Blunted Kunai

[Okada Kaji]

Wisdom calcifies our expectations. It leaves many people with rigid views of the world and defines the limitations they set on what is a vast reality. Wisdom binds an incomprehensible existence with rules so that we can understand. It is not the form a man sees in the mirror that defines him. Day by day the form degrades, forever changing, inevitably, albeit predictably. What defines a man is the collective experience of his life leading up to this very moment. Many have tried to control the future; they plan and scheme but every living being is bound to the moment. Tick tock, motherfucker. Time rules all. Born with an expiration date unknown to us all, we go through life seeking to understand what we can with what limited time we have.

Perhaps the wisest of us seek comfort in what we know. Rather than chasing the danger of raging waterfalls we stick to the placid rivers and lakes that we are used to. We return to familiar places and call upon old names to relive the past and some sibilance of joy from the past. A friend knows you for your deeds and the time spent by their side— they don’t recognize you as the person you've become when you glance through a looking glass.

The familiar place Kaji Okada had in mind was an inn located in the loftier part of the city built on clouds. It was indeed the same one where he stayed as a member of the Hokage’s entourage to the Hidden Cloud all those years ago. There were a lot of memories had within these walls of times gone by— much simpler times, all before decisions that so many lives in a domino effect.

He was a slim form gliding through the entrance, avoiding a crowd of patrons starting a party by the music. Years ago, Kaji might have garnered recognition when returning to this place, but the wear of time brought a change of many faces within the bar, and he too looked different. He was shed his thick winter coat, revealing a slimmer frame than he kept in the months past when he was on the road. The thick head of raven hair was losing its color, turning salt and pepper in a wild dance. He wore a beard now, it too, thick with grey and black streaking. Those emeraldine eyes had sunken slightly in his gaunt changes and were bright, contrasting the pale, graying tint to his skin. The rest of his appearance was boringly unchanged; the same style for over a decade. The more things change the more they stay the same, right?

Kaji had the desired anonymity when he took a seat at the bar and took out a few gold standards from his pouch. He had sennin money for a while now with little to nothing to spend it on, so he tipped well and dropped a couple of extra pieces. “Hey, bartender” he called out with his voice sounding smooth across the bar, “I’ll take two flagons of the ale you keep in the back… A good friend of mine is joining and it’s his birthday, so expect us to drink to the foam.” The familiar sound brought a grinning bartender closer, who squinted as he tried to suss an acquaintance out from all the hair on his face. “Wait a minute, you’re—”
Kaji winked and broke a smirk “Aye, and know we’ll be blunting some kunai tonight. I’m ready to take everybody’s money in Goblin’s eye. Stay turnt!”

- Kaji Okada has entered the thread.
- Requesting Tatsuo.
- Private thread, please notify before joining without invite.​

 

[Tatsuo]

Kaji's tutelage would prove to be both a blessing and a curse for the young sapling the elusive shinobi chose to invest in. Tatsuo adopted his sensei's yearning for adventure with a passion, however, these type of thrills could only be found when they may be your last. The young sapling now sprouted struggles day in and day out with this constant ache in his soul. He wishes not to be in a village, working on a mission after mission, while the service is fulfilling, it has become somewhat of clockwork at this point. Occasionally a mission or an assignment will have enough danger to it that Tatsuo can truly engross himself in the beauty of battle, a dance he learned so well from Kaji. The urge to adventure would not be a curse if it was not paired with Kaji's teachings of morality. Had Tatsuo another teacher, one who instilled the same ferocious drive for adventure but not the tenents of what it meant to not only be a Shinobi but to be a hero. He may have become like many others, who used the great powers granted to them for personal entertainment. Warlords, rogue shinobi, even those who finally succumbed to this battle-lust were not always evil people from the beginning the high just made it worth it. Fortunately for the world, Kaji taught Tatsuo what it was like to be an adventurer, but also a hero. To do what was right no matter the cost or the personal struggle one may face in doing so. These lessons in combination were the curse of Kaji's teachings. A shinobi who at times felt like a caged bird, village laws, his own sense of morality, and the teachings of his sensei all forcing him into a life that he felt mediocre. A mission here, a mission there, but Tatsuo had become an asset for the Village Hidden in the Clouds. His life was worth more than Tatsuo's personal entertainment, even if he would disagree with that statement.

However Tatsuo held not the slightest ounce of ill will to Kaji, his teachings after-all made Tatsuo into the shinobi he was today, one capable of handling even the wildest of encounters with an ease that almost made it look juvenile. There was just a certain style that you picked up when you trained with Okada Kaji. Tatsuo definitely would not be the definition of cool, but in intense situations it almost becomes clockwork, he is a student of the game and it shows in his proficiency, no matter how clumsy he may be during the other ninety percent of his life. It had been too long since Tatsuo had seen Kaji and when he got the invitation which a certain little monkey may have had to translate for him he was ecstatic. Both Tatsuo and Kaji were considered some of the top assets in the village nowadays, it was unlikely they would be in the village at the same time, much less with enough time to actually enjoy a beer or two. With Tatsuo turning eighteen today it was a fitting time for celebration and a part of him smirked at wondering what bureaucratic convincing Kaji had to pull off to get them both in the village at the same time. Without wasting any more time Tatsuo had headed off to the familiar tavern, the same one he stayed those first nights in the Village Hidden in the Clouds. Strange how things change and now Tatsuo was willingly going to the same bar he thought was nothing more than a prison in his youth.

As he entered the tavern Tatsuo was instantly recognizable, the boy had grown into a full-fledged man at this point. Sprouting like a tree 6'2 he was a good cut above many of the other patrons of the bar. His eyes scanned over the bar almost in tradition, but he had sensed Kaji's natural energy long before he had even seen the tavern. Tracking Kaji was a difficult thing to do and had he been doing anything but sitting at a bar readying for an adventours night its likely he would have disappeared like a shadow. He was good at that, Tatsuo thought as he walked over to him from the bar, going to put a friendly arm around his shoulder craning down his arm to try and snatch Kaji's flagon in a quick motion. "You got me two drinks already Kaji-Sensei? Man you really are the best teacher anyone could ask for!"

 

[Okada Kaji]

Age may have been softening the fine lines of Kaji Okada’s hard stare, but when the doors of the taproom opened Kaji’s composure fell away. His gaze was awe-stricken, warm, and going through a transition from surprise to revelry when Tatsuo had arrived. The old master’s emeraldine orbs kept searching, looking upon Tatsuo as if there were some ruse at hand, but that was just Kaji’s awe at how Tatsuo had matured since the heyday of the boy’s tutelage. There couldn’t have been more than some months— no, a year since the teacher had last seen his pupil, and yet a wave of melancholy washed over Kaji Okada then. A sadness in realizing the passage of time; and perhaps how he had taken his student for granted. Tatsuo was now standing taller than Kaji, even broader as he drew closer. It was difficult to imagine, to say the least, but there he was.
“Wow kid, you’ve really grown into that flak jacket” Kaji exalted Tatsuo, standing to meet him awkwardly. “I remember when you could barely see over this same bar.” He then looked aside, down at the beers in neglect of an instinctual idea that came from the recent years of fatherhood and husbandry. Shinobi don’t give hugs, especially not ones who embodied the traits of bravery and strength. But when Kaji ushered Tatsuo to join him there at the bar with an inviting wave, he felt a sense of pride and accomplishment, one similar to the feelings had during other crowning moments in those middle years. He realized he was getting soft and smiled at the thought of such a thing. Fuck that, he was allowed to feel but Kaji Okada was always solid.

“The years have been kind to us— thank the gods,” Kaji said with a hint of relief as he returned to his barstool. “What a lifetime of close calls and being the lucky ones. ‘I’m proud to have made it this far, Tatsuo, and of you… the shinobi you’ve become, a man that I’m proud to have called my student.” He reached for one of the cold flagons and held it out for Tatsuo to take as if it were a rite of passage. “Happy birthday.”
The flagon was made of crystal clear glass, containing a foamy brew of very dark, nearly black brown ale that sloshed around with the presentation. Bringing it close to the face, it presented the scents of smoky cloves and fresh-cut ashwood. The foamy head made a mustache upon drinking, tickling the upper lip as they tasted a rush of what resembled burnt coffee and smoked pine with a mild sweetness to make it bearable to the palate. Kaji took a few heavy gulps, drinking it down so naturally before setting the mug aside, half-emptied. It was the good stuff, Kaji knew, but he watched to see how Tatsuo might enjoy or hate his first drink. Licking away the foam trapped in his beard, Kaji revealed a shit-eating-grin as he took in the reaction from his young comrade. “Ha ha ha… Cheers to past!” As if on cue, strangers heard the call and carelessly chimed in from where they sat. “Cheers to the foes who forged us in their fires, the allies who fell and smile upon us from the afterlife, and to the bartenders… who bring us more good drink!” It was time for Tatsuo to meet a different kind of Kaji-sensei; the occasional rabble-rouser who drank hard and played harder, cutting loose from the disciplined lifestyle he led in the daylight.
​

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[Takaki Saeko]

The world's gone topsy-turvy. I was reminded of that fact yet again, when the Deathwatch sentinel on duty refused to take my bribe, but his ANBU counterpart did. That would have been unthinkable when I worked the walls, steely-eyed and on the prowl to kill fleeing academy students with dreams of liberty and justice for all. Yes, that makes me sound like an old lady. I feel like one, too. Tomo had better marry me while he can, because I'm just getting uglier every passing day.

The ANBU who took my silver confirmed the rumors for me: Okada Kaji was back in town. Of course, every time a bearded wanderer with a thousand-yard stare rolls through the gates, people think our ANBU sennin's returned. But those guys all turn out to be average hobos, as opposed to Kaji, king of hobos. For a little more silver, the masked grunt also told me where he thought Kaji was headed--I could have guessed it myself, in retrospect.

The Goblin's Eye was both predictable and unpredictable. After all, why would a man who'd skipped town on his wife want to party in the same bar where he and said wife had first hooked up? Perhaps he'd expected Yuii to stay the hell away. A fair assumption, since as far as I knew, Yuii hadn't visited the place in years. Pregnancy, and having a little spawn to raise, tend to distract a woman from things like bar-hopping and hooking up with scraggly Leaf refugees. Also, this was probably the only bar Kaji knew about. He always was a bit dense, in unexpected ways.

I originally had an elaborate, espionage-worthy plan involving slipping in through the back and blending in with the shadows at the corner of the bar before methodically searching for the man. As ANBU Sennin, Kaji was a master of disguise and discretion. I wouldn't have put it past him to have deliberately told his subordinate to take my bribe and lead me to this location, all so that he could sneak up behind me, put a knife to my throat, and demand me to give him a reason to spare me...oh fuck it, nothing that interesting actually happened. I actually just went in the front and immediately spotted him making a huge goddamned ruckus.

By now he was basically wrecked on booze and given to claims, as was his student, the Arksage. I wasn't sure whose birthday party, or latest sexual encounter, or bar mitzvah, or all of those combined, they were celebrating. It wasn't my business to inquire. Abandoning pretense, I strode up to the pair and gave Kaji the stinkeye. Tatsuo might have been dead of alcohol poisoning already--he hadn't posted in nearly a week.

"Hi, happy something, Sennin Okada. If you don't remember who I am, it's Saeko. Yuii's Hand. Your...wife's hand. Would you, uh, like to know how she's doing? I'm sure you've been too busy to drop by her place. Of course, if I'm wrong, you can just tell me to fuck off right now, and I'll happily do so." I glance at Tatsuo. "...Should he go to the hospital?"

 

[Tatsuo]

Tatsuo beamed as Kaji sang his praises, "Do I have a few stories to tell you!!" he said as he began to drink, going to retell of his adventures in traveling with his little posse of students. He spoke of his battle with Takeshi, fighting off a Kraken and about all the different people he had met in between their last meeting. It'd seem Tatsuo had really rooted himself in the village and found some people to rely on, but there was still a special bond the two shared, as the journey to Cloud was one they shared and a mentor's lessons always stay with the student.

Downing beer after beer, Tatsuo soon became accustomed to the taste, or at least drunk enough to ignore the bitter taste for now. His cheeks rosy and a wide smile on his face the rising feeling of euphoria in his face as the alcohol really began to sink in. He had drunk before, but it had always been a sip or two before giving up on the bitter drinks. However he wasn't going to embarrass himself and look like a lightweight, so he continued to down them like nothing. Due to his size and natural stamina, he was still able to maintain his composure. After a few hearty songs and cheers he had decided to rest in a barstool next to Kaji as he was making small talk about some useless missions he had been on and with the inhibitions wiped away he began to complain about the lack of adventure he was finding in his adventures. His ranting was cut short as a woman introduced herself to the pair. Tatsuo's brows furrowed as his attention was fully on her as she began to speak about Yuii.

Crossing his arms he could sense the hostility in the tone instantly and glanced over to Kaji to read his reaction when asked if he needed medical assistance he shook his head. "I'm fine, just enjoying the drinks." he said, as he leaned back against the bar his legs planted on the ground. He had known Kaji had been outside of the village for a long time and Tatsuo hadn't taken any time to visit Yuii, she never seemed all that fond of him but he had just been busy for the most part.

 

[Okada Kaji]

Without a doubt, Kaji Okada believed that it was our actions that defined us in life. So as he listened and shared in the tales of Tatsuo, the belief of his pride in the young man only grew in certainty. Those tales made quite the anthology to be sure, and every moment of greatness demanded another toast. The bartender was running between with flagons leading, a sweet brew so potent that the fellows might have not even noticed the occasional drop of sweat that fell in from the bustling brewhawler. A drunken Kaji would have dismissed it as added flavor anyway— “a hint of salt to better the bitter for the sweet.” Indeed, the night was a fine one and it seemed as if nothing could go wrong or dampen the mood. Even that razor sharp and uncanny perception of the seasoned shinobi was dulled by the merriment— well, by the drink. The duo of master and student were without a worry in that place, surrounded by allies who’d notice them only to hear a bit of a tale and stumble along.

That said, Kaji couldn’t feel the heat of Saeko’s wild eyes focusing on him with a laser point precision. A sober Grand Commander would have had the perception to sort her movements out in the crowd as she bore in on him and Tatsuo; the energy and determination behind every step. It wasn’t until Saeko was within reach that Kaji began a slow turn to regard her, looking lazily and with his flagon rising to his lips. He met her nearing gaze and saw round eyes with pupils that held a fire seen through a glass of red wine. Kaji must have resembled a drunken louse as his line of sight swept down the new company, making a visual patdown he would have normally managed in a glance. His cheeks made a blush that stretched across his nose, and he looked back up with uneven eye-lids blinking slowly. By that time Saeko had made her introduction and mentioned that name which Kaji methodically avoided all night thus far. The face of his wife suddenly flashed at the front of his mind, but not the memories of her that he dug up by returning to the inn. The painful recent past— her anger exploded at the hospital and the vision of their daughter dying. Rather than answering Yuii's self-proclaimed hand, Kaji returned the flagon to his mouth and gulped all he could drink, even causing some to trickle into his beard.
“Sennin Okada…” He said, muffled slightly as he wiped his mouth with his sleeve. “We’re in a place of worship, let’s not be so formal. If you’re my baby’s right hand we’re a lot more familiar than you’d prolly’ like to hear. Ya got a strong grip, canon confirmed.” On came an impudent grin and a long, uneven blink. “Please, call me, uh...” unsorted thoughts and emotion flashed in his mind, stealing him away from the moment as memories rotated like images in a toy viewfinder. The accusation of him not seeing them by choice stung like Kaen’s fire and left him feeling just as singed. “I’m your Daddy” choked Kaji, trying to say his own name, but he lost himself in some lucid state where he was still bedside at the hospital.
Kaji gulped and said “Gods alive” as reality snapped back, and his drunkenness turned down just a notch as the embarrassment set in. “Wait, I do know you, I do…” he said, nodding and standing. He then went from Saeko to Tatsuo and added “Tatsuo, this is Saeko Takaki; she works with my wife. Miss Takaki, allow me to apologize… Yuii failed to tell me how elegant you are; so I mistook you for some imposter— come, have a seat... and fill me in. I’m desperate to hear of how my wife is faring… you see, we’re having a bit of a falling out at the moment. So, I’m glad you’ve come along.”

Kaji certainly didn’t look glad. In fact, he seemed very anxious. He urged Saeko to take a seat, going so far as to grab her from behind and nudge her into the barstool. “Bartender” he called nervously, “we have an honored guest joining the celebration. ‘Please, a glass of your finest wine for Miss Takaki here… Or whatever she wants. Bring the booze!” Kaji’s inebriated gaze then spun to Tatsuo and without a sound, his mouth worded a plea: “help me… this bitch is crazy but maybe she knows something.”
[/justify]

 

[Takaki Saeko]

I roll my eyes at Kaji's drunken dumbassery--followed by halfhearted attempt to be chivalrous--and down my flagon of 1899 Domaine Liancourt-Tsushima in a single gulp. I'm not too proud to refuse a free drink. "Another," I request of the bartender, offering him my empty glass. "Plus a shot of 18-year-old Yamazaki single malt."

While he goes to refill my glass and drain Kaji's wallet, I turn to Tatsuo. "Hi, Arksage. Sorry about earlier. I thought you couldn't hold your liquor, but clearly you can. Unlike some guy I just heard trip over his own tongue, earlier." I pointedly ignore Kaji. "Anyway, I don't know why, but I like you! I feel like I know you. Probably because like me, your profile says nothing about your personality or even what you look like. You might even be Steve Buscemi doing a crossover fanfic special, for all I know. If I weren't, like, an old hag with a perma-boyfriend, I'd give you a sloppy BJ for your birthday. But...as it happens, I'm here on Hand business." I put my arm around him. "So, like, lemme tell you a stupid story. Once there was this group of Leaf refugees--this was before Donado of Oranji, so we didn't have a wall yet--who came to Cloud to do the jobs that Cloudies don't wanna do. Things like picking berries in hundred-ten-degree weather, cleaning toilets clogged with literal kaiju shit, and being ANBU Sennin. One of those leaf refugees took a liking to our Main Branch Sennin--the blue-haired cat lady who I do errands for and the occasional pedicure--and they hooked up and had a kid. Now, the Main Branch Sennin, despite being a lazy goddamned pervert, is also a trusting sort. She kind of expects her man to occasionally be there and do things like say 'Hi honey, how was work today? Sorry you had to put up with that bitch in accounting! Hey, lemme take care of the dishes,' that kinda thing. Maybe even slip her some sausage when she's in the mood--some twelve-inch-long spicy salami that you can't even wrap your fingers around would be ideal, but we'll take a three-inch bratwurst as long as you bring money and a good personality... anyway, the Sennin has some basic expectations, like any woman. But that dude she hooked up with... no bratwurst, no dishes, no company. She's angry. Angry that he won't even swing by and take her on a date. See, Arksage, I don't know how many girls you've knocked up in your life, but if you have--you might realize that you can love your kids all you want, but that's not a substitute for a little old-fashioned doting on your woman. Those are different, but equally important things in life. Some men don't realize that."

I turn to Kaji and flutter my lashes. "Isn't that horrible, Daddy?" I immediately throw him another stinkeye to make sure he understands that I'm just making fun of him at this point.

I down my shot and turn back to Tatsuo. "Say, I have a fun idea. How about...how about we help the Main Branch Sennin out, and bring her man right to her this instant? You'll either see a heartwarming reunion that you can feel good about, or you'll see the kind of epic fight that this village hasn't seen since Akira Saito was locked in b-modded combat for a straight year! Modded combat is always more fun when you're not involved in it!"