be willing to take my own life if it meant protecting this village. I understand."

 

[Nanjirou Soku]

Soku wasn't taken aback at the fact that someone his age had already dabbled in the economy of death. It was not surprising giving the turbulent lifestyle that they lived i, Soku noted with interest the curious weapons of war that had materlialized in his hand, her head dipping down in almost a subtle form of approval. "I can see you stand by what you mean, a good start." He wasn't just a talker, he was ready to prove and back up his statements with actions and that for Soku spoke enough and loudly than anything else.

Anyone could claim to do anything but it took a different type of person to commit. After so many years in the ANBU, it was too easy for her to pick out the truths and lies and luckilify for Shusuke, Soku had a good feeling about himas she cracked a smile that was void of any humor at his last statement.

"No."

She said shaking her head before gesturing out at the village that stood just below them, the pillar of peace and everything else that spoke to them in more ways than one.

"You will not understand unless you've been beaten down, you're bleeding out with no help in sight and you have to make peace with the fact that your role to the village is no more. More times than once, that realization has crossed my head in numerous inicidents. No one is truly ready, it's just a matter of accepting it."

Regardless however, she was not one to dim a curious soul and if Shusuke was as capable as she made him out to be, Soku reckoned that work in their favour if they found themselves in a sticky spot. Now, the question remained as to where and what, all the ins and outs of whatever experience the jounin was plotting on taking him on.

"So, surely, you must be wondering what recipe of danger, death and doom I've cooked up for us?"

 

[Chikamatsu Shin]

"I can say, at least standing here with you..." The boy looks over the village with Soku. "...I would be willing to find myself there if that meant I knew this village stayed safe." The young boy looked over to the Jounin. He meant what he said. He wanted to be the foundation to support this pillar of peace. Shusuke wanted to be more than what his parents could ever acheive. He was raised by two Chuunin who were never assigned missions above C-Rank, and that was not the life that he wanted for himself. He knew Shishiwakamaru had deeper and stronger aspirations as they were more specific. Keiji-san and Takeshi-sama made it clear to Shusuke that vague goals in life lead to a weak resolve.

"What did you have in mind? Hopefully it's not something as trivial as your frog counting. He was hoping something like guarding a targeted person of interest where he could show off his skills of awareness while in front of Shishiwakamaru.

((OoC: I am sorry the post is shorter!))

 

[Nanjirou Soku]

The more she looked at this particular youth, the more Soku was reminded of herself. The bravado, the firm heart and the loyalty he displayed, that unbreakable Will of Fire he had. It was something that rang tones of similarity with her. Maybe that was why Soku had been considering the prospect of taking him onto this little venture she had plotted out in her head.

"Oh, we'll be counting something alright, not just frogs though." If everything went to plan, the only thing of numerical value that would spring to mind would be the corpses that popped up, an indication of an long-term commitment that needed to be fulfilled.

"You are going to help me pay a visit to some old 'friends.'" She replied, her lips shifting into a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, her fingers tracing over the hilt of her sword tucked into her kimono as the details come flooding to her a she recalled every single nook and cranny of this mission.

"You see, when I was an ANBU operative, we were tasked with putting an end to a group of bandits who specalized in harvesting dojutsu from shinobi and we did perhaps more brutally than what the village would have approved of."

She paused to let that sink before continuing on. "You see, ever since, a few unforunate survivors from that group have put my name on a list, they would gladly skewer me alive if given the chance."

Soku though the whole idea nonsense. She had been ambushed plenty of times and all of it had resulted in unforunate outcomes for the attacker although in some instanes, it had cost her more than just a few bumps and bruises.

"Me and you are going to help their wish come true and see what our thieving friends have been up to. It has been some years so I think a visit is in order to help introduce them to the fine wonders of justice."

 

[Chikamatsu Shin]

She was an ANBU operative? Shusuke was even more intrigued, he was after all on the path to become a ANBU Operative himself. These bandits harvested Dojutsu? He didn't realize that was something possible. His mind began to wonder what other bloodline limits could be extracted and removed from their host bodies. Shusuke's eyes widened at the prospect of learning these genetic secrets for himself. Using these tools to strengthen himself and perhaps those around him to become more powerful tools for the village.

"Did they discover your identity even though you were in the ANBU? I thought that was a secret you all held deaply..." His pupilles eyes stared at Soku inquisitively as he was curious how she was put on a list if she was acting behind her mask. He was under the impression that the identity of the ANBU was an absolute secret.

A smile came to his face at the promise of bringing bad guys to justice. "Now that, sounds like my kind of mission! Only question I have is 'When do we start?' Because I can be ready yesterday!"

He pointed his finger at the Jounin. "I guess I have another question. What kind of Jutsu do you use? If you're also a Genjutsuist we may have a hard time with clashing illusions."

 

[Nanjirou Soku]

If Soku had learned one thing in this village, it was that nothing remained a secret for too long, She had seen her fair share of that and these particular individuals seemed ever so commited on tracking down the kunoichi who had put a damper in their buisness as she allowed a smile to come to her face at Shusuke's point.

"Well, if I were them, I don't think I'd easily forget the ANBU who came bursting into their warehouse and razing it to the ground and maybe a few of them as well. And then I had to step into the public eye as a Sennin and that of course gave them all the missing details they needed to connect the dots."

The troubling part was, they hadn't acted yet. In her experience, two-bit thugs like what she was used to half the time usually acted out of pure, raw emotion and the idea that they were sitting quiet gave her the impression they were organized, planning or something worse.

As for Shusuke, his only concern being when they would put their plan into action. "Well, the earlier, the better. The longer we allow this plague to fester, the complicated it is going to get so I'll see you bright and early at the village gates in two day's time from now?"

Soku didn't think she needed to add on that if he had the unforunate tendency to be late, the Jounin would be forced to undertake this particular assignment by herself, something she was more than capable of but for him, Soku was sure it would teach him a lesson or two.

"I reckon you're safe there. I tend to stay away from genjutsu and all matters of the mind, I prefer to deal with things up close and personal and perhaps a mix of ninjutsu as well but we can discuss tactics later if you don't get cold feet."

With his eagerness and almost bursting with joy to go, Soku doubted she'd have any issues but it was always good to leave them with expectations, a challenge and right now, she was challenging him to take on this obstacle that she was sure most genin his age would have freaked out at.

 

[Chikamatsu Shin]

Shusuke had two days to prepare. In two days as the sun rose he would be standing at the gates with the previous Sennin to take on a mission. He was excited. His body was essentially vibrating with the idea of taking on a mission with an experienced veteran. With a smile on his face he would start to take a couple of steps towards the edge of the cliff face.

"Two days Obasan! I will be there and ready! I need to go train!"

Leaping off of the Hokage Rock the young boy would launch one of his chains into the stone faces and use it as a guide as he quickly repelled and dated off into the city. He had to tell Shishiwakamary about the mission he was about to go one!


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[Nanjirou Soku]

Two days.

That was all he had to commit himself to the ardous task they had in front of them, She could sense his eagerness, perhaps even his potential and it made her smile just a little. That was rare these days watching as the boy made his grand exit using the momentum his chain granted him to make his exit perhaps off to prepare himself for what challenges lay in front of them, She hoped he would mentally ready as well but looking at him and listening to him, it did help alleivate any potential concerns she might have.

"We'll see, won't we?"

She said more to herself than anything standing off smoothing out her kimono as the wind rippled in answer, perhaps a bit enlightened by the converstation as the peaceful visage of the village stood under her, under her protection and her tributes in more ways than one. It was sort of a deja vu moment recalling on everything Konohgakure had bore through the years and what other challenges it would face.

Well, that would be an obstacle for the upcoming generation, Soku was here simply to provide them with the tools which was exactly what she was doing here.

Unlike Shusuke's grand exit, Soku turned retracing the pathway she had taken up here and if you looked closely enough, it appeared the shadows had consumed her as her figure just happened to fade from existence, a truly impossible feat but years of experience within the ANBU had given her a skillset a few could boast to have leaving the common onlooker confused as to what they had just seen.

[Topic Left Unless Stopped]